Odd-job man Sandison sweeps up

JIM REYNOLDS

10 Dec 1990

ABERDEEN'S championship challenge took a dip at their jinx ground on Saturday when they went down 1-0 to Hearts, and although you would not have sent even the mother-in-law out on such a wretched day, there can be no excuses for the below par display by Alex Smith's men.

The wind howled, a pre-match blizzard had the pitch looking like a Christmas card scene, and the players, most of them in Aberdeen's away strip of white, were apprehensive of the conditions.

It was a day for people to grit their teeth, a day when the battlers would survive, and it was Hearts who had the qualities of nerve and determination.

"It was really a lottery from the start," remarked manager Smith afterwards.

But even in a raffle you have to make the effort to look at your ticket to see if you have won the prize.

Hearts looked long and hard at the situation and eventually adapted, while Aberdeen, after a bright, tidy opening spell, seemed too ready to accept that things were not going to run for them.

It is the eleventh time in succession Aberdeen have travelled to Tynecastle and gone home without a win bonus.

The last time they won there Frank McDougall scored a hat trick, Steve Cowan and John McMaster were the substitutes, Jim Leighton was the best goalkeeper in Scotland, the Old Firm were beaten on the same day by the two teams from Dundee, and St Johnstone were relegated to the second division, where they would join Dunfermline.

It is true that the Dons didn't get much of a break this time, for they lost Hans Gillhaus with a head injury early on.

But even allowing for that, they didn't set Hearts nearly enough problems.

Rather than dwell on it, however, Pittodrie people would be better writing off Saturday as just one of those days and get on with the job of mounting a challenge to Rangers.

Although there were little signs of it in this match, Aberdeen are too good a side to be totally upset by a hiccup.

But enough of northern problems.

On Saturday Hearts finally showed manager Joe Jordan that it was maybe worth while uprooting himself from Bristol to work in the capital.

The spark which has been missing for so long suddenly re-emerged.

Hearts didn't have a failure on the day and it was as if everyone had resolved to make it an occasion for two men who had cause to celebrate.

Midfielder Neil Berry was playing his 200th competitive game for the club and keeper Henry Smith his 450th.

Smith had his 161st shut-out and Berry's strength and determination were big factors.

The top Hearts for me, however, were two men who have struggled to gainrecognition at Tynecastle, Jimmy Sandison and former Rangers and Scotland youngster Derek Ferguson.

Sandison has been used in a variety of roles over the past few seasons -- a sort of competent odd-job man -- but he really came into his own at the weekend as sweeper in a back three.

He was totally unflappable and his performance gave everyone in front of him an injection of confidence which has been missing in recent weeks.

It seems to have taken Ferguson a long time to come to terms with the fact that he is no longer at Ibrox, but against Aberdeen he showed all the ability which gained him international recognition.

His midfield display was a treat and augurs well.

Not far behind in the entertaining stakes was John Colquhoun, who gave a bubbling performance and capped it all with the only goal of the match in what was Hearts' first real threat after 32 minutes.

Tosh McKinlay floated a cross to the far post and there was Colquhoun leaping above towering defenders to send a header past Michael Watt.

Manager Smith rightly pointed out that it was a shocking goal for his side to lose.

The defence, normally so reliable, was posted missing and will be feeling acute embarrassment in allowing a tiny tot to score with a header.

But Hearts saved their best for the second half, when they were facing the wind.

They took a grip and should have added to the score, but one felt that the single goal was going to be enough.

Every Hearts fan will claim they should have had a penalty when Wayne Foster, clean through, was sent tumbling by young Stephen Wright, but they won't find an ally in manager Jordan.

He said: "I don't think so.

I thought it was a good, hard tackle.

Mind you, if we hadn't been winning 1-0 I might have said something different."

Indeed, the display of 19-year-old Wright was Aberdeen's big plus of the day.

Standing in for Stewart McKimmie, the youngster was outstanding -- strong and sure in the tackle, and intelligent with his distribution until the later stages, when tiredness set in.

This lad has definite chances.

Taken from the Herald