Confusion Don and dusted as Kirk gets the credit

Edinburgh Evening News Sat 28 Feb 2004

HEARTS BY PAUL KIDDIE

HEARTS striker Andy Kirk is celebrating after being officially credited by the SPL with the winning goal against Aberdeen at Pittodrie earlier this season.

While it appeared clear at the time that the Northern Ireland front man had applied the final touch before the ball crossed the line from Kevin McKenna’s 12-minute header, confusion quickly followed after it was initially announced during the game as an own goal before match referee Craig Thomson gave the strike to the Canadian on his team lines submitted to the league.

The Gorgie outfit wrote to the SPL asking them for clarification on the matter, in the process highlighting the fact that as far as the club records were concerned, Hearts were acknowledging Kirk as the goalscorer.

League chiefs have since responded, indicating that the referee, having studied a video of the incident on Sunday, November 9, has conceded that Kirk, and not McKenna, should have been awarded the goal and their own records will be amended accordingly.

"The club credited me with the goal after we watched our normal video analysis after the game at Pittodrie," said Kirk.

"It is good to hear that the league has now changed their records to show that I scored the goal and fair play to the referee for admitting his mistake. I am a striker and like everyone else who gets a goal, it’s good to get the proper recognition."

Kirk has been in and out of the first team at Tynecastle this season but won a recall to the starting XI for Tuesday’s rearranged league clash against Livingston, the forward marking his return with a goal in the 3-2 win - the Jambos’ first SPL victory at Almondvale.

It was Kirk’s first start since the Tennent’s Scottish Cup win over Berwick Rangers in the Capital and the goal, which put his side 2-1 ahead early in the second half, takes his tally for the season to ten.

The 24-year-old was preferred to Dennis Wyness in West Lothian and was due to keep his place in attack for today’s clash against Dunfermline at East End Park, the Gorgie outfit going into the Euro showdown nine points clear of the Fifers in the race for UEFA Cup qualification.

And Levein has admitted that as long as Kirk continues to produce the goods, then he will find it difficult to leave him out of things.

"Andy did well when he got his chance at Livingston and he did what he does best with the way he took his goal," he said.

"He has had a couple of injuries this season which have kept him out of the team but if he keeps scoring goals then he will stay in the side.

"The problem I have with Andy is that if he is not finding the back of the net, he doesn’t do the other things too well. He has to learn to hold the ball up and bring others into play, which is something Dennis Wyness does very well in addition to working his backside off for the team."

Kirk, meanwhile, is hoping to see his stay at Tynecastle extended beyond the summer, when his current agreement expires.

Levein has put talks with his out-of-contract players on hold until the Murrayfield issue is resolved, although Kirk is hoping to keep on the goal trail to state his case for a new deal when it comes to sitting down to discuss his future.

"I would love to stay here at Hearts," he said. "It is a big club and everyone here has been really good to me. But I have to get myself back in the team on a regular basis and then hopefully we can something sorted out.

"We have a big squad and if others come in and do well the you just have to be patient and wait for you opportunity and try to take it when to comes along."

Taken from the Scotsman