Steven Naismith insists successive victories should be standard practice for Hearts after a 1-0 win at Kilmarnock made it four Scottish Premiership wins in a row.
The Jam Tarts moved up to third in the table after a calamitous error by Will Dennis saw the Killie keeper spill Lawrence Shankland’s shot into his own net after 18 minutes.
The hosts enjoyed the bulk of possession as they searched for an equaliser, but a combination of their lack of cutting edge and some resolute defending from Naismith’s side would see them shut out.
“The four wins is good, I know (it was our first) three consecutive in two years, this is five years,” said Naismith.
“If I’m honest, for a club like Hearts and a few other clubs will say the same – it should be normal that you go on a run like that, it shouldn’t take five years.
“The conditions today, the pitch, it is what it is – you need to play a different way and we did it.
“On the AstroTurf pitches, every game is close because you know both teams are going to get a chance, whether that be the bounce of the ball, a slip, whatever – you are going to give up chances.
“I thought we defended really well, we probably gave them one good chance where it could have been a goal. The others, they had a header late on but our positions were really good.”
The Hearts boss remains hopeful he will not be without the services of Liam Boyce for an extended period of time after the striker limped off just before the half-hour mark.
Boyce missed the vast majority of last season with a torn cruciate ligament, though Naismith is hopeful for good news in the next few days.
“I’ve not checked since we came in, but he seemed fine,” he added.
“When he came off he mentioned that he felt something in his leg – it wasn’t as if he knew what it was. Whether that’s a nerve issue or a muscle issue, we’ll see in the coming days.”
Derek McInnes was disappointed after suffering defeat in his 700th game in management.
Killie were punished for being wasteful in front of goal and as a result suffered their first home loss in six league fixtures as well as dropping out the top six.
“I thought the result was really harsh on my team,” boss McInnes said.
“It was such an unusual goal to lose and was obviously a setback for us being at home.
“It wasn’t without its challenges, I thought the pitch was difficult for both sets of players – it was probably bordering on unplayable, it was really icy towards the second half in particular.
“I thought we were the better team but you don’t always get what you deserve, Hearts I think had one shot on target and go away with the points.”
The Kilmarnock manager refused to blame the loss on Dennis, despite the keeper’s glaring error for the Hearts goal.
Dennis has enjoyed a positive start to life at Rugby Park since joining in the summer, though had an afternoon to forget after spilling the ball into his own net and picking up a booking for a rash challenge on Yutaro Oda.
“It’s not a goal you would expect any goalkeeper to lose,” he added.
“He’s lost a goal at Dens Park where he comes through bodies and doesn’t take charge of it – but other than that he’s been absolutely fine.
“He’s been good, it’s a learning curve for him. It’s disappointing he’s lost that but we’ve had enough chances – we don’t lose the game because of Will Dennis and we need to make that clear.”
Conte hopes for Ranieri's success at Roma after Napoli clash
Antonio Conte hopes that everything will go well for Claudio Ranieri after he came out of retirement to take charge of Roma, but only after their Serie A clash this weekend.
Ranieri was tempted back into management by a return to where he began as a player. His third spell at Roma comes after the club sacked two coaches already this season and with the team 12th in the standings.
A trip to leaders Napoli is Ranieri's first task, and Conte is looking forward to meeting up with the 73-year-old.
"I am pleased to see Claudio, I have great esteem for him and there is also friendship," Conte told reporters ahead of Sunday's game.
"I am happy with the chance he has been given. It will be a tough game, for us and for them. Last year, Roma finished ahead of Napoli, they are in the Europa League and had a good transfer window.
"They are not performing according to expectations and I hope for Claudio that everything starts to work after Sunday's game."
The arrival of Ranieri in place of Ivan Juric brings with it not just the danger of the 'new manager bounce' but also upsets Conte's plans for the game.
"When a team changes coach there is an important input on a nervous level," Conte said.
"They are at the third change on the bench. It's inevitable that, if Juric had remained, we knew what kind of team we were going to face.
"Now it's an enigma, we don't have much information nor do we know how they will deal with us. So let's think about ourselves, there is a desire and enthusiasm to continue this path."
After a streak of 21 consecutive home wins in Serie A, Conte lost his last home league match (0-3 against Atalanta). Only once in his career has he recorded two consecutive home defeats in the competition: in November 2009, when he was in charge of Atalanta (against Juventus and Roma).
Napoli are top of the table, but Conte knows it is still early, and with just two points separating the top six clubs, which includes the likes of Atalanta, Fiorentina and Lazio, for now, it is a different title race than usual.
"Only 12 games have passed and there are many teams within very few points," he said.
"We are doing well, but so are the others. There isn't one team which has distanced the others. Perhaps there is a little amazement in seeing some teams in those positions in the standings."
Martino resigns as Inter Miami coach after early playoff exit
Gerardo Martino has resigned as Inter Miami's head coach due to personal reasons, the MLS side have confirmed.
The Argentine ends his 17-month stint in charge of the Herons following their MLS Cup exit just under a fortnight ago.
Martino, who oversaw Miami's Leagues Cup triumph soon after his arrival last season, guided the franchise to this year's Supporters' Shield with a regular-season record tally of 74 points.
However, they were eliminated by his former side Atlanta United in round one of the MLS Cup playoffs.
Miami opened their best-of-three series against Atlanta with a 2-1 win, only to lose by the same scoreline in Game 2 before falling to a dramatic 3-2 defeat in the decider.
“It has been an honour to work at such a special club, and to lead such a special team," Martino said.
"I’ve enjoyed my stay at Inter Miami and will treasure the memories made and relationships forged here for the rest of my life.
"I depart with nothing but gratitude for my time here and would like to offer sincere thanks to everyone that made it possible."
Fonseca: Milan have 'respect' but 'are not afraid' of Juventus
Paulo Fonseca said Milan have plenty of "respect" for Juventus, but his side "are not afraid" of their rivals ahead of their Serie A clash on Saturday.
After a slow start to the season, Milan are six points adrift of Juventus in the table, but only a place behind them, as they aim to make up the ground on the top six.
The Rossoneri have played a game less than Thiago Motta's side, and could catapult themselves back into the Scudetto picture with a win this weekend.
Milan return to the San Siro for the first time since a 2-0 defeat to Napoli at the end of October, and could register two consecutive home defeats in Serie A for the first time since between October and November in 2023.
"It is not decisive, but it is important, like all of them," Fonseca told reporters ahead of Saturday's game.
"I can't say that the game against Juve is more important than the next one against Empoli because we need consecutive victories.
"It's a different game, but I always think positively. We are Milan, we have a lot of respect for the 'Bianconeri', but we are not afraid. We are here ready to win."
A boost for Milan is that Juventus will be without top scorer Dusan Vlahovic for Saturday's clash after returning from international duty with a muscle problem.
Despite the Serbian's absence, Fonseca was aware of the danger his probable replacement, Timothy Weah, would pose, having managed him during his time at Lille.
"Juve knows how to adapt very well. I don't know if Weah will play," Fonseca said.
"Weah is very fast and attacks deep, not like Vlahovic. It will not be the same thing of course.
"We will have to pay attention to movements in depth and less to support work, because he is a player who does less of this job."
While Fonseca has endured a stuttering start to his tenure at the San Siro, Milan have shown they have the ability to match the very best.
They beat rivals Inter in October before stunning Real Madrid at the Bernabeu in their last Champions League encounter, keeping their play-off hopes alive.
"I believe it's a matter of motivation and not pressure," Fonseca said.
"Against Inter, Juve and Real it is easy to be motivated, it's more difficult to go to Cagliari and have the same motivation.
"Pressure is always with us, every day. If we don't want to have pressure, then we shouldn't be here."
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