LINESMAN INCURS HEARTS WRATH

Hearts midfielder Paul Hartley lambasted linesman Tom Murphy for his display during the Jambos' 1-1 Bank of Scotland Premier League draw with Celtic at Parkhead.

Murphy flagged for a free-kick against Rudi Skacel on Hoops midfielder Shunsuke Nakamura which led to Craig Beattie's opener for Celtic after just 12 minutes.

And then when the Czech Republic international equalised three minutes later, he was booked for his over zealous celebrations by referee Dougie McDonald at the behest of Murphy who was at least 50 yards away.

Skacel had already picked up yellow cards for scoring against Kilmarnock, Inverness and Hibernian earlier in the season and a frustrated Hartley said: "In the first half the linesman was flagging a few times and giving some bad decisions.

"We got punished by losing a goal from the free-kick. We had a pretty quick response with Skacel getting a goal but some of the decisions were a bit unfair.

"The thing with Rudi is that he's been booked three times this season for celebrating a goal.

"He never even went off the park. Hopefully he doesn't end up getting suspended but it's a bad day when you can't score a goal and celebrate - so maybe he shouldn't celebrate from now on.

"Maybe I over-reacted once or twice with the linesman but he likes raising his flag - maybe he's not raised it for few weeks."

Hearts manager George Burley was equally scathing of Murphy's part in Skacel's yellow card.

He said: "It was a ridiculous decision, the referee was a yard away and there were no problems - I think he had one stud over the line.

"How the linesman could stand at the halfway line and tell the referee to book him is amazing.

"I was worried after that for Rudi. If the referee books him fine but not if the linesman tells him to do it from the halfway line."

Celtic manager Gordon Strachan refused to make too much of some slack play in his defence which allowed Hearts to quickly get back on level terms.

Defender Paul Telfer and goalkeeper Artur Boruc seemed to hesitate at the edge of the Hoops penalty area allowing Skacel in to score at the second attempt to keep the Jambos three points clear at the top of the table.

But Strachan said: "It needed a bit of genius or a mistake for a goal and the one we lost was from a mistake.

"It didn't seem right to me but we're not having an inquest.

"It doesn't matter whose fault it was, there was a mistake between the two of them.

"If there is an honest mistake, which it was, then there's not a problem and there's nothing I can do about that.

"I can rectify things in terms of coaching and moving people about but if there's a mistake, there's a mistake and we just get on and play."

Burley confirmed that former Germany international Fredi Bobic, who was freed by Hertha Berlin last season, is coming to Edinburgh for a week's trial.

He said: "He's a lad we know is out of contract. He used to be at Bolton, we're very short in the striker department and we're having a look at him this week."

Taken from sportinglife.com