BEAR WITH A SORE HEAD AS YOGI FUMES

John McGarry, 18/04/2009

JOHN HUGHES aimed a verbal volley at Falkirk fans for demanding he be sacked - and also called for more backing from his board.

The Bairns Trust wrote to the club urging Hughes be booted out as Falkirk battle to stay in the SPL.

The group, who claim widespread support among Bairns fans, say they have had enough of Yogi's methods and results and demanded his removal before this draw with Hearts.

Hughes was clearly fizzing at both the content and the timing of the letter - and he wasn't happy either at what he perceived to be less than convincing backing from the Falkirk board on Friday.

Yogi fumed: "My boys are due a lot of credit for the way they conducted themselves today because the timing of that letter from the Bairns Trust is abysmal. I can understand their frustrations, but to do it just before such a key game is unforgiveable.

"I really hope we get ourselves out of this situation as there are one or two people I'll be looking to hunt down if we do.

"I know the people involved. They claim to represent the views of all these supporters, but in actual fact they represent about 114 fans.

"The club issuing a press release saying we're right behind Yogi is not enough either.

"I'd like to thank the board of directors for their backing - but I'd like them to take the appropriate action against the people responsible. To name names, as the letter did, is totally out of order. And to talk about the details of young boys' contracts is a breach of confidentiality.

"The whole thing's just diabolical. True Falkirk fans are wanting to stand shoulder to shoulder at this time.

"People in certain positions have harmed the club this week and they know who they are.

"But one final thing I will say is that their actions galvanised the players today.

"What will be will be with me. But please don't do that to my players."

The last thing Falkirk need is a sub-plot to go with what's already been a desperately disappointing league season.

Yogi's rant certainly brightened up what was an extremely dull day which ended with neither Hearts' European dreams nor Falkirk's survival hopes much better or worse off.

The Jambos enjoyed the bulk of possession, but the lack of a clinical penalty box striker cost them dear again.

How Csaba Laszlo needs to squeeze his contacts this summer to find the man who might just get the Tynecastle men challenging next season.

Three minutes in and David Obua's cross allowed Andrew Driver to hit the target with a header, but Bairns stopper Darren Barr was on hand to guide it round the post to safety.

Then Lee Wallace provided Driver with a perfect chance on the counter-attack, but the winger wanted too much time to assess the situation and Tam Scobbie intercepted to clear the danger. Driver was getting into the right positions even if his end product left something to be desired.

Bruno Aguiar brushed off Neil McCann to present Driver with a fine opening on 15 minutes, but he pulled his low shot beyond the far post.

Falkirk were struggling to make much headway. Michael Higdon's frustrations were taken out on Christos Karipidis at the cost of a yellow card, joining Ruben Palazuelos in ref Eddie Smith's book.

In the first half we should have been 2-0 or 3-0 up

A heated exchange between Arnau Riera and Bruno Aguiar nine minutes from the break saw both suffer the same punishment.

Falkirk's five-man midfield enjoyed enough of the ball, but they severely lacked punch and penetration in the final third. It was only Hearts' wastefulness in front of goal that saved them.

Palazuelos nodded Aguiar's free-kick back across goal where Marius Zaliukas seemed certain to convert from three yards. He dithered though and Scobbie stuck out a leg to clear.

For all the Jambos' possession, Bairns keeper Dani Mallo had precious little to do in the first half apart from a slightly theatrical block to thwart Obua's downward header.

The Bairns were marginally more adventurous in the second period without really looking like scoring.

They had a decent shout for a penalty turned down on 47 minutes when Calum Elliot's hand popped up from the defensive wall to knock Scott Arfield's free-kick clear.

Then Wallace motored fully 60 yards from deep to play in Driver, but although on this occasion he tested Mallo his effort was weak.

Christian Nade replaced Michael Stewart as Laszlo went with two up front and the Frenchman did have some impact on the proceedings.

After refusing to give up on one apparent lost cause, he cleverly fed Driver who cushioned the ball into Elliot's path.

It should have been a sublime goal, but the striker's wild slash left Mallo untroubled. With eight minutes remaining Nade jinked in behind the Falkirk defence and was cleverly picked out by Driver. Only a perfectly-timed block by Scobbie kept the scoreline blank.

In the dying seconds Obua wasted a decent opportunity to pinch the points for Hearts and his lazy, wasteful shot summed the game up.

But with Dundee United drawing and Aberdeen losing, this was by no means a disaster for third-placed Hearts.

Gaffer Laszlo said: "In the first half we should have been 2-0 or 3-0 up and the game would have been finished.

"But it wasn't easy, we were playing against a team fighting for their life. I don't think Falkirk will be relegated with the experience they have.

"After the results today from Dundee United and Aberdeen you can say in the last four weeks we have done a good job.

"We would like to win every game, but the important thing for me is the team has in its own hands the possibility to qualify for the Europa League."

FALKIRK: Dani Mallo, McNamara, Pressley, Barr, Scobbie, Cregg (Robertson 79), Arfield, Riera, O'Brien, McCann, Higdon. Subs not used: Olejnik, Bullen, Holden, McBride, Aafjes, Mitchell.

HEARTS: Kello, Neilson, Karipidis, Zaliukas, Lee Wallace, Aguiar, Stewart (Nade 69), Palazuelos, Driver, Obua, Elliot (Mrowiec 78). Subs not used: MacDonald, Tullberg, Cesnauskis, Jonsson, McGowan.