Matchday Thread Hearts -V- ICT

[djh222]

Just seen the match stats. We dominated possession almost 60 40 but had only 5 shots compared to Hearts 13. How does that work?

[AJS]

Warren has more goals than all of County's strikers this season. Fun fact for the day.

[Bush]

Just seen the match stats. We dominated possession almost 60 40 but had only 5 shots compared to Hearts 13. How does that work?

It also says we only had 2 shots on target - despite scoring 3 goals!!

[djh222]

Just seen the match stats. We dominated possession almost 60 40 but had only 5 shots compared to Hearts 13. How does that work?

It also says we only had 2 shots on target - despite scoring 3 goals!!

 Although I think headers don't count as shots for some reason

[Alex MacLeod]

Of course they do.

[Kind of Blue]

A great 3 points today.  The result was more important than the performance and hopefully the team can now kick on and consolidate the position that was achieved by the good work last year.

 

I'm pleased that Mackay got a goal today  and that should do wonders for his confidence.

[bdu98196]

Always said that the Motherwell game was going to be the hardest of the run in and all the rest were win-able, lets hope that this is the start of another run and cement top 6.

Assuming there are no calls for TB to be sacked this wk then?

[CaleyD]

Some very clever movement at set pieces for us today, especially when we had corners...keep an eye out for it on the highlights.

[CaleyAlly]

fantastic game today thoroughly enjoyed it, could see that the team has been working on set pieces, quite an unorthodox setup shall we say....

[tm4tj]

Woooohoooooo

 

Fighting display from the lads and a great three points.................however, Graeme Shinnie was culpable for both Hearts goals.  Sorry to end the day on a sour note, but still a great three points...........woooohooooo

[alternative maryhill]

Outstanding commitment from the players today. We've been more fluent in other games this season, but there was a striking contrast between last week and this week in the way the players got in about their opponents. Terrific winning goal too, from what looked like a well-rehearsed set piece.

[tm4tj]

When I say culpable, I should rephrase that to involved.

[Doch4]

Highlights here:

http://youtu.be/67rty_cWbY8

[CaleyD]

Highlights only available outside UK & Ireland until 6pm tomorrow night.

[Tichy_Blacks_Back]

Good stuff - cracking save from Esson.

[BornCaley]

Hearts fans going bananas on their Kickback forum for Mcglyn's head!

[RiG]

Put the highlights into Prox Free and you can see them now.

[12th Man]

Cheers Rig   

http://uk.proxfree.com/page.php?get=nR%2BbLwdBZxkgfNA2Dj1StQEcKpgiOUl0WazmPqxYhhDaGJcDyOAfBHDOurg934IIVWb6GJNgwAH9hFoegPyX1HzpVrrnfFJLs6mOKmWklXg7lf1hqON6W5d8wB0M7ASA&sa=f68fa553&bit=0&fl=norefer

Edited February 24, 2013 by 12th Man

[WYNESS101]

Great game yesterday couldn't have asked more from the lads. Important 3 points. Warren was by far the man of the match. Controlling at the back and controlling in set pieces. Team were solid through out the game with Hearts throwing everything at them. Ngoo is a really dirty player arms all over the place. Esson pulled off a few good saves but apart from that didn't have much to do. With McKay scoring aswel here hopes that kick starts him into a scoring force again.

No Meekings or Roberts???

What a noise from the amount of away fans that travelled down 10/10

[djh222]

Great game yesterday couldn't have asked more from the lads. Important 3 points. Warren was by far the man of the match. Controlling at the back and controlling in set pieces. Team were solid through out the game with Hearts throwing everything at them. Ngoo is a really dirty player arms all over the place. Esson pulled off a few good saves but apart from that didn't have much to do. With McKay scoring aswel here hopes that kick starts him into a scoring force again.

No Meekings or Roberts???

What a noise from the amount of away fans that travelled down 10/10

Racist

 

Only joking well said

[lukemackay]

I was very very impressed with Danny Devine. The boy is a beast. One of his Clarence's almost blasted a hole through David raven but along with warren he handled ngoo so well. And we could see his frustration. Won almost every header composed at the back, yesterday was the first time I've seen him barring his cameo against Kilmarnock and I was very impressed with what I saw. He's the definition of a beast imo.

[RiG]

As for the game I thought it was quite poor for the most part. We didn't really play much good football but we were always a threat on set pieces with all three goals coming from such situations as Hearts just couldn't cope with the likes of Draper and Warren in the air. Draper spent a lot of time drifting wide to act as a target man in the absence of Foran when we had goal kicks / free kick deep in our half. He did well deputising there and it was his smart header across goal that led to McKay bundling in our second goal.

 

Prior to that Warren had put us ahead after a well placed header eluded MacDonald following a Doran free kick. Warren is making a habit of getting free from his man and expertly placing his header in the back of the net. We've seen him do it against Aberdeen, Dundee United and Rangers this season and I wondered why Hearts allowed him so much space yesterday. Doran was played through by Shinnie but he was called offside although some of the Sportsound guys apparently said it was pretty close. Hard to tell from behind the goals. 

 

The Hearts equaliser was a smashing strike. Holt cutting inside a couple of ICT players before lashing an effort past the despairing Esson. Hearts played some nice stuff after this but more often than not it ended with a wild shot or miscued effort due to lack of composure. Our second goal was quite straight forward. A free kick was lofted into the box and meet by Draper who headed back across goal and McKay was there to head home albeit with the aid of a deflection of a Hearts defender. Had that deflection not redirected the ball I think that MacDonald might have got to it.

 

Disappointing second goal to concede for us after Nick Ross headed an effort from Ngoo off the post but we failed to clear our lines and when it fell to Webster his effort was deflected off Devine and off in the opposite direction that Esson was going to bring Hearts level again. As with the McKay goal I think the keeper might have gotten there but the deflection completely took the ball away from where he was going. Esson kept us in it with a superb save after some Hearts lad crashed a shot in from about 25 yards out. It was well struck and looked like it was going in under the bar but Esson flew to his right to palm it over.

 

The winning goal by Warren reminded me of the goal he scored v Rangers. From a corner he somehow found a wee bit of space and stopped to head home. Sutherland had a chance to make it four when he was played through but he lacked any real sense of composure and, under pressure, blasted high and wide. 

 

Andrew Shinnie was pretty quiet yesterday I thought but Danny Devine did well coming in for the injured Josh Meekings. If I was Simon King I'd be a bit worried about getting a new deal for next season. He hasn't impressed in the few games he's played and with Meekings and Warren as our first choice CBs and Devine offering good cover and Hogg still to come back I can't see him staying next season.

 

Draper was much better yesterday after being hung out to dry somewhat when he was shifted to RM against Motherwell. He was a useful target man for us in place of Foran. Nick Ross also played well I thought defending well but also offering a good attacking outlet. We still look poor at the back at times but we worked hard to grind that result out and helps to stop the recent barren run and gives the guys a boost going in to the game against United on Wednesday and of course the Highland Derby on Saturday.

[CaleyD]

I don't think Warren was finding space at corners and set pieces by luck/chance....we seem to have set things up for exactly that scenario.

 

Most notable at corners was Warren and Draper falling back to almost the opposite edge of the 18 yard box and then timing their runs to meet the incoming ball...and getting in front of their markers in the process.  Worked well against Hearts because they use a man marking system and they seemed powerless to do anything to counter it.  Will be interesting to see if we use the same tactic against teams who use zonal marking to defend set pieces.

 

We've been notoriously weak at set pieces for years, so it's great to be able to praise the team for them.....next week "throw ins"???  lol

[bishbashbosh]

Always said that the Motherwell game was going to be the hardest of the run in and all the rest were win-able, lets hope that this is the start of another run and cement top 6.

Assuming there are no calls for TB to be sacked this wk then?

 

got a feeling the game over the bridge will be just as hard as motherwell. they are scotlands form team. sproule has been an inspired signing.

[CaleyD]

Having seen Warren and Devine "own" Ngoo, Sproule will not pose any problems for us.