Hearts make a point, but boss Levein rues chance missed after fightback

AVOIDING defeat away from home on derby day can often be regarded as mission accomplished by a manager.

But Hearts boss Craig Levein was left feeling aggrieved that his players had not departed Easter Road with more than a point to show for their efforts after the latest Capital showdown.

With the likes of the influential Phil Stamp and Scott Severin both missing from midfield through injury - the former Middlesbrough star was ruled out by a knee problem while his team-mate is currently recovering from surgery to cure a mystery groin injury - the Gorgie chief admitted he would have been happy with a point before a ball had been kicked yesterday.

However, despite being up against it after conceding the game’s opening goal in the first half, the Jambos finished the match the more likely side and will feel frustrated they couldn’t go on and apply the killer touch after skipper Steven Pressley had hauled his team level from the spot moments after the break.

The last time the teams clashed in Leith, six months ago, it was the hosts who emerged victorious as Garry O’Connor’s late strike gave the ten-man Hibees the spoils, Hearts having only themselves to blame for not making better use of their extra man following Grant Brebner’s first-half dismissal.

Yesterday, they conceded the opening goal but then staged the kind of spirited fightback which should have brought maximum reward for their efforts.

"I thought we were the better side," Levein said. "Managers say that but I thought we were the better team.

"Before the game I would have settled for a point but the way the game unfolded with chances and such like, I think we could have won it.

"I think that would have been a true reflection on the possession and number of opportunities. I thought we played well in the first 25 minutes but then were rattled when Hibs scored.

"We were very composed early on but just couldn’t provide the final ball. Paul Hartley made some excellent runs and we looked threatening but we just couldn’t make that final pass tell. We lost our way a bit after they scored and I was glad to get the boys in at half-time to settle things down a bit."

With Hartley again revelling in a central midfield role, the visitors dominated the opening exchanges only to find themselves trailing to a quite stunning strike from Derek Riordan, the forward putting Hibs ahead with an unstoppable shot from fully 30 yards with 25 minutes on the clock.

In truth, Bobby Williamson’s outfit should have been ahead by then, Riordan having missed a glorious chance just minutes earlier when a pass from Roland Edge found him in acres of space just 12 yards out, the young gun mis-hitting his shot to allow Craig Gordon to save when he should have been picking the ball out of the back of the net.

The visitors may have needed the interval to regroup but they should have been playing the second half with a man advantage.

Only referee Mike McCurry knows why he didn’t send off Scott Brown for a reckless challenge on Pressley two minutes from the break. Having already been booked, it seemed a certainty that a second yellow card would follow for the Hibs star but McCurry didn’t even speak to the player, who moments later was involved in an incident with Alan Maybury with the Irishman alleged to have swung a punch as the pair tangled in front of the main stand.

Levein refused to be drawn on an incident he didn’t see but if video evidence shows the defender is guilty of violent conduct then he will be in trouble with the SFA.

After using the break to help settle his players down, Levein would no doubt have demanded a positive response in the second period and less than a minute after the restart, Hearts were back in the match.

Mark de Vries was sent tumbling by Colin Murdock in the area and up stepped Pressley to send Daniel Andersson the wrong way from the resultant penalty kick, the Jambos skipper scoring from the spot for the second game running after his winner against Aberdeen in midweek.

The second half belonged to the visitors and with a bit more composure in front of goal, the points would have been heading back across the city to Gorgie.

Hartley’s driving runs had caused numerous problems for Hibs in the first half and he again found himself in a great position after the break to latch onto to Robbie Neilson’s pass, a poor first touch, though, carrying the ball too far in front of him and the chance was gone.

The same criticism could be levelled at De Vries in the 64th minute, the Dutchman failing to make the most of an excellent opportunity after being set up by Maybury.

The former Leeds United star then saw a long-range shot whistle past Andersson’s right-hand post before Hartley came even closer from a free-kick with 20 minutes remaining.

His 25-yard effort appeared net-bound only for the ball to coming crashing back off the inside of Andersson’s left-hand post before being scrambled to safety.

As Hearts continued to press, there were shouts for another penalty as Graham Weir went down under a challenge from Gary Caldwell before Patrick Kisnorbo saw a shot fly narrowly past.

Try as they might, though, they couldn’t find a second goal and skipper Pressley was left to rue what might have been with Hearts now just three points ahead of Dunfermline in the race for Europe, albeit with a game in hand.

"I honestly thought we deserved to win the game over the 90 minutes," he said. "I thought Hibs scored very much against the run of play and didn’t carve out too many chances.

"We were disappointed to come in at 1-0 down but showed great spirit and courage in the second half.

"I told the boys at half-time that this was a game we definitely were not going to lose and it’s just a pity we didn’t go on and take all three points."

The Scotland star, who was lucky to escape injury in the tackle from Brown just before the break, refused to criticise McCurry for his failure to produce a red card.

"Derby games are always difficult matches to referee but I thought Mike McCurry handled it superbly," he said.

"He is a referee I rate highly and I respect his decisions."

Taken from the Scotsman