Livingston manager Paul Lambert claims his side were denied a point after a controversial Gabor Vincze effort was disallowed in their 2-1 Bank of Scotland Premier League defeat by Hearts at Tynecastle.

A first-half double by Rudi Skacel had given the home side a 2-0 interval lead but Allan Walker's 63rd-minute strike had set up a tense finale.

With minutes remaining and Livingston pushing for an equaliser the Hungarian midfielder launched a long throw which bounced inside a packed penalty area before looping over goalkeeper Craig Gordon and into the net.

Referee Alan Freeland blew for a goal-kick but the Livi players claimed the ball had taken a touch on its way in and indeed Gordon had appeared to make a genuine effort to keep it out of the net.

Lambert said: "I haven't seen the replay on the television but if I'm wrong I will say I'm wrong. But for someone to throw a ball 40 or 50 yards and for it to go over an international goalkeeper who's 19ft 5in, I don't know how the referee can say there was no touch!

"You would have to have vision like Superman to see that there wasn't a touch.

"My players have said there was a touch but as I said if I'm wrong I'll say I'm wrong."

Livingston striker James McPake is adamant the goal should have stood.

He said: "I thought it was a goal. The ball came in fast and I thought it had nicked someone. I'm not sure who it was, maybe it was Robbie Neilson but I would need to see it again."

Hearts head coach Graham Rix watched his side leapfrog Celtic to go top of the table in his first home game in charge of the Edinburgh side.

However the former Portsmouth and Oxford boss claimed the experience had not been exactly pleasant.

He said: "I can't say I enjoyed it. It was always tense out there but I was pleased by what I saw.

"Obviously it was vital to get a victory and to some extent it didn't matter how we got it.

"It was a bit nervy at times when the score was 2-1 but having said that we created so many chances. If we had knocked five of six goals in it would have been the correct score.

"It was difficult for me to see what happened at their disallowed goal but obviously it was a nervy moment.

"When you are winning 2-1, every time the ball goes into your penalty area of course there are nerves but I don't think anyone can say we didn't deserve to win."

Hearts defender Andy Webster compared Skacel to Celtic legend Henrik Larsson after the Jambos player had knocked in his 12th and 13th goals of the season.

He said: "Rudi has done exceptionally well and to play in midfield and score as many goals as he has is phenomenal.

"That's 13 goals in 15 or 16 games and if Henrik Larsson had done that everyone would have been raving about him.

"Rudi's goal-scoring ratio is up there with Larsson's and I hope it continues."

Taken from sportinglife.com