Feb 23 2009 Craig Swan

JIM HAMILTON is convinced Andy Dorman has the ability and attitude to make a move to the big time in England.

But the St Mirren striker is desperate for his colleague to shun interest from south of the border and advance his footballing education in Paisley.

Dorman grabbed the headlines again with an injury-time equaliser to earn Gus MacPherson's team a battling point.

The midfielder ghosted unmarked into the six-yard box to convert Scott Cuthbert's header and Billy Mehmet's flick from a Jack Ross free-kick.

It was Dorman's seventh goal of the season and his fourth in four games.

He's had better games but the knack of coming from midfield to score vital goals doesn't go away and Hamilton is an admirer.

Sheffield United were among a host of English clubs who sniffed around Dorman in January without making a move but they will be back in the summer when the transfer window opens again.

Hamilton said: "He's definitely good enough but it depends what option Andy goes with. We'd love him to stay here as long as he could but he has to try to better his career.

"He has the potential and has the will to go and do it.

"There are not a lot of midfield players like him who can break forward and get into the box like he does. His timing is brilliant and he reminds me quite a lot of Colin Cameron who I used to play alongside at Hearts."

If Cameron was celebrated by the Jambos fans, Dorman most certainly is not. The equaliser was a kick in the teeth for Csaba Laszlo's team with them on the verge of opening the gap on fourthplaced Dundee United to four points.

Hearts weren't brilliant but without first-choice defenders Marius Zaliukas and Christos Karipidis they created enough chances to win.

In the first period, Christian Nade had adrive saved by Saints keeper Chris Smith and also stabbed a rebound wide after Eggert Jonsson had hit a post from Andy Driver's corner.

Bruno Aguiar clipped the top of the bar with a free-kick but the breakthrough came with 12 minutes to go. Jonsson did superbly to keep Aguiar's free-kick in play before making his way back into the box to drive home when David Obua squared from the resultant scramble.

At this point, Saints looked spent.

Having finished their Scottish Cup tie against Motherwell just 41 hours before kick-off, it was a sapping punch to withstand. But MacPherson's team found fresh reserves and clawed their way back off the canvas.

They got a break when home sub Saulius Mikoliunas missed a sitter to seal it but Hamilton and Craig Dargo had already missed headed chances before Dorman arrived to save the day.

Given the controversy surrounding Hearts' decision not to switch the game back 24 hours to give Saints breathing space, the visiting fans felt it was poetic justice. Hamilton added: "I think overall we deserved it. We battled our corner and didn't let them play as much as they would have liked.

"We were delighted to get a point having been 1-0 down near the end.

"Everyone thought we'd have tired but it shows the mental strength and fitness we have within the squad. The manager changed things a little but it was great commitment from the boys.

"We could have used the Thursday game an excuse but we prepared well and rested up on Friday. You have to get on with it. It's not nice but we'd rather play than train.

"Everyone expected us to tire near the end but we got even stronger. If we keep battling and scrapping the way we did here it's hard to see us going down the league.

"Inverness won and it closes the gap at the bottom but we'll keep battling away and if we keep producing as we have done in the past couple of months, we'll be all right."

Laszlo fumed at full time at his side's lack of discipline and concentration and frustrated assistant Werner Burger appeared to have an exchange with MacPherson.

There was no one else to blame, though. Hearts had the win within their grasp only to switch off at a set-piece.

Of course, Laszlo is entitled to ask club chief Vladimir Romanov if a dominant centre-half would have dealt with the free-kick. The sold Christophe Berra, perhaps? Or the man he wanted to replace him and his employers didn't sign, Slovak Pavol Farkas? But it was still slack and Laszlo condemned it.

MacPherson didn't care and had every right to be thrilled with a week that contained an unbeaten double in the SPL and the securing of a Scottish Cup quarter-final berth from three outings.

Saints face Celtic in the SPL this weekend and a testing encounter against Aberdeen before the lasteight game against Gordon Strachan's on Saturday week but Hamilton insists the players are ready for the tests.

He said: "We went to Parkhead on the opening day of the season and lost to a penalty which I'm not going to say anything about but we created chances and we'll not go there and defend.

"We'll try for a result, then we have Aberdeen before playing Celtic in the Scottish Cup in a game which will take care of itself.

"It's a hard run coming up."

Hamilton's right but with talisman Dorman in scoring form and the team spirit as strong as ever it's a trio of tests MacPherson will relish.

MAN OF THE MATCH
Eggert Jonsson (Hearts)

MAGIC MOMENT
Hearts' David Obua laughing as he fell on his backside at the touchline.

Taken from the Daily Record