BRIAN MARJORIBANKS SPARKS FLY RIGHT TO A BITTER END
WITH Hearts assured of third and St Johnstone confirmed in fourth, a meaningless end-of-season match was expected. Four goals in 20 breathless opening minutes destroyed that notion, long before a potential leg breaker of a tackle by Abiola Dauda saw this match erupt in fury.
The 21-man melee that followed the striker’s dangerous tackle from behind on Saints midfielder Liam Craig merely served as further proof this was no dead rubber.
In the aftermath, Craig was lucky to avoid censure for grabbing Dauda, while Perth boss Tommy Wright vented his fury at the forward when he finally made his way up the tunnel.
By the time the dust had settled on a thrilling game — with nine bookings added to that red — Wright was still seething at the incident that sparked a shoving match involving every player except Hearts keeper Jack Hamilton.
‘I was furious,’ said Wright. ‘It was an absolutely horrible challenge by Dauda. Hearts can have no complaints about the sending-off. The reaction of our players told its own story. It was a disgraceful challenge and it’s something that should not be in the game. I was just pleased my players kept their discipline.’
However, Hearts boss Neilson afterwards pointed the finger at St Johnstone’s players for influencing referee Greg Aitken. He believed the decision to send Dauda walking on his last match for Hearts was unjust.
‘I’m disappointed in the sendingoff,’ said Neilson. ‘The reaction of the players was what made it a sending-off. I’ve watched it back and Dauda actually stands on the back of his (Craig’s) foot. It’s not intentional and it’s the ruckus afterwards that made the referee react.
‘It’s Dauda’s last game and this is not the way he wanted to leave but it’s no fault of his own. He was just trying to track back and he stood on the boy’s foot.’
Hearts and Saints kicked off the season here last August with a thrilling 4-3 win for the home side. This was an equally entertaining way to pull the curtain down on fine campaigns for both clubs.
So much so that Wright admitted yesterday he was ‘flattered’ to be linked with the vacant Nottingham Forest job but insisted he is happy at McDiarmid Park.
‘Forest are one of my former clubs and are a club with a great history,’ said the former keeper. ‘But this is all just speculation. It’s nice to be linked with that kind of job but I signed a long-term contract here and I’m happy at St Johnstone.’
Saints raced into a ninth-minute lead when John Souttar pulled Graham Cummins back in the box. Former Hibs skipper Craig fired clinically into the bottom right corner. Three minutes later it was 2-0 when Danny Swanson’s set-piece was bundled over the line by Cummins.
The visitors looked on course to repeat their 3-0 win here in March but Hearts got back into the game when Arnaud Djoum met Prince Buaben’s cross and his looping header went over Alan Mannus into the top corner.
Neilson’s side were back on level terms four minutes later when Buaben sent in another cross. Juanma’s header struck Joe Shaughnessy and the ball deflected over Mannus. The Saints keeper then made an important save with his feet when Dauda was clean through on goal with a chance to make it 3-2. Moments later, Mannus made another fine stop, preventing Dauda’s header creeping in at his right-hand post.
After the break, Saints striker Chris Kane chipped over the bar when clean through on goal.
After Hearts were down to 10 men, sub Steven MacLean and Cummins both missed chances to keep the Perth side’s 100-per-cent post-split record alive.
They were also denied a second penalty when Perry Kitchen pushed Cummins in the box.
Despite losing a two-goal lead, Wright was happy with his side’s performance.
‘I’ve been joking about it not being time for Speedos and suncream yet,’ he said. ‘But there was a serious point. Some of my lads are playing for deals after the split, so everything has to be of a high standard.
‘We put pressure on ourselves to win every game after the split and we should have won the game.
‘Even with 11 men we were the better side. Hearts are really good at slowing the game down, killing the game. But even though we didn’t play with a high-enough tempo when they were down to 10 men, we still created enough chances. It was a good point to finish the season and to dominate at Tynecastle was pleasing.
‘I thought the referee only got one decision wrong, when Cummins should have had a penalty when Kitchen clearly pushed him. It’s a brave ref that gives a penalty for a tug in the box but that decision was the right one. But it would take an even braver ref to give two penalties here. Tynecastle would have erupted.’
On a day of disagreements, Neilson was far from happy with the match official.
‘I was disappointed at their penalty,’ he said. ‘But there’s not a lot you can do. If I say too much I’ll have to come back from my holidays early to be at Hampden. And I don’t fancy that.
‘I was a wee bit disappointed with certain things. We will take the draw. It’s been a good season, it’s been a good points total and we’ll try to build over the summer and get closer to the top.’