Four Hearts fixtures moved as SPFL kick-offs and dates change
Scottish Premiership matches are capturing the imagination
Four Hearts matches have been rescheduled due to a combination of the Premier Sports Cup final and live television broadcasting. Sky Sports are keen to show the Edinburgh club as they try to sustain a challenge at the top of the Scottish Premiership, resulting in match dates and kick-offs changing in the weeks ahead.
First, Hearts have filled their free weekend next month by bringing forward a league game against Falkirk. Those clubs were due to play on 30 January but will now meet at the Falkirk Stadium on Saturday, 13 December, in an 8pm kick-off live on Sky Sports. The Tynecastle side were due to play St Mirren that day, however the Paisley side are taking on Celtic the following afternoon in the Premier Sports Cup final.
Sky have also selected Hearts’ home match against Rangers next month for a live screening. That game was due on Saturday, 20 December, but will now go ahead at 1.30pm on Sunday, 21 December. Likewise, Hearts’ league visit to Dens Park on 10 January has also been pushed back to the following day. It will kick off at 2pm on Sunday, 11 January, and against Sky Sports will broadcast it live.
Finally, the aforementioned St Mirren fixture has been slotted into a new date early next year. It will take place on Wednesday, 14 January, with a 7.45pm kick-off at Tynecastle.
Meanwhile, Hearts forward Claudio Braga has credited his team-mates after winning the Premiership Player of the Month award for October. The Portuguese forward scored three goals in four appearances and was named the best player in the top flight for the month. Speaking to Sky Sports, he admitted he had plenty help.
“To be honest, the team is doing good, so that helps a lot, of course,” he stated. “Player of the month last month was [Lawrence] Shankland so I think that helps a lot when the team is doing good. We also get to step up and show a little bit more of us and that's the main reason. Scottish football kind of suits me well. Intense play, intensity. And luckily, thank God, I'm scoring goals also, so that's probably the reason. I just hope I keep playing good. It doesn't really matter if I win more prizes, but if I play good and the team plays good, I'm going to be happy.”
Despite drawing two of their last three league games, Hearts remain top of the Premiership table with a seven-point advantage over Celtic. “We were not the best team in the world when we were winning all the games and we didn't lose yet,” said Braga. “But we're not the worst team in the world now that we draw two of the last three games. They were tough games and every team in the league is very competitive. So we know we're going to drop points eventually.
“We just need to make sure that we know how to get back from that. That's the only difference from from the guys that are up there or the teams that finish below. So I think that the thing that we need to keep in mind is just: ‘Okay, this is gone.’ We can't do nothing about Dundee United and St Mirren now. So just need to move on.”