Gus' capital decision

Feb 23 2009 by Paul Behan, Paisley Daily Express

BEAMING Buddies boss Gus MacPherson admitted he nearly hooked goal hero Andy Dorman before the former New England Revolution star scored a last-gasp equaliser during Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Hearts.

MacPherson revealed how he considered replacing the magical midfielder towards the end of Saturday’s clash at Tynecastle because the player looked knackered.

Thankfully for Saints, the in-form Dorman declared himself ready to finish the game and he went on to cancel out Eggert Jonsson’s opener with just seconds to go.

MacPherson said: “We were actually swithering whether to take him off or not because he was absolutely knackered, but he continued to make those runs that he does.

“We had to ask him a couple of times if he was okay, but he was giving us the message that he was.

“We wanted to keep all our attacking players on and get more on if we could, but keeping him on the park has paid dividends for us.”

As Saints chased the game, MacPherson was forced to sacrifice defender John Potter and throw on striker Dennis Wyness, with three minutes to go.

But the ploy worked, and Saints left the Capital with a vital SPL point for their efforts.

MacPherson said: “It wasn’t a gamble but it was a hit-or-miss thing. You hope in that instance that you can get an opportunity.

“You believe when you have got the types of strikers we have in Wyness, Dargo, Hamilton and Mehmet – and even an attack-mined midfielder like Dorman – that you can maybe get one opportunity before the final whistle, and we got it.

“All we did was take a centre back off and go for broke.”

Meanwhile, MacPherson was involved in an altercation with a Hearts fan behind the away dugout during Saturday’s game.

The Buddies boss banged the perspex surface in frustration in the first half and the Jambos fan responded by battering the covering in retaliation.

However, MacPherson laughed off the incident and said: “I battered the dugout a couple of times and he was just returning the favour. We had a laugh about it afterwards. I gave him a fright and he gave me a fright, so it worked.”

Meanwhile, MacPherson also revealed how he spoke with his opposite number at Hearts over their refusal to move Saturday’s tie to the Sunday, given the fact that Saints had played an important Scottish Cup tie with Motherwell less than 48 hours earlier.

He said: “Csaba (Laszlo) explained that it was not a football department decision. It was made by somebody at Hearts, but I don’t know who made it, and so be it.

“We only spoke to the players about this a week past Thursday, and we knew we were going to have to play three games in seven days.

“It was up to the players to rest and we gave them the responsibility to make sure they were ready, if and when they were called upon and they certainly responded.”