RIX DEFENDS POSPISIL OMISSION

Hearts first team coach Graham Rix dropped striker Michal Pospisil for the draw at Motherwell but claimed later he was short of attackers.

The Czech Republic forward had been substituted in the 1-1 draw at Aberdeen last weekend and was omitted from the squad for the trip to Lanarkshire.

The Jambos began the game with teenager Calum Elliot playing a lone attacking role but fell behind to a 40th-minute Brian McLean goal.

Rix brought on utility player Stephen Simmons at the interval to help Elliot, then introduced fit-again Roman Bednar in the second half for his first appearance since injuring his knee against Rangers in September.

A late Paul Hartley penalty, after McLean had fouled Andy Webster in the Motherwell penalty area, eventually gave the battling visitors a share of the spoils.

But the former Chelsea coach insists there was nothing sinister in his decision to leave Pospisil out of the squad.

Rix said: "We weren't happy in the first half, but we had to play the way we did because of the personnel available.

"If it had been a cup final, Edgaras Jankauskas could have played, but there was a possibility of him pulling his hamstring and being out for seven or eight weeks which I couldn't risk.

"Roman wanted to play from the start, but he's been out for two months and trained for only four days so I had to be fair to him.

"We were left with one recognised striker, young Calum, who put in a great shift for me again, but we obviously realised at half-time he did need support and we were much better in the second half.

"But Pospisil wasn't injured, he was just left out.

"It was a decision I made, it's my job and it was purely a football decision, nothing else. Absolutely not.

"Hopefully, Roman and Edgaras will be back in contention next week and, if they are, then we will have a potent attacking force."

Hearts lost the chance to leapfrog Celtic at the top of the table after the Hoops lost at home to Dunfermline.

But Rix believes the point win at Motherwell was still a good result.

He added: "With all due respect to Dunfermline, I was surprised by that result.

"People were saying last week that Celtic were pulling away from us, but, this week, we have gained a point on them.

"This could be a really big point for us at the end of the season.

"You always want to win every game, but we have had two tough away games in a row."

Hartley also tried to put a positive spin on the draw, saying: "We'd rather get a point than nothing.

"It was a very surprising result from Parkhead and it means we have caught up a little with Celtic.

"It is disappointing that we didn't leapfrog them, but we knew it was going to be a tough game at Motherwell.

"I don't think anybody expected Celtic to get beat but, if we hadn't taken anything at all from Motherwell, then it would have been even more disappointing."

But Motherwell manager Terry Butcher was furious with his side's second-half performance.

However, his mood lightened as he considered giving up half-time team talks.

Butcher said: "It was another two points that were thrown away and another goal against us in the last few minutes of the game, so I am bitterly disappointed.

"I'm pleased with the first-half performance but I'm just disappointed we didn't get all three points.

"It was a tale of two halves, but we just couldn't get the second goal, so it must've been a brilliant half-time team talk.

"I'm not going to go into the changing room at half-time from now on, I will just stay out."

Taken from sportinglife.com