Match Preview - Hearts (A)

After two weather-related postponements in a row, we are finally back into league action on Saturday. The Staggies are making a trip to the capital to face Heart of Midlothian at Tynecastle. It is a 3:00 PM kick-off and an opportunity for the Staggies to get points on the board after a lengthy lay-off.

Heart of Midlothian

Steven Naismith’s side will be on top of the world entering this match against County due to their last-minute winner in the Edinburgh Derby. Despite missing a penalty early on in the match, Lawrence Shankland grabbed the bull by the horns and fired in a wonderful strike to win it for the Jambos.

The Capital side currently sits in third place.

They have won ten out of their 19 matches, alongside picking up two draws leaving the side on 32 points, two ahead of Kilmarnock.

Hearts are in fine form heading into this clash, winning all three of their last matches.

They also haven’t conceded in any of those three, which includes a two-nil win over Celtic.

Player to Watch

He has already been mentioned, however, the only player we can pick to watch out for is the maroon star man, Lawrence Shankland.

The former Dundee United man is probably the best forward in Scotland at the moment, and as the captain of Hearts is doing an incredible job of leading the line.

The Scotland international has scored 11 times this season and will be looking to add to that tally when we come calling.

His goal stats are impressive, but Shankland’s overall linkup play and his ability to drop deep make him incredibly hard to deal with.

Ross County

The Staggies have turned out to have a quiet Christmas period. After two postponements due to adverse weather conditions, it has given an abundance of extra time for Derek Adams to get on the training pitch with his players.

It is imperative that Ross County bounce back against Hearts. Coupling a gutting 1-0 loss to Dundee with the call-offs, the players will be itching to get back on the park and get some points on the board.

The Staggies sit in tenth place heading into this clash in Edinburgh, but of course, we have as many as three games in hand to our name over St Johnstone – who have just two more points than Adams’ side.

Player to Watch

Simon Murray was electric in our last match. The striker has been a mainstay in the XI this season, and his directness and pace has caused defences many issues. The power of the former Hibernian man could be the key for the Staggies in this match.

Murray has netted on four occasions this season as well as grabbing one assist. However, his overall play makes him stand out, but most importantly his work rate at the top end of the park is unmatched.

If the players around Simon can create some opportunities for him, the County support will be confident in his abilities to bolster the Staggies.

Previous Encounters

We have struggled when facing Hearts recently, and unfortunately, we do have a poor record against the Gorgie side.

Last season they won all three fixtures against us and also claimed all three points earlier this season.

However, in just three wins over the maroon side, two have come away from home for Ross County – which can spare a bit of hope for the supporters.

Familiar Faces

Current County midfielders Connor Randall and Ross Callachan both played for Hearts before arriving in Dingwall. Assistant Manager Don Cowie also played for the club before returning to the Highlands.

Ross County legend Liam Boyce is currently a Hearts player and could face up against his old side on Saturday.

Harry Paton, Gary Glen and Ruben Palazuelos also played in Maroon as well as Staggie blue.

Team News

Ross Callachan remains sidelined for this one. Dylan Smith is recovering from his knock taken in Paisley. Will Nightingale will also miss out due to injury.