Craig Levein defends young Hearts star after red card

Hearts manager Craig Levein jumped to the defence of midfielder Harry Cochrane after the teenager was red carded late in the goalless draw with St Johnstone.

He took issue with referee Kevin Clancy's decision to send off the 16-year-old starlet, who is now ruled out of this week's Edinburgh derby with Hibs.

Cochrane impressed with a goal in the 4-0 win over Celtic but blotted his copybook at McDiarmid Park.

His late lunge on the touchline appeared to catch Blair Alston, having already been cautioned for a shirt pull on Chris Millar.

But Levein insisted: “I have watched it back and he doesn't touch him.

“All he tries to do is stop the ball on the line of the clearance. He doesn't try to tackle him.

“Also, I'm not one hundred percent sure Kevin saw it. I think he heard the squeal.

“You can't appeal it and there is no point speaking to the officials.

“Harry is hugely disappointed, he's absolutely gutted that he's been sent off and we have had to play the rest of the game with 10 men.

“There will be something that Harry can learn from in every game and in this one he's went to block a clearance and given the ref the opportunity to make the decision.

“He can learn from that. I won't say any more about it because I'm getting annoyed.”

Levein admitted he had hoped to end a seven-year wait to post a league win in Perth.

“It was a typical game against St Johnstone, it was competitive but I didn't feel under pressure in the match.

“I didn't feel we would lose a goal even when we went down to ten men, so I was happy with how sound we were defensively.”

Perth manager Tommy Wright saw his team replaced by Kilmarnock in the top six but he was pleased to follow up a 3-1 win over Rangers at Ibrox with a share of the spoils.

Saints could not find the winner to end a wait for a home win stretching back to September.

But Wright found plenty of positives to take from the match.

“If any team was going to win I think it was us,” he said.

“We were a bit more like ourselves at home and showed more urgency.

“I'm happy to build on the win over Rangers. It is a good point against a side that has been in good form.”

Wright leapt to the defence of referee Clancy for producing the red card for Cochrane's tackle.

He said: “It was a foul so two yellows equal a red. It's late because the ball was knocked down the line. It's a tackle the youngster will learn from. I can't see that they have any complaints.”

Wright, a former goalkeeper himself, was impressed with Hearts shotstopper Jon McLaughlin, with one save to prevent skipper Joe Shaughnessy heading Saints ahead particularly eye-catching.

“The save from Joe is instinctive and he was in a good position to save from David Wotherspoon,” he added.

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