PRESSLEY EYES BRAGGING RIGHTS

By Ronnie Esplin, PA Sport

Scotland defender Steven Pressley has more than one reason for wanting to beat Lithuania in Wednesday's European Championship qualifier in Kaunas.

After the Scots began their campaign with a 6-0 thrashing of the Faroe Islands at Celtic Park on Saturday, the Hearts skipper immediately turned his attention to a country which has a significant presence and influence at Tynecastle.

The Edinburgh club recently beat the transfer deadline to sign Kestutis Ivaskevicius and Andrius Velicka which brought the Lithuanian contingent of players in Gorgie to seven.

Edgaras Jankauskas, Deividas Cesnauskis, Saulius Mikoliunas, Nerijus Barasa and Marius Zaliukas had all previously been recruited with finance sanctioned by the Jambos' majority shareholder Vladimir Romanov, a Lithuanian-Russian.

Moreover, Hearts head coach Valdas Ivanauskas was assistant manager of the Lithuania national team when they beat Scotland 1-0 three years ago and he was on a spying mission at Celtic Park.

Cesnauskis and Mikoliunas started for Lithuania in their 1-1 draw with Italy in Naples on Saturday with Zaliukas on the bench and all three are in line to face the Scots in midweek.

But Pressley is hoping to make a victorious return to the Tynecastle dressing room later in the week.

He said: "I am particularly looking forward to this game to win the bragging rights within the dressing room.

"There have been one or two little wind-ups so obviously we desperately want to get the result and return to the dressing room with a nice smile on Thursday.

"Of course, the Lithuanian boys fancy their chances, they are an emerging nation in terms of football and they have had some excellent results.

"We shouldn't forget we went down to a penalty kick the last time we went there.

"It was a very difficult game that night so we are going to have to be at our best on Wednesday."

Pressley insists he has no problems with his gaffer's spying role.

He said: "I'm sure Valdas will report back to the Lithuanian FA but I'm also sure what he has to say about us will be very positive.

"He is very knowledgeable in terms of the Scottish players and he will make Lithuania aware of our qualities."

Scotland keeper Craig Gordon reiterated his Tynecastle team-mate's fear of losing in Kaunas.

He said: "I haven't spoken that much to the Lithuanian players at Hearts but it's not a game that we are looking to lose.

"It's going to be a very difficult match, they will be a decent team, especially at home.

"Scotland have lost there in recent years but hopefully we can change that this time."

Taken from sportinglife.com