SPFL,
Sunday 5 January 2014 – Tynecastle
2013 was a miserable year
for Hearts and their supporters. A host of experienced players left the club,
there was huge disappointment in losing the League Cup final to St. Mirren in
March and the club plunged into administration in June. The latter incident had
huge ramifications with Hearts beginning season 2013/14 with a 15 point
deduction in the SPFL – a handicap they’ve been unable to overcome thus far.
2014 hasn't started any better
– defeat in the Edinburgh derby from Hibernian at Easter Road on just the
second day of the year. With the gap at the foot of the SPFL Premiership table
widening instead of reducing and relegation for the first time in over 30 years
now a near certainty for Hearts, it was a somewhat disillusioned Hearts support
who trudged along to Tynecastle for the first home game of the year.
True to form of late, Hearts
produced another dismal performance as Partick Thistle easily recorded their
first win at Tynecastle since 1995 thanks to first half goals from Taylor and
Taylor-Sinclair.
Hearts were without the
suspended Jamie Hamill with David Smith finding a starting place following his
decent showing at Easter Road on Thursday. Skipper Danny Wilson was still out,
a huge blow coupled with Hamill’s enforced absence.
After an early chance for
the home side - Ryan Stevenson’s effort couldn’t get past Thistle keeper Fox – it
was an unlucky 13th minute for Hearts as the visitors took the lead.
A long ball should have been dealt with by home defender Dylan McGowan but he
was easily muscled out by Taylor who poked the ball past Jamie MacDonald from
six yards. The groans from the frustrated home support told its own story.
Ryan Stevenson had a
half-hearted effort on goal after 35 minutes but, if truth be told, it was a
poor game with neither side looking as if they could string more than two
passes together. Six minutes before half time, Thistle doubled their lead. From
a corner kick, Taylor-Sinclair had the freedom of Gorgie Road to head home and
put the Jags 2-0 ahead at half time.
There was at least some improvement
from Hearts in the second half although given their woeful first half display
this was hardly difficult. David Smith produced a fine cross after the restart
which Stevenson headed just over before Callum Tapping hit the crossbar from 30
yards out. Despite a better showing, Hearts just could not find a way past the
Thistle defence even when the visitors were reduced to ten men nine minutes
from the end when Bannigan was shown a second yellow card by referee Iain
Brines.
The game ended with a
cacophony of boos from those Hearts fans who stayed until the end of the game.
Their loyalty to their club shows no sign of abating – the attendance of 13,763
at Tynecastle was 5,000 more than any other SPFL game this weekend – but even
the diehard fans now realise the writing is on the wall for Hearts hopes of
defying the odds and remaining in the top flight of Scottish football. Hearts
manager Gary Locke seemed to acknowledge this after the final whistle.
Hearts: MacDonald; McGhee, McKay,
McGowan, McHattie; Smith, Tapping, Robinson, Walker, Stevenson, Paterson
Partick
Thistle: Fox,
O'Donnell, Taylor-Sinclair, Muirhead, Balatoni, Craigen, Bannigan, Lawless,
Piccolo, Taylor, Higginbotham
Referee: Iain Brines
Att: 13,763
Top man: David Smith
Aye, the heart it doth quake does it not.
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