SO LADS, WHAT HAPPENED NEXT?

DEAN SHIELS has done me a massive favour.

I have no doubt that in about a year's time his sending-off will be in the What Happened Next? section on Question of Sport.

And Matt Dawson will never get it because it was just so unbelievable and gob-smackingly strange that it will be a bonus point for the McCoist team.

Even now I can't actually believe that happened and I saw it with my own eyes.

I took a few penalties in my time and even managed to score one or two. Every time I did beat the keeper, I was away sliding on my knees in front of my own fans and thinking about how great I was.

Maybe that was selfish. Perhaps, like young Shiels, I should have gone into the goal to collect the ball and get the game going again.

But I don't think even in my daftest moments I would have run into the keeper.

It was a sending-off. He had to go. I don't care what Shiels or my old Scotland room-mate John Collins says.

No, he didn't punch Craig Gordon. Instead, it was a forearm smash that put the big fella down and the last time I looked that was against the law.

Sorry, but you just can't do it.

Shiels had just equalised for Hibs against Hearts after his side had been 2-0 down. He had taken his penalty brilliantly, having won it in the first place, and should have been running towards the Hibs fans to take their applause.

And I don't buy into the notion that asmall guy can't shove a big guy over. I have seen a wee nine-stone winger put a big centre-half on his backside. Keeper Gordon didn't have much chance to stay on his feet.

What was the Hibs man thinking? I've read all the comments and it was suggested by John that Gordon got in Shiels' way. Well, I've watched the incident countless times and that's not how it looked to me.

If anything, it was the Hibs player who ran straight towards the keeper.

I'm sure Shiels is a nice lad but you can't get away with what he did.

It was his corner that set up Chris Killen's goal and he did well to win the penalty. Shiels knew exactly what to do when Nerijus Barasa came across him and fair play to him for being cute. But then he lost the plot.

It was a match with everything. For me, the Old Firmgame is still the biggest draw in this country but I have been at the last two Hearts- Hibs games and they have been absolutely fantastic. I can't wait for the next one.

In terms of drama, excitement and tension, the matches are hard to beat.

I was at the 2-2 game at Easter Road when Hearts somehow got a point from a game they were never in - but Zibi Malkowski made a mistake, as he did the other day.

That match was brilliant but Tuesday's was one of the best derby matches I've seen in my life. Anywhere in the world.

The first three minutes saw Abdessalam Benjelloun miss a good chance for Hibs. Then Paul Hartley scored and within a few seconds referee Mike McCurry had to book Hartley and Michael Stewart for having a square-go with one another.

And then it speeded up.

I was giving my expert and brilliant analysis at half-time for Setanta and I was taking notes during the first half. There was smoke coming from my pen because so much was going on.

A minute didn't pass without something happening.

We had goals, a comeback, bookings, goalkeeping mistakes, missed chances, a brilliant winner, fantastic atmosphere and the strangest goal celebration-cum-red card you will ever see.

Hartley was immense from start to finish, as was Julien Brellier. When Hibs went a man down, Scott Brown and Steven Whittaker moved up a level and were both fantastic.

And big Steven was so unlucky not to score a third for his team. I don't think I have ever seen a shot hit both posts.

John Collins was right to praise his players who gave him 100 per cent.

At half-time, I said Hibs would get back into it because no team in the world could keep going the way Hearts were in the first 45 minutes. It simply can't be done.

And even when Shiels went off, I felt Hibs could get something from the game. What a game of football in a superb stadium.

I love Tynecastle, always have, and it was rocking on Tuesday.

My television partner, Scott Booth, and I spoke during the game about how much we loved playing there.

Every time I went to Tynecastle with Rangers, the Hearts supporters were up for it and that made it a very special day.

If Hearts ever do move away from their spiritual home, it will be a sad day for our game.

Taken from the Daily Record