HEARTS’ patience with Ian Cathro is now being tested to its limits. Hiring such a young, inexperienced head coach was always going to bring teething problems but this defeat to a Ross County side thrashing around towards the foot of the table did little to enhance the idea that the Tynecastle side are progressing under his watch.

Hearts have now lost three games on the bounce, are winless in their last five, and have tasted victory in only four of Cathro’s 15 games in charge. The home fans were not slow in making their feelings clear about that come full-time.

County, in contrast, were cock-a-hoop. This was their first league win since Hogmanay and their first of any sort since they put six past Dundee United in the Scottish Cup in January. With the bottom of the table becoming increasingly fraught, this at least gives Jim McIntyre’s side some temporary breathing space.

The best chance of an engaging first half had fallen to Hearts after 34 minutes. Arnaud Djoum shuffled inside before uncorking a strike that thwacked against the crossbar and with the County defence caught on their heels, Bjorn Johnsen should have done better than lash the rebound high over the crossbar. There would be no raising of the offside flag to spare the striker’s blushes.

County, though, had opportunities of their own, however, with Jay McEveley lashing a shot just wide of the far post after being teed up by Liam Boyce’s header. Alex Schalk also posed a persistent threat with his pace on the break, the forward seeing one deflected shot easily held while a second from a wider angle needed Jack Hamilton to block it with his legs. Hearts were booed off the field at half-time.

That sense of frustration would only grow the longer the second half wore on and with Hearts – missing key figures such as the suspended Isma Goncalves and the injured Jamie Walker – failing to demonstrate a cohesive attacking plan.

When County then moved in front after 51 minutes, Tynecastle threatened to bubble over with rage. It was an easily avoidable goal. Jason Naismith’s cross ought to have been cleared by Alexandros Tziolis but instead he inexplicably allowed the ball to bounce off him to the lurking Schalk who thudded a first-time effort low past Hamilton.

With Hearts fans now bickering among themselves in the stands, County came close twice to adding the second goal that would have made certain of the victory. The ever-dangerous Schalk was at the centre of both, stretching first of all to meet a Naismith cross with his head but unable to direct the ball beyond the goalkeeper. The Dutchman did have the ball in the net moments later as he latched on to Craig Curran’s searching pass only for the offside flag to curtail his celebrations.

Hearts breathed again but when Anastasios Avlonitis cracked a late effort against the bar it was further proof that this wasn’t going to be their night. They are getting accustomed to that now.