Latapy twists knife into Heartshttp://sport.scotsman.com/football/Latapy-twists-knife-into-Hearts.3628875.jpFalkirk 2 - 1 Hearts
By Stuart Bathgate
At Falkirk stadium
A FIFTH defeat in a row for Hearts has left them in tenth place with their plight apparently deepened, but there were at least signs on Saturday they are finally improving.
Falkirk 2 Finnigan (78), Higdon (81)
Hearts 1 Palazuelos (28)
Everything is relative, and Hearts still have a long way to go to get anywhere close to the standards they should be reaching, but compared to some previous performances this was an almost respectable display.
Falkirk, it should be said, made life easier for their visitors in the first half by falling far short of their own recent high standards. They have been transformed almost beyond recognition since early October when they went 4-0 down at Tynecastle before two late consolations gave the scoreline a flattering look for them, and latterly have been playing some of the most attractive football in the country. Here, however, they took a long time to get going against a Hearts side whose five-man midfield had width, aggression and purpose.
Ruben Palazuelos, playing alongside Michael Stewart in a central pairing, was particularly impressive in the first 45 minutes, and, after a period of sustained pressure, it was fitting that he should give his team the lead with a header from an Andrew Driver corner. Lee Wallace and Kestutis Ivaskevicius were among those Hearts players who also had scoring opportunities in the first half, and, when the teams turned around with only one goal between them, there was always going to be the chance of a Falkirk fightback.
So it transpired, though only once Russell Latapy had come on for Patrick Cregg.
Falkirk have generally been playing better without the veteran midfielder, as they can reach a consistently higher tempo without the 39-year-old. On this occasion, though, they were in need of some creativity to make the difference, and Latapy supplied just that.He brought out a good save from Steve Banks with a low drive not long after coming on, and then laid on a chance which another substitute, Carl Finnigan, sent crashing off a post before realising he had been flagged offside.By that time, with the Hearts defence reduced to aimless clearances in their attempts to lift the Falkirk siege, it was obvious the equaliser was on its way. It eventually came when Finnigan was perfectly positioned to shoot home from a few yards after a corner had been knocked on to him in the 78th minute.
Three minutes later and Falkirk were ahead. Latapy set off on a little dribble, then slipped a pass through to Michael Higdon, whose first-time shot left Banks with little chance three minutes later. Including stoppage time, there were still ten minutes or so to play, but it simply did not look as if Hearts had anyone capable of conjuring up a goal for them. Michal Pospisil shot wide late on, but otherwise Tim Krul was able to enjoy a calm conclusion to the game in the Falkirk goal.
Hearts' 4-5-1 formation had been effective early on, but once they were chasing the game, it did not allow them to get enough men forward quickly. That problem was worsened by the evident slump in confidence once their lead had been cancelled out, and there was only so much Stewart and Palazuelos could do on their own.
The draining away of talent from Tynecastle has been identified as one reason for Hearts' present plight, and there is no doubt the present squad is inferior to the one which set the SPL alight in late 2005. But the misuse of the talent which remains on the books is also a contributory factor.
Deividas Cesnauskis and Mauricio Pinilla were just two of the players who could have made a difference, but were omitted on Saturday. Both have had injury problems, but the feeling remains that, in their cases and those of others, Hearts have been unable to make the most of their talent.
If they are able to offload a few fringe players, Hearts should be able to recruit during the transfer window, but it is highly unlikely they will make the sort of big-name signing which could transfer the team's fortunes. Instead, they will simply have to rely on a lot of hard work and a greater resilience when the chips are down – and on Gretna failing to find a sustained run of form.
Last Updated: 30 December 2007 10:58 PM
Latapy turns on the style to break Heartshttp://sport.scotsman.com/football/Latapy-turns-on-the-style.3628248.jpBy Richard Bath at Falkirk Stadium
FALKIRK 2
Finnigan 80; Higdon 83
HEARTS 1
Palazuelos 27
HOW can it possibly get any worse for Hearts? Third from bottom, saddled with millions of pounds of debt and an owner who appears to have taken leave of his senses, their freefall towards oblivion continued to gather pace yesterday when they conjured yet another second half collapse that had them leaving the field to bellowed taunts of "going down, going down, going down".
T
his time the great surrender came against a Falkirk side which had looked directionless and barely interested for over an hour, and which only clicked into gear when veteran midfielder Russell Latapy's late, devastating cameo yielded two hammer blow goals in quick succession. That such an ageing impresario could have such an impact was telling and it is difficult to see where Hearts go from here, but if this run of form continues then there will be the most expensively assembled bunch of misfits in the First Division next season.
This loss was all the more disheartening for Stevie Frail's men because for the first hour of the frenetic affair characterised by an endless stream of errant passes, miscontrolled crosses and scraggy challenges, the visitors were by far the better side. Calum Elliot had already fizzed a shot past Tim Krul's right hand post after just 15 minutes and Lee Wallace forced the Falkirk goalkeeper to save sharply to his left after a dogged run when Hearts deservedly made the breakthrough.
Taking a short corner before Falkirk had regrouped, Andrew Driver, once again the most impressive Hearts player, curled a pinpoint cross on to the head of Ruben Palazuelos as the Spaniard arrived at the back post. This time Krul stood no chance.
With Driver and Elliot providing a fluid pairing up front and the very busy Michael Stewart acting as chief orchestrator in midfield, all of the chances were coming Hearts' way. Both strikers found themselves through on goal with no one to beat but Krul five minutes before half time and Hearts would surely have gone into the break 2-0 up had Kestutis Ivaslevicius' not profligately pulled it across goal. It was to prove a hideously expensive miss.
Hearts have turned the ability to snatch defeat from the jaws of success into something of an art form this season, yet against the strangely lacklustre Falkirk side which had failed to force a save in the first half, the visitors looked to be in control.
It was no surprise then with ten minutes of the second half gone Latapy was thrown into the fray. The veteran midfielder immediately brought a coherence and shape to Falkirk's play and within five minutes he had finally forced Banks into action. Falkirk looked like a side rejuvenated: Moutinho began to run at Hearts, Michael Higdon suddenly transformed himself into an effective target man as Falkirk won two corners which saw the pinball around the Hearts box, and substitute Carl Finnigan rustled the upright with his first touch in the 65th minute. The post wasn't the only thing that was rattled. Hearts' run of bad form has been so extended, their owner's selectorial meddling so intrusive, that their confidence is shot. As soon as the home side took the fight to them you could see all their self-assurance ebb away.
By the time the match careered into the final 15 minutes, Hearts were under siege, with Latapy the midfield fulcrum around which all Falkirk's attacks revolved. Moutinho won a corner in the 80th minute and it was just reward for a period of pressure and persistence. So, too, was the goal which followed, Higdon aggressively attacking Moutinho's corner, and Finnigan ramming the loose ball into the roof of the net.
Three minutes later Latapy's purposeful run deep into the final third ended with a flicked pass into the box. Finnigan had overrun the ball but it fell perfectly for Higdon, who checked briefly before drilling the ball low past Banks and into the corner for the goal which sealed Hearts' fate.
MAN OF THE MATCH: Russell Latapy. The Falkirk midfielder stole the show, breathing life into what had been a non-existent challenge from the home side. He won the match single handedly.ASIDE: The odds on John Hughes becoming the next Hibs manager have apparently fallen. No surprise after a performance like this.
Last Updated: 30 December 2007 1:12 AM
