Adam repays Hearts' faith as Dunfermline are caught napping

IT IS facing people again that's always the hardest part after a major embarrassment, and both sides looked as if they would rather be anywhere other than stepping out on this football field yesterday.

They could have brassed it out, but neither could have looked any more sheepish if they had let in the silliest of goals in a bounce game, and there had been photographs to prove it. After emphatic Scottish Cup exits at the hands of Ayr United and Inverness Caledonian Thistle last weekend, the test was to see who would prove the more resilient.

On the surface, the fact that they could empathise with each other's misery should have helped. But instead, there was a sense of desperation – neither side wanted to be beaten by a side that had all too recently been humbled by First Division opposition. At least they could aim to be the best of the cup casualties.

In the match programme, there was a lot of talk about repairing hurt pride, but while the home side offered a bit of bite right from the start, there were still too many of Hearts' key players performing well below par.

Perhaps the fact that Dunfermline have already had to fight back from the ignominy of their freefall down the league placings this season before picking themselves up and dusting themselves off helped them, or maybe it was the incentive of going level with Hearts should they take all three points, and a possible place in the top six for the first time since early season, that inspired them.

The biggest factor in Dunfermline's domination of most of the match, however, was the presence of so many leaders throughout the team. There are men like Ian Ferguson who can bawl and shout and encourage team-mates through the game, and there are others, such as Scott Thomson, who lead by example.

While the merits of the former are well publicised, it is clear why the latter is a firm favourite with Jimmy Calderwood. A versatile player with seemingly boundless energy and enthusiasm, he pops up all over the pitch.

Part of a back three, alongside Youssef Rossi and Andrius Skerla yesterday, Thomson contributed more than tight marking and a vital goal-line clearance. Early forays up the park gave his team-mates options and helped them to overrun what was already a struggling Hearts midfield.

The fact that his goal came from a set-piece rather than open play and that they had had to wait so long to break the deadlock were the only surprises when it arrived, in the 53rd minute. A free-kick at the edge of the box after Andy Webster had fouled debut player Seyni N'Diaye was curled round the wall into the top corner. It was an unstoppable strike, and little more than Thomson deserved.

Up to that point, Hearts looked a shadow of the side that had been finding some decent form prior to last week's cup calamity, when the absence of captain marvel, Steven Pressley, had been pinpointed as a key factor.

Recovered from the illness that floored him last week, he was back marshalling and cajoling the men in front of him, and must have wondered what he had returned to.

Left to chase shadows, they could not control the game and were left feeding off Dunfermline's mistakes, set-pieces or long-balls hoofed up in the hope that Ricardo Fuller could provide a little of his magic or that the pace and harrying of Gary Wales would prompt a slip-up.

On the few occasions they did get an opportunity, they were restricted to long-range efforts and set-piece headers. Alan Maybury weighed in with a couple of those, as did Scott Severin, Stephen Simmons and Pressley, but the best chance came in the 40th minute when Fuller looked certain to score, but his effort was blocked on the line by the back-tracking Thomson.

But the chance offered Hearts a glimpse of hope, and they were a better proposition after the break.

"After the goal we relaxed a bit," said manager Craig Levein. "When we went behind we seemed to have a bit more edge to our play, and credit to the players because they kept going."

They did, but they left it late to take a share of the points, denying Dunfermline victory with yet another late goal.

It was the awareness of a poacher of the quality of substitute Stephane Adam who prevented defeat. A corner three minutes into time added on was swung in by another substitute, Steven Boyack, and, after an Andy Webster knockdown, the Frenchman pounced to knock it into the net.

It was a devastating blow for the home side, who contributed to their own downfall by failing to retain their momentum after the opening goal.

"That wasn't needed. It's the third time this season [we've lost the game late on] and twice against Hearts," said Jimmy Calderwood. "Once we were ahead we were on the back foot. There was no danger before that. It's a sore one.

Taken from the Scotsman