Ross County 1-2 Hearts: Craig Levein relieved to emerge with away win

Craig Levein wants to base his team's play around the styles of strikers Kyle Lafferty (above) and Isma Goncalves

Craig Levein was relieved to see his Hearts team hang on to defeat Ross County despite playing the last 25 minutes in Dingwall with only 10 men.

Isma Goncalves' opener for Hearts was cancelled out two minutes later as Davis Keillor-Dunn fed off a defensive mix-up to level for Owen Coyle's team.

Jamie Walker smashed the visitors ahead before Connor Randall was sent off.

"I had a nice cushy job doing the director of football role - what am I playing at?" joked Levein afterwards.

"Like everything else recently for us, it's been hard.

"I was really pleased in lots of spells during the match when we passed the ball and looked quite assured, then we would take a little knock, our confidence would go, and we couldn't quite continue that.

"I asked them at half-time, if you want to win the game you'll need to play that way. I was delighted that not only did we start passing the ball well again, but at the same time we had to contend with being down to 10 men."

Asked about his team's threat in front of goal through Goncalves and Northern Ireland striker Kyle Lafferty, Levein replied: "It's about finding what each of them is good at, letting them do that and then trying to work everything else out round about it, to let them flourish.

Coyle (left) was hoping to register a win over Hearts in his first home match in charge of Ross County

"They were good today, they've been good every week, it's probably been me taking a bit longer than I should to find out where they should all be."

Levein feels his defence limited County to few opportunities in the second half, even when Randall picked up his second booking.

"I thought the shape was very good - that stuff is food and drink to Christophe Berra - but what I was really pleased with today was John Souttar.

"People say aerially it is not his strength. Well, it's getting to be, he won a lot of headers today and defended manfully. I was delighted to see that. I'm thrilled."

Coyle was upset that his Staggies team were not awarded at least a couple of penalty kicks.

"We've not won at home this season in the league and that is probably part of the reason I am here to begin with," he said after his home debut as County boss.

"I think we performed well today. We deserved to be taking points from the game.

"The referees have a difficult task but we had four or five great claims for penalties, two of them stonewall penalties.

"I don't envy the referees and Willie Collum is one of the best in the country. But with those big moments, they are goal-changing decisions, you have to get them right.

"The one in the first half, Berra is not even looking at the ball and he has dragged Andrew Davies to the ground.

"Hearts are a good side. We are not hiding behind those penalty decisions. We self-destructed in terms of the two goals we gifted.

"We know there is a lot of positives to take."