Derek McInnes has detailed the return of captain Lawrence Shankland as a defining moment for his team — and warned the Old Firm that Hearts will get stronger and stronger as the battle for the flag heats up.
A 77th-minute header from Oisin McEntee gave the Tynecastle outfit a 1-0 home win over Dundee and kept them at the top of the Premiership table with seven games to go.
Cammy Devlin made his long-awaited return from injury in the starting line-up, but a bullish McInnes made special mention of Shankland’s contribution after replacing Pierre Landry Kabore in the second half and licked his lips at the prospect of other injured stars being back available for the visit to Livingston on April 5.
Craig Halkett missed the Dundee win after suffering a back spasm before kick-off, but McInnes expects him and others to be available after the international break as Hearts make that final push for history.
‘When Shankland comes on, the quality is there, the ball sticks, it gets you up the pitch, there’s more certainty,’ said the Hearts manager of a player who has been out since January with a hamstring problem. ‘He has a few shots and you just feel something’s going to happen.
‘That’s a brilliant thing to have. His influence hasn’t been there on the pitch, but it’s been there throughout the club. He’s an unbelievable person, a brilliant captain, and he’s been quietly getting on with his work.
Shankland makes his first appearance for Hearts since mid-January
‘To get him back on the pitch, it can’t be underplayed how important that is. I just want the players to have the same belief that I have. The players need to feel the way I feel, and we reminded them of that.
‘I actually think my belief in the team is stronger than ever because I know what’s coming back. We’ve got players returning — (Tomas) Magnusson, (Harry) Milne, Halkett, (Stuart) Findlay, (Stephen) Kingsley.
‘We’ve got our captain back, Cammy Devlin, so we will get stronger, and we’re going to need it. We’ve been tested lately, but we haven’t lost much ground on Rangers and Celtic despite missing key players.
‘Despite everything, we’re going to be top of the league in April. We’re huge underdogs against the teams we’re up against — it’s a fact. But to still be where we are, churning out victories, there’s a lot to be said for 1–0 wins.
‘It’s our job to keep the players on an even keel, and they’ve dealt with that brilliantly. We’ve lost one goal in four games. That’s not easy to do in this league.
‘It might not be so obvious to everybody, but, on the periphery of the game and with all those little nuances, we did so much right. I think we had one shot on target against us, and it came from a free-kick at the edge of the box in the dying embers of the first half.’
McInnes, though, hopes to see his side play with a little more risk after the upcoming international break.
‘What we were searching for was just that wee bit more quality in the final third, more determination to put the ball in the box,’ he said.
‘I think we need to play with a bit more risk at times, but I thought we controlled the game through Cammy (Devlin) and Marc (Leonard). It was great to have Cammy back.’
Manager Derek McInnes has a word with his captain ahead of kick-off against Dundee
McInnes was also delighted to see the winner come from a dead-ball taken by Leonard.
‘Our set plays were great,’ he said. ‘There’s been a lot made in the last week or two about them not being where they should be, including from myself.
‘It’s a magnificent header. What a brilliant moment for the big fella. A great ball from Marc.
‘For me, it’s simple — we just need to keep winning. Confidence will grow as we do that. I think that’s four wins out of the last six now. Ideally, we make it five from seven.
‘At the same time, we need better quality and performances — and I think we’ll get that with players coming back.’
Dundee manager Steven Pressley, meanwhile, was left to rue a lack of bite in the forward areas.
‘In recent weeks, we’ve obviously scored a lot of goals, but today I thought our final moments let us down,’ he said.
