Hearts 1 Dunfermline 1

By Gavin McCafferty, PA Sport

Hearts' problems intensified with a draw which further dented their already slim hopes of mounting a challenge for the Bank of Scotland Premier League title.

Rebels Steven Pressley, Craig Gordon and Paul Hartley kept their places after revealing "significant unrest" in the dressing room and Jim Hamilton's controversial leveller just after the break added to the gloom.

Andrius Velicka had given Hearts an early lead but Hamilton bundled home amid claims of handball and the home side struggled to find any rhythm to create a winner.

Acting head coach Eduard Malofeev, standing in while Valdas Ivanauskas has a two-week break for health issues, made just two changes.

Fit-again Jose Goncalves made his first start for six months and Velicka came back in, with Edgaras Jankauskas on the bench and Mirsad Beslija injured.

Hearts majority shareholder Vladimir Romanov was in attendance after reportedly telling his players they would be sold if they lost.

Dunfermline caretaker boss Craig Robertson made five changes to the side which lost 4-0 to Hibernian, a defeat which sparked Jim Leishman's decision to return to the director of football role.

Goalkeeper Roddy McKenzie, Jamie McCunnie, Stephen Simmons, Owen Morrison and Andy Tod came in, with the injured Stevie Crawford and Dorus De Vries among those dropped.

Hearts and Pressley in particular were given a rapturous reception but Gordon had to beat away a powerful Simmons effort after 90 seconds.

Malofeev picked a 3-4-3 formation with Hartley supporting the strikers and the midfielder set up Velicka's farcical opener in the 12th minute.

Pressley's long ball just evaded Hartley as he ran through but the ball bounced over McKenzie.

The Pars goalkeeper clawed it off his line but Hartley turned the ball back in for the Lithuanian to stab home.

A series of dangerous balls into the Pars box just evaded their target as Hearts pressed.

Jim Hamilton headed well wide at the other end and Pressley almost made it two midway through the half.

The defender strolled forward from his own half and shot just past after a one-two with Velicka.

Gary Mason had a shot deflected wide after Hamilton's excellent ball over Goncalves was held up by Mark Burchill.

The game grew increasingly scrappy towards the break with the home side's only half chances coming from measured crosses from Robbie Neilson.

Roman Bednar's touch let him down when Hearts had a man over before Simmons headed well wide after a deep corner.

Greg Ross replaced the injured McCunnie seconds before the 48th-minute equaliser.

Simmons headed Morrison's corner towards goal and Hamilton bundled it over the line, before Gordon was booked for protesting that the former Hearts striker had used a hand.

Jankauskas replaced Bednar and the former Porto hitman was refused a penalty when Andy Tod put his hands on him.

The striker's great turn and cross then found Deividas Cesnauskis at the far post but his weak effort was easily saved.

McKenzie blocked a close-range Goncalves header as Hearts forced the Pars back.

Hamilton turned the ball home after Morrison and Simmons combined again but the offside flag was raised.

The Tynecastle support called for out-of-favour midfielder Julien Brellier to be brought on as Hearts struggled to sustain their pressure.

Christophe Berra hooked over after Hartley's corner and a set-piece looked the hosts' best chance of grabbing a winner as the Pars grew in confidence.

Morrison's bursting run handed Burchill a chance to win it with 10 minutes left but the striker hesitated and shot wide from 12 yards.

Brellier was introduced for Ibrahim Tall to one of the loudest cheers of the day and Hartley's low drive was deflected wide after a hopeful ball into the box.

Tod rescued a point when he headed Neilson's shot off the line in injury-time before Pressley's header was saved.

Teams:

Hearts Gordon, Tall (Brellier 83), Pressley, Berra, Neilson,Hartley, Goncalves, Wallace, Cesnauskis (Aguiar 77),Bednar (Jankauskas 52), Velicka.

Subs Not Used: Banks, Fyssas, Mikoliunas, Zaliukas.

Booked: Gordon, Neilson.

Goals: Velicka 12.

Dunfermline McKenzie, McCunnie (Ross 48), Shields, Tod,Labonte, Simmons, Young, Mason (Woods 87), Owen Morrison,Burchill (Daquin 82), Hamilton.

Subs Not Used: Paterson, Bamba, Scott Morrison, Williamson.

Booked: Hamilton, Young.

Goals: Hamilton 48.

Att: 17,031

Ref: B Winter (Scotland).

Taken from sportinglife.com