Ref got it wrong and cost Jambos a point: Neilson
Hearts boss Robbie Neilson believes a dodgy decision from assistant referee Alan Mulvanny cost his side a point yesterday.
The official insisted that the ball had gone out of play before Jamie Walker crossed for Armand Gnanduillet to score during stoppage time but Neilson reckons he got that badly wrong.
“It’s a big call,” he insisted. “I’ve watched it again and the linesman is seven or eight yards away from it so he can’t see it – he’s just guessed.
“He’s potentially cost us a point. Jamie was adamant it was still in and I’ve seen the video and it was.
“I’m hugely disappointed. We spoke about getting a reaction to Tuesday night and, after a minute, we make an individual error and we’re a goal down. Then we lose another poor goal when we step out and they do us over the top.
“To the players’ credit, they fought back to make it 2-2 and then, when we’re trying to win the game, we lose another goal because of another individual error.
“It’s crazy that we’re talking about the confidence in the group when we’re 13 points clear with five games to go. If you had offered us that at the start of the season we would have bitten your hand off for it.
“But we’ve had a blip. The last five days have been really difficult for everyone. It’s a case of sticking together and making sure we get over the line as there’s still a bit of work to do.”
Neilson stressed that this Hearts team is a work in progress.
“I said at the start of the season when I came in that it was like trying to turn around a big ship that’s struggled for the last two or three years,” he said.
“There will be blips along the road and we’ll reflect back on this, but we have to try to look forward.
“We’ll have Craig Gordon and Michael Smith back next week which will add a bit of strength and security. But there wasn’t a lot Ross Stewart could have done for any of the goals.”
Neilson also expressed sympathy for the fans protesting outside the ground about recent poor results and performances.
“We understand their frustration as there’s nobody more frustrated than me after Tuesday and again after today,” he said. “It’s probably not the time to protest as a mass group and we asked them not to, but I totally understand their frustration as I’m the same.
“There are a lot of conversations to be had before next week. There was one right after the game about what we need to do and how we look each other in the mirror.
“We have to pull ourselves together, stay strong and get our focus back.”