5th November 2017 Hearts v Kilmarnock 1-2
Another (and hopefully the last) game at Murrayfield for Hearts. I walked to the ground via Haymarket. After going through the turnstiles I had a chat with Louise at the Foundation of Hearts stall. I first met Louise through my work and took her to hospitality at Tynecastle as my guest. She was thrilled to meet her hero at that time, Jaunjo who dropped into the hospitality suite after the game. Louise is now on the board of FoH and she persuaded me to buy a FoH beermat.
Hearts again made changes with Daniel Baur making his debut in the problematic left-back position. Daniel is normally a central defender in the U-20s and it seemed a strange move to field him out of position in his first game. Don Cowie returned in midfield replacing the injured Jamie Walker. There has been speculation in the press that Leeds United are to make a bid for Harry Cochrane and it was surprising that he was not included in th match day squad.
As this was the last home game prior to Remembrance Sunday Hearts held a minutes silence for those who fell in times of war and also wore special strips with a poppy embroidered on the front. As always the silence was impeccably observed by those present. In the fifth minute of the match a minutes applause was held in memory of Stefano Salvatori who had died earlier in the week. Salvatori was the midfield enforcer, wearing the number five shirt, in Hearts 1998 cup-winning side and was an excellent player who did the simple things well.
As for the game itself I am struggling to think of anything positive. Hearts started not badly and after five minutes, during the Salvatori tribute, Kilmarnock goalkeeper, and ex-Hearts player, Jamie MacDonald tipped a shot from Isma onto the post. Thereafter the match was a case of Hearts trying to get forward but lacking the touch of class to allow them to create good chances. After thirty minutes Kris Boyd of Kilmarnock beat the Hearts offside trap and ran on to a through ball. Despite Michael Smith getting back to cover Boyd was able to fire the ball past Jon McLaughlin to give Killie the lead. Boyd has scored a lot of goals in his career but is not renowed for his pace as most of his goals have been scored inside the penalty box. The failure of the Hearts defence to stop his run was symptomatic of the problems the side are experiencing recently. After forty-three minutes Hearts finally managed another attempt on target when Ross Callachan forced MacDonald into a save.
The second half was better than the first although that would not have been difficult. Hearts continued to press forward but lacked a creative spark. Lewis Moore and Baur appeared to have gained confidence and were willing to hold the ball rather than get rid off it immediately to a colleague as they had in the first half. Isma had a good attempt from a low corner taken by John Souttar well saved by MacDonald and later Isma hit the post with a shot from twenty yards. Kyle Lafferty could not connect with the rebound. After almost eighty minutes Hearts equalised with a good goal by Isma. He cut in from the left and fired a good shot across MacDonald into the roof of the net from the eighteen yard line. With minutes to go substitute Cole Stockton and Isma were left with a two on one as Hearts broke quickly. Cole passed to Isma but MacDonald went down bravely to block his shot. Kilmarnock then broke quickly down the Hearts left and a cut-back from the bye-line landed at the feet go Adam Frizzell on the edge of the six yard box. He was allowed to turn by the Hearts defence and fired a shot high past McLaughlin for the winning goal. Hearts then elected too bring on the pacey David Milinkovic in an effort to salvage a point but what he was expected to do in three minutes (plus injury time) I do not know.
Th final whistle brought some boo's from the Hearts support as the teams left the field. For me the highlight of the match was Souttar 'taking out' two Kilmarnock players with one tackle. Ok he was booked for it but the sight of two players lying on the ground outside the touchline at least gave me a laugh.
After the game I walked up to Gorgie Road and then home. Natalie was going out so I consoled myself by cooking a mixed grill, lorne sausage, black pudding, bacon, beans and waffles and washing it down with a bottle of beaujolais.
Teams
As this was the last home game prior to Remembrance Sunday Hearts held a minutes silence for those who fell in times of war and also wore special strips with a poppy embroidered on the front. As always the silence was impeccably observed by those present. In the fifth minute of the match a minutes applause was held in memory of Stefano Salvatori who had died earlier in the week. Salvatori was the midfield enforcer, wearing the number five shirt, in Hearts 1998 cup-winning side and was an excellent player who did the simple things well.
As for the game itself I am struggling to think of anything positive. Hearts started not badly and after five minutes, during the Salvatori tribute, Kilmarnock goalkeeper, and ex-Hearts player, Jamie MacDonald tipped a shot from Isma onto the post. Thereafter the match was a case of Hearts trying to get forward but lacking the touch of class to allow them to create good chances. After thirty minutes Kris Boyd of Kilmarnock beat the Hearts offside trap and ran on to a through ball. Despite Michael Smith getting back to cover Boyd was able to fire the ball past Jon McLaughlin to give Killie the lead. Boyd has scored a lot of goals in his career but is not renowed for his pace as most of his goals have been scored inside the penalty box. The failure of the Hearts defence to stop his run was symptomatic of the problems the side are experiencing recently. After forty-three minutes Hearts finally managed another attempt on target when Ross Callachan forced MacDonald into a save.
The second half was better than the first although that would not have been difficult. Hearts continued to press forward but lacked a creative spark. Lewis Moore and Baur appeared to have gained confidence and were willing to hold the ball rather than get rid off it immediately to a colleague as they had in the first half. Isma had a good attempt from a low corner taken by John Souttar well saved by MacDonald and later Isma hit the post with a shot from twenty yards. Kyle Lafferty could not connect with the rebound. After almost eighty minutes Hearts equalised with a good goal by Isma. He cut in from the left and fired a good shot across MacDonald into the roof of the net from the eighteen yard line. With minutes to go substitute Cole Stockton and Isma were left with a two on one as Hearts broke quickly. Cole passed to Isma but MacDonald went down bravely to block his shot. Kilmarnock then broke quickly down the Hearts left and a cut-back from the bye-line landed at the feet go Adam Frizzell on the edge of the six yard box. He was allowed to turn by the Hearts defence and fired a shot high past McLaughlin for the winning goal. Hearts then elected too bring on the pacey David Milinkovic in an effort to salvage a point but what he was expected to do in three minutes (plus injury time) I do not know.
Th final whistle brought some boo's from the Hearts support as the teams left the field. For me the highlight of the match was Souttar 'taking out' two Kilmarnock players with one tackle. Ok he was booked for it but the sight of two players lying on the ground outside the touchline at least gave me a laugh.
After the game I walked up to Gorgie Road and then home. Natalie was going out so I consoled myself by cooking a mixed grill, lorne sausage, black pudding, bacon, beans and waffles and washing it down with a bottle of beaujolais.
Teams
Hearts: McLaughlin, M.Smith, Souttar, Berra, Baur, Cowie, Randall, Callachan, Moore, Isma, Lafferty.
Subs: Henderson, Stockton, Milinkovic.
Kilmarnock: MacDonald, O'Donnell, Greer, Broadfoot, Power, McKenzie, K. Boyd, Jones, Taylor, Findlay, Burke.
Subs: Erwin, Frizzell
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