Hearts Archives - Page 3 of 3

Hearts have announced a new partnership with Jamestown Analytics

Hearts have announced a new partnership with Jamestown Analytics, a world-renowned football data analysis company. This collab makes Hearts the exclusive users of Jamestown Analytics’ player data analytics services in Scotland. Jamestown Analytics has a proven track record of driving success for its clients, including top-tier clubs like Brighton & Hove Albion (England), Royale Union Saint-Gilloise (Belgium), and Como (Italy). Numerous other clubs have also benefited from their cutting-edge data insights to bolster squad development and improve performance. With Graeme Jones set to begin his role as Sporting Director on November 25th, he will spearhead the integration of advanced analytics into the football department. This will play a key role in enhancing player recruitment and providing sharper opposition analysis. BBC Scotland: Hearts had been in talks with Bloom and also recently appointed Graeme Jones as sporting director. Jones begins his new role on Monday. “Jamestown Analytics’ reputation in footballing circles is second to none,” said McKinlay. “It is no understatement when I say that they have made ground-breaking progress with clubs across Europe, so to be Scotland’s sole beneficiaries of their expertise is truly exciting. “I fully believe that the club will reap the benefits of embracing this modern, innovative approach to analytics and we couldn’t be prouder to be associated with Jamestown Analytics as we take Hearts into a new era.” Managing director Justin Said says Jamestown Analytics are “very selective about the clubs we want to work with”. “We feel that Hearts is a good fit,” he commented.

November 20, 2024

Will We See a Non-Old Firm Title Winner in Our Lifetimes?

Scottish football has been dominated by Rangers and Celtic for decades, but could another club rise to break the Old Firm stronghold? Kris Boyd believes Hearts may be the team with the best chance to challenge the giants and disrupt the league’s status quo. Boyd explained his reasoning, drawing comparisons to Union Saint-Gilloise in Belgium: “I look at what’s going on at Hearts, and I genuinely believe there could be [a chance], you only need to take a quick glimpse at what’s happening in Belgium at what’s happening with a similar set-up with Tony Bloom’s analytical company going in at Union St. Gilloise. There’s similar traits when you look at Belgium. When you take the big ones of Club Brugge and Anderlecht, you could argue they’re like Rangers and Celtic, Union have been able to come through and challenge.” As Bloom’s analytical approach propelled Union Saint-Gilloise to compete against Belgian heavyweights, Boyd sees potential for Hearts to do something similar. The question remains: could this be the dawn of a new era in Scottish football, where a team outside the Old Firm lifts the title? Time will tell.

November 14, 2024

Rangers Edge Hearts in Tense Ibrox Clash

Rangers clinched a narrow 1-0 win over Hearts at Ibrox, narrowing the gap to nine points behind league leaders Celtic and Aberdeen. Philippe Clement’s squad showed early promise with an efficient opening that led to a quick goal from Cyriel Dessers. However, the momentum faded, and Rangers ended up holding on for the result rather than dominating the game. Dessers’ goal—his 10th of the season and third in as many games—was set up by James Tavernier, who returned to the starting lineup after being benched against Olympiakos. Tavernier surged down the right and aimed a shot at goal, with Dessers’ close-range touch steering it past Craig Gordon. Though Hearts have historically struggled at Ibrox, Neil Critchley’s side showed resilience after a shaky start, limiting Rangers’ control and frustrating the home supporters. A nervy moment came when John Souttar’s under-hit back-pass put Jack Butland under pressure, but the Rangers keeper held off Kenneth Vargas to keep his team ahead. Clear scoring chances remained rare. Early in the second half, Vargas nearly equalized but struck the post, while substitute Beni Baningime also threatened for Hearts. In stoppage time, Rangers’ Neraysho Kasanwirjo rattled the crossbar, but it made no difference as the home side came away with the win. This result continued Rangers’ extended unbeaten streak against Hearts, with the Tynecastle club still struggling in the lower part of the table.

November 10, 2024

Scottish Premiership Sunday Preview: Kilmarnock v Celtic and Rangers v Hearts

Kilmarnock v Celtic (15:00 GMT) Kilmarnock faces a setback as key defender Stuart Findlay is out for several months following an ankle injury at Dundee. Midfielder Liam Polworth could return to bolster the squad, while Kyle Magennis continues his recovery. Celtic, meanwhile, sees slight concerns with American centre-backs Cameron Carter-Vickers and Auston Trusty, who both missed Friday’s training but may still feature. Odin Thiago Holm, however, remains sidelined with ongoing calf issues. Rangers v Hearts (17:00 GMT) Rangers welcome Ianis Hagi and Danilo back into the squad, as they weren’t included in the recent European lineup. Ridvan Yilmaz and Rabbi Matondo may also make appearances, though Oscar Cortes isn’t quite ready. Tom Lawrence, unfortunately, is out for up to six weeks due to a leg injury. Hearts head coach Neil Critchley has no new fitness concerns and is likely to pick an unchanged side. Yutaro Oda and Calem Nieuwenhof are nearing a return but aren’t expected to feature at Ibrox.

November 10, 2024

Naismith speaks publicly for the first time since leaving the Hearts job

Steven Naismith speaks publicly for the first time since leaving the Hearts job in September. He has taken time to reflect on his time with the Edinburgh club and his journey from player to B-team and then Head Coach. Steven is fascinating speaking about his ambitions for the next role, demonstrating his passion for the game hasn’t been dimmed by his experience at Hearts. Derek McInnes is full of admiration for Steven’s time at Hearts and backs him to succeed in the future. Derek followed a similar path to Steven by starting his managerial career as player-manager at St Johnstone. He tells a hilarious story about deciding to bench himself, before revealing Craig Levein’s ‘jinx’ role in losing his job at Bristol City. Derek provides an insight into the fraternity of managers, by revealing the advice he was given by Walter Smith and Sir Alex Ferguson. Steven Naismith on how he reflects on leaving Hearts “It’s disappointing, there’s a bit of frustration there because you do believe, we worked so hard over the previous year to bring success at the start which we managed to do and then the reward of that is European football, you get to develop the squad a bit. I thought we did that. “I think nobody complained about the recruitment over the summer. But then, as a young manager, you signed players and you think at the start of a season ‘brilliant, we’ve got this option, that option’, but probably the bit you can’t judge is how much time players are going to take to settle, especially when for nearly every player we signed, Hearts is a bigger club from where they came from. “Now my experience of going to Rangers from Kilmarnock, it’s sink or swim time at moments. So, there’s probably any element of that. “Our first game against Rangers was excellent. All that was missing was the goal and then from there, you lose a couple of games, some bad decisions from me, individual error cost us a lot and before you know it, you’re trying to stem that tide. “For me, it’s small moments, Dundee United at home, we control the game a lot, didn’t take any chances, they score late on with a deflected goal and that builds. “A lot of people spoke about how big the job was before I took it. As a person I’ll evaluate everything, what are the pros and cons of going into any job? It was a big risk for me personally going in as a younger manager. “[There’s] two things you need to do is – one – get success but then when you do that, you need keep it there because if you don’t pressure comes and you’re going to lose your job. That’s inevitably how it came about. “I loved every minute of it. I thought we did a good job but at the cold end of it success and pressure and demands are there and if you don’t hit them you’re gonna lose your job and that’s what happened so I’m comfortable with it all. “I’ve reflected on a lot of the decisions you do learn a lot. As a player you think you know it all, you go into coaching and then there’s other bits you go ‘that’s different to what it was like as I thought as a player’ and then it’s again, when you become a manager, it’s different again but I loved it, loved every minute of it. “I love the intensity of it and just disappointed because I thought we had, Hearts do have a good squad and I think they will come good this season.” Steven on still believing he could turn Hearts’ fortunes around “I don’t think you know, or I certainly didn’t know. I understood that you look at results and you go ‘right if we can get a result here, if we don’t that builds the pressure’. Inside I was probably thinking you’ll get to the international break because it was three games there and they were probably games that you’re more likely to look at and go right – we should win. Ross County at home, the European game and then a big one is going to be Aberdeen. But even after the St Mirren game when we get beat 2-1, I’m sitting there really still believing that we can turn this around and I can make this better. And then when you have the phone call the next day that is what it is but I don’t think there’s a structure or a set way for it to happen or how it comes, the conversation’s had and I think if you’re honest it’s the best way you can go about it all.” The Warm-Up is William Hill’s weekly SPFL preview show hosted by Gordon Duncan and Sam North. You can find the full episode on The Warm-Up YouTube channel, where episodes premiere every Friday.

November 8, 2024

Bundesliga Side Heidenheim Prevails Over Hearts in a Heated Tynecastle Clash

Heidenheim continued their flawless run in the Conference League, edging past Hearts in an intense atmosphere at Tynecastle and putting an end to the Edinburgh side’s unbeaten streak in the competition. Despite their struggles in the Scottish Premiership, where they sit second from bottom, Hearts dominated the first half against their German visitors but were unable to break the deadlock. It took nearly an hour of sustained pressure from Hearts before Heidenheim found the breakthrough. Sirlord Conteh opened the scoring for Frank Schmidt’s side, guiding a header past Craig Gordon after a swift counterattack. Hearts’ push for an equaliser lacked sharpness, and in a near-identical play, Jan Schoppner extended Heidenheim’s lead, silencing the fervent home crowd. Before the goals, Hearts showed resilience and flashes of quality. Craig Gordon’s weak punch nearly allowed Lennard Maloney to score, but Malachi Boateng’s quick intervention cleared the ball off the line, preserving Gordon’s clean sheet on his 300th club appearance—at least for the first half. It was an almost perfect opening half for Hearts, marked by energy, bravery, and some clever play. The only missing piece was the goal. Lawrence Shankland, who’s only found the net once this season, came close on a few occasions, while Blair Spittal and James Penrice missed shots from promising positions. Ultimately, Hearts walked away empty-handed for the first time in the tournament, while Heidenheim’s fairytale season continues to unfold, with this victory in Edinburgh as another impressive chapter. Missed Opportunities for Hearts European fixtures have offered some relief to Hearts amid a disappointing domestic start that sees them struggling at the bottom of the Premiership table. They stayed true to that trend with a high-energy first half, where they stretched Heidenheim across the field. Penrice and Yan Dhanda were particularly effective down the left, repeatedly driving down to the byline and pulling Heidenheim out of shape. Critchley’s team kept up a high line and piled on the attacks, yet lacked the clinical touch when it mattered most. This has become a recurring theme for Shankland, who seems weighed down by expectations. Last season, he seemed to turn every chance into a goal; now, he’s struggling to hit the target. If Shankland isn’t scoring, Hearts are left looking for answers up front. Heidenheim’s Remarkable Journey Hits New Heights When Hearts first drew Heidenheim, few fans in Gorgie knew much about the Bundesliga newcomers. But as matchday approached, talk of their rise from the second tier to the Bundesliga last season began to make waves among Hearts supporters. Known for defying odds rather than bowing to high expectations, Heidenheim appeared somewhat unsettled by the Tynecastle crowd and the fast pace Hearts set in the first half. However, they held their ground, regrouped at the break, and emerged with renewed composure and precision. The German side’s second-half performance showcased a calm ruthlessness that Hearts could only aspire to replicate. Both goals reflected the kind of efficiency and speed that has defined Heidenheim’s unexpected rise. From relative obscurity, Heidenheim has now caught the attention of the Scottish football community as they sit comfortably on track for the Conference League play-offs.

November 7, 2024

Hearts battle to victory away to St Johnstone

Hearts battled to a 2-1 victory against St Johnstone on a cold afternoon at McDiarmid Park. The game saw two sides play entertaining, attacking football, which ebbed and flowed in the battle for possession and attacking momentum. St Johnstone knew victory would have seen them rise to 6th in the table from 9th. Simo Valakari, the Saints new head coach, was in the home dugout for the first time. They made two changes to their squad that lost midweek to St Mirren. Barry Douglas—the one-cap Scotland international who signed two weeks ago as a free agent—and Graham Carey came into the squad for Matthew Smith and Lewis Nielsen. The visitors knew victory would leapfrog them into 11th above their Edinburgh rivals, Hibernian, who play on Sunday—their loss midweek to Kilmarnock ended Neil Critchley’s new manager bump. They made three changes, with Yan Dhanda, Malachi Boateng and Daniel Oyegoke coming in for Adam Forrester, Cameron Devlin and Kenneth Vargas. First Half The first real moment of the game was when Boateng fired a pass straight through the Saints defence to Shankland. He hit it first time just wide of the post. Hearts continued to be the more threatening side in the first half, with quality and zip to their forward play. Early on, St Johnstone continuously tried to play out from the back, but misplaced passes and a good Jambos press halted that. Saints’ defender Kyle Cameron tried to ask his players to calm down after some early pressure, but Hearts kept coming. Dhanda and Forrest provided attacking impetus on the wings, and Beni Baningime and Boateng controlled proceedings in the middle of the park. The game began to open up, and St Johnstone started getting a foothold. They were awarded a free kick in a dangerous area outside the box. There was a question mark on whether the new man, Douglas or captain Nicky Clark, would take it. But the captain stepped up, with Gordon making a relatively comfortable save. Hearts racked up the corners throughout the first half, and that’s how they got their first goal. A Blair Spittal delivery was put over the line by Clark, who scored an own goal in the 24th minute. The Saints responded with some attacks of their own. Following one corner was a goalmouth scramble, which Gordon clung onto and subsequently won a foul. In another moment in the latter stages of the first half, Sidibeh put a tame effort wide after doing well to beat his man just outside the box. Second Half At halftime, Simo subbed his goalkeeper, Joshua Rae, for Ross Sinclair after his number one picked up a knock in the first half. St Johnstone came flying out the blocks. Jason Holt led the charge with a curling effort that rattled off the crossbar after his attempted pass inside the box deflected back into his path. Veteran Craig Gordon kept his team in the lead with some good saves early in the second half, with the pick of the bunch, a low dive to his right. Critchley had seen enough and decided to make two early substitutions to try to change the course of the game. Devlin and Vargas came on for Dhanda and Boateng. There was uproar from the Saints fans after they thought Kye Rowles—already on a yellow card for a foul in the first half—brought their player down. The referee disagreed and just awarded the free kick. Following a corner, referee Chris Graham was called to the monitor after VAR Alan Muir said there was a possible penalty kick. After watching it, he pointed to the penalty spot after the officials believed Devlin wrestled Cameron to the ground inside the box. Devlin got a yellow card, and Clark took the game ball. He stepped up and fired it straight into the bottom corner past Gordon, cancelling out his own goal from the first half. Hearts responded positively to the setback, gaining momentum with the substitutions providing fresh energy. The substitute Vargas got onto the scoresheet with a lovely finish into the bottom corner after some sublime footwork from Baningime. St Johnstone tried to push for a late equaliser but struggled to create chances due to Hearts’ stern 4-4-2 shape. It was their story of the match; progressing the ball nicely from the defence to the midfield but falling short in attack. Hearts continued to exploit the space behind the St Johnstone defence, with an over-the-top ball played into Vargas who ran in on goal. Rae made a terrific one-on-one save to give his side hope going into the game’s final phase. The keeper came up to help St Johnstone from a corner in the dying moments, but ultimately, Hearts defended well enough to clinch all three points. The Hearts fans will return to Edinburgh to celebrate and look forward to their midweek European tie against German opponents, Heidenheim. Teams St Johnstone (4-1-3-2): Sinclair (GK) (Rae, 46th), Cameron, Sanders, Douglas, Wright, Sprangler, Carey, Holt, Clark (C) (Smith, 80th), Sidibeh (Kirk, 80th), Kimpioka Subs: Rae, Essel, Kucheriavyi, Smith, McPake, Kirk, Keltjens, Bright, Franczak Hearts (4-4-2): Gordon (GK), Kent, Oyegoke, Rowles, Penrice, Dhanda (Vargas, 57th), Baningime, Boateng (Devlin, 57th), Forrest, Spittal, Shankland (C) (Grant, 85th) Subs: Clark, Kingsley, Halkett, Grant, McKay, Devlin, Wilson, Forrester, Vargas Match Officials: Chris Graham (referee), Paul McAvinue and Craig Macrae (assistants), Duncan Williams (fourth official), Alan Muir (VAR) Attendance: 5,917.

November 2, 2024

Wilson’s Late Strike on Edinburgh Derby Debut Keeps Hibs Bottom

James Wilson marked his Edinburgh Derby debut with a goal as his late equaliser for Hearts keeps Hibs rooted to the bottom of the table. Hibs had thought they’d won it when Mykola Kuharevich’s second-half goal gave the hosts the lead, but teenager Wilson came off the bench to nip in front of Lewis Miller and deny Hibs the victory. Hearts certainly settled the quicker of the two sides; their passing had a zip that the Hibs side lacked. David Gray had opted for Kwon and Triantis in the middle without suspended captain Joe Newell, but they failed to take a grip of the game. Misplaced passes and loose touches from the hosts were letting the Hearts midfield pen the Hibs side back. As the minutes of the first half ticked away, Hearts possession counted for little, as they were unable to carve out any chances to trouble the Hibs backline. Josef Bursik was coming into the game off a catalogue of errors in the Hibs goal, but Hearts were unable to test him. It was Hibs that looked the more likely scorers, as they continued to have joy in behind the Hearts fullbacks. Junior Hoillet has been an impressive performer for Hibs this season, and he was continuing to pull the strings to get the team upfield. Ellie Youan, with space down the flank, was able to fire in a cross that was palmed away by Gordon, but Dwight Gayle’s follow-up was already off-target before Penrice hacked it away. Moments later, Gayle was guilty of missing a huge chance to give Hibs the lead just after the 30-minute mark. Hoillet whipped in a beautiful free kick to plant it on the head of Gayle six yards out, but his effort was straight at Gordon, who stuck out a strong arm to bat it away. Manager David Gray told SPFL News Now that he tinkered with his tactics slightly at half-time after he felt his side had gifted Hearts too much possession in the opening forty-five despite having the better chances. David Gray refused to shy away after the game of his side’s continued pattern of throwing away games from winning positions. “For 99% of that game, if we defend the long throw properly, we’re sitting here with a very different narrative. Which has been the way it has been, I’m not going to shy away from it; I feel like I’m answering the same questions.” “We had to tweak a few things tactically, but I also felt that we had better chances, and we needed to take some belief in that and trust in ourselves going forward.” The message worked as Hibs came out much brighter in the second half. Martin Boyle had been largely absent in the first half, but he was imposing himself brilliantly. His chipped cross found Gayle in the box for another attempt, but his effort was easily gathered by Gordon. That was to be Gayles last piece of the action as he was hooked for Kuharevich shortly after, and the substitute made an immediate impact, scoring with his first touch. Hoillets’ free-kick again caused panic in the Hearts box. Ekpiteta’s header was tipped onto the bar by Gordon, but Kuharevich was on hand to tap in the rebound to spark wild celebrations across the Famous Five stand. Hearts almost immediately struck back; Jorge Grant pulled it back for Shankland just outside the six-yard box, but the Hearts hitman could only find the side netting to the groans of the Hearts fans behind the goal. Hearts manager Neil Critchley rolled the attacking dice, bringing on Barrie McKay and James Wilson as the Hibs side started to sit deeper and deeper. You could begin to feel the nerves creep into the Easter Road crowd as Hibs continued to invite Hearts on to them. But it was Hibs who could’ve put the game to bed just ten minutes from time. Boyle directed his free-kick in behind the Hearts defence, and Triantis’s touch left him with just Gordon to beat, but his shot was weak and into the hands of an already-falling Gordon to the relief of the Hearts defence. Hibs would be punished immediately for not scoring as they failed to deal with a long throw for the second game in a row. Penrice launched it into the area, and it was flicked into the path of Wilson, who had muscled himself in front of a sleeping Miller to slam home and strike a body blow to David Grays side. The goal does enough for Hearts to keep Hibs rooted at the bottom of the table, with their sole win coming against St Johnstone. Manager Critchley praised his team’s ability to manage a quick turnaround after their European victory midweek. “I felt we came here and played good football; we weren’t playing introverted and anxious. I felt we played with confidence and freedom, and that’s what I want us to be in the future.” Hibs face a crunch fixture on Wednesday night as they make the long trip North to face Ross County, whilst Hearts entertain Kilmarnock. Hibernian: Bursik, Miller, Ekpiteta, O’Hora, Youan (Moriah-Welsh 60′), Boyle ©, Kwon, Obita, Hoilett (Doyle-Hayes 81′), Triantis, Gayle (Kuharevich 60′) Subs: Smith, Levitt, Doyle-Hayes, Iredale, McKirdy, Moriah-Welsh, Bushiri, Molotnikov, Kukharevych Hearts: Gordon, Kent, Oyegoke, Shankland ©, Devlin (McKay 72′), Rowles, Spittal, Boateng (Wilson 72′), Dhanda (Forrest 60′), Penrice, Vargas (Grant 60′) Subs: Clark, Kingsley, Halkett, Grant, McKay, Forrest, Wilson, Boyce, Forrester Attendance: 20,020

October 27, 2024

Hearts record their first home win since May with an emphatic 4-0 win against St Mirren at a packed Tynecastle.

Neil Critchley got life as the new Hearts boss off to a flier as his side swept aside a poor St Mirren team. From minute one the home side looked dominant with the Paisley side looking shaken. Charles Dunne made a number of clearances along with a block in the six-yard box by Alex Gogic keeping the Jambos at bay for the opening stages of the half. It wasn’t long until the Edinburgh side opened the scoring with some fine interplay between Lawrence Shankland and Kenneth Vargas with the latter, who was a threat throughout, poking the ball past Balcombe. St Mirren looked like a side void of confidence as Hearts continued to pile the pressure on with Kye Rowles hitting the side netting from a corner. St Mirren returned this fate as Killian Phillips followed in a corner where the side netting came calling yet again. The home crowd roared their side on, and the new manager bounce looked in full flow, but they just couldn’t find a 2 nd goal before the referee drew the half to a close. Half Time: Hearts 1-0 St Mirren “Start as you mean to go on” must have been the message for the Jambos as it took less than 5 minutes for them to double their lead. 2 half time changes from St Mirren saw them revert to a familiar 3-5-2 but this didn’t stop Oyegoke firing a spectacular shot past Ellery Balcombe to open his Hearts account. The right back received the ball at the edge of the box after a positive pattern of play from the home side and his effort came off the post and, to his delight, into the back of the net. Hearts kept knocking at the door with Yan Dhanda causing havoc for the St Mirren defence with seemingly every attack coming through him. Robinson decided to twist on the hour mark and used the remainder of his changes, including 16-year-old Evan Mooney making his debut, who would be the only positive to take away from the Paisley side today. The youngster looked bright and linked play well, but the ball just wouldn’t fall in a positive position to a player in sky blue. St Mirren ended the game with no shots on target and with 4 minutes to go, Hearts academy graduate James Wilson bundled the ball home after Balcombe was caught in no man’s land from a free kick. 3 became 4 in added time with Blair Spittal getting his second of the campaign. Full Time: Hearts 4-0 St Mirren Hearts look ahead to a Conference League clash against Omonia on Thursday after finally coming off the foot of the table. They swap places with their Edinburgh rivals Hibernian ahead of the sides’ clash next weekend. Meanwhile, it is now a run of 1 win in 11 games for Stephen Robinson’s men who go to Ibrox next week in search of a change in fortunes. Standout Performances Yan Dhanda- the ex-County man produced a fine performance and drove the home side forward. His pace and trickery caused problems for the St Mirren back line. James Penrice- the full back was solid in nullifying any threat from Greg Kiltie and Toyosi Olusanya. He looked a threat going forward and put in several dangerous crosses for the front line to get on the end of. As the weeks go on the 25-year-old looks like a steal for the Jambos as he continues to impress in maroon. Tactical Analysis Stephen Robinson continued with a 4-3-3 but it was apparent some players didn’t suit this system. An animated Robinson was met by a puzzled Olusanya who just didn’t look comfortable in his role as a right winger. The striker was promptly moved out to the left-hand side where he got slightly more joy, but it was no surprise to see the away side go back to to their trusted 3-5-2 for the 2nd half. Neil Critchley countered the 4-3-3 with a narrow 4-4-2. This exposed St Mirren’s full backs with the home side able to overload in the wide areas 2v1. This was effective in giving Vargas and Dhanda freedom to roam and create attacking opportunities.

October 20, 2024

Dundee United Continue Their Unbeaten Away Form with a 1-0 Victory Over St Mirren

It only took 53 seconds for this game to burst into life. A free kick whipped in by Mark O’Hara resulted in an acrobatic effort from centre half Richard Taylor flying over the bar. This was the start of a frantic first 10 minutes with the St Mirren defence, in particular, Charles Dunne standing resolute after several crosses from Will Ferry. This would become a familiar feature in the half. The pace and trickery of Toyosi Olusanya and Roland Idowu caused issues for the Dundee United defence with two penalty claims from the former being waved away by referee Ross Hardie. The home side were urged on by their manager on the touchline to quicken play up, but it wasn’t long before loose kicks from Balcombe and slack play in the middle of the park had the Paisley fans disgruntled in the stands, this followed by ex-Saints manager Jim Goodwin throwing the ball away made for a tense atmosphere at the SMISA stadium. Killian Phillips continued to impress in the black and white with some strong challenges and efforts on goal but ultimately couldn’t break the deadlock. After 20 minutes, the away side should have been 1-0 up. A free kick was fired in by Will Ferry and met by a free Adegboyega, but the defender scuffs his shot, and the ball is eventually cleared by Charles Dunne. Ross Docherty shows he hasn’t lost it with some nice footwork and switches of play in the middle of the park. United used him wisely in building attacks, with the home side standing firm. Saints grew into the game with Idowu dancing though the Tangerine’s defence before playing a 1-2 with Olusanya but his effort trickles wide of the post. An end-to- end encounter resulted in tensions spilling over on the touchline with words exchanged between both bosses. As the home side got to grips with the game, Goodwin made a tactical change with striker Jorte Van Der Sande coming off and replaced with winger Glenn Middleton. The change in formation meant they went toe-to-toe with the home side. This seemed to suit St Mirren as they built a few promising attacks but further efforts from Olusanya were sent over the bar. Before the half time whistle a long throw from Ross Graham led to a stramash in the box before a shot from a tangerine shirt flew wide of the Saints goal. The first save of the game came from Walton after an effort from Killian Phillips, seconds before the half time whistle. Half Time: St Mirren 0-0 Dundee United Dundee United started the half brightly with a couple of half chances and it wasn’t long before the United fans were up in arms with a claim for handball in the 49 th minute but this was checked and cleared by VAR before play continued. The restlessness in the stands continued as a slack pass from O’Hara broke down what looked like a promising Saints attack. The home side struggled to find a rhythm after the break, and it was wave after wave of attack from their opponents who were being rallied on by the 1000 strong away support. A sight Jim Goodwin didn’t want to see was the injury to experienced centre back Ross Graham who had to be substituted with a suspected hamstring injury. His replacement Kevin Holt was welcomed warmly with his name ringing around the away stand. Eventually a bit of quality came from the home side just before the hour mark. The ball was picked up by Boyd-Munce at the edge of the box before he rifled a shot destined for the top corner if not for an outstanding save from Jack Walton. This looked like it could have been a momentum shifter for St Mirren but instead Dundee United broke straight away and this time it was Balcombe who collected the ball after a tame effort from Liverpool-loanee Luca Stephenson. The home side started to live dangerously with the ever-present Marcus Fraser keeping Middleton at bay and it wasn’t long before Robinson made his first changes of the match. The returning Greg Kiltie comes on for Kevin Van Veen as does James Scott for Roland Idowu after 65 minutes. This resulted in a slight shift in formation from a narrow 4-4-2 to a more direct 4-3- 3. The changes seemed to ignite St Mirren for a spell and Killian Phillips left 2 United defenders toiling after some superb footwork before his effort flashes over the bar. Kiltie, a bright spark in this disappointing Saints performance put the Dundee United defence under pressure with his relentless running. This resulted in a corner which was swung in by his captain Mark O’Hara before meeting the head of Phillips who directs the ball across goal to Olusanya but the Saints man couldn’t find the target. It was then Goodwin’s turn to try and shift the momentum back in his side’s favour, youngster Luca Stephenson was replaced by academy graduate Miller Thomson and minutes later the away side took the lead. Pandemonium in the away stand followed as a corner was swung in and fell to Docherty at the edge of the box. His volleyed effort stings the palms of Balcombe before the goalkeeper parries it into the path of the onrushing Adegboyega who reacts quickest to head the Jim. Goodwin’s men in front. As the home side try to turn the tide, at 80 minutes Robinson throws on Bwomono, Mandron and minutes later, Smyth as his last roll of the dice in the search for an equaliser. It was here where the Saints started knocking at the door of the United defence as a header from O’Hara was punched away by Walton and a similar effort as his goal last week ends up over the bar from Phillips. Ultimately, the goal killed any momentum St Mirren had built up but Smyth looked bright in trying to create something in the final few minutes, but Kevin Holt

October 5, 2024

Hearts

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