Hearts 0 Falkirk 1

Feb 9 2009 Craig Swan Reports

DAZED Darren Barr played a heroic role as Falkirk sent Hearts crashing out of in a rip-snorting tie at Tynecastle.

But unluckily for him he can't remember much about it.

The Scotland defender staggered off the field in Gorgie looking like he'd just run into Artur Boruc after a bruising, thrilling and controversial cup cracker in the capital.

Barr pinballed from the action to the touchline having constant repairs done on his battered head as he stood tall in the face of a home onslaught and ended up with bandages for souvenirs.

It was worth it, though, as the clean sheet he helped engineer ensured Steve Lovell's hotly-disputed header just before the hour sent John Hughes' men into the last eight.

Barr should have been thrilled with his contribution to a famous win.

Instead he squinted under a band aid and said: "Do I remember the game?

"Not much. I was just getting belted about the place.

"I don't know if I got elbowed for the first one. I thought it was okay at first but when I went off they said it was a deep cut and I had to get staples in it.

"For the second one I got booted in the teeth - or just above them. I don't think the Hearts fans were happy with me being down and going off but there was nothing I could do about it.

"I was running about like a big pineapple head with the bandages on.

"But in the past we would maybe have leaked a few goals under that pressure.

Now we are much more resilient.

"We have kept another clean sheet and made it into the next round.

"There was a bit of pressure on us but we dealt with it."

Falkirk did deal with it but boy did they have to scrap to get the job done.

After a first half in which Hearts kid Gary Glen missed two golden chances to break the deadlock and Barr got away with a handball shout, all hell broke loose after the restart.

The punters ate pies at the break.

Heaven knows what the players were fed but they were like rampaging savages in asuperb second 45 minutes.

Controversy, blood, drama, thrills, lost tempers. Name everything you want in a cup tie and it was there.

Lovell kicked off the mayhem in 58 minutes when he reacted quickest to Jackie McNamara's lob and looped a header over a stranded Janos Balogh.

Hearts screamed for an offside but assistant Martin Cryans kept his flag down with David Obua slow to get out and the Bairns were in front.

The hate burning down on Cryans from the home supporters seemed to jolt him into lifting his flag moments later to deny Michael Higdon a second.

It looked a clear case of evening up the score but if one assistant couldn't handle the heat the other, Chris Young, could.

Dean Holden's sliding tackle on the marauding Andy Driver looked a beauty but ref Dougie McDonald instantly pointed to the spot.

Holden did touch Driver but also got a feather on the ball and Young clocked it.

With baying Jambos all around him he could have kept his mouth shut and flag down.

Instead, Young had the bottle to tell McDonald he'd called it wrong and after a quick chat the decision was reversed.

Csaba Laszlo and his players were raging but it was welcome teamwork from the officials and McDonald was big enough to change his mind.

Barr said: "I didn't think it was apenalty but it took a bit of balls for the ref to change his mind.

"When the referee gave the penalty I looked at the linesman and he was pointing to the corner flag. I was saying, 'Ref, go and talk to him'. I was one of about three players who urged him to talk to the linesman.

"That's what he did and it was agood outcome."

Hughes said: "I'm delighted the linesman was strong enough to make the call and the pictures on the telly showed he was absolutely correct.

"It was common sense by Dougie to listen to him because the officials are a three-man team."

Hearts were convinced it should have been given and in the aftermath clearly felt burned with injustice at the defeat.

The anger certainly seemed to tip centre-back Marius Zaliukas over the edge.

The Lithuanian tussled with sub Carl Finnigan as they chased along ball and he punched the grounded Falkirk ace after the pair hit the deck.

Ref McDonald didn't have achoice and Zaliukas was reaching for the Radox - the eighth time a Hearts player has had first use of the bubble bath this season. By now Tynecastle was at boiling point.

With yellow cards flying about like ticker tape, Scott Arfield got his second for hauling down Obua to make it 10 men each as the Bairns clung on.

It could have been the Falkirk nine after Steven Pressley's calculated decking of Michael Stewart as he headed for goal in injury time but McDonald was content with a booking and that almost sent Laszlo into orbit.

But as skipper Robbie Neilson admitted, Hearts had no one to blame but themselves. Glen's failure to take his first-half chances a lack of efforts on target after the break and their fragmented attempt at an offside trap at Lovell's winner sealed their fate.

Falkirk got the breaks but they haven't had much luck this term and no one could grudge them a change in fortune.

Middle to front they may not have fashioned many openings but every single player in dark blue did a real shift.

At the back Pressley was excellent, keeper Dani Mallo and Rab C Barr were immense.

Pressley in particular would have taken a huge amount of joy from returning to his old patch and leaving a winner and Barr saluted the influence of his veteran colleague.

He said:"Big Elvis has been brilliant for us. He's been great at talking to us during matches and really helps us through.

"The three of us at the back have, touch wood, built up a good understanding. All three of us have voices but the big man has a lot of experience and that adds a lot. He takes it away from me in terms of calming the manager down as well. It was extra special for Elvis to come back to Tynecastle and win.

"The atmosphere started to get heated but it was great to play in."

It was also great to watch and Falkirk emerged from the carnage with a place in the quarter-finals.

Barr, no doubt, will be hoping he remembers a bit more of that match.

MAN OF THE MATCH
Darren Barr (Falkirk)

Taken from the Daily Record