Jones unable to defend Malkowski

ROB Jones knew there was little he could say to soothe goalkeeper Zibi Malkowski's pain after the Pole featured prominently in a Hearts comeback that ruined the Hibs centre-half's Edinburgh derby debut. Indeed, he didn't bother to try to find the right words, and instead told it how it was.

The brutal post-match inquest couldn't fail to pinpoint Malkowski's part in his side's downfall, and Jones had a closer view than most of the goalkeeper's first mistake. Malkowski stormed from his goal-line in a bid to deal with a cross that Jones looked to have been set to deal with on the edge of the Hibs box. Instead, the defender only connected with his hapless team-mate's arm, and both watched in horror as Andrius Velicka capitalised on the error.

It was only the start of the defender's goalkeeper woes yesterday. Deep into injury time Jones saw his net-bound header spectacularly saved by Craig Gordon.

"We are obviously very disappointed at the way the goals came about," said Jones. "It was just two shots really, we were never really bothered otherwise. When you gift a side two goals like that you don't really deserve anything from the match."

Jones turned his attention to the incident that turned the match in Hearts' favour and which eventually led to the Tynecastle side celebrating an unlikely point as they might have done a win.

"It was a yard inside our box and the goalkeeper should never have been there," he said. "He's come to try and get the ball and tried his best but he really should have left us to get on with it. Hopefully it won't happen again.

"All I remember is I felt his arm come across my head. I thought it was their centre-forward but in fact it was our own 'keeper. If he'd gone on to clear it then it's a case of 'well done Zibi', but it's gone into our goal. There's no point moping about it. We can't change it."

Jones was unsparing in his assessment of Hearts' second goal, again scored by Velicka and this time from an angle that once more forced observers to question the goalkeeper.

"It's a good strike but the golden rule is that a 'keeper should not be beaten at his near post," commented Jones. "But he was and suddenly it's 2-2. We are bitterly disappointed. It was a derby, and it was there for the taking."

Jones revealed that he had not spoken to Malkowski in the dressing room afterwards. "I have not spoken to him," said Jones. "I get dressed a long way away from the goalkeeper. Things might be said tomorrow."

As for Gordon's excellence at the other end, specifically when saving his late header, Jones couldn't believe he'd been denied a famous derby winner. "I'd have put my house on it going in," he said. "But it was a fantastic save. I have been told it's not the first time, either."

Taken from the Scotsman