Source: PA
Brown wants reaction
Assistant manager Billy Brown knows Hearts must seek to continue their impressive run in a crucial period of games at the top of the Clydesdale Bank Premier League to be considered genuine title contenders.
Brown attended the pre-match media conference as manager Jim Jefferies was in Lithuania at a scheduled meeting with Hearts majority shareholder Vladimir Romanov.
Romanov is sure to have been impressed by events in Edinburgh, with Jefferies overseeing a run of eight wins in nine games - before Tuesday night's 1-0 loss to St Johnstone - which led some to suggest third-placed Hearts could challenge Celtic and Rangers for the title. The Scottish Cup defeat means Hearts' sole focus is now on the SPL, which resumes on Saturday with the trip to Dundee United.
Brown said: "It has been a great run. It was going to come to an end sometime and it's now how we react after the other night. It was the first defeat in 10 games and if we don't have another poor result and poor performance for the next 10 games we will be quite happy with that.
"There's a long, long way to go. We're up there because of the results we've had and if we can keep playing the way we have been there's no reason we can't have a really good end to the season.
"We have hard games to come - away to Dundee United, away to Kilmarnock, home to Rangers, home to St Johnstone and away to Rangers. It's a very difficult period, but if after that we're still in the position we are - still third and not many points behind the Old Firm - we'll have a good end to the season."
