Naismith provides Boyce and Vargas injury update - Full Q&A

Here is everything the Heart of Midlothian boss had to say:

This isn’t an easy place to come, does it feel like a big win? 

It’s a good win. We experienced it earlier in the season in the League Cup when we won. It probably feels good because you know what it’s going to be like. The conditions today, the pitch – it is what it is. You need to play a different way and we did that. The good point was getting the goal in the first half, which let us dictate how we want to set up and how we want to play the game. But every game on an Astroturf pitch is close because you know both teams are going to get a chance, whether it be down to the bounce of the ball or a slip or whatever. You’re going to concede chances but I thought we defended really well. We probably gave them one good chance that could have been a goal. They had a header late on but our positions were really good, which put pressure on them and then the boy can only head it over the bar. It’s a good win because of that, and the defensive display was really good. 

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That’s four wins in a row now and you are up to third, are you feeling positive with the way things are going? 

Definitely. The four wins is good. Three consecutive wins took two years for us to hit, and this has taken us five years. If I’m honest for a club like Hearts – and I’m sure a few others will say the same – it shouldn’t take five years to go on a run like that. It’s three points and it keeps us ticking over. The run of games is good but the way we have been dealing with them has been brilliant. Every game has been different in what we needed to do to win. And at the end there you’ve got Cammy Devlin, who has an injury and was struggling to move, not thinking twice about putting his body on the line when he needs to. Credit to the whole squad, it’s a group that’s really together. 

How would you analyse Tagawa’s performance off the bench? It seemed really positive 

He was good. I have said it in previous interviews, he is still building up but he is getting there. He has had a bit of a stop-start introduction to Hearts but today is what you see. He is a natural forward-thinker. His runs and the timing of his runs, where he positions himself so that when he makes the run he isn’t offside… he is good at using his body. And he will score goals because he is a good finisher. We are happy with that and that’s why we brought him on with half an hour to go. We won’t think twice when putting him in if the time is right. The surface, the way the game was going – the space was in behind Kilmarnock as the game developed. 

The defence had to deal with lots of crosses into the box, does this show how far they have come? 

Yeah, but we have done that all season. It was an area that we spoke about and we needed to address it in the summer because it was shocking. Everybody has bought into it. We have made some small changes and they have had a big impact. It’s not just the defenders. The midfielders’ positions to pick up second balls, or to make a challenge on the second ball, or our forwards’ positions when they hold it up or link the play – it all blends into one. There are loads of positives for lots of aspects of our team at the moment, which is good to have going into a busy month. 

What did you make of the challenge and the VAR confusion?

I only seen it as it happened. To be honest I don't know what the process is when he has already blown for offside. The ref books the goalie, it is what it is. I thought VAR was decent today, I don't think there is anything you are questioning. Probably the biggest thing that makes it confusing is the tannoy announcement late. There is a check but the check is already over but nobody knows it. That's the more confusing thing but I thought it worked well today.

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The flag doesn't go up straight away...

It is the same when they play in the final third for the goal and there is offside and that challenge. Do we want to stop the game and he is onside and you don't get the goal, there is going to be an area when things slip through the net. I was pleased with VAR today.

How is Liam Boyce?

I've not checked since we've come in but he seemed fine. When he came off he mentioned he felt something in his leg, it wasn't as if he knew exactly what it was. Whether it is a never issue or a muscle issue we will see in the coming days.

What about Kenneth?

On Friday he rolled his ankle but it wasn't too serious. He was close but I think with the personnel and strength of our squad we didn't need to risk him.