Hearts boss Robbie Neilson: We can only blame ourselves - we need to be better

Robbie Neilson admitted that Hearts only had themselves to blame for slipping up at home to Morton.

Robbie Neilson watches on from the Wheatfield Stand.

The Championship leaders drew 1-1 with their Greenock counterparts at Tynecastle, with substitute Jamie Walker 71st-minute header cancelling out Craig McGuffie’s opener eight minutes into the second half.

Hearts still have a healthy 11-point lead at the top of the Championship, but it was the second week in a row that Neilson’s men dropped points in the league.

"We had a lot of possession and probed for the majority of the game. We had 26 shots and only scored one,” said Neilson, who watched the match from the stands due to his two-game suspension.

"That sort of tells the story of the game – but we only have ourselves to blame. Football is about putting the ball in the net and we didn’t do it.

“That was the most disappointing thing. There needs to be a demand to put the ball in the net and it was a bit like they were thinking: ‘ach, it will come’.

“It didn’t and then we fell behind. So we need to be better, and we know that.”

The main positive for Neilson was Walker scoring his 50th goal for the club. The midfielder rose highest to head home a cross from fellow replacement Armand Gnanduillet just as it looked like Hearts would draw a blank and Neilson was quick to hail his “quality”.

“We are delighted for him to come on and get the goal and it’s great for him to reach 50,” continued the Hearts boss. “There aren’t many people in Hearts’ history who have achieved that, and he shows his quality when he comes on.

“As his fitness improves, the performances will continue to improve.”

Neilson handed Aaron McEneff his first start since signing from Shamrock Rovers and he was pleased with his contribution.

"I thought he did very well in the first half and started to fade in the second,” continued Neilson. “This was his first start since the seventh of December 7. That’s a long time and as he gets fitter and stronger, we’ll see exactly what he does well which is break forward, link with strikers and get shots at goal.”

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