A CASE FOR THE DEFENCE LOOKS EVER STRONGER
Souttar could be the rock Strachan craves
to the lack of organisation in front of him.
Partick were right to nurse a sense of grievance at the interval. Although Paterson came close to repeating the trick from another Nicholson corner, Chris Erskine and Kris Doolan peppered Jack Hamilton’s goal with efforts. The Scotland squad keeper was thankful for Souttar’s pace across the ground to snuff out Ade Azeez with a terrific block.
Azeez did bundle the ball home nine minutes after the restart, although his intervention was not required. Liam Lindsay atoned for a glaring error seven days previously at Pittodrie by heading Erskine’s corner off the underside of the bar and — as it transpired — over the line.
A game which sparkled from the off — thanks in no small part to the commitment of both managers to play two strikers — was ill-deserving of a loser.
Ziggy Gordon’s fine block to deny Souttar late on looked to have done enough to earn Thistle a share of spoils but, as the regulation 90 minutes expired, Hearts resolved to go again.
Cerny felt he had been impeded as he punched clear through a ruck of bodies. He had. But, unfortunately for the Czech keeper, it was by two of his own players. The ball bounced off Kitchen to Tony Watt, whose angled drive ought to have been comfortably dealt with by the Partick custodian. Obviously aggrieved by what he believed to have just happened, the ball flew through his grasp and into the net. Watt’s first Hearts goal was fortuitous, but his display deserved it. No one has ever disputed the striker’s ability, but, thankfully, focus and fitness are now part of the package, too. A second call-up to the national side may not be far off for the on-loan Charlton player. ‘For sure,’ agreed Kitchen. ‘He has great talent, as well. His ability to take guys on, beat them and make the final pass. A very good player.’ Watt’s goal was another one in the eye for Robbie Neilson’s detractors. Hard on the heels of a 5-1 thumping of Inverness, Hearts are now up to third and have good reason to believe they might yet progress from there.
‘That’s our goal, right?’ answered Kitchen rhetorically. ‘We’re not, at the start of the season, saying we want to come in third place. You want to win trophies. We know Celtic are a great side, but that’s the goal for sure.’
Partick’s aspirations are not so lofty, but Alan Archibald’s men have the quality to improve considerably on their current position of 11th.
For a second successive week, they were left to reflect on a defeat by the odd goal in three to top-six sides. The discovery of a killer instinct would serve them well.
‘I think we thought we were going to see it out and come away with a point,’ said Erskine. ‘That’s the last two weeks we’ve deserved something out of the game against opposition who finished high in the league last year.
‘We can take heart from the two games but it doesn’t mean much. The points mean more than anything.’