Hearts needing more target practice after shooting themselves in the foot

CRAIG Gordon's last-minute aberration seemed to sum up Hearts' calamitous afternoon perfectly. They looked to have matters in hand but then they threw it all away and were left empty-handed.

But while the goalkeeper will shoulder his share of the blame, he should take heed of Gordon Strachan's words after Gary Caldwell's blunders cost Celtic in midweek. Teams win as a unit and lose as a unit and Gordon was by no means the sole reason Hearts left Celtic Park without a point. Eduard Malofeev has allegedly tightened up on discipline in training. The methods have improved, team unity is getting better and everyone is being forced to partake with the same vigour. Now all he needs to do is add some shooting practice and things might really take a turn for the better.

Eventually Andrius Velicka managed to break the deadlock but the fact that it took until the 73rd minute for someone in maroon to finish one of the plentiful chances that came their way made for a less fruitful encounter than might have been the case if only there had been a bit more composure in front of Artur Boruc's goal earlier in the match.

The performance may offer encouragement to a support put through the wringer in recent weeks, but there was no win to help paper over cracks. And the fact remains that players who are not good enough are still get a starting berth. Heck, they even get the opportunity to see out a game they themselves should have buried in the first half.

Their inability to do that left Malofeev spinning as he looked for an interpreter to convey his disgruntlement, although the main offenders were in the unenviable position of being able to understand the insults first hand, probably all too well. The consolation for Hearts fans is that at least one of their Lithuanian forwards knows how to finish, even if it also took him a few attempts. But when the final whistle sounded, the knowledge that they could and should have had three points, or at the very least one, will have offered paltry consolation.

Last week, Vladimir Romanov had threatened to field a team of youngsters in this one. In the end, it was men against boys as Celtic proved themselves possessed of something Hearts have struggled to muster enough of this season: fight and resilience. The majority shareholder's threat may not have been lifted, but having made light of the promise to sell off the first team after they failed to beat Dunfermline last week, the chances of Romanov's jolly japes about fielding a side of youngsters being followed up were always unlikely. Then again, perhaps that, rather than the flu, was why Steven Pressley was sitting in the stand.

The conspiracy theories did rage but, let's be honest, even a man as 'individual' and single-minded as the Hearts majority shareholder knew that seeing through last week's threat would have been the equivalent of title suicide, so this time we can probably take the club at its word. If the continued absence of Julien Brellier from the team is causing unrest, the consequences of sidelining the captain voluntarily would be more than significant. As it was, it was his replacement in the heart of defence, Ibrahim Tall, who allowed Jiri Jarosik in to score the equaliser.

Already 10 points behind the champions, thanks largely to the fact his team have picked up just two points from nine in their past three games, a defeat at Celtic Park would all but signal the end of their title aspirations. And whether fans or pundits agree with Romanov's handling of certain matters within the club, there is no doubting that those aspirations still run deep.

Besides, such a team would have increased the odds of an uncomfortable 90 minutes and a spoiled weekend. After all, the Lithuanian has made friends - and some enemies - with his overt attempts to undermine and discredit both halves of the Old Firm and their 'crude and unsophisticated' football, and the supporters in the directors' box are just as happy to make the most of bragging rights as the supporters in the stands.

When it comes down to it, there's no point sending boys out to do the job of men. Celtic proved that. They undoubtedly suffered a hangover from their Champions League excursion to Lisbon, and while the team as a whole were decent without looking dominant, the fact is they had the heart for it. Intent on bouncing back from the Benfica result, they had the battling qualities to fight back from a one-goal disadvantage. It is the kind of trait they have shown before, which is why, when others around then are dropping points, they are earning a share of them they are hardly entitled to.

Now they sit 13 points ahead of Hearts, who will have to start looking over their shoulder shortly if this kind of profligacy continues. It is a number considered unlucky for some. Those in the Hearts ranks, Gordon in particular, will know how that feels.

Taken from the Scotsman