Naismith: We’ve learned from our mistakes

The Wee Jambos have now lost just one of their last ten matches and the manager believes that his side are starting to show they have learned from their early season mistakes.

The men in maroon dug deep to ensure a clean sheet in a 2-0 victory at Raydale Park after a controversial second half sending off for Makenzie Kirk.

Hearts were two goals to the good at the break thanks to Kirk and Luke Rathie and in a scrappy second half in difficult conditions, they dug deep to protect their lead and secure the points.

“It was a good start to a busy week for us,” said Naismith. “The first five minutes was probably the first time we have come up against a team who has really pressed us from the off and the first 5-10 minutes we didn’t really get to grips with it.

“We were still trying to do the same things with our play, before we realised there was much more space in behind. Our first goal comes from a good diagonal pass picking out a really good run from deep and we score a good goal.

“That calmed us down a bit, and we played some good stuff on a good pitch. They were an aggressive team. Quite cute at making fouls and in the second half it kicks off and we lose a man. The dynamic of the game changes, but that’s why the boys play at this level. It’s not all nice and things going your way.

“The boys did well though. We defended well. Our midfielders went from joining in attacks to being cover when they went direct, so these are all things the boys have learned and they stood up to it really well today.

“A lot of the teams we are facing now we are playing for the second time this season and we believe we didn’t do ourselves justice when we played them first time round.

“We gave away cheap goals then and were sloppy in possession and that is why we are where we are in the table, but we need to use that now and say this is the true test for us now against these teams.

“We want to keep showing now that we are a good team, we have learned from our mistakes and go out and get the wins. There isn’t one player individually who hasn’t improved in this team and collectively, as a team we have also improved.”