Payton's late goal helps to lift the boredom for fans

JAMES TRAYNOR

11 Mar 1993

Celtic 1, Hearts 0

IT took a long time, but the wait was worth it for the Celtic supporters who made up the majority of the 16,984 crowd inside Celtic Park last night.

The followers had been shuffling from foot to foot and longing for something to take their minds off the cold.

Many had given up and left for home when Celtic finally engineered the breakthrough.

Five minutes from time Andy Payton sped clear and scored the goal which gave Celtic the win they just deserved, even if the game had been a boring, scrappy affair.

Still, the people who pay their money to enter Parkhead have come to be thankful for any small mercies, and apart from sending Celtic closer to next season's UEFA Cup, the contribution from Payton should set the side up for a demanding spell of matches.

On Saturday they play Motherwell, followed by a game against Hibernian next Tuesday, and then the Old Firm game four days later.

While Celtic were toiling against Hearts, Tommy Coyne, who has known for some time that his future would not be in Glasgow, was south having talks with Tranmere Rovers, whose £300,000 offer for the striker has been accepted by Celtic.

Celtic manager, Liam Brady, said he wasn't quite sure whether Coyne had accepted Tranmere's terms and added that he would have to wait until the morning, but it is almost certain the player will become a team-mate of Pat Nevin.

As for the match, Brady admitted it had been a hard night although he felt his side deserved to take both points.

"The points keep us on course for the European place," he said.

While Brady was relieved, his counterpart, Joe Jordan, was a picture of despair.

He was not happy at the way his side had conceded the goal, stressing that it was negligence in midfield which gave the ball to Celtic.

Dariusz Wdowczyk gained possession and chipped a splendid ball to Payton, who went around keeper Nicky Walker and rolled the ball into the net.

"I'm very disappointed," Jordan began.

"I didn't think we were ever under the kind of pressure which leads to goals.

In fact, Nicky Walker had a quiet game, probably due to the way the people in front of him played."

Hearts' cause was not helped by the fact that they had to withdraw Tosh McKinlay early in the second half after he had fallen awkwardly and damaged knee ligaments.

George Wright took over and soon after, the second substitute, Ian Fergsuon, was used to cover for Alan Preston, who pulled a hamstring.

Celtic took off Frank McAvennie, who had threatened on a couple of occasions, and sent on Joe Miller, but the game remained hard on the eye, even if the players couldn't be faulted for effort.

However, there is supposed to be much more too football than two sets of players rushing around without obvious design.

Throughout we all kept hoping it would get better, but apart from a spell in the second half when Celtic were dominating, it was all to untidy and devoid of the sort of skills which would make more than diehards venture out of doors on such a night.

Perhaps, though, this is a shade too hard on two sides of limited ability who are having to survive in a league in which the pace of most games is a severe test for even the most accomplished of performers.

The trouble is, much is expected of Celtic and Brady knows he will have to deliver more than just a place in European football.

These supporters see that as their right and require shiny things which look good in display cabinets to go along with the European passports.

CELTIC -- Bonner, Boyd, Wdowczyk, Grant, McNally, Galloway, Slater, McStay, McAvennie, Payton, Collins.

Substitutes -- Miller, Vata.

HEARTS -- Walker, McLaren, McKinlay, Berry, Mackay, Levein, Robertson, D Ferguson, Baird, Millar, Preston.

Substitutes -- I Ferguson, Wright.

Referee -- H Williamson (Renfrew).

Taken from the Herald