Scottish Premiership start equals a long-standing run of wins

The euphoria created by one glance of Stuart Findlay’s head at Tannadice won’t be easily forgotten. Nothing resonates better than a stoppage-time winner, after all. The dramatic 3-2 victory over Dundee United was Hearts’ 10th consecutive win in all competitions and their fans are doubtless still high on adrenalin today. Understandably so, for almost 66 years have passed since their club last managed such a feat.

Hearts beat Ross County, Motherwell, St Johnstone and Kilmarnock to finish last year’s Premiership with four victories under interim head coach Liam Fox. They then cruised past Dunfermline Athletic, Hamilton Academical, Stirling Albion and Dumbarton to start this season’s League Cup with confidence following Derek McInnes’ arrival. Sunday’s comeback from 2-1 down at United following a comfortable opening Premiership win over Aberdeen. As a result, momentum is building in Gorgie.

Some will get carried away, others will refuse to be lulled into any false sense of security knowing that many potential pitfalls lie ahead. For anyone partial to an omen, records show Hearts’ previous 10-game winning run came in the 1959/60 campaign - the last time they won the Scottish league title. Between 3 October and 21 November, 1959, the Tynecastle side excelled in a period which underpinned both league and League Cup success.

Hearts won league matches against Ayr United, Airdrie, Arbroath, Third Lanark, Rangers, Partick Thistle, Kilmarnock and Aberdeen in that period, and would go on to claim the old Scottish First Division title. In between, they also defeated Cowdenbeath in the League Cup semi-final and Third Lanark in the final to lift the trophy under the management of the legendary Tommy Walker. Players involved in that era included the legendary wing-half John Cumming, forward Alex Young and goalkeeper Gordon Marshall.

This time, the 10-game winning sequence is spread over two different campaigns and we are just two games into the more commercially-driven William Hill Premiership. So there is good reason to hold back on any assumption that Hearts are simply on a crusade towards being crowned champions, regardless of Tony Bloom’s ambitions. That said, they are clearly a very different animal this year to the team which wasted opportunities in the league, cups and Europe last term.

Scottish Premiership and Premier Sports Cup wins

McInnes’ organisation and impact is notable. He has signed players with physicality, pace and a goal threat. There is a clear structure and, crucially, a winning mentality. Supporters are watching a team they can identify with, one with the kind aggressive and attack-minded approach they crave. Hearts were always expected to take care of those League Cup group matches in July, but beginning the Premiership against Scottish Cup winners Aberdeen and European entrants Dundee United is one of the more difficult starts. McInnes’ new-look side have handled both opponents.

The 2-0 victory over Aberdeen was comfortable, Sunday’s 3-2 success at Tannadice certainly wasn’t, but the desire to fight until the final whistle partly contributed to fans’ delirium as they exited the ground. This Hearts team won’t give up. They are built to win at all costs. It won’t always happen, but 10 victories on the spin is something of a rarity in Gorgie and illustrates the progress in recent months.

This weekend brings the League Cup - now the Premier Sports Cup - back into focus as Hearts travel to St Mirren in the last-16 of the competition. Last time they managed 11 wins in succession was during a run of 12 victories in the 1949/50 campaign. More history awaits the current crop if they can maintain momentum and continue chalking up statistics. The only one that matters is the W column, and there are plenty in there for fans to savour right now.