Source: Team_Talk
Holden: Bairns gone back to basics
The Bairns booked a Homecoming Scottish Cup quarter-final place on Saturday by winning a fiercely-contested tie against Hearts 1-0 at Tynecastle, where both sides finished with 10 men.[LNB]In a breathless, incident-packed second half, Steve Lovell's 59th-minute goal proved decisive - despite the striker appearing just offside when he headed over Janos Balogh via the underside of the bar.[LNB]Hearts looked set for an instant reply when referee Dougie McDonald awarded a penalty - after Holden's challenge on Andrew Driver near the byline.[LNB]But after consulting with assistant Chris Young, he changed his decision and awarded a corner.[LNB]Hearts lost their cool, and Marius Zaliukas was sent off - his third red card of the campaign and Hearts' eighth - after kicking and punching Carl Finnigan.[LNB]Falkirk's Scott Arfield also saw red in injury time, but John Hughes' team held on - even if the hosts had enjoyed better chances in a gripping contest.[LNB]Holden, who just touched the ball in tackling Driver, knows the relegation-threatened Bairns are renowned for passing football - but feels a new system is helping their revival.[LNB]After a first triumph in Gorgie since April 1995, the defender said: "It's a great win for us. I don't think anybody gave us a chance.[LNB]"But we know what we've got in the dressing room. The manager has faith in the team - and we're now showing the form and resilience needed to be successful.[LNB]"We've had two great victories, against Aberdeen in the league and now Hearts.[LNB]"It gives us confidence, proves we can mix it with the big boys."[LNB]The new tactics are not especially ground-breaking.[LNB]"We've gone back to basics a little, changed the formation," Holden reports.[LNB]"We are more resilient as a team, not as open as we used to be. But equally we're maybe not as fluent going forward."[LNB]On the penalty reversal, the ex-Bolton trainee added: "It took a lot of bottle to change it.[LNB]"I was unsure. I thought I maybe got a bit of the ball - but you're always risking a challenge like that.[LNB]New Hearts captain Robbie Neilson believes his club's video pictures prove the winning goal was offside.[LNB]But he conceded their lack of a proven striker - Eggert Jonsson was played as a makeshift forward because of Christian Nade's knee injury - proved their undoing.[LNB]He said: "I was disappointed. I thought it was offside. I've seen it on our video analysis - and he looks 'off'.[LNB]"It was closer than I thought it was - about half-a-yard. But half-a-yard, 10 yards, it doesn't matter. If you are offside, you are offside.[LNB]"We had chances we didn't take, so we can't start blaming people."[LNB][LNB]
