Hearts' ten men get Csaba out of stew

COLLEEN PATERSON
St Mirren 0 Hearts 1
CSABA LASZLO insisted that he didn't see the incident which led to Michael Stewart's red card at Love Street, but one thing the Hearts manager did take note of was the character and spirit which his ten men showed to claim all three points in Paisley .

The Hearts manager was quizzed after the game on his views of the sending-off, which came about after a tangle between the Hearts midfielder and St Mirren's Hugh Murray just before the half-time break.

Stewart seemed to have escaped any punishment because referee Mike McCurry missed the incident, but his fourth official Bobby Madden called him over to explain his version of events and the Tynecastle star was shown a straight red. The decision infuriated Stewart and Jambos skipper Christophe Berra, who ran towards the tunnel to remonstrate with Madden but the officials – and Saints boss Gus MacPherson – were adamant that there had been no other option than to send the player off.

While Laszlo refused to be drawn into the debate over the rights and wrongs of the situation, or whether Stewart would be fined for his part, the former Uganda boss did stress that the most pleasing thing about the match from his point of view was the outcome and the way in his which his players fought for the three points.

They were earned 11 minutes from time when Eggert Jonsson sent a glancing header beyond Saints keeper Mark Howard.

The goal was a vital one, bringing to an end the five-match winless run Hearts had gone through.

Laszlo said: "I did not see the sending-off. I am a very honest person and I did not 100 per cent see what happened. Before I talk about this situation the next step for me is to handle the situation and see what happened and find out the next step, not to abuse someone.

"I asked the player, he told me that they run together and there was a collision. I will watch the video analysis this week and when I have seen it for myself then I will be able to give my comment and tell you what I will do.

"He added: "This is the most important question from everyone, but the most important thing for me is that we won the game and that we handled this experience.

"We have now played against Rangers with ten guys and against Celtic with ten guys. Against Celtic in the second half the team did very well and we didn't give Celtic chances to score.

"How the team handles it and the character they show is the most important thing for me and I must give them a compliment, particularly for the defence.

"If you have a young team and a good support then you can grow together. The team spirit was the most important thing."

Laszlo found out this week that Deividas Cesnauskis will be ruled out for around a month with a tear to his left thigh muscle, but he was boosted for the trip to Love Street by the return to the first-team squad of Robbie Neilson and David Obua, although both had to settle for a place on the bench.

That was soon to change for the returning Neilson but in the meantime, the home side enjoyed the best of the early chances, without managing to create enough danger to bag the opener.

With eight minutes gone, Billy Mehmet managed to play the ball off Jason Thomson for a corner and when Steven Robb whipped it in from the right, Will Haining rose to meet it but could only send his header over the bar.

They had another chance when Franco Miranda was fouled by Saul Mikoliunas on the left and Robb was involved again, swinging the ball deep into the box. This time, Ruben Palazuelos was on hand to head it clear.

Again Saints pushed forward and looked set to score when Robb and Mehmet combined to tee up Gary Mason, who had raced in at the far side, but the former Dunfermline man stumbled and allowed the Jambos to clear their lines.

At the other end, Hearts were awarded a free-kick when Mikoliunas looked to be body-checked out wide on the right of the pitch.

Aguiar took it, using his right foot to bend it deep into the danger area, but Saints keeper Mark Howard got one hand to it to push it wide of the goal and Mehmet was there to thump it away up the park.

Mikoliunas attempted a shot with just over 20 minutes gone but took a heavy knock on his right knee in the process when John Potter tried to intervene.

After a few minutes' treatment the Lithuanian resumed play but was clearly struggling to shake off the problem and Laszlo took the decision to bring on Neilson – who hadn't played in seven months because of stomach and ankle problems – to replace him.

The Saints almost took the lead in 35 minutes when Miranda charged in on goal and unleashed a fierce effort from 25 yards that swerved just wide at the last minute with Janos Balogh struggling to get across his goal in time.

Hearts were reduced to ten men five minutes before the break when Stewart was sent for an early bath after his clash with Murray. The two were tangled up together and in frustration Stewart appeared to push the Love Street player. While the crowd reacted furiously, referee McCurry didn't see a thing but Madden called him over to give him his version of event, and it resulted in Stewart being shown a straight red.

Minutes later, Murray fed Miranda down the right and his ball across goal was sent over the bar by the head of Robb again.

Just after the restart Saints came close again when Andy Dorman, a half-time sub for Garry Brady, fed Dennis Wyness. He poked the ball through for Mehmet in the box and it looked like a goal was a certainty, but he somehow managed to send it just inches wide of Balogh's left-hand post.

With just over an hour gone Aguiar tried his luck with a shot from long range it curled just over the crossbar.

The Jambos were awarded a free-kick on the right when Neilson was tripped about 12 yards from the goal-line and it proved to be a vital award. Andrew Driver, who had been pretty much anonymous in the preceding 78 minutes, swung in a beautiful free-kick which was just the right height for Jonsson, who got the slightest of touches on the ball with his head to send it into the net and bring the Tynecastle side's winless run to an end.

Saints boss Gus MacPherson insisted after the match that the fourth official had been right to intervene in the decision to send Stewart off but conceded that Hearts had made the Buddies' task even more difficult after they were reduced in numbers.

He said: "The pictures that we saw after the game clearly showed that Michael Stewart kicked out – in fact he nearly took out two St Mirren players. For the fourth official to get involved, he clearly saw what had happened and I thought it was brave of him to do that.

"He made the right decision.

"Violent conduct is the only type of incident that a fourth official can get involved in.

"He deserves credit for persevering in to trying to attract Mike McCurry's attention because it had gone on for a few minutes without the referee realising. But thankfully he managed to get hold of him and told him what had gone on."

MacPherson admitted that Hearts had made it even more difficult for his side after being reduced to ten men, Laszlo sending his players out in the second half with two banks of four and he continued: "The second half wasn't quick enough, in terms of moving the ball. Hearts were down to ten men by that stage and with two banks of four and were just making it awkward for us.

"It just wasn't anywhere near the levels that we were playing to earlier in the season.

"There was no space for us to play and we resorted to playing longer and higher balls which their centre halves were able to soak up."

Taken from the Scotsman