Hearts maintain perfect start

ANDREW SMITH
AT CALEDONIAN STADIUM

INVERNESS CT 0
HEARTS 1 Skacel 29

ON AND on Hearts go. And if where their efforts will take them no-one can know, extending a glorious, unblemished record in the Premierleague courtesy of a seventh consecutive win served as further evidence of the Edinburgh club's staying power in the title race.

If not for the context, and the fact that the points were earned by Rudi Skacel's seventh league strike in as many games, yesterday's events at the Caledonian Stadium might be considered unremarkable. But that is simply not a word that can be used in respect of George Burley's league leaders when they are now only one win shy of the eight straight victories with which the Tynecastle club opened the 1914-15 season.

To match this sequence on Saturday, Hearts now require to prove themselves at home to Rangers, who are eight points adrift of them. The encounter offers the Tynecastle men an opportunity to prove beyond all doubt that they are the team the Old Firm have to beat, as opposed to the other way around. Eminently achievable, the manner in which they got the job done against Inverness without producing football to purr over made the win reminiscent of the sort the Glasgow clubs have become past masters at knocking out on their way to title successes. "If we had lost there would have been pressure on us to get a result next week," Steven Pressley said afterwards. "But now the pressure is on Rangers."

Hearts may have struggled to add to Skacel's 29th-minute strike but they were rock solid in defence and never at any stage did they look likely to make the most of their solitary net-bulging moment. That Burley's men possess the ability to win ugly might prove just as crucial to their hopes of making history as their previously demonstrated capacity for rolling over the top of opponents. Their manager recognised as much.

"It was a test of character," Burley stated. "I'd say it was our worst attacking display of the season but football is a team game. We worked hard and were well organised, even if our flowing football wasn't there."

Skacel's goal apart, a mundaneness stalked proceedings in a swirling wind. Yet the outcome was entitled to induce giddiness in Burley. "I've never won as many games in a row as manager," he said. "When I was at Ipswich as a player we won 14 or 15, but I'm very proud and pleased that we've won seven in a row. And it is an absolutely outstanding feat by Rudi."

Inverness Caledonian Thistle manager Craig Brewster claimed in the press yesterday morning that the scalp of the Tynecastle men was now more prized than that of the Old Firm. Turning this on its head, Hearts' victory in the Caledonian Stadium could be ranked alongside any they have achieved on the road this season.

Opportunities were scarce early on. For the best of them, home goalkeeper Mark Brown was required to punch away an effort from the ever-creative Skacel after the Czech pounced on a defensive mix-up. When Roman Bednar then almost embarrassed Brown by charging down a clearance, it became apparent Hearts were not prepared to allow errors to go unpunished.

The Edinburgh club could not become the first non-Old Firm team in more than two decades to win their opening six league games without being able to turn crumbs into feasts. No-one is this more true of than Skacel. Burley's side are at their most effective whenever the on-loan Marseille man is on the ball, his unerring capacity for putting it in the net now threatening Mark Viduka's 10-game scoring sequence with Celtic. In fact, Hearts' inability to steamroller Inverness as they have so many opponents this season may have had much to do with Skacel being on the periphery for the guts of the encounter.

The Czech attacker only required a yard of space in the penalty box to make his stamp on an otherwise colourless affair, however. He created this himself. A throw-in from Takis Fyssas was headed on by Bednar into the path of Skacel. He exquisitely pushed the ball left of his marker with his right-foot, before slamming a low drive into the far corner with his right. "I was annoyed with the goal," bemoaned Brewster. "There were 10 blue jerseys in the box and we didn't defend as we should have done."

Inverness were sparked into life by the loss. Three minutes before the interval, Craig Dargo helped a Darren Dods shot over the line after Stuart Munro headed against the upright. The striker's intervention, however, only brought an offside flag. "I wasn't sure if it was going in and you've just got a split second to react," Dargo said. "I apologised to the lads at half-time."

There wasn't a whole lot to get excited about in a second half that failed to engage. Brown tipping over an inswinging corner from substitute Samuel Camazzola represented about the only near thing. Hearts, meanwhile, encountered few problems in electing to hold a lead on an afternoon when Inverness did not allow them to string passes together. The period was notable for the debut of Brazilian signing Camazzola, but this was not a day for silky skills and the replacement could not provide these.

Although Inverness could never be entirely discounted, Burley's side retained control. And scoring one goal more than opponents is all required of them to preserve their table-topping status.

Whether they can do that next weekend is what will be exercising the minds of all Scottish football supporters this week. And for that Hearts can only but deserve our gratitude.

Taken from the Scotsman