SENT-OFF GORD IN DARK

CELTIC boss Gordon Strachan has hit out at Stuart Dougal for keeping him the dark over his Tynecastle dismissal.

Strachan was sent to the stand with Jambos No.2 John McGlynn following a first-half bust-up as Hearts won 2-1.

The Hoops gaffer and assistant Garry Pendrey had a furious exchange with McGlynn after ref Dougal halted play to allow treatment to injured Hearts midfielder Julien Brellier.

Dougal had earlier allowed Hearts to play on as Ibrahim Tall writhed in agony - later diagnosed as knee ligament damage.

Strachan was upset at the inconsistency as fourth official Calum Murray stepped in between the warring benches.

Strachan, who looked less irate than Pendrey, faces a two-match ban but he last night refused to rule out an appeal.

He was unhappy with Dougal's role in the incident. The experienced whistler was called up at the 11th hour for Kenny Clark, who missed the game with a back injury.

Strachan said: "The decision was a bit strange considering I stood in the technical area and there were people between me and everyone else.

"It was a nothing incident. I think they must have spotted my red hair.

"The referee told me at half-time he would explain why I had been sent to the stand but at the end of the game he told me he wasn't going to speak to me after all.

"I asked him for the reason in a composed and respectful manner and the people from Setanta were there with their cameras to hear him say he'd speak to me and then no, he wouldn't.

"I was upset with the way it was handled because when Tall was injured - and his twisted knee looked a bad one - the ref played on and Hearts played on until they got to the point they had an attack at goal and we had to give them the ball back.

"The same thing happened again only this time we were on the ball and the ref stopped the game, although at the time I thought our players had stopped play themselves.

"I then asked the Hearts bench if they wanted to play on when these incidents happened or stop the game and their boy took the hump.

"There was a bit of confusion caused by that fracas and I don't know yet if I'll make an appeal .

"I'll need to see what comes out of the report first and the fourth official and the ref will have to get together and decide exactly what happened.

"I've been sent off once before, at Southampton, but then they realised I knew the rules better than the fourth official and said:'Okay, just forget it'."

Hearts boss Valdas Ivanauskas, sent to the stand in his first game in charge at Parkhead last season, admitted there was no way he was getting involved this time.

But he defended McGlynn and played down the flashpoint, which he reckons has become typical of the fixture.

Ivanauskas said: "I knew I had to be careful this time so didn't get involved because last season I was suspended.

"But games against Celtic are very special and also very nervous and incidents such as this are normal in football."

Rangers boss Paul Le Guen looked on from the stand as his side's greatest rivals dropped their first points of the season.

However, Strachan refused to be too deflated by the result as he denied dropping Neil Lennon, who appeared from the subs' bench and gifted Roman Bednar his second strike and Hearts' winning goal with a rare howler.

Strachan added: "It was a blip from Neil, I've not even given it a thought.

"Also, I did not drop Neil because he did not play last week. How can you drop someone who didn't play the week before?

"It was a huge decision but it's my job to make them. It's very hard but you have to deal with it and get on with it. No one needs tell me how hard it is."

Celtic equalised Bednar's opener early in the second half with a stunning counter-attack finished off brilliantly by wantaway midfielder Stilian Petrov. But it was a rare highlight in a match in which they performed sluggishly.

Strachan said: "We handled the stuff we thought was going to be a big problem well - in terms of pressure on the ball as it moved forward, free kicks and corners.

"We respect the way Hearts play and vice-versa and we knew there would be spells in the match when we could get the ball down and play.

"We looked okay at times, but could have passed the ball better and our downfall, really, was that we gave the ball away when in possession but that will improve as the season goes on.

"We've no complaints about Hearts, or the way they play. That's the way we play and we get on with it and respect the fact they won."

Strachan dismissed the suggestion his club's midweek trip to Japan was a factor in the result because only Aiden McGeady and Shunsuke Nakamura started in Yokohama.

He sarcastically said: "I'm surprised you even asked that. The nine players who didn't get on the flight to Japan and who played today are all absolutely knackered."

Strachan also revealed he expected Bulgarian full-back Ivaylo Petkov to arrive in Glasgow last night as he prepares for a move to Parkhead.

He said: "We'll have a look at the boy this week but it's not a case he's here on trial - I don't like that word.

"We know he can play and it's more a case of him coming over to see is he likes us and we like him."

CELTIC and Hearts fans both face a probe after sectarian singing at yesterday's Tynecastle clash.

The away supporters sang pro-IRA songs during the game, while Hearts fans also led with a chorus of The Billy Boys, the anthem UEFA have told R angers supporters to stop singing at Ibrox.

Taken from the Daily Record