Leaping Liam, Livi-d Levein
Liam Kelly was jumping for joy at Tynecastle after Livingston ended Hearts’ perfect start to the season. Jambos boss Craig Levein wasn’t quite so happy.
Their manager returned to the dugout after his health scare.
But table-topping Hearts couldn’t find a way to dig out a win over stubborn Livingston.
Recuperating Jam Tarts boss Craig Levein ditched the directors’ box midway through the first half as Livi threatened to derail his side’s 100% start to the season.
He did it in time to see Steven Naismith fluff his lines from the spot, right on the stroke of half-time.
Only Levein’s side really looked like winning it. But Livi’s organisation, fight and determination saw them claim a hard-earned point.
Despite watching his side open up a sixpoint lead over Celtic at the top of the table, Levein cut a disappinted figure at full-time.
But Livi possess traits he admires – and he was happy to give the newly promoted side credit.
“There’s a big sense of frustration,” he said. “But I thought Livingston’s game plan was executed really well.
“They sat deep, waited for us to overcommit and then tried to hit us on the counter-attack and had a couple of opportunities when they did that.
“We frustrated me more than Livingston did. The things we’ve been doing really well are moving the ball quickly from side to side, delivering good quality into the box and finishing the chances when they came our way.
“Those things have been evident in all of our matches this season, so it was frustrating today that we didn’t get it, although we still should have won.”
Despite – or perhaps because of – a near full house at Tynecastle, the opening was strangely tentative. hearts:
(4-2-3-1) Zlamal 6; Smith 6; Souttar 7; Dunne 7; Garuccio 5 (Morrison 51, 5); Haring 6; Lee 6 (Mulraney 84, 2); Mitchell 6; Wighton 6 (Djoum 66, 4); Naismith 6; Maclean 6. Unused subs – Doyle (GK); Bozanic; Mcdonald; Dikamona. livi:
(3-5-2) Kelly 7; Gallagher 6; Halkett 7; Lithgow 6; Lawless 7 (Cadden 71, 4); Jacobs 7; Byrne 7; Pittman 7; Lamie 7; Robinson 6 (Mcmillan 62, 5); Menga 8 (Hamilton 80, 2). Unused subs – Stewart (GK); Saunders; Kaja; Lawson.
Under the withering heat of 17,798 pairs of eyes, both teams seemed content to feel each other out rather than going for the jugular.
The Livi fans took more encouragement from early goings on than their Gorgie counterparts.
“This is a library,” was the travelling punters sarcastic assessment of their surroundings.
They weren’t far wrong.
Put it down to nerves, put it down to an understandable fear of allowing their
hopes to be raised too high, too soon, but whatever you put it down to, there was tension amongst the home fans.
Livewire Livi striker Dolly Menga seemed to feed off it.
The Angolan saw a goalbound effort from the edge of the box deflected just wide of the post on 15 minutes.
He fired another effort across the face as well-drilled Livi showed their mettle.
But inbetween, Hearts finally threatened when Jimmy Dunne cracked a header off the crossbar from Olly Lee’s free-kick.