Interim coach Liam Fox is optimistic that Heart of Midlothian's dramatic stoppage-time equaliser against Ross County can ignite a turnaround for the struggling team.
As they prepare to launch their Europa Conference League campaign against Dinamo Minsk in Azerbaijan this Thursday, the Jambos are eager for a fresh start.
Sitting at the bottom of the Scottish Premiership, Hearts faced the prospect of a ninth straight defeat and further supporter backlash on Saturday afternoon, trailing 1-0 after Ronan Hale's exceptional strike in the 36th minute.
However, in a thrilling finish, Lawrence Shankland scored with a header in added time, marking his first goal of the season and securing a deserved 1-1 draw.
Fox believes that this late point can serve as a pivotal moment in the team's development following the recent departure of manager Steven Naismith.
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“When you’re on the run of results we’ve been on, it’s always a bit harder, you can’t just flick a switch,” Fox said.
“When the confidence is low, you maybe take an extra touch or an extra second on the ball.
“I’m hoping we’ve taken a step towards building that confidence back by taking something from the game.
“You can’t just give someone confidence, it’s not like you can take a shot of confidence and everything’s better. It’s a process that you need to go through.
“The pleasing aspect is that we took something from the game and hopefully we can build on that. This was a step, we now look forward to Thursday and we’ll try to tidy things up on the training pitch.”
Hale netted his sixth goal of the season after transferring to County from Cliftonville in Northern Ireland during the summer, easing the blow of Simon Murray leaving for Dundee.
He delivered a spectacular strike from the edge of the penalty area.
Manager Don Cowie is confident that Hale will only get better as he adjusts to the demands of full-time football.
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"Ronan has been excellent since he came in to the club," the Staggies gaffer stated.
“He’s not exceeded our expectations, the only thing was that he was coming from part-time football, so how long would that transition take for him to get up to speed?
“We knew we were getting a quality player. We lost a really influential player in Simon Murray so it was about being patient and getting the right person to replace him and I think with Ronan you’re seeing how good he can be.
“He’s getting fitter. Being in a full-time environment will make you fitter and stronger and I think you’re seeing that with each game that goes by.”
