
Neil Critchley was confident things would turn for Lawrence Shankland, eventually.
The Heart of Midlothian head coach referenced the underlying statistics of the Scotland international’s recent performances. He was confident that Shankland was contributing, if not in front of goal, and was getting into the right areas.
For Critchley, it was just a matter of time before he found the net again having failed to score since September going into Saturday’s game.
You could see the relief in the absence of a celebration when Shankland nodded Hearts ahead. By half-time he had doubled his and his side’s tally in what was their first win in six matches.
The 2-0 win over Dundee at Tynecastle Park lifted Hearts off the bottom of the Scottish Premiership and to within touching distance of three teams above them.
“It’s nice to score a few goals, particularly Shanks getting both of them goals, keeping a clean sheet,” said Critchley. I think that’s Craig’s 100th clean sheet. So it’s been a good day for us.
“I thought we deserved to win the game. I would have liked to have seen us play a bit better with the ball in the second half, in truth. But I thought we were excellent in the first half and deservedly won the game.
“If you look at some of his stats and the data behind his performances, then other than the last little bit, he’s been very similar to what he’s been producing, particularly last season.
“So that will give him a world of confidence: lifted a big of weight off his shoulders, if you like. Hopefully you can see the relief for the players and him and the supporters.
“It’s a big moment for him, so hopefully he [push on] can now.
“You just see shots, his expected goals that he’s supposed to get, the touches that he gets inside the penalty area. Everything’s very similar. It’s just the final little bit.
“Today, the final little bit’s gone for him, which is why he scored two goals.
“He’s had similar chances in other games and they’ve just not gone in. But that’s the difference today and that’s strikers.
“I think [the first goal] made him relax and feel free. Getting the first goal is important.
“We’ve shown we can come behind last week against Aberdeen. But we haven’t scored the first goal in too many games and I think that makes a huge difference.
“I think it just frees the team up a little bit. If anything, we could have probably got one or two more today, in truth.”
Shankland was partnered in attack by James Wilson, with the academy graduate making his first senior start for the club.
The 17-year-old already has two goals to his name from substitute appearances but had hardly been seen since those October strikes.
Critchley said he had a “hunch” about Wilson and felt that Dundee was the right game to reward the striker with his first start.
“Sometimes you just get a feeling, a bit of a hunch really,” said the Hearts head coach. “And just for the way that we wanted to play, the way that we thought Dundee would set up, we just wanted someone on the last line that we felt would stretch the game for us.
“We’ve done quite a bit of work with James: showing him what we want him to do, showing him clips of certain players that we want him to replicate. These types of movement.
“We think he’s better when he’s stretching the game and not coming to feet too much. So we had Shanks to do that a little bit more today. And I thought it worked well at times.
“I just said: go and enjoy yourself. We wanted him to stretch the line and try and get in between and in behind the Dundee back three. And I thought he did that. He was nearly on the end of a couple of things, a couple of crosses in the first half.
“He played a part. I think it was the first goal when Spittal hit it and he picks up the rebound, which is what he’s always sniffing the goals out.
“And it’s brilliant for him, brilliant for his family and brilliant for the academy as well. So I’m delighted for him and Musa because he’s been doing well, Musa. Musa brings a physical threat and he’s a goal threat.”
Two players absent from today’s squad, both doubts going into the match, were Beni Baningime and Frankie Kent.
Kent was left out as a precaution but should return for next week’s trip to Copenhagen, while Baningime has a knee complaint. Critchley provided an update on both.
“Frankie was more precautionary, to be honest with you. So I would hope that he would be available,” he said.
“Baningime had a bit of an issue with his knee, which has been on and off for a while, so we just have to check him on Monday to see how that’s going to be.”