Ivanauskas rows with ref as Beslija is injured

JUST three days after returning to the club following a period of stress-related sick leave, the Hearts manager Valdas Ivanauskas yesterday became involved after a furious confrontation with match officials at an SPL reserve match.

Ivanauskas, who was watching the match between Hearts and Falkirk from the main stand at Forthbank Stadium in Stirling, was furious after Thomas Scobbie's tackle on the Tynecastle club's record signing, Mirsad Beslija, forced the Bosnian to leave the field with what appeared to be a serious injury to his left knee. Scobbie was not booked for the heavy tackle, a matter which prompted Ivanauskas's ire.

The incident and subsequent lack of action from the officials, which took place shortly before the end of the first half, caused Ivanauskas to race down to the technical area to challenge match referee Andrew McWilliam and one of his assistants, Wes Boulstridge, at the interval.

The trio left to continue their discussion in the referee's room, and whether McWilliam includes Ivanauskas's actions in his match report remains to be seen. If that is the case, the Lithuanian is likely to face a touchline ban for the second time since taking over at Tynecastle. Ivanauskas only returned to Hearts on Saturday following his five-week absence.

The Hearts manager's actions upset his Falkirk counterpart, John Hughes, who accused McWilliam at full-time of being intimidated by Ivanauskas.

Beslija will undergo a scan today on his knee, having left Forthbank on crutches. The winger has seen his time in Edinburgh plagued by poor form and a series of injuries, while Hearts remain in dispute with Racing Genk over payment of his £850,000 transfer fee.

Taken from the Scotsman