Hearts set new benchmark in Gordon saga

Dundee United 0
Hearts 1

Hartley, 54
Advert for Scotsman

IT'S been a truism for many months that the action off the pitch involving Hearts has come to dominate their on-field activity. So it proved again yesterday when the main talking point occurred an hour before the match.

News filtered through that club captain Craig Gordon had been dropped. Illness, claimed head coach Valdas Ivanauskas, with all the conviction of an OJ Simpson not guilty plea. Then Gordon's name duly appeared on the list of substitutes, so presumably it was one of those precautionary illnesses, the kind where you can freeze your bahookey on the bench but not play.

Of course, it was nothing at all to do with the ongoing "significant unrest" inside Tynecastle which Gordon manfully tried, but didn't quite manage, to play down beforehand.

Such conduct by Hearts' management is an insult to the intelligence of their fans. Gordon was still fit enough to be chosen as substitute goalkeeper, but he was too ill to start - one cannot help but wonder what is the Lithuanian for "pull the other one, it plays Jingle Bells".

The longest-running farce in the west end of Edinburgh almost took another unbelievable turn in the 80th minute when Gordon's replacement, Steve Banks, seemed to land awkwardly after leaping to try and save Barry Robson's 25-yard blockbuster free-kick which rebounded off the bar. It seemed as though Gordon would be called into the play, and Scotland's No.1 got stripped for action, but Banks recovered and then made a quite magnificent save from another Robson free-kick. The club captain - at least for now - would have been proud of it, and more Lithuanian blushes were spared.

If further evidence was needed that the divisions in the maroon squad run deep, it came when Hearts took the lead in a match that had not been exactly thrilling until then. Gordon's fellow Scot and one third of the "Riccarton Three" dissenters, Paul Hartley, showed exactly where his loyalties lie seconds after scoring the opening goal from the penalty spot in the 54th minute.

Never one for hiding his feelings, the midfielder ran straight over to Gordon, and there was no doubt to whom he was dedicating his goal.

Hearts had started the match with six changes from the previous week's loss to Aberdeen, this presumably being Ivanauskas getting his rotation system back into action.

United made four changes, half of them due to Noel Hunt's long-term injury and Christian Kalvenes' red card last weekend, and were later forced to make a fifth when Steven Robb hobbled off injured, replaced by David McCracken in 35 minutes.

By that time, it was clear that this was going to be a match long on effort and short of sublime football. Both sides started brightly, with Banks having to look lively to deal with David Robertson's long-range volley. The Englishman went on to have a decent game, it should be said.

At the other end, Hearts had a strong penalty claim turned down when a magnificent long pass from Hartley sent Andrius Velicka racing to the edge of the six-yard box where he collided with Derek Stillie. The Lithuanian possibly made too much of it for referee Charlie Richmond's taste, and he gave a goal kick, though he did not book Velicka for diving.

A dearth of goalmouth incident ensued until the half-hour mark, when Stillie made a point-blank save from Marius Zaliukas' slapshot off a Hartley cross, the Hearts player then heading a second chance wide. United raced to the other end where Craig Conway somehow missed an open goal, blasting high after an excellent run and cross by Collin Samuel .

Both sides kept trying to play football, but the defences were on top throughout the first half.

Velicka should have put Hearts ahead after a slick one-two with Michael Pospisil in the opening minute of the second half put him clean through on Stillie, but the United goalkeeper foiled the man who remains the reigning top scorer in the Lithuanian league.

Hartley's penalty was well taken and the midfielder continued to prompt Hearts, sending Andrew Driver clear for one shot which went wide, then doing the same for Pospisil, who also failed to make the chance count.

United staged a vigorous late rally, but thanks to Banks' bravery and stand-in captain Christophe Berra's header off the line from a Robson effort, Hearts departed Tannadice with the four points - that's three for the victory and the biggest talking point of the day.

Despite being dropped to the bench, Craig Gordon yesterday assured Hearts supporters he will not seek a transfer after being summoned to a disciplinary meeting last week.

The Jambos skipper met club officials on Tuesday over his support for predecessor Steven Pressley's criticism of the way the club was being run under Vladimir Romanov.

Before yesterday's game, the Scotland keeper said: "It is in the club's hands. It is in the process of being concluded. It was a good meeting. We were told to explain our reasons [for the statement]. We did that and both parties had their say. We will wait and see what happens over the next few weeks."

Gordon, whose contract runs out in 2009, confirmed he had not handed in a transfer request. He said: "Not at the moment, I don't think it's at that stage. I wouldn't say it would never reach that stage because you never know."

But he appeared to suggest the problems raised in the statement, which hinted at interference in football matters from Romanov, had not been solved. He said: "[The problem] was something that was discussed in the meeting and I'm sure that will get discussed in the near future at more meetings."

MAN OF THE MATCH: Paul Hartley was involved in just about every facet of Hearts' play, took his penalty well and provided the only real class on show.

ASIDE: It's confusing being a Hearts fan these days. A group who were entering Tannadice sang "We've got the best keeper in the land" only to be told that his name was now Steven Banks, not Craig Gordon. Cue dumbstruck Jambos.

Taken from the Scotsman