CRAIG GOAL IS TO END THE OFFSIDE CONFUSION

Steven Craig wants an end to the ambiguity which deprived Aberdeen of a point at Tynecastle on Saturday.

Craig thought his 85th-minute effort had cancelled out an earlier Dennis Wyness penalty, but the goal was chalked off when referee Mike McCurry accepted his assistant's ruling that John Stewart was offside.

There is no dispute Stewart was behind the Hearts defence when the ball broke to Craig but the Dons angrily protested he was not interfering with play and the fact the ball came back off the post to Craig, rather than being played forward into the box, ensured the former Motherwell man's effort should have counted regardless of Stewart's position.

Under SFA rules, McCurry and his team of officials are not permitted to publicly defend their decision. That left the Dons supporters frustrated, angry and confused.

Craig said: "Sickened would be the word I would use. The rule has been debated many times, a player is offside only if he is interfering with play. The linesman has decided John Stewart was offside but how could he be interfering with play when Craig Gordon has touched the ball on to the post, it has come back to me and it isn't anywhere near Stewart?

"The rule needs to be clarified. It became second phase as soon as Gordon touched it and that means he isn't offside. When the ball comes into the box it is first phase, so if the referee blows then it is fair enough. He didn't though, he blew when the ball was

in the back of the net."

Craig, a second-half replacement for Noel Whelan, was desperate to prove he can be the answer to Aberdeen's attacking problems, with only relegation-threatened Livingston and Dunfermline scoring fewer goals this season.

He insists, however, Saturday's result proves a lack of firepower is not the sole reason for the disappointing run of form that has seen the side drop to fifth place.

Craig said: "People say we need a goalscorer but sometimes things go against you, as the Hearts game proved. We didn't start playing until we went a goal down. It was the same last week against Rangers and we can't afford to do that against the quality of teams we are playing."

Defeat was made all the more controversial for Aberdeen due to manner the decisive penalty was conceded.

Whelan was judged to have fouled Hearts captain Steven Pressley on the right side of the box. It appeared a soft award and the Dons forward is adamant Pressley should have stayed on his feet - or referee McCurry should have waved away the

claims. Whelan branded Pressley a cheat in a post-match tirade, claiming: "He's a cheat and a coward. His behaviour for a professional was disgusting."

Dons manager Jimmy Calderwood said yesterday: "I have to admit I thought it might have been a spot kick at the game. But now that I have seen it again on tape I can see that Pressley has taken a dive.

"There was contact, but never enough for the Hearts player to go down like that. It was never a penalty. It was a very harsh way to lose the game, it really does annoy you."

The SFA will investigate Whelan's comments, with spokesman Andy Mitchell confirming it will be writing to the Reds centre forward for his comments.

While Aberdeen will stand by their man, it could lead to Whelan facing the SFA's disciplinary committee with a suspension a possible punishment.

Tynecastle captain Pressley defended his actions and said: "I know he wasn't happy with the decision but it was a penalty and I thought we thoroughly deserved to win."

Pressley was replaced by Paul Hartley as the regular penalty taker for Hearts this season. With Hartley missing on Saturday, the defender said he had no intention of resuming spot kick duties and was happy to allow former Pittodrie player Wyness to inflict the

damage.

He added: "I missed a few, so Paul Hartley had been taking them. Dennis was the one who had the confidence to step up and score against Aberdeen and, obviously, I'm delighted."

Taken from The Press and Journal