How Hearts earned the acclaim of travelling fans with big win at Ross County

There have been ups and downs this term but as Robbie Neilson and his Hearts players applauded the travelling choir behind the goals after seeing out a testing game 2-1, there was a buoyancy that hasn’t always been evident when on league business this term.

Combining domestic toil with European adventures has taken its toll, especially when those efforts have been undermined by injuries and illness but it seems that there has been a sharpening of minds this week.

Well aware that their rivals for third place have failed to establish a sizeable advantage while they have been happily distracted by their Europa Conference League group shenanigans, they made it known that they are now fully focused on making them pay for that sluggishness.

Just as they had against RFS on Thursday, Lawrence Shankland and Andy Halliday got the goals but, yet again, this was a collective show of determination and grit as they claimed the three points that elevated them from ninth position to sixth position in the Premiership table but, more pertinently, allowed them to close in on city rivals Hibs.

Andy Halliday celebrates after heading Hearts 2-1 in front at Ross County. (Photo by Mark Scates / SNS Group)

The Leith side moved into third spot on Saturday but Hearts are now just three points behind with a game in hand.

In Dingwall both teams had started the afternoon in need of a positive outcome. Edging toward November and the Highland side are still awaiting a second league win on home turf.

Stuck at the foot of the table, level on points with Dundee United, a win would have given them a marginal amount of breathing space and closed the gap on the handful of clubs directly above them.

Stephen Kingsley had joined the injury list on Thursday, while Jorge Grant also dropped from the starting line up due to an illness that had delayed his travel north.

But while there are undoubtedly players desperate for the breather the World Cup break will give them, the fact that the end is in sight appears to have given some in the Gorgie ranks a second wind as they make that final push, through their Euro swansong, and the few remaining league matches.

Though weary, there seems to be an elevated mood in camp, after a week which saw them put on a decent show against Celtic and defeat RFS and earn the loud and non-stop backing of their fans in Dingwall.

Their hosts did test their mettle, though. After just 11 minutes, the Highlanders pinged in a cross from the right which found Jordan White and he reacted first to bundle the ball beyond Craig Gordon. It was a positive response to the disappointment of a Jordy Hiwula earlier effort being ruled offside.

But the lead did not last long as Hearts showed character and a cutting edge. First it was Shankland, who drilled a low shot past Ross Laidlaw in the 15th minute and five minutes later Andy Halliday displayed great spring and precision to get up and head in the second.

Hearts inability to get a third haunted them as Ross County rallied in the latter stages but the away side put their bodies on their line and saw out the win to earn the post match celebrations with the fans.