Linesman got it wrong, says Cowie
DON COWIE moaned that his goalscoring celebrations were incorrectly cut short by a linesman’s error yesterday — but admitted he could have no complaints about losing to impressive Rangers.
The Hearts midfielder had a goal ruled out for offside with the game at 0-0. That decision, which Cowie claimed was wrong, was long in the making after Stuart Stevenson’s flag went up late.
‘As soon as the ball went in, I had a look across because you don’t want to go away celebrating and then the flag goes up,’ said Cowie.
‘And there’s no flag. I’ve been told that the linesman started to run toward the halfway line. So, in my eyes, I’ve scored.
‘You look a bit stupid going away and celebrating and 15 seconds later the flag goes up. You see it and it’s clearly onside.
‘It was tight, there were loads of bodies and I can see why they’ve maybe got it wrong. Sometimes you don’t get them. But it was disappointing how long it took. I don’t know if he’s getting pelters from the fans on that side.
‘He’s maybe thought it was a dodgy decision, so he doesn’t know and has gone the opposite way.
‘It’s frustrating and it definitely changes the game if you go 1-0 up.
‘But, if we are honest, Rangers deserved to win. We didn’t stamp our authority on the game enough. We were probably lucky in the end that it was 2-0.
‘We just weren’t on the front foot enough. We had been eager to get in their faces in the other game. At no point did we do that today.’
At 33, Cowie is three years his new head coach’s senior. Yet that unusual scenario and the reaction to the groundbreaking appointment of Ian Cathro does nothing to dissuade Cowie from believing Hearts will remain on track.
‘It’s a case of Ian trying to put his own ideas on what was a good team anyway and that will take a few weeks,’ said Cowie. ‘But it’s exciting times.
‘Under his guidance, we can be very good.
‘He’s had a great upbringing in the game, been with fantastic teams and the next step is him to be the main man picking the team. It is a natural progression.’