A dazed and confused Kevin was sure Hearts had lost at Parkhead

PAUL KIDDIE

KEVIN McKENNA today revealed how he woke up in the Hearts dressing-room at Parkhead, blissfully unaware of the drama which was unfolding out on the park.

The Canadian missed the incredible finish to Saturday’s SPL clash after being poleaxed by the towering Bobo Balde in the second half of the pulsating 2-2 draw in Glasgow.

The Jambos appeared well on course for a famous triumph after goals from McKenna and his replacement Mark de Vries had them 2-0 up with just two minutes remaining on the clock.

But just as the few hundred Hearts fans in the sell-out crowd were dreaming of a win at a stadium where they hadn’t tasted victory since the 3-2 triumph in February 2000, Chris Sutton and Didier Agathe smashed home late strikes to somehow keep the Celts’ 76-game unbeaten home record intact.

Even then Alan Maybury came close to a winner with a shot which sizzled wide of the target in the closing seconds.

But a dazed and confused McKenna missed the last 16 minutes of the game after being unable to continue following his brush with Balde, the makeshift striker having to be helped up the tunnel with his senses scrambled to the extent he didn’t even know what way he was supposed to be shooting or who he was supposed to be marking at corners.

"The last thing I remember is looking up at the stadium clock and seeing that there was about 20 minutes left to play," he said. "Having seen the game for the first time on our video analysis yesterday, I now remember the ball being played in to me by Neil Janczyk but that’s it.

"I can’t recall anything about the challenge or going over to try to talk to the gaffer on the sidelines after I had received treatment.

"The next thing I know is that I woke up lying on the bed in the dressing-room asking the doctor what I was doing there. I knew I was at Parkhead but it is surprising that I was able to walk up the tunnel and not remember anything about it. It’s quite scary to be honest."

The versatile Gorgie star, who is still suffering from the effects of the challenge, will not feature in tomorrow’s rearranged clash against Motherwell at Fir Park. But he has cleared Balde of any blame, admitting that such injuries can happen at any time in football.

He said: "Bobo Balde is a big, aggressive player but not the type who deliberately goes out to try to injure someone. He was committed and tried to win the ball. Simple as that."

Having come so close to a memorable victory, the share of the spoils felt more like a defeat for Hearts - and McKenna admitted he thought his side had indeed lost the match. "I had heard the home side cheer twice from the dressing-room and thought we were 2-1 down," he said.

"I missed everything that went on at the end so from my point of view I suppose it was good that we got a draw but the way in which we lost the lead was very disappointing.

"We now must make sure we lift ourselves for Motherwell as Dunfermline closed the gap on us with their win over Kilmarnock on Saturday."

He added: "I thought the whole team played well against Celtic. We put them under pressure in attack and it was just a great disappointment the way things worked out at the end.

"I can remember clearly my goal in the first half which gave us the lead and the save from David Marshall before the interval when he produced a good stop from me at his near post. It’s just a pity we didn’t go on and win the match as that would have been something special for everyone at Hearts."

Taken from the Scotsman