Hearts debrief: Walker the matador, Gordon as Super Mario and a thumbs up for Collum
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Player of the match
It can only be one man. What’s left to be said about Craig Gordon? He has shown two clubs – his current and former employers – how important a skilled goalkeeper is. He spoke prior to Saturday’s match about how much a lack of clean sheets was starting to annoy him. Last weekend he went home “grumpy” after Raith Rovers stuck three past him. During the week he may well have been trying to get his head around what ‘shorting the market’ means such was his lack of activity in Hearts’ dominant win.
It was a different story at Tynecastle yesterday where he was called into action five times – a busy afternoon for a goalkeeper who is averaging fewer than three shots faced per game. There were just 25 seconds on the clock when Josh Edwards’ cross forced him into a diving save after a shot had been cleared off the line. Declan McManus tested him twice, including one which required a smart save after a change of direction. But the best game just before half-time when Ryan Dow was certain he had given the visitors the lead. Except, Gordon shuffled across his goal like Super Mario who had just collected a super star. He sprung up, and scooped the ball up, out and over the bar. Watching it back on highlights doesn’t do it justice. Seeing it in real time, it was a superb save.
Defining moment
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Hide AdIt can only be Jamie Walker's intervention, seven minutes after rising from the bench. He collected a pass from Michael Smith, spun away and towards goal with the ball in tow in one movement. Walker was the matador, Euan Murray the bull and the ball the muleta. Away he went before firing past Owain Fon Williams expertly. It was the piece of magic Hearts were desperately needing in the final third.
Ref watch
It was a quiet afternoon for Willie Collum. Robbie Neilson has been unhappy with some of the officiating this season – and understandably so – but Collum went about his business quietly and competently. The Hearts boss queried Aaron Comrie stealing yards at a throw-in. The next time the Pars got a throw-in Collum made sure they took it from where the ball went out of play. It was met by a thumbs up from Neilson.
Benefit of hindsight
The majority of Hearts fans were, if not up in arms, certainly querying the decision to start Steven Naismith ahead of Jamie Walker. It was the key pre-match talking point. Looking back at what we know now, there was a reason behind it and it worked out pretty well.
Moment you may have missed
When Andy Irving has started for Hearts this season in the league he has averaged more than 75 per passes match. Against Dunfermline it dropped to 48 with his pass completion 83 per cent, below his average for the campaign so far. A key reason for the lack of fluidity to the home side’s play was the role of Iain Wilson and to a lesser extent Lewis Mayo in the Pars midfield. The former was excellent at tracking and disrupting Irving who is the midfield fulcrum for Robbie Neilson.