Balogh defends Hearts over 'con' allegations

BARRY ANDERSON
JANOS BALOGH has defended the Hearts players against Craig Levein's allegations that they conned referee Eddie Smith at Tannadice on Saturday by feigning injury and timewasting.
The Hungarian goalkeeper insisted his colleagues did not cheat, as suggested by Levein, and instead went about their business in an honest manner.

Balogh admitted to taking longer over goal kicks once Michael Stewart had put Hearts ahead in the match, which they won 1-0, but stressed that this practice was commonplace in football.

"The game is over, we played a very heavy game and it was a fight all the time," he said. "If a player gets kicked it is painful but I think every player at Hearts is honest. We don't want to cheat.

"I think for the Dundee United manager it is very painful because he lost the game, but we must look to the next game against Motherwell and focus on the top six.

"Dundee United are a very good team. We scored a goal with more than 20 minutes to go. When we got a goal kick I went a little bit slower, which is normal in football. It's not cheating, it's normal."

Csaba Laszlo, the Hearts manager, remained unfazed by Levein's comments and said he would not waste energy by becoming concerned about them.

He also stated he had no grudge to bear against his Tannadice counterpart.

"My birthday is over but if he has a birthday he can invite me and I will come with flowers and whisky. I will be there," smiled Laszlo.

"I don't have any problem with Craig Levein. This was in the past and in the future it will not change. Everyone must decide for himself.

"Everything that is in the newspapers is fantastic but everything I know is also fantastic. I don't criticise the referees, I don't criticise the SFA, I don't criticise the SPL, I don't criticise my colleagues from the bench. It is finished.

"Believe me, I know what is important in football. What is not important I don't lose energy for. It is important for me to know what happens against Motherwell tomorrow. It is the most important thing to concentrate on my team and so I don't comment."

Taken from the Scotsman