McCall vents fury at ref

Four minutes remaining at Tynecastle and Paul Ritchie is penalised for a foul on Stephen Simmons, the Hearts substitute, for a disputed free kick on the edge of the area given by referee Mike Ritchie. McCall lambasted Andrew Hunter, the fourth official, closing his argument by petulantly hurling his chewing gum to the floor. His jaw soon followed when, via a deflection, Paul Hartley scored what proved the winner from the resulting free kick.

“Both benches stared in disbelief because that wasn’t a free kick, Paul clearly played the ball, and we lose a game we didn’t deserve to lose,” moaned McCall afterwards. His argument was supported by John Robertson, the Hearts manager, who described it as a “soft foul at best”. Barry Robson, the Dundee United midfielder, went even further by calling the referee “a nightmare”, but it is his manager who is having one of those. Defeat by Gretna in the Scottish Cup tomorrow could bring an abrupt halt to it.

Stevie Crawford, not remembered fondly at this parish by the Hearts faithful for a previous association with Hibs, was jeered from the outset on his Dundee United debut. That he courted the Tynecastle club on his way back home to Scotland from Plymouth only added to the vitriol. The visiting support may have been tempted to join in the barracking of their new signing after six minutes, as Crawford missed badly when put clear by Grant Brebner’s pass, shooting straight at Craig Gordon. For all Crawford’s qualities as a forward, the ratio of chances like this he fails to take is still too high. It is not just home he misses.

In the 19th minute, a Hartley push on Derek McInnes led to a United free kick in territory where Robson is an enemy to any team. His curled strike from the edge of the area flicked off the Hearts defensive wall to loop then dip beyond Craig Gordon and into the top right-hand corner for 1-0. By the half-hour mark it was not the former Hibs players, but the current Hearts players that the home support were starting to subject to abuse, with a distinctly second-class Phil Stamp a particular target. Ramon Pereira, deployed in a withdrawn left midfield role, produced a cross from that position for lone striker Kevin McKenna to volley wide, but it was another United goal that looked more likely. In the 39th minute, Mark Wilson’s low drive saw Robson manufacture a flicked header that required Gordon to react in a flash with a fine diving stop.

United have not won away in the Premierleague all season. For 44 minutes of the opening half you could not understand how. Then you remembered: United always travel bearing gifts. An innocuous corner from the left by Stamp was waved at by Tony Bullock in the visitors’ goal and with that United said goodbye to their lead as Steven Pressley met the ball to drive in from close range. The turning point? “No, that was when the referee gave a free kick that wasn’t at the end, ” reiterated McCall.

Having been in control, it was no wonder McCall was later to lose his. Suddenly, his counterpart John Robertson was the one dictating proceedings, introducing Lee Miller at half-time who within four minutes had put Hearts ahead on his debut. Hartley’s free kick was headed back across goal at the far post by McKenna to allow Miller, on loan from Bristol City, to divert the ball into an empty net. “It was only my second touch,” beamed Miller. “All the manager told me was to go on and ruffle them up.” Though nothing like as much as the referee was later to.

It was the game’s third goal from a set piece, a fourth followed in the 53rd minute. Robbie Neilson’s high boot was penalised and from the resulting free kick, Wilson played the ball square to Alan Archibald whose strike from distance swerved away from Gordon’s dive for 2-2. United will argue they could have won it had Gordon not saved well from Mark Kerr’s 71st minute drive, instead they were to lose it.

Yet another set piece, that Hartley free kick which wrongfooted Bullock, and yet another United hard luck story.

“Everything seems to be going against us at the moment,” added Robson, “but we’re confident we’ll turn it around.” When though? Too good to go down? Too bad. It has happened before and it could well happen to United.

STAR MAN: Paul Hartley (Hearts) Player ratings: Hearts: Gordon 5, Neilson 7, Pressley 5, Webster 6, McAllister 5; Hamill 6 (Miller h-t, 7), Stamp 5, MacFarlane 5 (Simmons 76mins, 5), Hartley 8, Pereira 5; McKenna 5 (Wyness 62 mins, 6)

Dundee United: Bullock 5, Wilson 7, McCracken 6, Ritchie 7, Archibald 6; Kerr 4, Brebner 6 (Mair 65mins, 6), McInnes 6, Robson 7; Crawford 5 (Scotland 84mins, 6), McIntyre 6

Booked: McInnes 79, Simmons 85

Referee: M Ritchie

Attendance: 10,305

Taken from timesonline.co.uk