Hearts prepare to welcome back a key man as they build momentum to face Hibs in the Edinburgh derby

More good news for Tynecastle fans after an important win at Ross County

Hearts are preparing to welcome midfielder Cammy Devlin back to training on Monday and should have him available for next weekend’s Edinburgh derby. Hibs visit Tynecastle Park on Saturday for new manager Nick Montgomery’s first Capital encounter, and Devlin is pushing to return from a head knock.

He missed Saturday’s 1-0 win at Ross County. “Cammy will be back in training on Monday, so he should be back for next weekend,” said the Hearts head coach Steven Naismith after the match in Dingwall. Alan Forrest’s 70th-minute header earned the Edinburgh club a second successive away victory after the midweek Viaplay Cup triumph at Kilmarnock.

“You come away thinking it was a professional performance,” said Naismith. “Defensively, we were very solid for the whole game. Games in Scotland inevitably have that period where things become a bit more direct, and you have to deal with that. We ask our forward players to be in good positions, but for the full first half we dominated the game – we were just a bit slow in our attacks.

“Our thoughts weren't to play a piercing pass forward, but in the second half we put more naturally attacking players on and they had that instinct to pick that pass. I felt we were in control for the whole game. Being picky, we could have managed the game better at the end, but it was a good performance.”

Naismith put substitutes Forrest and Alex Lowry on early in the second half and they combined for the winner. Hearts began with a three-man defence rather than their usual four. “We knew the way the game would be at the start, and both teams are very detailed in what they do,” added Naismith. “As the game goes on, it changes as players fatigue. We knew that as the game went on we could afford to put more attacking players on when we were in control of the game.

“In the first half we didn't look like conceding, but in the second half more attacking players could drop deeper and give us a bit more urgency. It felt as if it was building, so I think this season we will continue to understand that we don't need to win the game in the first minute.

“That [change of formation] was just down to the all-round personnel available. Beni Baningime was ill for the last couple of days, which changed things, and it let us have control at the start of the game. Our centre-halves managed to step in and help us play in their half, so it was more about that than anything.

Alan Forrest headed Hearts' winning goal against Ross County. Pic: SNS

“I said after St Mirren last week that I was pleased we had the two away games, because it would tell me a lot about the squad. I think you can see that the group has a good understand of how we want to play, which is a good start, and then we have real quality going forward which we're going to need with the injuries we have.”

Hearts are preparing to host Hibs after back-to-back victories. “For consistency, it's important. The bigger picture is that we've gone through spells where we've won then lost, but now we've won two back-to-back which is a brilliant place to be going into a derby.”