Don't look back in anger

WHEN Valdas Ivanauskas swung his boot at a trackside barrier on Hearts' previous visit to Celtic Park, his actions summed up the skull-crushing frustration of every Tynecastle supporter. Yet tomorrow past injustices cannot be allowed to undermine the club's attempts to rein in the SPL leaders, according to assistant coach John McGlynn.

Eduard Malofeev and McGlynn lead their side to a top-versus-second confrontation in Glasgow's east end, the scene of an Ivanauskas eruption back in April when referee Dougie McDonald refused Roman Bednar a clear penalty. At the time, Hearts' fortunes were on a knife-edge as they pursued Scotland's coveted second Champions League spot, which they would ultimately secure.

Seeing the Czech striker impeded by Celtic's Bobo Balde with his team a goal behind and only 12 minutes remaining was too much for an exasperated Ivanauskas. McDonald remained impassive to the howls for a penalty, but seconds later was over at the visitors' technical area ordering the Lithuanian to the stand. Ivanauskas was subsequently banned from the dugout for two matches by the SFA.

Bednar betrayed his lingering disgust at the same official as recently as September, and was issued with a red card for his temerity. After another tangible penalty claim was refused by McDonald against St Mirren, Bednar approached the referee in the tunnel with a message alleged to be along the lines of "it's always the same when you're the ref".

McGlynn recognises better than most the frustrations that can arise amid the searing intensity of a vital match with the Old Firm. He was ordered to the stand himself during August's defeat of Celtic for an altercation with his counterpart Garry Pendry, but he is adamant that nursing a grievance tomorrow can only damage Hearts.

"We know it's difficult when you go to Glasgow and you don't normally get decisions because referees can be influenced by 50,000 people," he explained. "But it's gone now. You have to let these things go. We know what happened but I don't think anybody here will be looking back on not getting a penalty-kick. We've done that for long enough.

"This is a massive game and if we can win it we put ourselves right back in the title race. It's up to us to keep the league open and that's what we will aim to do. Rangers are obviously looking for that to happen, but we're not concerned about that. We want to win the game for our own reasons."

After the deflation of last week against Dunfermline, encouragement for Malofeev and McGlynn can be derived from the fact their squad is nearing its full quota of players. Jose Goncalves started a match for the first time since April in the 1-1 draw with the Fife side, and others like Michal Pospisil, who has been out since August, and Nerijus Barasa, who has not played competitively since May, are now on the periphery of the first team.

This is tempered slightly by Bednar's Achilles injury, which will keep him out of tomorrow's match and for the following three to four weeks but, in general terms, the treatment table at Riccarton is less in demand now than at any other time this season.

Celtic have continued seamlessly in a domestic context from their title win of last year, which was manager Gordon Strachan's maiden season with the club. However, their midweek jolt in Lisbon is something that Hearts may be able to seize upon.

"There's a lot of travelling involved in European trips and I'm told it was quite warm in Lisbon despite the rain in the second half," said McGlynn of Celtic's 3-0 Champions League defeat by Benfica. "The players would have encountered a change in temperature, which is sometimes nice but it can also throw you a bit as well.

"It was a difficult game for Celtic and I expect all these things will contribute to the type of side we will face tomorrow. But, as at any club, they will rally the troops round because that's what you do in these circumstances when you aren't quite as fresh as you would normally be."

Hearts have suffered themselves upon returning from European duty this season, but one highlight of the campaign thus far has been the club's away form in Scotland. Only at Ibrox have they been unable to prise a result, with impressive wins in hazardous locations like Pittodrie providing evidence that the roots of their ills could lie closer to home.

"It's just as well we're picking up results when we're away because we aren't doing so well at Tynecastle this season," noted McGlynn. "We're finding it more difficult to score at home. I think that could turn with just one wee break in front of goal because we have created chances in all our games - St Mirren, Kilmarnock, Dunfermline - we just need to find someone who is consistently hitting the back of the net.

"We managed good wins at Motherwell and Aberdeen. This is a game that can maybe kick-start the season because it is such a big occasion. It might be similar to the game at Pittodrie, when Aberdeen came out and attacked us and we played fairly well on the counter-attack. No doubt Celtic, at home in front of their own fans, will attack us as they always do.

"There could be an opportunity for us to hit them on the break.

"I'm not saying we will go there intent on just counter-attacking football, but sometimes when you are under pressure you can break up the park quickly and pick off the gaps that have been left.

"That happened at Aberdeen and that's why we got our goals and won the game. Maybe we will find ourselves in a similar situation tomorrow. Regardless of the stats, it's still a tough game away to Celtic.

"The game will be taken on its merits on the day. Whether we have a good away record or not probably will not make a lot of difference tomorrow. Obviously you gain a bit of confidence when you know you're capable of winning away from home, but it really doesn't matter how you get your points - as long as you get them." There will be few Jambo complaints if the Hearts team coach heads back along the M8 after a momentous victory. Last time that occurred was in 2005 under John Robertson, but there have been a few bones of contention between Hearts and Celtic since then.


Taken from the Scotsman