Birthday boy Neil praised

BY PAUL KIDDIE

HEARTS boss Craig Levein today praised birthday boy Neil Janczyk for his performance against Dundee United in what was his first start in the Premierleague.

The midfielder, who turned 20 today, was preferred in the engine room to Neil MacFarlane for the Tynecastle clash and justified his manager’s decision with an accomplished display.

While Levein acknowledged his decision to play the youngster represented something of a gamble, he was delighted with his efforts, Janczyk playing a key role in the build-up to Andy Webster’s equaliser which sparked Hearts back into life in what was a difficult match for the Jambos after a four-week lay-off.

"I took a chance with Neil Janczyk," said Levein.

"Neil MacFarlane had been doing very well for us but I decided to leave him out on Saturday. I thought that we would get a lot of the ball and that we would need to keep possession. Neil Janczyk’s game is passing the ball and I thought he did that exceptionally well."

He added: "It was his full debut in the SPL and his performance was very pleasing. He is another young lad pushing for a place in the first team."

Explaining the double substitution which saw Steven Boyack and Andy Kirk enter the fray for Scott Severin and Gary Wales just after the hour mark, Levein said: "We tried to get them down the sides early on and that’s why Phil Stamp was out there. We got into some decent positions but didn’t quite get the quality of delivery in.

"We changed our approach in the second half with the midfield. We brought Steven Boyack on and moved Phil inside to give is safer possession."

Taken from the Scotsman