Player of the match
Liam Boyce. There were some really stinking performances from the home side but the Northern Irishman was a player who could be trusted with the ball. He displayed his poise and balance, able to shift the ball effortlessly between, unnerving opponents. He nutmegged Rhys McCabe brilliantly and was at the heart of most of Hearts’ best attacking moments. He may not have directly assisted or scored either of the goals but produced a lovely dummy prior to Armand Gnanduillet’s finish.
Defining moment
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It can only be Andy Irving’s own goal. There was a huge degree of sympathy for the midfielder, a Hearts supporter, as buried his face into the ground as the ball trundled into the corner. With a Queen of the South player coming in at the back post you can understand him wanting to intervene, but not doing that. It really summed up what has been a torrid week for the club and a torrid couple of years in general.
Ref watch
Gavin Duncan’s game passed with little incident. However, the Main Stand linesman “guessed” for the decision which saw Armand Gnanduillet’s goal chalked off when the score was 3-2. Replays showed that the ball was not out when Jamie Walker hooked it into the box.
Benefit of hindsight
Cammy Logan was an unused sub for Cove Rangers in their 0-0 draw with East Fife. There is a strong case to be made that it would have been more beneficial if he had stayed at Tynecastle. He would have looked much more natural at right-back than Craig Halkett and would have meant playing one fewer player out of position, an aspect of Saturday’s game which was striking.
Moment you may have missed
When Armand Gnanduillet turned in Euan Henderson’s cross, Robbie Neilson celebrated in a manner akin to Alim Ozturk’s wonder strike to earn a draw with Hibs at Easter Road. It was a manager who not only knew he was under pressure but one who clearly wants to succeed as Hearts boss.