Hearts 0 Falkirk 0

By Ronnie Esplin, PA Sport

Falkirk manager John Hughes was sent to the stand at half-time as the Bairns held out for a goalless draw in a niggly but entertaining Bank of Scotland Premier League match against Hearts at Tynecastle.

Hughes confronted Jambos striker Roman Bednar and Michal Pospisil at the interval, apparently unhappy about an off-the-ball incident just before the break between Bednar and Kenny Milne which earned the Bairns defender a booking.

The former Hibernian defender was the second visiting manager in six days to be banished from the dug-out - Celtic boss Gordon Strachan suffering the same fate last Sunday along with Jambos coach John McGlynn following a spat between the two men.

But despite the lack of goals in this fiery encounter, there was no lack of incident in a game which sped from end to end for most of the 90 minutes.

The home side began in their traditional whirlwind fashion and should have taken the lead in the first minute when Bednar robbed the hesitant Karl Dodd just outside the Falkirk penalty area.

While the Bairns' defender looked for someone to blame, the Czech Republic striker drove his angled shot from 16 yards at keeper Scott Higgins who deflected it for a corner.

In the 10th minute Falkirk's veteran playmaker Russell Latapy set up Pedro Moutinho outside the Hearts penalty area and while the striker's low drive failed to trouble Jambos keeper Craig Gordon, it sparked off a spell of pressure on the Scotland keeper's goal which caused some agitation among the home fans.

Gradually the Edinburgh side began to compress the game into Falkirk's half of the park but with the talismanic Latapy in confident mood, Falkirk always posed a threat going forward.

In the 28th minute Falkirk defender Darren Barr, booked earlier for handball in the opposition penalty area, was perhaps fortunate not to get a second yellow card when he felled Tynecastle midfielder Bruno Aguiar in the centre of the park. However, referee John Underhill opted to give the Bairns player the benefit of the doubt.

More controversy followed two minutes later. Moments after Moutinho missed a good chance to grab the opener by miskicking from 12 yards an off-the-ball incident between Bednar and Milne resulted in play being stopped.

However, to the anger of the home support, the Falkirk player received only a yellow card and the visitors survived the resultant free-kick.

As the match increased in tempo Higgins blocked an angled drive by Pospisil and although the home side dominated the latter stages of the first half, Falkirk held firm and might have sneaked a goal just before the interval if Thomas Scobbie had made better contact with a Patrick Cregg corner.

As the players made their way off at the interval, Falkirk boss Hughes, apparently angry at the incident in which Milne was booked, confronted Pospisil and Bednar before being led away.

Hughes never appeared in the technical area for the second half, apparently having been sent to the stand by referee Underhill for remonstrating with the two Hearts strikers at the interval, and he watched from the directors' box as his side displayed great determination.

Hearts took the initiative after the break, dominating possession and edging towards the Falkirk penalty area - although it was power rather than guile which underpinned their attacks.

In the 56th minute Saulius Mikoliunas arrowed a drive from the edge of the Falkirk penalty area which was deflected past for a corner but still the visitors refused to buckle.

But Moutinho's snap-shot from 25 yards soon after which Gordon did well to clutch to his body showed the Bairns' threat had not diminished.

The frustrated Jambos fans booed loudly when their favourite Julien Brellier was replaced by Mirsad Beslija on the hour mark.

However, seconds later the Edinburgh side should have taken the lead when Mikoliunas' inviting cross from the left found the unmarked Pospisil but the Gorgie striker headed weakly at Higgins from only 10 yards out.

The sense of nervousness among the Gorgie faithful increased as the game progressed towards the 90th minute and although Hearts pounded the Falkirk penalty area at times, the opening goal refused to come.

The visitors, to their credit, tried to push forward and grab a goal, but Latapy was now down to walking pace which consequently hampered the Bairns' creativity.

There was no let-up in the tempo and the home side forced several corners in the dying moments - and Bednar sent a volley just over - but the Bairns held out for a deserved point.

Teams

Hearts Gordon, Neilson, Pressley, Berra, Fyssas, Mikoliunas,Aguiar, Brellier (Beslija 60), McCann (Elliot 80),Pospisil (Jankauskas 67), Bednar.

Subs Not Used: Banks, Makela, Wallace, Karipidis.

Falkirk Higgins, Ross, Barr, Dodd, Milne, Scobbie, Cregg,Latapy, Craig, Moutinho, Gow.

Subs Not Used: Lambers, Lima, Thomson, O'Donnell, Twaddle,

Rodrigues, Mcstay.

Booked: Barr, Milne, Higgins.

Att: 16,127

Ref: J Underhill (Scotland).

Taken from sportinglife.com