Hearts manager Neil Critchley admitted Saturday’s 2-0 victory over Ross County was important after watching his side make ground on the teams above them in the top six.
The Gorgie side climbed up to sixth in the William Hill Premiership after Elton Kabangu and Jorge Grant scored either side of the break.
And the three points also saw Hearts make ground on Dundee United, Aberdeen and city rivals Hibs in the battle for third place.
Critchley was a pleased man after his team also collected a first clean sheet at home since January 2.
He said: “All results have gone in our favour today, which is positive for us. So it’s been a good day all round.
“The sunshine was out, a fantastic pitch, we scored two goals, kept a clean sheet and the results have gone for us.
“You’d class it as a routine home win, but we’ve had to fight and work really hard for it, as Ross County make you do that.
“It’s not easy when a team basically puts 11 players behind the ball on the halfway line.
“It’s very difficult to play against and you have to be patient and you have to work for your openings, and we did that with a fantastic first goal.
“It was a really good team goal. It’s important to get the first goal.
“And then they had to go for the game, more attacking subs on and open the game up, which you’d expect them to do.
“I thought the subs came on and made a real difference for us as well.
“We’re in a good place, we get a little bit of time to rest.
“Some players will play in midweek, and then we get time to rest and get ready for a really exciting challenge at Celtic in a couple of weeks’ time.”
Elton Kabangu opened the scoring in the 26th minute when he poked home Beni Baningime’s pass before Grant turned home Musa Drammeh’s cross in the 89th minute.
County boss Don Cowie, whose team are now ninth in the table – four points behind Hearts – admits County lacked a cutting edge.
He said: “It was everything that I would expect.
“A team working extremely hard to try and make it as difficult as possible for Hearts.
“We managed to frustrate them for periods of the game.
“But I think, as I always say, we’re an honest group and we just lacked that little bit of quality to create that real momentum and that opportunity to get back in the match.
“We made a lot of substitutions in the last half of the game, really attacking ones to see if we could get that opportunity to get back in it.
“We just came up short, we didn’t manage to show that bit of quality, whether it was from a set-play that we had – because we had quite a few of them – or in the actual game play.”
[(Real Oviedo) Strength]: 1. Real Oviedo are undoubtedly motivated to start with a win in this home game.2. The newly promoted team this season, Real Oviedo, performed well last season. Since November, they have only lost 3 of 18 competitive games at home, securing 11 victories.[(Real Oviedo) Neutral]: 1. Real Oviedo lost the last 2 encounters between the two teams, but their last one was 12 years...
[(AC Milan) Strength]: 1. AC Milan invested in transfer funds this summer, with strong signings like Luka Modric joining the team, significantly boosting their strength. The club has no concerns about European competitions in the new season and can fully focus on the league, with their goal firmly set on the league title. This match marks their first home game of the new season, and the San Siro h...
[(Pohang Steelers) Strength]: 1. Pohang Steelers forward Lee Ho Jae is 5th with 11 goals in the top-scorer standings. He scored 2 goals in the last 3 league games, and his recovered form helped the team rebound.2. Pohang Steelers won 1-0 over FC Anyang in the last game, securing a 3-game winning streak and ending their losing streak.3. Pohang Steelers scored 8 goals in the last 5 home games, showi...
[(Cruz Azul) Strength]: 1. Cruz Azul are one point behind the leaders. They are motivated to win this game and top the table.2. Cruz Azul forward Angel Sepulveda are 1st with 5 goals in the top-scorer standings. He scored 2 goals in the last 3 league games, being important on the team's offensive end.3. Cruz Azul won 3-2 over Santos Laguna in the last match, securing a 2-game winning streak. The t...
[(Fulham) Strength]: 1. Forward Rodrigo Muniz came off the bench in the first league game and scored at the final moment, helping the team secure a point.2. Fulham continue to be active in the Transfermarkt, with reports indicating they are still vigorously pursuing AC Milan forward Samuel Chukwueze.3. Fulham scored in 4 consecutive games across all competitions, revealing stable offense.4. Fulham...
[(Schalke 04) Strength]: 1. Schalke 04's recent performance was unsatisfactory. In this home game, they will try to win and get back on the winning ways, fully motivated.2. Bryan Lasme put in an impressive performance in the previous game – he scored the winning goal in extra time, helping the team secure a victory and advance in the DFB-Pokal.3. Schalke 04 scored 3 goals and conceded 2 in t...
[(Lyonnais) Strength]: 1. Lyonnais have won the first Ligue 1 round in the new season and they are eager to extend their winning record at home, with full motivation.2. Lyonnais secured a season-opening victory with a narrow 1-0 away win over RC Lens in the first round of the new Ligue 1 season. Throughout the game, Lyonnais had a 44% possession rate, 11 shots and 3 shots on target. They did not d...
[(AS Roma) Strength]: 1. In the 38 games of last season, AS Roma finally achieved 20 wins, 9 draws and 9 losses, finishing 5th in the league. They secured a qualification for this season's UEFA Europa League, with a remarkable performance.2. AS Roma scored a total of 56 goals in 38 games last season, and have netted 9 goals in 6 recently played games, maintaining a solid performance in the attacki...
[(Charlton Athletic) Strength]: 1. Charlton Athletic played a 0-0 draw with Bristol City in their last game. Although this halted their winning streak, the team have achieved 3 wins and 1 draw in their last 4 games, and their performance is worthy of recognition.2. Charlton Athletic scored a total of 10 goals in their last 5 home games. The team's offensive performance in their home games has been...
[(1.FSV Mainz 05) Strength]: 1. On August 19th, in the first round of the DFB-Pokal, 1.FSV Mainz 05 secured a 1-0 away victory over Dynamo Dresden thanks to a goal from Nadiem Amiri, claiming a winning start to their campaign.2. 1.FSV Mainz 05 have signed leading striker Benedict Hollerbach from 1. FC Union Berlin, with the two parties agreeing a contract until 2029 and the transfer fee set at 10 ...
- 1 TIPS - Cerezo Osaka VS Vissel Kobe
- 2 BVB, Monaco and Ajax go for unwanted West Ham midfielder Alvarez
- 3 ngland cricket legend’s granddaughter stuns in bikini
- 4 Ruben Amorim gives cryptic response when asked about Andre Onana returning to starting XI for Fulham clash after Altay Bayindir blunder handed Arsenal victory
- 5 Transfer rumors, news: Arsenal could turn to Lyon's Fofana
- 6 Lamela explains retirement decision: It started 11 years ago...
- 7 Estevao Willian set for 'key' Chelsea role after debut vs Palace
- 8 TIPS - Gamba Osaka VS Yokohama FC
- 9 TIPS - Schalke 04 VS VfL Bochum
- 10 Sevilla Set Price for Man United Target as Club Seek Baleba Alternatives