Jason Thomson hopes Hearts will get back on track to finish third in the SPL today away to Inverness. Hearts were 15 points clear as the best of the rest behind Celtic and Rangers, but Dundee United have been working hard while in hot pursuit and are now just eight points behind with six games left. While Hearts have just one win from their last six games, manager Jim Jefferies was quick to point out they have lost only two of those games.
Hearts played some scintillating football earlier in the season which led some to suggest they could challenge the Old Firm. Thomson would happily settle for a less-attractive performance and three points as Hearts bid to secure third position. He said: "It's in our own hands, third place. It's ours to chuck away. Hopefully we'll do it. We want a performance as well, but if we can win 1-0 in a scrappy game we'd take that just to get the points and secure third place.''
Thomson made his first appearance since October in the April Edinburgh derby when he came off the bench in a defensive reshuffle following the sending-off of captain Marius Zaliukas. The captain is available again, but Jefferies is yet to decide whether he will return to the starting line-up as he is suspended again for next week's game with Motherwell. Thomson played right-back in last week's 0-0 draw with the Steelmen, and acquitted himself well. With Eggert Jonsson (facial injury) and Darren Barr (hernia) and Lee Wallace (ankle) all troubled by injury of late, Thomson hopes to stake his claim for a regular place. He went on: "When you're going in and just playing the odd game it's hard. When you get in the team you just need to try and do your best.''