1997/98. 1999/00. 2006/07. 2010/11.

The four top-flight campaigns since 1991/92 (when there were 15 away league wins) Heart of Midlothian have won more games on the road than their current seven.

2010/11.

The only season across the last three decades when Hearts have won more than seven top-flight away games after 20 league fixtures.

1999/00.

The only season since 1991/92 that Hearts have won more away games than home games in a campaign.

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Under Steven Naismith Hearts have learned how to win away from Tynecastle Park. Or, more accurately, outside of Edinburgh. While there have just been four home wins, there have been seven on their travels, the latest being the 2-1 win at Livingston.

"That was one of the things Naisy told us before the start of the season, that over the years it hasn't been good enough," Peter Haring said. "It's one thing that's needed to improve and get better. So far it is working."

The team's record outside of the Capital has been a bugbear of the club's support for several years. It is a support that tends to travel in numbers as well. Tuesday was a prime example with more than 5,000 Jambos making the trip to West Lothian.

Now, the performance at Livingston was far from scintillating. In fact, the first 20 minutes were a struggle. It was the type of fixture that would normally have had a sense of inevitability about it. Going away to the bottom-of-the-table team, one in need of a win, and then not settling. Normally it would be a case of Livingston going in front and that would be that or, at best, a draw would be rescued.

This Hearts side have shown different ways to emerge victorious on the road. There have been games that have been more of a slog than a saunter, where the team have had to stand up to a scrap, fight and battle. Livingston for one and Kilmarnock for another. Both games saw the team survive an aerial bombardment in the closing stages.

Wins at St Johnstone and Ross County were more about patience. Hearts were largely in control of both matches before substitutions helped provide match-winning moments, Alex Lowry making a positive impact in both. 

Then you had the 2-1 win at Motherwell. The game was not as close as the result suggested. Hearts, especially in the first half, were by far the better side and played with real confidence. They were sauntering to victory before a Motherwell penalty made it 2-1 but the team were put under little trouble afterwards. The first league win at Celtic since 2007 was also comfortable even if it was a different kind of game. At Fir Park, Hearts controlled possession. At Celtic Park, they controlled the space having deservedly taken a 2-0 lead in the first half.

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What has prompted the change? While there has been an increased focus on it by the management, a key component may well be mentality, something Billy Brown mentioned to Hearts Standard earlier this year. Brown was assistant to Jim Jefferies when Hearts won nine away league games in 1997/98 and 2010/11.

"The players' mentalities from both teams were winning mentalities," he said. "We weren't scared to go anywhere. We had the players to cope with anything.  It is all about mentality and I think that Naisy will have that mentality. He wants to win all the time as well."

Football fans are naturally greedy. The away wins could have been higher. Hearts were leading against Rangers going into the closing stages and then at Aberdeen, the team were in control at half-time.

The question is whether Naismith's men can turn the seven wins on the road into double figures and end a 32-year wait. Dundee, St Johnstone, Ross County and St Mirren present four good opportunities before the split.

Now, if only Hearts can match the home form with the away form. Something no fan of the club has uttered in a very long time.