Saturday’s 4-2 win over Livingston was significant in more ways than one for Heart of Midlothian. It marked a second successive victory, ensuring that Steven Naismith’s side head to Hampden on Sunday with a bit of momentum behind them. It was the first time this season that Hearts had hit four goals in a league game, and the team recorded their highest expected goals (xG) in a Premiership fixture under Naismith’s watch.
The men in maroon responded well to an early setback, roaring back from two goals down early on to claim a two-goal lead heading into the break. And, of course, there was the long-awaited return of a certain Mr Gordon, back between the sticks in a league match for the first time since sustaining that horrific leg break at Tannadice in December 2022.
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Gordon’s comeback was understandably the topic of excited discussion when the team lines were announced, but there were two other players in the starting XI who were handed a rare opportunity to make an impression: Barrie McKay and Yutaro Oda. For the former, this was only a second league start of the campaign – and only a fourth in all competitions – owing to injury troubles. The latter, meanwhile, has had a few niggles of his own but has ultimately slipped down the pecking order due to Kenneth Vargas’ impressive form.
Vargas and Alan Forrest usually occupy the wide attacking roles, and with good reason: the pair are both enjoying excellent campaigns and are two of Hearts’ most reliable performers in the final third. Dislodging either from the starting line-up will be no mean feat for either McKay or Oda – but they certainly provided Naismith with plenty of food for thought on Saturday.
McKay drops deep
Hearts lined up in a 4-2-3-1 shape on paper but in practice it was a little different. In possession, Oda would push far forward on the right so he was Hearts’ most advanced player, with Lawrence Shankland often dropping deep. Beni Baningime would sit at the base of midfield, allowing Cammy Devlin and Jorge Grant to get forward. Out on the left, Alex Cochrane would often push forward into midfield or stretch play down the left as McKay dropped deep. This let McKay shift the ball onto his favoured right foot and cause all sorts of problems, particularly when linking up with Cochrane.
Here’s an early example. Cochrane plays the ball out to McKay on the left wing, then charges forward to provide an option on the overlap.
McKay drifts inside and there’s a lot of space to exploit in the middle – but on this occasion, he is robbed of the ball.
A few minutes pass and McKay again drops deep to collect the ball off Kye Rowles, dragging his marker with him. Cochrane spots this and wastes no time driving into the free space as McKay plays him in early.
Cochrane has plenty of room to play in and drives forward before opting for a cross, but it’s cut out and goes behind for a corner.
Here’s another example. Devlin has the ball and Hearts have bodies forward, and the Aussie shifts it out left to McKay.
McKay is being closed down, but there’s an awful lot of space down the left. Cochrane moves into it, but McKay’s pass is a little off and Livingston intercept.
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Attacking the six-yard box
Hearts were getting there without testing Shamal George in the visitors’ goal anywhere near enough. There had been some promising moments but the men in maroon had nothing to show for their efforts before disaster struck. Livingston midfielder Stephen Kelly twice took advantage of some slack defending from the home side to put his team 2-0 up, and it was clear that Hearts needed to wake up. Naismith needed a response from his players – and he got one.
McKay played a vital role in the turnaround, starting with the equaliser. The move starts with Rowles playing it out wide to McKay, who has dropped deep and has a Livingston defender closing him down.
McKay takes a touch inside before turning back on himself with a clever feint and driving down the wing.
He’s now in a similar position to before. Cochrane is occupying Mikey Devlin and drags the defender out wide, leaving a gap at the edge of the box. Shankland fills it and receives the ball, taking an excellent first touch – and Grant can’t miss.
McKay played an important role in the third, too. Cochrane has the ball and McKay has once again dropped to receive it. Cochrane plays it to his team-mate, and then he’s on his bike.
Shankland takes up a great position inside (his feet are just about in shot below) and McKay finds the Hearts captain with an incisive pass.
Cochrane continues his run as Shankland dinks it through to him, and now Livi are in all sorts of trouble.
By the time Cochrane is shaping to cross, Devlin has sneaked in front of his man. Cochrane just has to play it into pretty much anywhere within the highlighted area and then it’s a simple finish for Devlin – and that’s exactly what transpired.
These little moments weren’t paying off for Hearts to begin with, but now they were making the most of their opportunities. They were finding gaps in the Livi backline and exploiting them – and, crucially, other players were getting forward in support and attacking the six-yard box. It made all the difference.
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Oda stretches the lines
McKay was dropping deep on the left but out on the opposite flank Oda was doing anything but. The attacker has looked lively when coming off the bench in recent weeks and was handed an opportunity by Naismith on Saturday to stake his claim. And boy, did he take it.
Oda was regularly Hearts’ most advanced player on Saturday afternoon, playing in a role that wasn’t entirely dissimilar to the one that Josh Ginnelly fulfilled so ably last season. The Japanese was tasked with stretching the Livi defence and never giving them a moment’s peace; constantly stretching the game and not giving up on the ball, even when it appeared to be a lost cause.
The 22-year-old was at it from the first whistle. Here’s an example from the game’s opening exchanges, where Frankie Kent launches a long ball forward for Oda to chase.
Oda is too far away to harbour any reasonable hopes of winning the ball, but he doesn’t let that deter him. He goes haring after it anyway and the Livi defender makes a meal of his backpass, and Hearts win a corner seemingly out of nothing.
Here’s another example from the first half. Baningime has the ball and plays it out wide to Shankland, who has dropped.
Shankland has space out wide to drive into, and so Oda gets going. The Livi defence are too far forward and if Shankland can get his pass right, then Oda’s pace should take him through for a one-on-one.
Shankland’s ball has a little too much on it though, and Oda can’t quite reach it.
Here’s another example. This time Oda drops to receive the ball off Kent before quickly shifting it onto Grant, who can now drive down the line.
Grant drifts forward before standing up his man, giving time for Oda to get forward before he feeds the Japanese the ball.
Oda’s cross into the box is blocked – but just look at how much space McKay is in on the far side.
Oda was putting in the hard yards for Hearts without reaping the rewards. But that would soon change.
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Persistence pays off
Oda didn’t let his head drop and kept at it, stretching the Livi backline whenever he could. Grant’s goal to pull it back to 2-1 sparked Hearts into life before sheer determination from Oda (and a helping hand from Ayo Obileye) drew them level almost instantly.
It all starts with a harmless-looking long ball from Gordon, but Obileye misjudges his header – and Shankland is through on goal. Just look at Oda’s starting position, though – the defender has a headstart, and Oda isn’t even sprinting yet.
Oda darts forward as Shankland advances towards goal, aiming for the highlighted area. Like Devlin’s goal, if he can get in front of his man then just about any pass into this part of the pitch will surely result in a goal.
Oda does just that – and the finish couldn’t be easier.
Hearts were leading 3-2 with the break only a few minutes away when a fairly speculative ball was shelled forward. Oda diligently follows in, gambling on the hopes of a poor decision from Devlin, who is looking up at the ball and unaware of his surroundings.
Devlin tries to nod it back to George, and Oda is waiting to take advantage. The Livingston keeper is too far back (he was often far too reluctant to come off his line) and the header doesn’t have enough on it – and Oda darts in to win his side a penalty.
Shankland stepped up to convert – and game was out of sight for Livingston.
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