Craig Beattie signing ‘doesn’t sit right’ after wage delays, says Danny Lennon

ST MIRREN manager Danny Lennon has added a bit of spice to tonight’s Scottish Cup quarter-final replay with Hearts by criticising the Tynecastle club for signing Craig Beattie at a time when they can’t pay their players on time.

Wage delays have been a recurring problem at Hearts this season and the players who take to the field in Paisley tonight are still waiting for their March salaries to be paid.

The club escaped punishment from the Scottish Premier League in January after players complained about delays, yet they added Beattie to the squad the following month. St Mirren had also been keen to sign the striker and Lennon yesterday spoke of his frustration at a situation he believes is “unfair”.

“Now Beattie can actually compete tomorrow evening against a club that was in for him. It just doesn’t sit right,” Lennon told BBC Scotland.

Former Celtic, West Bromwich Albion and Swansea City forward Beattie signed for Hearts despite the Edinburgh club having terminated the contract of Calum Elliot, loaned fellow forward John Sutton to Central Coast Mariners and allowed midfielder Ryan Stevenson, who had deputised up front at times, to join Ipswich Town while citing a need to reduce their wage budget. Beattie scored Hearts’ opening goal in the 2-2 draw with St Mirren in the first quarter-final clash at Tynecastle earlier this month and was on target in the 2-0 Edinburgh derby win in the league over Hibernian on Sunday. And tonight he’ll be gunning for the Buddies again.

“It is a wee bit frustrating that Hearts are a club that can pay three or four times what we are paying and yet they can’t afford to pay their players’ wages at this minute in time,” added Lennon. “It is no disrespect to the Hearts management team or the playing staff, but they must get their house in order. It just doesn’t seem fair.”

Lennon, meanwhile, admits he was envious of Kilmarnock’s Scottish Communities League Cup triumph but insists the Ayrshire side have given other clubs hope that they too can win silverware this season.

Kilmarnock stunned favourites Celtic with a 1-0 win at Hampden on Sunday to claim the first trophy of the campaign, while ending hopes of a domestic treble for the Parkhead side.

The winners of tonight’s replay at St Mirren Park will face Celtic in the last four of the competition and Lennon believes his side have renewed confidence that they can go all the way following Kilmarnock’s heroics. He said: “Congratulations to them. It was a wonderful achievement by Kenny Shiels and his staff.

“You are envious as another manager, although you are delighted for them. You hope one day it’s going to be your turn. We’ve all got dreams and ambitions and we want success.

“I was absolutely delighted for them. It gives everybody else big belief. It will give ourselves and Hearts the belief, after a difficult game, for a semi-final against Celtic at the national stadium.

“Whoever goes through will take great confidence from the fact that Kilmarnock have already had a positive result.Anything can happen in cup games and that’s the wonderful romance of any cup.”