'Incredible': Hearts heroes singled out but key man has setback after 'not quite right' reaction to training
Kabangu and Gordon drive Hearts on to huge win at St Johnstone
Hearts head coach Neil Critchley hailed key performers at both ends of the pitch after the Jambos maintained their charge towards the Premiership top six with a 2-1 win over St Johnstone.
Striker Elton Kabangu netted either side of the interval to bag both goals for Hearts at McDiarmid Park, while goalkeeper Craig Gordon pulled off an “incredible” save to deny Saints’ Sam Curtis when the scoreline was 1-1.
The victory moved Hearts into seventh place in the league and one point behind St Mirren, their next opponent and the team directly above them.
Critchley was especially pleased for Kabangu given that the on-loan Union Saint-Gilloise striker had missed a clutch of good chances in last week’s 3-1 reversal by Rangers. The Belgian took his tally to seven for the season with his brace at McDiarmid Park.
“I’m so pleased for Elton,” said Critchley. “He's such a positive guy, so infectious. Exactly the type of person we want to bring to Hearts with that character. Yes, he was disappointed after last week, naturally, but he doesn't let it affect him. He bounces back today because of his mentality, which is outstanding. That's where he gets the rewards.
“His first goal was a great goal, a proper centre-forward's goal. He's right in there to tap it in. And the second goal, he just put his foot through it, went for it, and he hit it. I’m delighted for him, really pleased for him.”
Kabangu’s second strike came moments after Gordon had denied Curtis with an outstretched arm. “It was an incredible save,” said Critchley. “It was a match-winning save. It doesn't surprise me, to be honest with you, because you see it every day in training. The way he trains, the way he conducts himself, he's invaluable to us.
“We go down the other end a minute or two minutes later and score the winner. That's the fine margins of this game. Anyone else, it probably would have been a goal, but Craigie's reflexes and reactions are unbelievable. That was a fantastic stop.”
Critchley was heartened by the response of his players after losing last time out against Rangers and believes prevailing against St Johnstone sets them up for big seven days ahead that includes facing St Mirren on Wednesday and capital rivals Hibs next weekend.
“We can only control what we can control,” continued Critchley. “We just have to try and keep winning games of football. It was important for us to bounce back from last week with a good performance and try and pick up three points. We've done that.
“It's the start of a big week. You've got nine points on the table, six now obviously, and the league could look different come the end of the game at Hibs next Sunday. This is a really big three points. I've always said if you keep winning games, the league table will take care of itself. Our aim is to finish in the top six. How many games are we going to have to win to get into the top six? Who knows?”
Hearts were without midfielder Cammy Devlin once again for this match and Critchley revealed that the Australian had suffered a setback in his recovery from concussion.
“Cammy's not quite right, unfortunately,” said Critchley. “He's trained this week and we had to take a step back because he had effects after the training session where he wasn't right. We have to move backwards and give him time to rest and start to go again.
“It's been really frustrating for him and for us. His health is obviously the most critical or the most important thing. We'll look after him. I won't take any chances on that.”
St Johnstone manager Simo Valakari admitted Hearts’ quality shone through, but said his team will keep going in their quest to cut back the six-point gap between themselves and 11th-placed Dundee at the bottom of the table.
“There wasn’t much between the teams,” said Valakari. “Hearts used a couple of moments with better quality than we did. Our product in the final third wasn’t good enough in the first half then in the second half we looked more dangerous.
“It was a good goal to 1-1 and then Sam (Curtis) has the best chance of the match to make it 2-1. The hearts goalkeeper makes a wonder reflex save and, as so often happens in football, they score with their next attack. That hurts.
“But we showed enough belief and good football that nothing is lost.”
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