31st August 2019 Hearts v Hamilton Accies. 2-2
Another Saturday and off to Tynecastle for Hearts home match with Hamilton in the SPL. After lunch I texted Craig to se if he was parking at our place but he as running late and said he would park nearer the ground. Harmoni was not going to the game today as she was out with friends so Harper brought along one of his friends from Edinburgh South training to use her ticket. I had decided to give Harper the sticker album that Hearts had issued with this weeks programme, two stickers were included today and others will be issued with the programme over the season, so I said I would see them at halftime. Left home with ten minutes to go in Southampton v Manchester Utd on BT Sport and walked down to Tynecastle. Arrived around 14.30 and took my seat in the Main Stand.
It has been an eventful week at Tynecastle with the signing yesterday on loan from Manchester City of attacking midfielder Ryotaro Meshino. Meshino from Japan is twenty-one years old and signed for City from JLeague Gamba Osaka for a seven figure fee. City loaned him to Hearts as the SPL regulations for work permits for non-EU players are not stringent as those in the English Premier League and also because Hearts assistant manger, Austin McPhee, is fluent in Japanese having spent some time working n that country. Having only arrived in Edinburgh yesterday Meshhino started on the bench along with Steven Naismith, who was named in the Scotland squad this week having recovered from injury. However Hearts have lost goalkeeper Joel Pereira and full-back Michael Smith to injury with both players expected to be out until after the international break next weekend. Colin Doyle replaced Periera in goal with Aaron Hickey moving across to right back to replace Smith. Aidy White came into Hickey's regular left-back slot with Euan Henderson coming in as an attacking replacement for midfielder Lois Damour who dropped to the bench. Hamilton were along their usual lines although it was surprising to see midfielder Darian MacKinnon on the bench. MacKinnon is what could be called a 'combative' midfielder and, like Scott Brown of Celtic, is not a favourite with fans outside of Hamilton.
The game began with Hearts attacking the Gorgie Road end goal rather than their favoured School End in the first half. This may have been a ploy by Hamilton Manager, and ex-Hibs player, Brian Rice to upset Hearts and present his side with a physiological advantage. if this was the plan it did not work as Hearts started the match well. Andy Irving and Glenn Whelan were controlling central midfield. Whelan with his ball-winning and range of passing and Irving carrying the ball and bringing others into play. Hearts had the ball in the net after eleven minutes when Conor Washington headed down a Whelan cross towards the onrushing Jake Mulraney who dived to head past Owain Fon-Williams in the Hamilton goal. The far-side linesman raised his flag for offside against Mulraney although given the winger had started his run from the edge of the penalty area I would dispute the decision. Two minutes later Hearts went ahead after run by Craig Halkett from the halfway line to the edge of the Hamilton penalty area. He picked out Sean Clare's run into the box on the right and sent the ball through to him. Clare took the ball in his stride and shot across Fon-Williams into the net for his first goal of the season. Henderson was looking as if he would make a difference up front with his running power but took a knee in the back after challenging fror a high ball on the half hour mark. He tried to continue after treatment but went down again and had to be replaced by Meshino coming on for his debut. The newcomer looked a fair player with good control, a willingness to run at people and awareness of is team-mates. His first shot however, just before halftime, flew high and wide over the cross-bar from twenty-five yards. Hamilton had only one attempt in the first half when Lewis Smith cut inside White and fired in a shot from about fifteen yards on the right hand side of the goal. Doyle managed to knock the ball away for a corner although I think it was more a case of the ball hitting him rather than brilliant goal-keeping.
The second half however was a different story. Hearts lost a goal after fifty minutes when Berra, White and Doyle appeared to leave a through ball to each other and Geoge Oakley nipped in to toe-poke the ball past Doyle for an undeserved equaliser. Hearts did regain the lead after fifty-eight minutes when Berra headed home an irving corner after leaping high in the six yard box. The corner had been won after good work by Mulraney and the ball being deflected away by keeper Fon-Williams. After going ahead there appeared to be a growing nervousness in the Hearts play which was not helped by White limping off injured. Jamie Brandon came on as his replacement at right-back with Hickey moving across to his favoured left-back slot. Hearts good inter-passing of the first half was now a thing of the past and the preferred tactic appeared to be to hit a high ball up the field. While both Washington and Meshino tried hard neither are likely to be able to win a ball in the air against defenders who are considerably taller than both players. Hamilton were pushing forward now and after Doyle did well to save a shot from Blair Alston, Marios Ogkmpoe hit the rebound against the bar. The equaliser came after seventy-three minutes when a pass from Brandon was intercepted in midfield. The ball was switched to Aaron McGowan on the right and he found Oakley unmarked on the right hand side of the Hearts penalty box about twelve yards out. The striker hit a low shot beyond Doyle to level the score with the Hearts defence nowhere to be seen. There-after Hearts tried to get a winner but my feeling was that every time Hamilton broke upfield the Hearts defence was in a panic. Despite this Hearts did have a good chance when Clare made a good run forward from the halfway line but was tripped around five yards from the penalty area. Halkett took the resultant free-kick but failed to trouble Fon-Williams as his shot flew high and wide. The Hearts performance was summed up deep into injury time when they were awarded a free-kick just inside the Hamilton half on the touchline. As the clock was ticking the ball was crying out to be launched into the penalty box in an attempt to grab a winning goal instead the kick was played short and passed between defenders until the ball went out for a Hamilton throw-in.
The final whistle was a blessed relief after the second half performance and I walked home in a bad mood. I hate saying it but I think it is time for Craig Levein to relinquish his team management role and retain his Director of Football responsibilities. In that role he has revitalised the Hearts Academy which is now producing some excellent young players and he can also act as a sounding board for a new manager. I liked Levein as a player and also in his first spell as a manger were he took the side into Europe twice. Now however his style of setting up the side not to lose rather than to win games. Hearts have a squad of thirty-five first team players, albeit some are now out on loan. In the past week Harry Cochrane and Anthony MacDonald have been loaned to Dunfermline and Olly Lee to Gillingham. While the clubs with the loanees pay a portion of the players wages Hearts still must have the highest budget in Scottish Football outside the Old Firm. A new manager with a more positive approach to the game would, I think, revitalise what is a squad of good players who are not currently being utilised to bring out their best qualities. It will be interesting to see if any changes are made in the managerial team during the international break.
The game began with Hearts attacking the Gorgie Road end goal rather than their favoured School End in the first half. This may have been a ploy by Hamilton Manager, and ex-Hibs player, Brian Rice to upset Hearts and present his side with a physiological advantage. if this was the plan it did not work as Hearts started the match well. Andy Irving and Glenn Whelan were controlling central midfield. Whelan with his ball-winning and range of passing and Irving carrying the ball and bringing others into play. Hearts had the ball in the net after eleven minutes when Conor Washington headed down a Whelan cross towards the onrushing Jake Mulraney who dived to head past Owain Fon-Williams in the Hamilton goal. The far-side linesman raised his flag for offside against Mulraney although given the winger had started his run from the edge of the penalty area I would dispute the decision. Two minutes later Hearts went ahead after run by Craig Halkett from the halfway line to the edge of the Hamilton penalty area. He picked out Sean Clare's run into the box on the right and sent the ball through to him. Clare took the ball in his stride and shot across Fon-Williams into the net for his first goal of the season. Henderson was looking as if he would make a difference up front with his running power but took a knee in the back after challenging fror a high ball on the half hour mark. He tried to continue after treatment but went down again and had to be replaced by Meshino coming on for his debut. The newcomer looked a fair player with good control, a willingness to run at people and awareness of is team-mates. His first shot however, just before halftime, flew high and wide over the cross-bar from twenty-five yards. Hamilton had only one attempt in the first half when Lewis Smith cut inside White and fired in a shot from about fifteen yards on the right hand side of the goal. Doyle managed to knock the ball away for a corner although I think it was more a case of the ball hitting him rather than brilliant goal-keeping.
The second half however was a different story. Hearts lost a goal after fifty minutes when Berra, White and Doyle appeared to leave a through ball to each other and Geoge Oakley nipped in to toe-poke the ball past Doyle for an undeserved equaliser. Hearts did regain the lead after fifty-eight minutes when Berra headed home an irving corner after leaping high in the six yard box. The corner had been won after good work by Mulraney and the ball being deflected away by keeper Fon-Williams. After going ahead there appeared to be a growing nervousness in the Hearts play which was not helped by White limping off injured. Jamie Brandon came on as his replacement at right-back with Hickey moving across to his favoured left-back slot. Hearts good inter-passing of the first half was now a thing of the past and the preferred tactic appeared to be to hit a high ball up the field. While both Washington and Meshino tried hard neither are likely to be able to win a ball in the air against defenders who are considerably taller than both players. Hamilton were pushing forward now and after Doyle did well to save a shot from Blair Alston, Marios Ogkmpoe hit the rebound against the bar. The equaliser came after seventy-three minutes when a pass from Brandon was intercepted in midfield. The ball was switched to Aaron McGowan on the right and he found Oakley unmarked on the right hand side of the Hearts penalty box about twelve yards out. The striker hit a low shot beyond Doyle to level the score with the Hearts defence nowhere to be seen. There-after Hearts tried to get a winner but my feeling was that every time Hamilton broke upfield the Hearts defence was in a panic. Despite this Hearts did have a good chance when Clare made a good run forward from the halfway line but was tripped around five yards from the penalty area. Halkett took the resultant free-kick but failed to trouble Fon-Williams as his shot flew high and wide. The Hearts performance was summed up deep into injury time when they were awarded a free-kick just inside the Hamilton half on the touchline. As the clock was ticking the ball was crying out to be launched into the penalty box in an attempt to grab a winning goal instead the kick was played short and passed between defenders until the ball went out for a Hamilton throw-in.
The final whistle was a blessed relief after the second half performance and I walked home in a bad mood. I hate saying it but I think it is time for Craig Levein to relinquish his team management role and retain his Director of Football responsibilities. In that role he has revitalised the Hearts Academy which is now producing some excellent young players and he can also act as a sounding board for a new manager. I liked Levein as a player and also in his first spell as a manger were he took the side into Europe twice. Now however his style of setting up the side not to lose rather than to win games. Hearts have a squad of thirty-five first team players, albeit some are now out on loan. In the past week Harry Cochrane and Anthony MacDonald have been loaned to Dunfermline and Olly Lee to Gillingham. While the clubs with the loanees pay a portion of the players wages Hearts still must have the highest budget in Scottish Football outside the Old Firm. A new manager with a more positive approach to the game would, I think, revitalise what is a squad of good players who are not currently being utilised to bring out their best qualities. It will be interesting to see if any changes are made in the managerial team during the international break.
Teams
Hearts: Doyle, White, Berra, Clare, Washington, Mulraney, Whelan, Halkett, Irving, Henderson, Hickey.
Subs: Meshino, Brandon, Naismith
Hamilton: Fon Williams, McGowan, Fjortoft, Collar, Oakley, Alston, Gogic, Easton, Stubbs, Smith, Ogkmpoe.
Subs: Moyo, MacKinnon, Hughes
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