Hearts 1-1 Partick Thistle: Draw at Tynecastle
Hearts' homecoming party was spoiled by Partick Thistle substitute Kris Doolan as he grabbed a late leveller in a 1-1 draw at refurbished Tynecastle.
The Jambos returned home for the first time since July after their renovated main stand was eventually passed safe in the morning before the game.
Thistle had complained about the uncertainty and lateness of the decision and the few hundred Jags fans were unimpressed when kick-off was delayed 15 minutes due to the last of 16,999 supporters queuing at the turnstiles.
They were further dismayed in the 54th minute when Gorgie striker Esmael Goncalves fired in from outside the box.
But, with five minutes remaining, Doolan, on for Miles Storey after the Maryhill men had gone behind, pounced in the Hearts box to net the equaliser for a deserved point.
Post-match reaction
Partick Thistle boss Alan Archibald remained unhappy about late confirmation that their game against Hearts would go ahead despite a 1-1 draw at Tynecastle.
Less than two hours before the scheduled 1500 GMT start the Maryhill club released a statement claiming the uncertainty had been unfair on the fans, with questions now arising for the Scottish Professional Football League to answer.
The Thistle statement said: "On Monday, we will be asking the SPFL for an extensive review into the circumstances that allowed this situation to arise."
Archibald said: "I totally back the statement.
"It wouldn't have happened if Rangers were coming would it, let's be honest?
"That is not a wee club mentality. I just think with the amount of traffic, personnel, they wouldn't have allowed that to go to the last minute.
"I think there would have been more common sense rather than Hearts having to do the work that they had to do to rush about to get it on.
"I am not going to lie, the last couple of days were difficult.
"Nothing against Hearts, they were desperate to get the game on as well, so were we.
"It is a league's position, they should have taken a stance on it, made a decision one way or the other, gave them a cut-off point and rescheduled it for Wednesday, just like they do for cup replays."
Hearts boss Craig Levein was frustrated with the Thistle leveller, and claimed the officials missed two infringements in the lead-up to Doolan scoring.
He said: "I feel frustrated and a bit disappointed, particularly in the officials because the goal is offside and a handball.
"We managed to restrict Thistle to one shot on target which was the goal. I don't know who it was. He's offside when the ball has gone in, challenged for it, then he's punched it to Doolan.
"For me it's a clear offside, even if there are enough bodies so the linesman didn't see the handball. I thought it would take something like that to beat us.
"Defensively we weren't out of second gear. I was really pleased with that aspect but unfortunately we're sitting here ruing the fact the officials didn't do their job properly."
Archibald responded by saying: "Our goalkeeper says he thought (Kyle) Lafferty was offside for Goncalves' strike, whether he was interfering or not I am not sure.
"I think Craig will maybe feel lucky to get the point at Firhill (in September) when one (Hearts goal) was cleared off the line so that evens it up if it was."
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