BEDNAR TRIED TO BUTT ME - MILNE

By Ronnie Esplin, PA Sport

Falkirk defender Kenny Milne has accused Hearts striker Roman Bednar of trying to headbutt him during the goalless draw at Tynecastle.

The 26-year-old had appeared to push the Czech Republic forward to the ground after skipping away from a Michal Pospisil tackle in the 32nd minute of the game.

However, to the anger of the home support, the Falkirk player received only a yellow card.

Bairns head coach John Hughes was sent to the stand by referee John Underhill after confronting the Jambos' pair over the incident as the players walked off the field at the interval.

But Milne insists Bednar made the most of the confrontation, although he was glad to see Underhill produce a yellow rather than a red card.

Asked if the Hearts striker had gone down easily, the Bairns defender said: "It is either that or I am the strongest man in the world.

"The boy (Pospisil) came in with a bad tackle and went right over the top of the ball.

"Bednar then tried to square up to me and put the head on me.

"Maybe I lost the plot a bit at that, but these things happen in the heat of the game sometimes."

But the former Tynecastle player expressed his relief at not being dismissed over the incident.

Milne added: "I thought I was going to see the red card, but I was delighted I got the yellow.

"I cannot understand that the referee blew for a free-kick for us first and then turned it around.

"But, sometimes, the referees do not know the rules themselves."

Hughes apologised to his players after being 'dismissed' by the match official.

At the end of a bad-tempered opening 45 minutes, the ex-Hibernian defender voiced his displeasure over the incident involving Milne to the Hearts forwards.

But the Falkirk boss conceded his behaviour had not been the way to set an example to his players.

Hughes said: "The referee sent me to the stand for going on to the field of play aggressively. Fair enough.

"I had to apologise to my players after the game - that is no way to conduct yourself.

"I am a passionate man who leads from the front but I am disappointed in my behaviour.

"My gripe was that they were constantly in the referee's ear.

"The referee should referee the game and that is what I said to him, but he felt I was aggressive, so fair enough.

"I asked the linesman why there weren't two players booked and he said Bednar only squared up to Milne. Is that not being aggressive?

"But I do not want that to take the shine of my team's performance because, for long periods, we were every bit as good as Hearts."

Hearts majority shareholder Vladimir Romanov has railed against match officials before and Bednar appeared to subscribe to the conspiracy theory as he described the incident with Milne.

He said: "I do not want to speak about it because it was crazy, but, if it had been a Hearts player, it would have been a '100%' red card.

"We were just speaking and then he pushed me to the pitch, nothing else.

"It was not so hard or aggressive, but it was a red card."

The point took Hearts to the top of the SPL table, but some home supporters jeered the team off at the end after being aggrieved particularly when Julien Brellier was taken off in the second half for Mirsad Beslija.

Head coach Valdas Ivanauskas said: "It wasn't easy. If we had scored the first goal, it would have been OK, but time went on and our players got tired.

"I can understand the fans' frustrations. They want a positive result all the time, but it is not always possible.

"Julien did well but Falkirk had three players in the middle of the pitch who did well also.

"But Brellier was not ready for 90 minutes and it was my decision to take him off."

Taken from sportinglife.com