Source: Team_Talk
Jefferies baffled by sloppy Jambos
Hearts boss Jim Jefferies was at a loss to explain the concession of four goals to Falkirk following their 4-3 Co-op Cup third-round defeat.[LNB] After going down 2-0 in the first half to the Irn-Bru First Division side through goals from Mark Stewart and Carl Finnigan - and seeing Craig Thomson sent off after appearing to kick out at Finnigan when they clashed on the touchline - a pep talk at the break saw the Gorgie side come out fighting.[LNB]In a breathtaking fightback, Kevin Kyle reduced the deficit from the spot in the 66th minute and Suso Santa levelled before Kyle headed the visitors in to the lead.[LNB]But with 10 minutes remaining Ryan Flynn equalised and with seconds of the three added minutes remaining and extra time looming, Stewart popped up in the six-yard box to knock in the winner after Brian McLean had headed back a Jack Compton corner.[LNB]Jefferies said: "I don't think I've ever been involved in a game as unbelievable as that.[LNB]"As you can imagine Billy Brown and I tore in to them at half-time.[LNB]"We thought we could just turn up here and get our way automatically and there were some harsh words about application, effort and desire to win a game.[LNB]"There wasn't a seat to be had in the away stand and we served up what we did.[LNB]"But I'm still trying to get my head around the four goals we lost.[LNB]"It was a magnificent effort in the second half by everybody and when we went 3-2 up, we should have learned our lessons.[LNB]"But for their third goal, our centre halves were too far apart and then the daddy of them all (the fourth).[LNB]"You look like you are going in to extra time and you just want to keep switched on but the man who was marking McLean for the header - and he knows who he is - did not do his job properly and we are out the cup because of it."[LNB]Thomson was sent off by referee Brian Winter after consulting with his fourth official Eddie Smith but Jefferies is willing to give his defender the benefit of the doubt - for now.[LNB]He said: "I've not seen the incident, nobody did apart from the fourth official.[LNB]"Craig's explanation - and he might be right because the sprinklers were on and there were a lot of players sliding around the pitch - is that his foot slipped.[LNB]"I will see it on the video and if that is right then he was very unlucky to be sent off.[LNB]"If it looks to me as if it was deliberate then he has cost his team mates dear."[LNB]Bairns boss Steven Pressley praised both sets of players for their part in a "wonderful" cup tie.[LNB]He said: "You've got to give Hearts enormous credit, they were 2-0 down at half time and down to 10 men.[LNB]"It would have been easy to go under but they showed unbelievable spirit to get back in to the game and so did we.[LNB]"It was a wonderful cup tie."[LNB]The former Hearts skipper, who claimed he did not see Thomson's sending off, refused to crow about the win despite taking stick from the travelling fans when the Gorgie side had pulled the scored back to 2-2 and then gone ahead.[LNB]He said: "I expected it. I was only surprised that it took 75 minutes for it to happen."
