Hearts 4 Queens 1

Well that didn't feel like a 4-1. First half we just had one up front and it didn't really work. Plus Kerr had a somewhat difficult game, some clever stuff but too many loose balls and being caught in possession.
The Hearts goal was a screamer, oddly it was a punt up the park, Durnan got under it and Keatings hit a screamer into the top corner.
I'm told the penalty was a stonewaller, but Dowie was only doing what many defenders do but usually get away with it. But there's not penalties end up with a throw in to the defending team...
Second half we went to 2 up front(took Kerr off), and for 20 minutes we were right in it and making a right game of it. Definite penalty for us, McShane brought down just in the box, buried with aplomb by Russell. Hearts were rocking, but we conceded from a corner, I'm told it came off Wilson's face, from our end I couldn't really see.
We then decided to chase the game and go with 3 up front, I'm not convinced that was the right move. McShane and Dzierkows

Agree with your comments.

I was very disappointed to see us set up in 4-5-1 formation not least because none of our 3 strikers are suited to alone role up front and sadly for all Gavin's endeavour he doesn't have the touch to hold the ball up single handedly.

I am really glad that we came out and had a real go in the second half because it would have been a shame if we had played the same way in the second half and done nothing to enhance our reputation.

Thought we were great second half going forward but defended poorly - especially the goal from the corner when for a spell we looked the likelier winners.

Need to stop this 4-5-1 nonsense and concentrate on trying to win games - sincerely hope we go for it against Rangers. Teams like alloa have shown what is achievable if you give it a go. I didn't honestly think Hearts were that great and in the first half we treated them with the respect that Barcelona would expect to get!

Thought McShane and Russell were excellent today ably su

The managers cautious approach in the 1st half didn't work & we seen a far better & more exciting team in the 2nd

Likewise , I'd like to see us doing away with the 4-5-1 formation

Rangers are there for the taking next Friday so let's have a right go at them

Games can't be won by playing well for twenty minutes and much less well for the remaining seventy minutes. Hearts were by far the better team in the first half and 1 - 0 at half-time probably didn't do them justice. Although Keatings took their first goal wonderfully well it was disappointing to lose a goal to a long punt by Danny Wilson over the top of our defence. Their penalty was simply stupidity by Dowie. Whether or not it might be claimed that every team does it, holding in the penalty box is still a penaltty.
Lyle made a difference at the start of the second half and we deservedly got back into the game when Russell showed Buaben how to take a penalty: and for those twenty minutes I thought we could actually win this game. However, just as it has already done several times this season, our kamikaze defending kicked in and we lost another three eminently defendable goals. Game over!
Yes, it was a much more positive performance than our recent performance at Easter Road, but

Didn't see the Dowie foul for their pen. Should be a hundred pens over the weekend for that and then behaviour at corners would be much better the next weekend. Pretty unlucky to have a ref pick you up for that.
Our pen was a foul but apparently just outside the box. We got lucky. Ye gods ! Queens have suddenly enjoyed an avalanche of pens after a severe drought!
Good example of having a real go today and getting thumped.
I did enjoy the game much more than the Hibs one, despite the result.

[quote="Cresswell"]Games can't be won by playing well for twenty minutes and much less well for the remaining seventy minutes. Hearts were by far the better team in the first half and 1 - 0 at half-time probably didn't do them justice. Although Keatings took their first goal wonderfully well it was disappointing to lose a goal to a long punt by Danny Wilson over the top of our defence. Their penalty was simply stupidity by Dowie. Whether or not it might be claimed that every team does it, holding in the penalty box is still a penaltty.
Lyle made a difference at the start of the second half and we deservedly got back into the game when Russell showed Buaben how to take a penalty: and for those twenty minutes I thought we could actually win this game. However, just as it has already done several times this season, our kamikaze defending kicked in and we lost another three eminently defendable goals. Game over!
Yes, it was a much more positive performance t

If we do switch back to the 4-4-2 for the Rangers game (which IMO and I'm sure many others, our best formation) I'll be interested to see who plays striker with Reilly, or indeed Reilly might not even play. But With Reilly being our top scorer in the league he's a must start, I was a bit bemused not to see Baird in the first 11 for Brora. He might of picked up a knock. IMO, Lyle would make a bigger impact of the bench in the last 25 minutes than Baird. Unfortunately I couldn't make the game today but from what I've read Kerr struggled. A few big decisions coming up, and decisions that could have a major impact on our season.

Am very surprised baird hasn't started any of the last 2 games, Raith game being his last he scored and got mom from bbc alba. Fit for the bench he's fit to play

Looking at the BBC report, we had 1 striker for the first 45 mins, Hearts had 9 attempts at goal in that time and we had 1.
For the next 25 mins we had 2 strikers, Hearts had 2 attempts in that time and we had 4.
We then played for 10 mins with 3 strikers, Hearts had 3 attempts in that time and we had 1.
The last 10 mins probably doesn't count for much, but we went back to 2 strikers, Hearts had 0 attempts and we had 1.
The scores were
1 striker 0-1.
2 strikers 1-1.
3 strikers 0-2.
Doesn't tell the whole story but from that it looks like we made a game of it wihen we had 2 strikers and may have been the better side. Going to 3 strikers looks like a panic reaction that only made things worse. And playing with 1 striker was, as eveybody knows, just waiting to drown.
Of course, we played with 2 strikers at Palmerston and lost 3-0 so it maybe wouldn't have made much difference to the final result anyway.

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Originally Posted by Bluehome

Looking at the BBC report, we had 1 striker for the first 45 mins, Hearts had 9 attempts at goal in that time and we had 1.
For the next 25 mins we had 2 strikers, Hearts had 2 attempts in that time and we had 4.
We then played for 10 mins with 3 strikers, Hearts had 3 attempts in that time and we had 1.
The last 10 mins probably doesn't count for much, but we went back to 2 strikers, Hearts had 0 attempts and we had 1.
The scores were
1 striker 0-1.
2 strikers 1-1.
3 strikers 0-2.
Doesn't tell the whole story but from that it looks like we made a game of it wihen we had 2 strikers and may have been the better side. Going to 3 strikers looks like a panic reaction that only made things worse. And playing with 1 striker was, as eveybody knows, just waiting to drown.
Of course, we played with 2 strikers at Palmerston and lost 3-0 so it maybe wouldn't have made much difference to the final result anyway.

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Interesting post. Yes, I agree