Hearts 1-0 Livingston instant analysis: Vital goal, key sub

The win took Hearts into fourth place going into Sunday's Viaplay Cup semi-final with Rangers at Hampden Park.

An important goal

It has not been through a lack of endeavour that Kenneth Vargas has had to wait for his first goal for Hearts. When it did arrive it was a hugely important one. Naismith spoke in the build up to the match that the team "need to win" such are the demands at the club after losing two on the bounce.

The crowd had to be patient, which they were for large parts. There were tame boos at half-time and frustration when the team went backwards which is only natural. Hearts were up against a Yellow Wall.  They had 80 per cent of possession and more than 20 shots. They were in complete control for the entirety with Zander Clark a bystander. It was common to see eight or nine outfield Livingston players in their own box as they tried to ensure it was as difficult as possible for the home side to score.

So it was important the team were patient and not to go chasing, something Naismith reiterates to his players. The game doesn't need to be won in the first 15 minutes. But it has to be won by the full-time whistle. And it was, eventually.

Still, Hearts could have made it easier for themselves with chances scattered throughout the match but it was vital three points were picked up ahead of the League Cup semi-final and the table looks a lot better than it did before the match.

Joel Sked

Grant provides cutting edge  

With Naismith sticking with the back three that almost got a result at Ibrox on Sunday, there was always going to be a lot asked of Hearts’ midfield trio of Beni Baningime, Cammy Devlin and Alex Lowry. With Liam Boyce partnering Lawrence Shankland up top, two strikers who like to drop deep and get involved in the build-up, the midfield would have to supply the creativity in the final third if Hearts were to breach Livingston’s stubborn defence.  

Baningime sat at the base of the midfield, recycling possession by making simple, low-risk passes, meaning that much of the team’s creative burden fell on Lowry and Devlin’s shoulders. The Rangers loanee was doing his utmost to find a way through and although some of his deliveries were overly ambitious – the playmaker is a big fan of a Hollywood pass – he was at least getting into good areas and asking some awkward questions of the Livi defence.  

Devlin, though, struggled to make an impact. The Australian looked a little lost at times when getting forward, and his positioning and choice of pass was questionable on occasion. He was replaced by Jorge Grant at the break as Naismith tried to inject more creativity into midfield, and the gambit paid off as the Englishman teed up Vargas to open the scoring with 10 minutes to go with an inch-perfect pass to break the deadlock at long last. Hearts desperately required a cutting edge and in the end, it was Grant who provided it. 

James Cairney

Tale of two strikers

There was sympathy for Liam Boyce as he trudged off the park after 69 minutes. It was his replacement who was in the position the Northern Irishman would have loved to be in at the back post to tap in the winner. However, the forward struggled throughout his time on the pitch. Everything seemed to go through Lawrence Shankland with Boyce feeding off scraps. He had just 24 touches. Second-half substitute Jorge Grant had more. In a game where the team were going to dominate possession it seemed set up for him to drop into spaces and thrive but he seemed to be lost amongst the yellow bodies of Livingston. Hearts fans will know what he is capable of but it just seemed to be one of those nights. There can only be sympathy in his likely frustration.

Joel Sked

The curious case of Joel Nouble

Livingston forward Joel Nouble is perhaps the most unique player in Scottish football and someone Hearts fans have discussed as a potential target for the team. He had a thankless task for David Martindale's men at Tynecastle, the graveyard shift. The lone striker against a three-man Hearts backline with the home side dominating the ball for large periods. 

Yet, on two occasions in the first half he lured Beni Baningime and Cammy Devlin into tactical fouls which warranted bookings, using his strength and pace. He has the ability to bamboozle defences and act as a one-man wrecking ball. But on the flipside there are so many moments where you want him to do more, to be more dominant.

Nouble is someone who passes the eye test. Big, strong, quick and technically very good. But it is the numbers where it goes awry. No goals in the league this season and just two assists. Last season he had seven goals and two assists. That may be why Livingston didn't get the offer they were expecting or hoping for this summer for the forward.

However, he is out of contract at the end of the season and should present teams, including Hearts with an enticing option in January. He is the type of player who Hearts simply don't have, that physical presence who is also willing to take players on.

Joel Sked