WE'LL STILL LEAVE RANGERS FOR BED

ROMAN BEDNAR insisted last night that Hearts are still on course to qualify for the Champions League despite their Edinburgh derby defeat.

The Czech striker is confident the capital side will be second in the SPL by the end of the season and claimed the Tynecastle players won't spend Saturday afternoon worrying about the Rangers result although they will want to know the outcome from their visit to Kilmarnock's Rugby Park.

Bednar netted his first derby goal when he cancelled out Derek Riordan's opener but it counted for little at full-time as Hibs' Abdessalam Benjelloun struck a late winner.

But the player insists Hearts, with a four-point lead over Rangers, are still favourites to qualify for European football's premier competition, especially after the goalless Old Firm clash at Parkhead.

He said: "Everyone is disappointed because we wanted three points. I think we had a bad first half. We needed to play like we did in the second half when I thought we were better but we didn't do it for 90 minutes.

"But Hearts are still four points ahead and I think everyone will be watching the Rangers game to see what happens. We don't want anymore results like the Hibs game.

"I think it's about what Hearts do between now and the end of the season. It is not about Rangers."

Bednar revealed coach Valdas Ivanauskas had done some straight talking during half-time following his side's poor first 45 minutes.

He ordered his players to return to the pitch and start the contest as if it was a new game.

The player admits Hearts had opportunities to win, the best of which was squandered by Ibrahim Tall when he somehow planted a free header from six yards wide.

Speaking on the club website Bednar said: "Valdas said, 'this is a derby and we can't play like this'. We needed to go back out and start like it is a new game and everybody must find more.

"I think we did find more in the second half but we must play better.

"I think if you start the match fast and you take your chances then things can work out but if you start like we did it was hard to take the lead.

"Of course, Hearts had their chances too. Ibrahim Tall had a great header and did everything fantastic and it should have ended up in the net."

Hearts are still smarting over Hibs' opening goal which was the cause of much debate.

Bednar added his voice to the argument on whether or not Steven Fletcher was offside' and therefore impeded Craig Gordon in the run-up to Riordan's goal after 15 minutes.

He said: "I think Craig Gordon waited for Steven Fletcher to touch it and then he changed his move so I think it was offside.

"I don't want to say much about the referee, you have to just forget about it and carry on."

Bednar's derby was cut short when he was forced out of the action with an injury in the second half.

However, the good news for Hearts supporters is that the dead leg he suffered will not rule him out of the crunch game against Celtic on Sunday.

He added: "I contracted my injury about 38 minutes into the first half and it just got worse and worse.

"At half-time I was thinking of coming off. I wanted to play but in the second half it was just too much so I had to come off."

Taken from the Daily Record