HEARTS assistant coach John McGlynn has admitted he "couldn't take any more" of Gordon Strachan's trackside sniping yesterday and simply exploded in a fit of rage. The normally reserved McGlynn engaged in a face-to-face confrontation with his Celtic counterpart Garry Pendrey during the first half of Hearts' 2-1 victory over Celtic at Tynecastle and was ordered to the stand by referee Stuart Dougal along with Strachan. With Ibrahim Tall floored after a 27th-minute Kenny Miller tackle, Strachan became visibly animated and aimed a verbal assault at the Hearts bench after Dougal halted his side's attack to allow treatment for the Senegalese defender, who damaged medial knee ligaments in the collision and could be out for up to six weeks.

McGlynn's enraged reaction is likely to see him incur a two-match ban from the touchline and he has apologised to senior Hearts officials, however the coach today revealed the tension that had been building within him as he claimed Strachan and others on the Celtic bench consistently attempted to intimidate those in the opposing technical area.

"It was a build-up of a few things that had been said and I just couldn't take any more and exploded," said McGlynn. "I'd rather it hadn't happened but if they'd take more concern over what's happening on the park rather than what's happening with officials and in their opponents' dugout then they might be better off.

"From my point of view, I was intimidated into reacting. I maybe reacted a little too much but you have to accept that it's the heat of the moment and there was a rush of blood to the head. It certainly wouldn't have happened if I hadn't been intimidated into it."

Hearts will submit their version of yesterday's events to the Scottish Football Association in a plea for mitigation for McGlynn, who continued: "I went to see Campbell Ogilvie and the other club officials after the final whistle and apologised. They gave me their version of what they saw happening and I accept that.

"There will be a report sent in by the Hearts officials and I don't know what effect that will have, but I expect a standard two-match ban and I'd like to just accept it and put the issue to bed now."

Head coach Valdas Ivanauskas offered McGlynn his unstinting support over the touchline row, which somewhat overshadowed Roman Bednar's double that secured victory over the SPL champions.

"Last season it was the same for me because I was suspended," said the Lithuanian.

"Games against Celtic are very special and I think John did well because he showed fight.

"It was a nervous game and reactions like that are normal in football. For me it is not a big problem."

Strachan admitted after the game to being surprised at his sending off given that Pendrey was the one who confronted McGlynn.

"The decision was a bit strange considering I stood in the technical area and there were people between me and everyone else," said the Celtic manager. It was a nothing incident. I think they must have spotted my red hair.

"I was upset with the way it was handled because when Tall was injured 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."

Tall was due to have his knee scanned by the Hearts medical staff today.

Taken from the Scotsman