Cammy Devlin spots Hearts 'anxiety' factor that can ramp up pressure on rivals as title race plea sent to fans
The Hearts fan favourite knows the significance of the club’s win over Motherwell.
Cammy Devlin has urged Hearts fans to bring the noise to their final five matches as the club look to clinch Premiership title glory.
The fan-favourite was in the thick of battle last Saturday, as Derek McInnes’ side came from a goal down to win 3-1 against Motherwell at Tynecastle, scoring twice in the dying embers of proceedings to claim three huge points. Hearts have been in Spain this week on a training camp amid a break from league matches ahead of five colossal clashes in the post-split shake up against top six foes, Hibs at Easter Road up next.
They lead the league by a point currently, and punters have travelled to away games in huge numbers this season, while Tynecastle has been packed to the rafters. The noise and energy they give to the team is something the Australian international credits as key to their hopes and insists it’ll play a huge part in putting a level of dread into opponents if Hearts start to motor in matches.
What will help Hearts in title race?
“I think that word character resilience is something that, you know, you could probably describe our team and our club at times,” Devlin told the Evening News. “Everyone's sticking together, everyone in the crowd getting right behind us. It would be so easy for them to get frustrated but it's so loud. They create an anxiety for the opposition and just spur us on to keep going and keep going. That really happened on Saturday. Obviously we went on to score a pen and then another one.
“You get that little bit more energy. Everyone was out on their feet out and, you know, just that noise and the boys working for each other. Subs coming on making such a big difference. You just want to work that extra bit harder. and obviously what's at stake, there's nothing that needs to be said or anything, to just work as hard as you can and try and win football games. Because at the end of the day, we're so close to doing something. It’s so far at the same time but, yeah, I just think that the way we were on Saturday really depicts how we've been for most of the season.“
There was some needle in the game against Motherwell last weekend and Devlin often found in the thick of it. It was a side Hearts hadn’t defeated prior to the game as a plan to limit the Steelmen’s possession-based style that has catapulted them into fourth, and a race for the final European spot, was installed successfully. The stakes being raised to new levels added to the drama according to Devlin as he acknowledged the importance of the win.
Hearts 3-1 Motherwell assessed
“Obviously amazing,” Devlin aid of the victory. “Really tough game. I think you've got to give a lot of credit to Motherwell with their gaffer, with the way he’s set them up, and how they've been throughout the season. I thought every player, subs that come on made such a good difference. All the boys that started were unreal.
“I think the game plan from what we set out from the start worked. I think we stuck to it, really worked hard on it during the week, and then I just thought we were back to kind of what we were earlier on in the season. In terms of working hard for each other. You know, at times it wasn't pretty, but at this stage of the season that doesn't matter. You just want to win football games, and at the end of the day, that's what we've done. A really big game like they all are at the pointy end of the season. So, yeah, just really happy.
“I think, obviously for the crowd, they know what's at stake at the moment. So they're all right up for it, which, you know, I've said so many times we need them. Home and away, they're always there. We need them so much at this moment. Obviously with me, all that stuff is just part and parcel of how I play and of the game. All sweet with all the Motherwell boys. It's just, you know, we're all competitors. We all just want to win for our team at the end of the day. So that's just that's just how it goes.
“But I guess for them as well, they're playing for so much. We're playing for obviously something that we couldn't all dream of at the start of the year. So just so good to walk away, send our fans home happy and get another three points.”