Robertson’s referee rage

HE arrived back at Tynecastle to crowd adulation and the stadium announcer’s declaration that “the legend has come home”, but that’s where the bonhomie ended. Instead of the scripted win, John Robertson’s first game in charge of his beloved Hearts at their spiritual home yielded nothing more than a likely disciplinary summons to appear at Hampden.
Incensed by the performance of John Rowbotham, the referee — for awarding Motherwell the penalty and one-man advantage that ultimately settled the match, and failing to award his own side two spot-kicks — Robertson launched into an incredible verbal assault on the official that is bound to have repercussions.

Alan Maybury’s dismissal for brushing Martyn Corrigan off the ball looked a stonewall penalty to the neutral, but Robertson insisted: “It’s clear to everyone on the park that Corrigan was not going to get a shot in. The ball was overrun by Corrigan and all Alan has done is ease his body in front of him. He’s been sent off for nothing.

“We’ve also had two stonewall penalties not given. Terry Butcher has admitted there’s one where Mark de Vries was pushed with two hands, but Mr Rowbotham unfortunately missed that one. And then, late on, Graham Weir was shoved over.

“They say referees don’t change matches, but on this occasion he did. When you get the decisions he gave against us here, it’s scandalous. He’s cheated the fans out of a good game today.” Interestingly, Robertson chose to ignore Ramon Pereira’s yellow card for a more dubious attempt to win a spot-kick.

Continuing his rant, the Hearts manager added: “The fourth official has told us on a number of occasions he thinks the referee has got it wrong, but after the game they all go quiet. The referee called me to his room and then lied. He told me I swore at him, which I’ve got witnesses to prove I didn’t. But they make it up and no doubt I’ll be visiting the SFA.”

Robertson’s was not the only notable return at Tynecastle yesterday, as De Vries made only his second league start in a season blighted by injury. The Dutchman, reputedly a target of both Queens Park Rangers and Craig Levein, his former manager who is now at Leicester City, has clearly been missed given that Hearts had amassed just 13 goals in their preceding 14 matches.

However, his lack of recent action showed with a clumsy knockdown in midfield, followed, more culpably, by a wayward cushioned header aimed at Dennis Wyness when he ought to have gone for goal from Maybury’s exquisite cross. Nonetheless, the move set the tone for a sustained spell of Hearts dominance, during which Maybury clipped the post, while Jamie McAllister flashed a close-range header wide. It seemed only a matter of time before Hearts broke through, but Butcher’s boys succeeded in repelling the hosts’ efforts.

The turning point came on 28 minutes. David Clarkson slipped a wicked pass through the middle of Hearts defence to put the on-rushing Corrigan one-on-one with Craig Gordon. But, as he prepared to pull the trigger, a despairing Maybury appeared to push him aside. The referee not only pointed to the spot but, deeming the left-back the last defender, brandished a straight red card. Richie Foran converted to leave Hearts a goal and a man down.

Motherwell were then happy to invite Hearts forward in an effort to punish them on the break, a tactic that almost paid off when Steven Hammell broke at pace and forced Gordon to palm the ball behind.

But, along with the shift in power balance, came an injection of tetchiness into proceedings. Having been fouled by David Partridge, Patrick Kisnorbo petulantly kicked out at the Motherwell centre-half, who responded — disgracefully — with a ludicrously delayed collapse to the floor. Amazingly, Rowbotham failed to caution either protagonist.

Motherwell, keen to kill off the contest, began the second half with the same vigour that Hearts had shown in the first. It came as something of a surprise, therefore, when the improving Foran contrived to miss an open goal. Clarkson released Jim Paterson with another deft ball and, from an acute angle, the winger cleverly drilled a cross-shot across goal, which Gordon could only parry. Fortuitously for the Irishman, the ball broke at his feet six yards out, but, with the Hearts goalkeeper lying prostrate, he inexplicably prodded the ball against the post.

For all his talk of restoring élan to the Hearts side, Robertson pragmatically realised that his side needed a more direct attitude and the pretty midfield triangles were sacrificed in favour of long, high balls to De Vries. However, all that Hearts could produce for all their pressure were those penalty appeals, while Foran and Corrigan both missed late chances to increase Motherwell’s margin of victory.

STAR MAN: David Clarkson (Motherwell)
Player ratings. Hearts: Gordon 7, Maybury 5, Kisnorbo 5 (McKenna 79min, 5), Pressley 6, Webster 6, Wyness 7 (Janczyk 63min, 5), De Vries 5, Hartley 7, Neilson 7, McAllister 5, Pereira 6 (Weir 65min, 5)

Motherwell: Marshall 6, Corrigan 6, Hammell 7, Craigan 7, Leitch 6, Foran 7, Clarkson 8 (Wright 90min), Partridge 6, Paterson 5, Quinn 5, Fitzpatrick 6 (Burns 65, 5)

Booked: Pereira (61min), Paterson (78min)

Sent off: Maybury (26min)

Referee: J Rowbotham

Attendance: 10,598