Gough blames referee for Hearts’ return to health

Some of Hearts’ recent troubles have been notoriously self-inflicted, such as the ill-judged appeal to the SFA over Rangers’ infamous penalty winner, but fate also dealt them a blow with the flu epidemic which ravaged their side. On a day more suited to Wimbledon’s strawberries and cream, though, the dish of the day was three points, served up after a few anxious moments.

Livingston’s recent revival has lifted them off the bottom and past Dundee United, so they were hoping to cash in on their relegation rivals’ defeat to Celtic earlier in the day. But it ended in bitter recriminations over a series of decisions which the Almondvale side thought went against them, and Archie Knox, their assistant manager, was hustled away as he attempted to confront referee Kenny Clark at the end of the game. “You can’t legislate for things such as silly free kick decisions against us. I don’t think we got beaten by Hearts,” said Richard Gough, the Livingston manager. “We dominated for long spells and it’s disappointing not to get anything, but if we carry on like that we’ll get more good results than bad ones.” Gough, though, diplomatically brushed aside suggestions that referees are favouring Hearts after their raw deal against Rangers.

Hearts carved out the few real early chances with a series of free kicks from Jamie McAllister. Like a dentist’s drill they probed away, and they struck a nerve on 22 minutes. It came, not surprisingly, from yet another free kick awarded after a push by Eric Deloumeaux on Miller, with Gough clearly unhappy. Hearts changed the free-kick taker, and Lee Miller swept a low shot into the net, with Roddy McKenzie scrambling in vain.

Six minutes later the Livingston goalkeeper stopped a second, when he managed to get his knees to a deflected shot from Burchill. Yet in the last minute of the first half there was a dramatic change in the game’s balance as Livingston suddenly struck to grab an equaliser.

It was doubtful which side was the more stunned, for it was the first direct shot aimed at Craig Gordon in the Hearts goal. Burton O’Brien cut open the defence with a splendid pass into the path of Jason Dair, who swept in from the right to rifle the ball past the home goalkeeper.

It was obvious Gough hadn’t been too impressed with his strikers. He hauled Ferenc Horvath and Robert Snodgrass off at half-time and replaced them with Colin McMenamin and James McPake. It almost paid off, too, as on 66 minutes McMenamin sent an effort across the face of the goal which was screaming to be converted. Somehow, Craig Easton failed to connect. “I’ve no excuses,” he said.

“I tried to get a good connection, but I got the worst possible.”

It proved a costly blunder, as Hearts shook themselves out of their second-half stupor with two goals in three minutes. They went ahead on 67 minutes when Mark Burchill gave us a glimpse of the form that once made him the most talented teenager in Scotland, as he volleyed home after being set up by Marius Kizys. Then came the killer goal. Another Miller free kick was pushed out by McKenzie, and in the mêlée that followed, Robbie Neilson hammered the ball into the net.

As Livingston grew increasingly fraught with the refereeing, there was a bizarre booking when, after an intervention by Cammy Melville, the fourth official, Oscar Rubio was hauled from his place on the substitutes’ bench and shown a yellow card. Gough sarcastically applauded Clark’s action. It had not been his day.

STAR MAN: Lee Miller (Hearts)

Player ratings: Hearts: Gordon 6, Neilson 7, Webster 6, Pressley 6, Wallace 6, Cesnaukis 6, Simmons 5 (Kizys 60min, 4), MacFarlane 6 (Stewart 83min, 6), McAllister 6, Burchill 6 (Weir 88min, 6), Miller 8

Livingston: McKenzie 7, McNamee 6, Deloumeaux 6, Strong 6, Stanic 6, Easton 6, Vincze 5, O’Brien 7, Dair 6 (Lilley 84min, 6), Horvath 4, (McMenamin 45min, 6), Snodgrass 4 (McPake 45min, 4

Scorers: Hearts: Miller 21, Burchill 66, Neilson 68

Livingston: Dair 45

Booked: Vincze 67, Rubio 71, McMenamin 80, MacFarlane 80, Burchill 85

Referee: K Clark

Attendance: 9,187

Taken from timesonline.co.uk