Neil Critchley: 'This is Hearts, it's our pitch, our rules, you play our game and we're coming after you'

Neil Critchley admitted he loved everything about Hearts’ UEFA Conference League win over Omonoia Nicosia - and insisted no-one will get their own way at Tynecastle Park. The Cypriots were overwhelmed by a tenacious display from the home side as goals from Alan Forrest and Blair Spittal secured a 2-0 win.

Hearts are now joint-top of the new-look 36-team Conference League table just over a week since Critchley was appointed. The Englishman is eager to use Tynecastle’s atmosphere as a weapon against opposing teams and was delighted by the response from home fans on a memorable European night.

“Yes, I loved it. We had a great night, just loved it. Fantastic,” he said. “They got right behind us. I think it's our responsibility to make sure that we lift them and give them energy. I felt we did that early in the game and that was our plan. We know they like to build up and play and we thought, we're at home, this is our pitch, this is our rules, you play our game and we're coming after you and that's what we did.

“It was a great evening. From start to finish, I thought we had a fantastic first half and sarted with real intent. Our aggression without the ball was excellent. I thought we played some fantastic football as well, causing a lot of problems and deservedly won the game. Second half, without the ball, we looked relatively comfortable for most of it. I would have liked to have seen us keep the ball again better. But again, a clean sheet, two fantastic goals and a really good all-round team performance.”

After Saturday’s 4-0 victory over St Mirren in his first match in charge, Critchley now has two victories, six goals and none conceded as Hearts head coach. He made four changes to his team from the weekend and the response pleased him. “Yeah, it does. That's how we train. We train together as a collective, so everyone's understanding of what it is that's expected of them when they play in a team,” he explained.

READ MORE: Hearts enjoy some ‘Critchball’ sitting joint-top of the Conference League. When’s the final?

“We put a massive emphasis on our training process and how we train, what we train, so the players, if they're called upon, they're ready physically, that's really important, but they're also ready from a tactical point of view. We thought that their wingers like to press and jump our outside centre-backs. So instead of playing narrow, we played around the outside, so we tried to make more of a back three with Stephen Kingsley dropping lower and Alan [Forrest] pinning the right-back and Blair [Spittal] coming on the outside.

“On the other side, it was a bit different. Kenny Vargas plays inside and Adam [Forrester] plays outside and tried to go around them. If you go around them and you open up, you can control the middle of the pitch a little bit better. So some tactical changes, I felt that helped and gave us an advantage in the first half. You're just hoping when you have that advantage, you turn that into goals and fortunately, we did.”

Hearts are now looking strong to qualify for at least the knockout round play-off in the Conference League. The victory over the Cypriots gives them a commanding position sitting joint-top of the table. “Yes, it does. It puts us in a really strong position. Six points from six, four games to go,” said Critchley.

“I'm not sure when our next European game is now because we've got loads of games coming up. But yes, six from six, couldn't have asked for any more. Clean sheet tonight, I think that was really important. The odd little half-chance around the goal. I know they hit the post, but it was offside. Other than that Craig Gordon has had quite a comfortable evening and that's how we defended as a team, not just the back players, that was everyone.”

Spittal was the outstanding player afield. His shot ricocheted into Forrest’s path for the opening goal before his lashed an emphatic second high into the Omonoia net. Critchley reserved special praise for him, Cammy Devlin, Lawrence Shankland and 19-year-old right-back Forrester. “I thought he [Spittal] was fantastic, honestly. I've been really impressed with Blair,” said the head coach. “He is really focused, good technically, can score goals as he's done tonight. I've seen him score, hitting the back of the net on a regular basis, which helps.

“I thought it was just a good all-round team performance. I thought Cam Devlin in the middle of the pitch, tireless work, the amount of interceptions and regains he got for the team. I thought Shanks up front tonight gave a captain's performance. Other than the goalkeeper making an unbelievable save, he'd have got a goal that he deserved. The two centre-backs again, I can't fault any of them, I thought they were fantastic.”

Forrester was up against the pacy Nicosia winger Willy Semedo, regarded as one of the opposition’s most dangerous players. “Yes, he was. That was a debate that we were having leading into this game,” admitted Critchely. “Sometimes young players, when given an opportunity, they rise to the occasion. I wouldn't say surprise, but they just step up their level.

“I've been really impressed with Adam as a person. Good temperament, not arrogant, humble, wants to learn, wants to get better. I thought he'd give a top, top performance tonight for a young boy. I was so, so impressed with him.”

Beni Baningime missed out with illness but Hearts are hopeful he could make Sunday’s derby against Hibs, “He was ill, unfortunately. He trained yesterday and he wasn't feeling great before the session, but he did the session and then overnight it just wasn't right. That's the reason he's missing. Hopefully it's nothing too serious and he'll be available for Sunday.”

Hearts’ confidence has risen considerably in recent days after beating both St Mirren and winning in Europe. That sees them head to Easter Road in fine fettle. “Yes, it helps, doesn't it?” remarked Critchley. “When you do things on the training pitch and you work and then the players feel that on the pitch and they get the rewards for it, obviously it helps in their belief in what we're doing.

“I have to learn to trust them and they have to learn to trust me and that takes a bit of time, but obviously wins and playing well certainly helps. I’m really excited [for Sunday], can't wait. We know the importance of the game to the supporters. I'm really looking forward to my first Edinburgh derby, but the team are in a good place. You have to handle the atmosphere, but we also have to make sure we go and play our type of game and if we do that then we can give anyone a game.”

The Omonoia coach Valdas Dambrauskas admitted his players could not cope amid the Tynecastle atmosphere. “First of all, congratulations to Hearts and their win in this beautiful stadium and beautiful environment,” he said. “The way they played was exactly what we predicted and what we talked about before the game.

“We knew for the first 10-15 minutes we would have to take a lot of pressure because that’s how Hearts live on the energy from their fans. They put a lot of pressure on and we couldn’t get into the game in any way. We couldn’t impose ourselves with possession. We were second-best, basically in everything. Hearts were faster, they made better decisions, they were more powerful than us. They got the two goals very quickly, and after that it was an uphill battle.”