Wednesday, April 19, 2006

Good game, Good game

Awright, bit under the weather so i will keep this one short.
There is no logic whatsoever that anyone can apply to the split, but this year in any case it is pretty bloody exciting.
The only team with nothing to play for are Celtic and thats because they had the league sewn up before it even happened.
Hearts on the other hand have loads to play for and each game is as big as the last.
It all boils down to, can we finish ahead of Rangers and take second place and the shot at playing in next seasons champions league.
Coming into the split Hearts are 3 points clear with a huge goal difference also, so effectively a 4 point advantage with 5 games to play.
Sounds great and it is great but two things spring to mind -
This time last year Rangers were 5 points behind Celtic with 4 games to go and still managed to sneak the title
We play them at Ibrox on the last game of the season

All sounds pretty damned exciting really and is making for a cracking end to the season with even when it is all over the cup final awaits.
So to the first of the 5 remaining games, Kilmarnock at Tynecastle.
Got to say i enjoyed this game as much as any all season i think. It wasn't the biggest or the best football or the most exciting or any of that stuff really but it was enthralling stuff.
I have a lot of time for kilmarnock, they have punched above their weight this year, Jim Jefferies has been touted for manager of the year for what he has managed to do there with the limited and diminishing resources at his disposal.
Hearts started well looking as fluent as we had the week before which was a big surprise since there were quite a few changes in the line-up. It is now accepted that since Rix has gone Hearts have now moved into a rotation system, where just about every position is up for grabs, for a few weeks anyway. It has a long way to run but for now it seems to be working.
A good few chances came to Hearts in the first half but seemed to tail off as the half wore on and it definitely fell into the category of "It is just not happening out there". Most notable a 25 yard strike by Skacel that went just wide and high, if anything on this performance the lay off Skacel has had has left him a bit down on confidence, he seemed try to hard and snatch at every shot - oh for a goal for Skacel oh for a goal fo Skacel against the Hibees on Saturday at Easter Road, could be the difference between his season petering out or storming to a glorious finish. Notable also was a run down the left and cut back to Jankauskis, his shot was saved but it came out to Bednar, he had an open goal but his effort went over.
Half time came at 0-0 over at Ibrox where Rangers were playing Aberdeen it was also 0-0, nail biting stuff.
The second half continued as the first with the chances for Hearts fewer and fewer, Killie were gaining in confidence and causing problems themselves.
It was always going to be a free kick, 25 yards out on the left side of the box, just perfect, curled into the top corner, keeper no chance. Just brilliant, Paul Hartley once again magic!
Cesnauskis came on for Miko who was pretty innefectual really and pretty much changed the game, his runs were straight at the Killie defence exactly what we were needing - one such run, with a nutmeg in the middle crossed to the back post, saved by the keeper came out to Berra who headed in Hearts 2 Killie 0 game over.
Meanwhile Rangers lost a lead to draw 1 - 1 with Aberdeen so Hearts are now 5 points clear, effectively 6 with the goal difference and 4 games to go. I guess you could say that Hearts can only blow it now but i have a feeling it will still go to the last game at Ibrox. Still i have no fear of going there at all, needing a draw or a win we could do it. Alot depends on this weekends games
Saturday Hibs v Hearts
Sunday Celtic v Rangers

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