Hearts prove they're back in charge

JAMES TRAYNOR

19 Jan 1995

Hearts 2, Hibernian 0

IT WAS always likely Hearts would refuse to live too long in the shadow of Hibernian, who had broken a miserable five-year sequence without a win against their city rivals by winning the two derby matches in the first half of the season.

Natural order, so far as Hearts' legions are concerned, was restored last night.

The Tynecastle side restored their dominance in local affairs before 12,630 supporters, and few of the witnesses could argue with the outcome.

When David Hagen hit Hibs' bar in only four minutes the Easter Road side might have guessed they would have an evening of problems, and so it turned out.

Dave McPherson scored his first goal since returning to Tynecastle from Rangers last October and then John Millar put Hibs firmly in their place when he scored late in the match.

Darren Jackson, Pat McGinlay, and Keith Wright all ought to have scored from decent chances in the second half but, had Hibs taken a point, justice would not have been served.

Their negligence, and Hearts' greater awareness, means Rangers still enjoy a 14-point lead over Hibs and Motherwell, who are joint second in the premier division, while Hearts now move alongside Celtic two points further behind.

The transformation in Hearts' form and fortunes is nothing short of remarkable given their struggle in the first half of the campaign.

Then they were haunted by the spectre of relegation, but now they have joined the battle for European places.

Indeed, this struggle is the only real contest in the division now, but the manner in which Hearts have emerged from a dismal start suggests they could be travelling abroad next season.

Their manager, Tommy McLean, discovered Neil Berry, who has a damaged ankle, was unfit and had to press Craig Levein back into action even though he had missed the previous 10 games because of suspension.

His last match before sentence began was against Hibs, but this time the result was in his team's favour.

"I should make it clear Levein was not an automatic choice, and even he had to play with a hamstring injury," said McLean.

"It would not have been fair had Levein been able to walk straight back into the team when the others had done so well."

Nevertheless, his captain aggravated the injury and it is likely he will miss Saturday's match against Rangers at Ibrox.

Mention should also be made of Brian Hamilton, who was playing in his first derby game since leaving Easter Road to sign on at Tynecastle and he coped well with the extra pressures which fell upon him.

Hibs failed to use the width of the pitch and were predictable in much of what they tried to attempt.

In the end they got what they deserved, another defeat, and still they suffer from an inability to score away from home.

Their manager, Alex Miller, would have preferred more wing play, but Kevin McAllister flitted in and out of the action without imposing himself for any lengthy period.

Michael O'Neill, one of the best players in the premier division when he is in the mood, had been fighting an injury all week and he didn't look to be in peak condition.

"It's true he had been injured, but he was fit enough to play," Miller said.

The Irishman might not be fit this weekend when Hibs play Aberdeen and Gordon Hunter, who was taken off and replaced by David Farrell in the second half, also is doubtful for that match.

Leighton's net bulged in 28 minutes when Bett's corner on the left floated in perfectly for any tall men, and they don't come much larger than McPherson, who couldn't resist the offer, scoring with a glancing header.

Only a minute had been played in the second half when Hibs engineered a splendid opportunity to draw level, but Jackson failed to apply a solid enough touch on O'Neill's free kick and the ball glanced off his head and passed yards wide of Nelson's goal.

It was not long after this incident that Hearts withdrew Bett from their midfield and sent on Colquhoun, who decided to make his presence known without delay.

He sped down the right wing before crossing into the middle where Robertson was denied by Leighton, but Hibs didn't manage to clear properly.

The ball was delivered from the right to the far post where Hagen tried a first-time shot.

He really ought to have steadied himself first because his shot flew the way he was facing, which wasn't towards goal.

The game was taken beyond Hibs' reach eight minutes from time when Millar, who surged on to Hagen's pass, slid the ball into the net at Leighton's right-hand post.

HEARTS -- Nelson, Frail, Miller, Levein, Jamieson, McPherson, Hamilton, Bett, Robertson, Millar, Hagen.

Substitutes -- Mackay, Colquhoun, Smith.

HIBERNIAN -- Leighton, Miller, Mitchell, McGinlay, Tweed, Hunter, McAllister, Weir, Wright, Jackson, O'Neill.

Substitutes -- Farrell, Findlay, Reid.

Referee -- A Waddell (Edinburgh).

Taken from the Herald