Hearts rev up their twin-engined attack

HUSTLING and bustling their way through the Boxing Day Edinburgh derby, Roman Bednar and Edgaras Jankauskas provided glimpses of their imposing partnership at its best. It was a return to prominence the Hearts support has longed to see.

Neglecting the contribution of both forwards would be an easy oversight in the aftermath of a Hearts-Hibs match which contained more talking points than the Trisha Show. But forsaking Dean Shiels and Craig Gordon momentarily, Bednar and Jankauskas stood out as leading combatants in effecting Hibs' downfall.

The mere inclusion of the Czech from the start would have guaranteed a pre-match morale boost in the home dressing-room. Bednar had missed two months with an Achilles problem and was an unused substitute at Tannadice last Saturday, but the slight gamble on his match fitness proved sound judgement on the part of head coach Valdas Ivanauskas. The 23-year-old partnered Jankauskas for only the fourth time this season and lasted every minute of the 90, tormenting Hibs centre-backs Shelton Martis and Rob Jones for most of them.

The almost telepathic understanding with his Lithuanian colleague played a major part in fashioning Paul Hartley's opening goal. Thereafter the visiting defence often found itself unsettled and overpowered by two more robust opponents, with Jankauskas scoring his first goal of the season to afford his side a 2-0 advantage.

The Bednar-Jankauskas combination is arguably the most productive available to Ivanauskas, assuming a fully-fit Hearts squad. Andrius Velicka has been an unqualified success with seven goals since his August loan move from FBK Kaunas, whilst Mauricio Pinilla looks to be possibly the most dynamic forward currently at Tynecastle and his return from a hamstring injury is eagerly anticipated.

But for an imperial blend of physical and technical attributes, Bednar and Jankauskas are difficult to surpass. Better sides than Hibs have been overwhelmed by the Czech-Lithuanian pairing, who between them managed 19 goals last season despite long injury-enforced absences for both.

For Ivanauskas, the timing of Bednar's return on Tuesday was precise and deliberate. But there was even greater satisfaction to be derived from Jankauskas breaking his duck for the season, a goal later supplemented by Saulius Mikoliunas to ensure a home victory.

"Saul's was a beautiful goal but for me Edgaras getting on the scoresheet was perhaps even more important," said the Hearts head coach. "He had to go a long time without scoring so his goal was personally very crucial for him.

"Every striker needs goals. Edgaras was working very hard for this goal and if I remember my first game back after illness, against St Mirren, he had three good chances and did not score. I know that, psychologically, strikers can become very nervous when this happens but he is experienced.

"I told him he doesn't need to score goals. He must keep working and working and then he will find himself scoring naturally like last season. Against Hibs he got his goal and this can be very important for him personally, as well as the team."

Jankauskas has taken on a more industrious on-field demeanour in recent weeks, the 31-year-old perhaps willing to assume more responsibility following the departure of deposed captain Steven Pressley from Hearts. It was well known inside the club that the pair did not get on and, with Bednar back by his side, Jankauskas appears a different player altogether from the one who has laboured for much of this season.

As a bustling striker himself during a playing career with Austria Vienna, Hamburg and Casino Salzburg, Ivanauskas can easily recognise a striker who is resplendent with confidence. Bednar may have cut a jaded figure come the end of Tuesday's derby but inside his appetite has returned in tandem with his fitness.

"It was fantastic to be back," enthused the former Mlada Boleslav player. "I can feel it a little bit but that is normal after my first game after injury. I thought I would play for maybe a few minutes at Dundee United, so against Hibs I was surprised to be in the starting eleven. But I think I was ready.

"Every derby I have played here has been crazy. In the UK this happens all the time. One team is 2-0 up and when the other team scores it can finish 2-2 or even 3-2 to the other team. We did well and the red card for Shiels helped us, but we cannot concede two-goal leads in every game. Winning 1-0 in Dundee was great, and beating Hibs is always difficult so I think it is two fantastic days for us. We now have to keep going and try to win more games, taking points all the time."

Hearts' ultimate aim for this season is to return to the Champions League arena which they graced briefly back in August - a time when Bednar in particular was enjoying scintillating form. A second-place SPL finish next May remains a distinct possibility following three victories, a draw and a defeat since Ivanauskas resumed coaching responsibilities from the hapless Eduard Malofeev last month.

Malofeev was finally awarded his UEFA Pro coaching licence in Moscow the day before Christmas Eve, but that qualification will be put to use at another club financed by Vladimir Romanov, MTZ Ripo of Minsk.

The veteran Russian did make a fleeting return to Tynecastle to witness the derby triumph over Hibs and, as a coach who favours the bolshy attacking approach, it would have been interesting to gather his thoughts on the prowess of Bednar and Jankauskas.

However, words can only say so much about the potential of this partnership.

If Hearts are to prosper during the second half of the 2006/07 campaign, potential must be properly realised. In that sense, Boxing Day brought an encouraging fresh start for two giants of Tynecastle.

Taken from the Scotsman