Hostile Hearts appeals to Hughes

20th November 2008

Falkirk manager John Hughes hopes his players are inspired by the hostile atmosphere they will encounter at Tynecastle on Saturday.

The Bairns make the short trip to Edinburgh looking to end Hearts' run of three successive 1-0 victories which has catapulted them up to third in the Clydesdale Bank Premier League.

Having played for Hearts' arch rivals Hibernian and making no secret of his allegiance to Easter Road club, Hughes thrives on the attention he receives from standing in the opposition dugout. And he insists members of his side, particularly the younger contingent, should not need any motivation to play in one of Scotland's most atmospheric venues.

He said: "I am looking forward to going to Tynecastle, it's a great atmosphere and the SPL is better for having a strong Hearts in it.

"You have to be at your best to go there and get anything from that match because they are a good side. It's a place that inspires me so hopefully it's the same for the players and we can go there and get something from the match.

"It's a totally different game at Tynecastle, you need to have a real strong mindset, you need a strong referee, it's a hard place to go and the fans are on top of you. You learn a lot from the young guys going there, it's a process for them."