HEARTS GO BANANAS

HEARTS 1

ST MIRREN 1

CHEEKY Hearts staff handed out bananas to the press before kick-off but the joke was on the Jambos after another dud display dented their fading Champions League hopes.

Vladimir Romanov has been blaming everyone from supposedly corrupt referees to media monkeys in a pitiful attempt to deflect the flak for his side's shortcomings this season.

But yesterday he saw first hand the deficiencies in a side that struggled to break down gutsy St Mirren, having deigned to grace Tynecastle with his presence for the first time since October.

And the boos that echoed around the stadium at the end will perhaps finally open Vlad's eyes to the painful fact he has now a WEAKER team as a result of his meddling and decision to flog the club's two most influential players.

It took one moment of brilliance from Laryea Kingston to rescue a draw after Stephen O'Donnell's first-half opener had the Buddies dreaming of a precious win to ease away from bottom dogs Dunfermline.

Other than that Hearts toiled, prompting glum boss Valdas Ivanauskas to put up the shutters when asked difficult questions seeking reasons for the confidence crisis he says his players are suffering.

He said: "Our self confidence was low and it didn't helped that we lost the first goal. It was disappointing because it came from St Mirren's only shot on target.

"If Hearts want to finish in second place we must win every game. We need positive results - but this was not good.

"We did not play well but have six days before the next game when we know we must do better."

Any deeper questioning wondering if his - or should that be Vlad's? - tinkering is contributing to that lack of confidence was met with "Next question".

These post-match interviews are becoming as frustrating as it must be for the Hearts support to watch their team - yet still they keep showing up in impressive numbers. It was all smiles before kick-off as Romanov's spokesman Charlie Mann wandered into the Tynecastle press room with a silver platter piled high with bananas.

It was taken in good spirit although the stadium announcer blaring out the Monkees' self-titled 1960s hit single seemed more of a stunt to ingratiate the Gorgie faithful.

Perhaps Vlad hoped turning the attention on the press might make the home fans forget their outrage when he got shot of two of the club's best players in his absence then ditched keeper Craig Gordon for four games?

The crowd were heartened to see skipper Gordon restored to the starting line-up yesterday - and they seemed happy to play along with the joke.

But the Jambos weren't laughing for long as Saints grabbed a shock lead inside 15 minutes. Garry Brady's diagonal lob was well judged but should have been dealt with by Marius Zaliukas while Christophe Berra will be cursing the space he allowed O'Donnell to take a touch inside him and rattle home from 10 yards.

It was a strike against the run of play. Earlier Andrius Velicka's rasping volley was tipped brilliantly over the bar by Saints keeper Chris Smith.

And the speed of the Jambos movement in midfield saw two St Mirren stars cop early bookings - Ian Maxwell for chopping down Salius Mikoliunas and debutant Eddie Malone for tripping Kingston.

Yet despite the home side's domination they could find no way through as Velicka went close again, his header from Andrew Driver's cross dipping on the roof of the net.

An even better chance fell for the Lithuanian just after the half hour with Driver again the provider, teeing up the striker perfectly in the heart of the box -but Velicka's blasted over the bar under pressure from John Potter.

He should have at least hit the target but Kingston certainly didn't miss his when he appeared to catch Malone with a forearm smash in a tussle for possession and was lucky to escape a booking.

Half-time brought a change up front with Velicka making way for Calum Elliot - but without him Hearts created even fewer chances to trouble the Saints goal.

At the other end O'Donnell was denied his second when Gordon held his rasping volley from the edge of the box after Berra failed to effectively clear a long throw-in.

The frustration was growing steadily now, mostly aimed at ref Dougie McDonald who upset both sides with his decision making.

By the hour mark it all became too much for Michal Pospisil and he earned a silly booking for dissent.

Another change, Julien Brellier for Takis Fyssas, saw the Jambos sacrifice a defender in the big push for a leveller and in the 69th minute they got it in style. Kirk Broadfoot's foul on Mikoliunas gave Hearts a free-kick just short of the 18-yard line and Kingston conjured up a bit of magic - a wonderful curling effort round the wall and neatly in at the far-top corner.

Sheer brilliance from the playmaker and it prompted Ivanauskas to go for the throat by throwing on another striker, Arkadiusz Klimek, for Mikoliunas.

Brellier was next in McDonald's book for a foul, his first of the day, on Alan Reid before Saints replaced Malone with Mark Corcoran for the last eight minutes.

At the end boos rang out around the stadium and one disgusted punter's Hearts scarf landed in the home dugout at the feet of assistant Stevie Frail, while stony-faced Romanov sat impassive in the director's box.

HEARTS v St Mirren

MATCH STATS

SHOTS ON 7

SHOTS OFF 5

OFFSIDE 2

FOULS 24

CORNERS 11

BOOKINGS 2

SHOTS ON 3

SHOTS OFF 0

OFFSIDE 6

FOULS 19

CORNERS 3

BOOKINGS 2

REFWATCH

DOUGIE McDONALD frustrated both benches as he was too often duped into giving soft free-kicks. The whistler's fussy performance yesterday suggests he has yet to shrug off his nightmare at Kilmarnock the other week. Needs to show an improvement. Rating: 5/10.

Taken from the Sunday Mail