Jim Jefferies cool on European slot after Celtic win

Jefferies wants Hearts to continue showing the same commitment

Hearts manager Jim Jefferies played down talk of securing European football after his side beat Celtic at home.

Unanswered goals from Ian Black and David Templeton lifted the Edinburgh side to fourth in the league table.

"The team were excellent tonight so I couldn't ask for any more and we deserved to win," said Jefferies.

"But we're not getting carried away. There'll expectation at St Johnstone on Saturday but this game's got a nasty habit of kicking you in the teeth."

The win for Hearts was only their second at home in the Scottish Premier League all season, and came four days after their Edinburgh derby triumph against Hibernian.

"You don't get too many victories against Celtic but it was thoroughly deserved tonight," Jefferies told BBC Radio Scotland.

"We expected them to come out the traps but we contained them and our system worked.

"The only chance they had was due to some casualness at the back and we got a way with it with a save by Marian Kello.

"But that save from Gary Hooper was the only one he had to make tonight to be honest, and I thought we were maybe worthy of an other goal in the first half."

Winger Templeton got his second goal in as many games and Jefferies heaped praise on the 21-year-old.

"We moved him over to the right-hand side to keep Celtic's left-back Emilio Izaguirre quiet, and he did that, and he also kept Izaguirre busy defensively," said the Hearts manager.

"Sometimes I thought in the second half he got rid of the ball too quickly, because with his quick feet and change of pace there were a couple of times he could have taken people on.

"But he's only a young boy and we'll keep encouraging him to go forward.

"Once he gets in that box he also showed for the second goal he's got composure to finish.

"It was a great win on Sunday and again tonight.

"We've got to keep our feet on the ground and make sure the team are working really hard for each other - which they have done in the last two games.

"As long as they're giving commitment to the cause we'll be well happy."