Elvis is no diver

STAND-IN Hearts boss John McGlynn today leapt to the defence of captain Steven Pressley, insisting: "He’s no diver."

The skipper was sent off in the dying moments of yesterday’s 2-1 defeat by Celtic at Tynecastle after going down in the box under a challenge from the Parkhead side’s matchwinner Craig Beattie.

Referee Willie Young was unimpressed with the Scotland star’s bid to win a penalty and handed the 31-year-old a second yellow card.

The Hearts players were incensed with the official’s decision, believing they were robbed of the chance of securing what would have been a deserved point. Pressley accepted his dismissal but McGlynn insisted the veteran whistler had called it wrong.

He said: "At the time I wasn’t so sure but having seen it on the television, I thought it was a very clumsy challenge.

"I thought it was a penalty and I also thought it was very harsh to book Elvis for diving. Craig Beattie was a striker back defending in the box and he put his leg across the wrong side of Elvis.

"I have seen penalties given for them before and Elvis is certainly not the type of player to dive."

McGlynn, handed responsibility of first team affairs in tandem with Pressley in the wake of John Robertson’s sacking last week, was rightly proud of the way in which his players responded to one of the most traumatic weeks they will have experienced.

He said: "I thought that we took the game to Celtic right from the start, passed the ball around, played some good football and created some good chances.

"The only thing that was wrong in the first half was the fact we went in a goal down. Celtic basically scored with their first attack after 25 minutes.

"We did well to force our way back into the match with the equaliser but it was disappointing to lose the second goal when we did.

"We had comfortable possession in the middle of the park but then Joe Hamill played a silly pass which was intercepted and the Celtic players thrive on situations like that. Our midfielders were caught out of position and Celtic were running at the heart of our defence."

He added: "This isn’t about me or the coaching staff, it is about the players. I was very proud of them - they gave absolutely everything - and have handled the last week magnificently. So much has happened over the past few months and they have handled everything which has come their way.

"On that note, I thought the fans were fantastic as well. They got right behind the team from the start and that certainly helped us yesterday."

Chairman George Foulkes, meanwhile, has hit out at the person who sent a death threat to chief executive Phil Anderton.

Chris Robinson’s successor received a sinister letter detailing the threat after Robertson’s departure a week ago.

"I condemn such actions," said Foulkes. "There is no justification in this whatsoever and it is totally absurd to target the chief executive in this manner."

HEARTS face Dunfermline tomorrow in their final SPL Reserve League match of the season (2pm) at East End Park.

Taken from the Scotsman