'Bizarre' - The key factor in Hearts fine run of form that was missed by former manager

Hearts produced arguably their best performance of the season and extended their unbeaten run to a sixth league game with a 6-0 demolition of struggling Dundee on Saturday afternoon.

Lawrence Shankland opened the scoring on the quarter-hour mark with a neat finish and Blair Spittal continued his own fine run of form by doubling the lead just two minutes later. The two-goal advantage was extended when January transfer window signing Elton Kabangu and Musa Drammeh found the net before the midway point of the second-half and Kabangu’s second of the day and a late Kenneth Vargas effort rounded off a fine away display from Neil Critchley’s side.

The win meant Hearts continued to move away from the Premiership relegation zone and now have their eyes on the sides above them in the table. Remarkably, given they were sat in relegation play-off place just over a month ago, Critchley’s men now lie within five points of the top four and no other Premiership club has claimed more points than Hearts over the last six games.

In-form winger Spittal found the net and provided an assist in Saturday’s win at Dens Park and his partnership with full-back James Penrice has been identified as a key reason why Hearts are finding consistency with a key part of the season rapidly approaching. For former Hearts and Hibs midfielder Michael Stewart, a failure to utilise the duo earlier in the season was ‘bizarre’ and he insisted their partnership now means they are the strongest part of Critchley’s side.

He told the Scottish Football Social Club: “Make no mistake about that, that was a statement result at the weekend. For Hearts to go away in the league and bang six in. It was the nature of the goals as well. Again, that left-hand side that has been so potent for Hearts, once they got played together and I do wonder why Steven Naismith never got those two guys linking up earlier in the campaign. Penrice and Spittal, as soon as they’ve got that consistency down the left-hand side, they’ve been the strongest part of the team.

“He brought them in during the summer but then never played them together. They never played at all down that left, which I find bizarre because you know that’s Blair Spittal’s best role and Penrice loves bombing forward.”

Hearts are now without a league game until they host Rangers on Sunday week as their attention now turns towards next Monday’s Scottish Cup fifth round tie at St Mirren.

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