Remembering the night the Lithuanian revolution at Hearts truly got started

Kilmarnock 1, Hearts 3. Scottish Cup fourth-round replay. February 16, 2005

Deividas Cesnauskis making his Hearts debut in a Scottish Cup win at Kilmarnock. Picture: SNS

Who’d have thought at the outset of the 2004/05 season that variations of “Lithuania” were going to be the most polarising words around Tynecastle for the best part of the next decade?

Even now there is a split among the Hearts support as to how fondly the Vladimir Romanov years should be remembered. On the one hand there was the influx of top-class talent, the two Scottish Cup wins, the cancellation of the Cala Homes deal and ‘move-to-Murrayfield’ plan, and a flirtation with the club’s first league title since the 1960s. On the other hand, there was the maniacal approach of the majority shareholder, dubbed ‘Mad Vlad’, including interference in team selection, player recruitment and the hiring and firing of managers on a whim. And that’s without mentioning the ridiculous spending, subsequent administration and eventual relegation before the fans were forced to step in and, with the aid of current owner Ann Budge, wrestle back control of their club.

But while this rollercoaster ride was in full flow, nothing had the Hearts fans arguing back and forth quite as much as the presence of several Lithuanian players in the first-team squad. Romanov saw Gorgie as a breeding ground for the national team and constantly badgered managers into playing those from his adopted home. It reached its height in the 2006-07 campaign with nine in the first-team squad, very few of whom had the required quality to succeed in the SPL.

It wasn’t all bad. Marius Zaliukas would go onto become a club legend after leading Hearts to the 5-1 Scottish Cup final triumph over Hibs in 2012. Edgaras Jankaukas was one of the most naturally gifted forwards to grace EH11. Andrius Velicka banged in the goals at a time where the team were badly needing his finishing ability as they languished near the bottom of the table. And then there were Saulius Mikoliunas and Deividas Cesnauskis.

Officially they aren’t the first two Lithuanians to play for the club. ‘Miko’ was No.1 but he was followed by the lesser seen Marius Kizys, who showed some ability – particularly in a 2-0 win at Celtic Park –before quickly being deemed surplus to requirements. But the pair of wingers were the first two to stick around for the long haul and became synonymous with the Lithuanian revolution in Edinburgh.

The first time the two internationals played together was a midweek match in February 2005 as John Robertson’s side travelled to Kilmarnock for the last in a three-match sequence pitting the two teams against us each other. A late Steven Naismith goal had robbed the men in maroon from a simple home-win advancement to the fifth round of the Scottish Cup, which was followed by a league encounter where Mikoliunas grabbed the opener in a 3-0 win (a match notable for an absolutely stunning volley from Lee Miller).

The two clubs reconvened in front of the Sky Sports cameras to find out who would face Livingston in the next round. Given the back-and-forth nature of the initial tie 11 days previous, viewers would have been expecting a potential cup classic. Instead, Hearts took a complete strangehold of the game within 13 minutes and refused to relinquish their grip until the contest was all but over.

Lee Wallace, making only his third start, got things started with a charging run from inside his own half in the sixth minute. The left-back played a one-two with Dennis Wyness on the edge of the penalty area and slammed the ball high into the roof of the net. The lead was doubled a short-time later. Paul Hartley’s free-kick was inadvertently knocked on by Kilmarnock defender Simon Ford, which Miller took full advantage of with an instinctive headed finish across keeper Alan Combe.

Though they played no part in either goal, Mikoliunas and his debuting countryman each sparkled down the wings and the two combined to put the tie out of side. Mikoliunas made a weaving run down the right-hand side of the box before cutting back for Cesnauskis. The Pete Doherty lookalike took a touch to open up space for the shot and generated enough power that it flew high into the net despite striking Combe on the way past. Kris Boyd would later convert an injury-time penalty as a consolation for Jim Jefferies’ men.

Excitement levels around this time would still pale in comparison to the following season when George Burley’s star-studded team went on an incredible tear to start the league campaign, but there was still a palpable feeling of optimism in the air. Fans had been wary of Romanov’s desire to showcase Lithuanian talents at Tynecastle, but here were two fully fledged internationals who clearly had the ability to make a name for themselves in Scottish football.

Those heights never quite materialised for our heroes for numerous reasons. Mikoliunas struggled to find the consistency of his early days after receiving a lengthy ban for bumping Andy Davis following a horrendous decision by the linesman to award a penalty at the end of a clash with Rangers, while Cesnauskis would often go missing from the first-team squad for long stretches, mainly due to either legitimate injury or what fans liked to dub ‘Vlad flu’.

When it was all said and done, however, both of them had many memorable moments during their four-year stay in Edinburgh and remain less divisive figures than the man ultimately responsible for bringing them to the Capital.

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