Laszlo locked out by Dorman

ANDY DORMAN'S last-gasp equaliser ensured St Mirren, in their third match in seven days, collected another vital point as Hearts blew a gilt-edged opportunity to consolidate third place in the Clydesdale Bank Premier League.

Wounded but intact following 90 minutes of Hearts pressure that resulted in Eggert Jonsson's second-half opener, the Paisley club mustered a final effort with the game in injury time and it paid off handsomely as Scott Cuthbert's flick-on allowed Dorman to pounce and clinch a draw.

"After we conceded the first goal," St Mirren manager Gus MacPherson said, "I looked around the faces of the players and asked myself whether we would fold or react. They responded as I knew they would and kept going until the end. To play three games in seven days isn't easy, but it comes down to mental strength and we showed we had plenty of it."
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Marius Zaliukas's suspension and Christos Karipidis's virus forced Csaba Laszlo into a reshuffle with Robbie Neilson deputising alongside Jonsson at centre-back. St Mirren, meanwhile, welcomed back latest signing Mo Camara after he was cup-tied for their midweek Scottish Cup victory over Motherwell.

For the Paisley club, without a league victory since December, this was another opportunity to distance themselves from the relegation zone at a venue that has, to a minor extent, become something of a happy hunting ground for them in recent times.

Hearts, in contrast, have loftier ambitions and were determined to take another step towards securing a potentially lucrative Uefa Europa League slot next term, and it was the home side who came closest to a breakthrough in a tetchy first half.

Christian Nade was first to test Chris Smith with a blistering 22-yard drive on 17 minutes, but the St Mirren goalkeeper was equal to it and parried wide.

Fully 20 minutes passed before another noteworthy goalscoring effort was made and, once again, it came from the hosts with David Obua seeing a similarly well-struck shot stopped by the former Scotland Under-21 international.

Hearts continued to press for the opening goal. Six minutes from the interval, they were again denied when Smith tipped a curling Bruno Aguiar free-kick onto the crossbar and over.

Such was their determination to capitalise on their best spell of pressure, Hearts even played on when their own man, Gary Glen, lay clutching his head in the box following a collision, but again their efforts came to nothing.

Glen, down for a full minute before play finally paused for him to receive treatment, had to be withdrawn at half time with a far from fit Kingston taking his place. Within six minutes, the Ghana international had folded clutching his troubled hamstring and was also forced to retire from the action.

However, Hearts managed to maintain their forward momentum and, 14 minutes from time, broke the deadlock. Aguiar's delivery set up Obua to blast at goal from 12 yards. Smith produced yet another block but, on this occasion, Hearts were first to the rebound and Jonsson stabbed the ball home.

Five minutes later, more good wide play from Hearts should have produced a second goal but substitute Saulius Mikoliunas's first-time volley blazed over the crossbar from just five yards out.

And, as the match ran into injury time, St Mirren made their hosts pay, ironically after Mikoliunas had fouled Jack Ross.

Dennis Wyness lofted the late free-kick towards the back post and Cuthbert, rising above the makeshift Hearts defence - later described by Laszlo as "probably the shortest Hearts defence in the past five years" - headed it back into the danger zone for Dorman to poke past helpless goalkeeper Janos Balogh and clinch a crucial point.

Taken from the Sunday Herald