Wheels OFF ??

Originally sent on 3rd October

Not quite, not quite at all.
What a game that was, one of the most exciting, nailbiting, rollercoasters of a mad 90 minutes. Concluded with a mighty, mighty 10 man, 2 goal come back by the Jambo's.
This game was not quite written off by the pundits but as near as damn it it was. I was not so confident, the lack of Roman Bednar up front and Takiss Fyassas at left back gave the first real test of the depth of this Hearts squad and i had a wee fear that it would come up wanting. George Burley chose to bring in Michael Pospisil up front in place of Bednar ( too many of these guys! can't remember where he is from or just how high a quality his pedigree is - doubtless he plays for whatever country he hailes fae ). The only thing i have seen as yet from Pospisil is a decent 20 mins and a well taken goal against Aberdeen back in August. He has carried a thigh strain since he got here and it proved, he was brought back in too early this weekend. Pospisil was never really in the game at all during a dominant first 20 minutes for Hearts, away to Falkirk - premier league new comers who have taken points off Hibs and Rangers this campaign. Hearts did not score during this period of dominance but like time and the tides the goal was coming - irrepressible and overwhelming, the Falkirk defence was being run pretty much into the ground and i could tell would capitulate any moment now, i said now, score now!............
The script was well and truly ripped up and caste fluttering across the faces of the Tynecastle faithfull.
There is this wee ex Hibee guy called Russell Latapy don't know if you have heard of him or not, he is famous for being instrumental in a 6 - 2 demolition of hearts at Easter Rd a few years back, a game which hearts were the better team and 2 - 1 up at half time as well. That game bought him a 2 year deal at Ibrox. Anyroads he is a wee genius of a Trinidadian midfielder who for some reason has saw fit to ply his trade in the backwaters of the Scottish Premier league - bizarre. He is now the midfield genital ( sorry general ) for Falkirk - for once Falkirk manage to clear their lines and the ball falls to Latapy who dispatches an inch perfect forty yard pass to their sole striker, he is bearing down on Craig Gordon, rounds him and is brought down - Penalty - stone wall, last man so keeper sent off - stone wall.
Falkirk 1 Hearts 0
Hearts keeper Craig Gordon sent off.
Replacement keeper Steve Banks comes on for Michael Pospisil, who is useless anyroads.
Hearts move to a 4-4-1.
This game is lost Falkirk are all over us and we have no outlet, wave after wave after wave of Falkirk attacks strike deep into the hearts defence. Somehow we survive til half time with no other disaster than losing Brellier ( French midfielder ) to injury.
It is all looking like the wheels have well and truly come off the wagon and i have resigned myself to a defeat, just hoping Hearts manage to keep it down to 2 or 3.
Half time comes and goes and so do theories as it happens.
The second half starts and for all the world you would think it was Falkirk who were a man short. This game has turned totally on it's head again and Hearts are once again totally dominant, maybe we don't quite seem like we are about to unleash the full weight of a six goal drubbing but Hearts are well on top, using their lack of manpower to full advantage - bizarre. I don't know what Burley said to the boys at half time but i think he might have a wee bit of magic up his sleeve or speed in his pocket?
Hearts are pressing once again and there is only one team who can score and after that there will be only one winner in this game so nows the time hearts, score now, i said score, score now!.............................
A punt up the park, under no real pressure at all Pressley attemts to head back to the keeper, woefully short, the race is on. Pressley bears down on the ball, Falkirks Darryl Duffy races forward and Steve Banks runs out - Banks just manages to get there first and melts the ball. He melts the ball straight off Pressley and it rebounds into the net.
F'n disaster, Heart are sunk by cruel, cruel twists of fate.
Falkirk 2 Hearts 0 ( Pressley own goal )
You would think with 20 minutes to go and 2 down and down to 10 men that a team would drop a head or two ( the self same sycophantic punditry that had Falkirk written off before this game are now gleefully scouring the foreign contingent of the Hearts team, looking for a dropped chin or a sloped shoulder - evidence of defeat in the eyes. Like a Scottish player could never get disheartened, that malady only happens to a foriegners - and we think the English commentators are self centered biased idiots ( they are ofcourse )).
There are no dropped heads or sloped shoulders, there is only steel and determination and the sound of caution vacating the premises.
Hearts proceed to disperse with that pesky defence and go 4-4-1 ( just that all 9 are in the Falkirk half ).
With 15 minutes to go Pressley does the captains job and throws a foot out at the back post to bring a chink of light back into the day, stumbling the ball over the line. With 5 minutes to go Pressley seals an active day at the office and his hero status by scoring the equalizer ( no idea what this goal was like i was too busy punching the ceiling ).
Falkirk 2 Hearts 2
Pressley scores a hat-trick.

So this game needs a bit of a summary and some context -
We will have to read this as a point gained against adverse circumstances that we should really only see once or twice a season, so if we are there to do some counting at the end of the season and a point is enough then we can definitely say that this was the point that done it.
Nothing will ever be the same again this season, we are no longer perfect. There is a slight tarnish on the team and the air of unreality has dissipated, that is probably a good thing. I guess we can now just get down to winning as many points as we can manage and see where it takes us.
There is pending storm tho, like one of those thunder storms rumbling north of Toronto in the summer - In complete contrast to the opera that has been Hearts season to date - without anyone batting an eyelid, no fuss no real press coverage Celtic are now just 3 points behind Hearts and we go to Parkhead next! Next weekend is Scotland double header, then it is off to Celtic Park for the next big battle of the season - obviously we need to come away from there with at least a point to keep things going. We shall see, they are by no means unbeatable.
We shall see.