It's a dream come true for Sterland Cowan and Celtic provide final touches

IAN PAUL

1 May 1989

Rangers 4, Hearts 0

LIKE guests who had turned up at the wrong party, Hearts paid their courtesies and left quietly.

It was difficult not to recall the way their own big day was ruined a few years ago, when Dundee beat them as they teetered on the edge of their finest triumph, and wonder if their turn will ever come.

Some of their players have given long and worthy service in that pursuit, yet they had to watch as immigrants, some who have only recently discovered the route to Govan, cavorted in style as champions of the premier division,

Mel Sterland, for instance, who talks with a Yorkshire brogue, has been in Scotland only two months but will be the proud owner of the championship medal which eludes the grasp of many great players.

Punctuating his observations with regular reminders of his incredulity -- "It's unbelievable .

.

.

a dream come true" -- the 27-year-old, who cost Rangers £800,000 from Sheffield Wednesday in March, has no doubts about the quality of his new side.

"I think people who say Rangers could not compete in the first division in England are wrong.

They could do it, no problem.

They have a lot of exciting kids and I know that, even at 27, I have a lot to learn here."

The first thing he will learn is Ibrox fitness, because the midfield player has not been able to catch up in that department since he arrived from Yorkshire after a three-week absence from training because of injury.

Despite suggestions that Leeds United hope to tempt him back to Yorkshire, it seems very unlikely that Sterland will want to give up his chances of further spectacular times in Scotland.

He looks forward to the hard work of pre-season, when he will get into the condition he knows is necessary.

For a man who won nothing, apart from a European championship under-21 medal, ambitions are being realised at a bewildering rate.

Another reason he joined up at Ibrox was to taste European football and that he will do next season, in the premier tournament, the Champions Cup.

He will gradually understand the Scottish way, mystified as he was by the roars that greeted the full-time result at Pittodrie on Saturday.

"I just wondered what was going on," said the man who will remember his two-goal contribution for the rest of his days.

Sterland's first strike, in

17 minutes, when he fairly hammered a shot past Smith after a short free kick was manoeuvred into his path by Wilkins and Walters, effectively removed any possibilities of Hearts spoiling the fun.

The goal settled Rangers, allowed them to develop their pattern and turn on one of their best performances of the season.

They did so for most of the time without Wilkins, who had to leave the field after 21 minutes, the muscle strain he had been battling against all week clearly reasserting itself.

But his departure allowed another romantic episode to be enacted as 19-year-old Tom Cowan, whom Rangers bought from Clyde with some loose change lying around in the drawer, £100,000 or so, came on to enjoy an experience he will find hard to top, however marvellous his career proves to be.

For his manager, Graeme Souness, Cowan epitomises the young Scottish footballer.

"Put any strip on him, the local amateur one or anything else, and he will play with enthusiasm.

For him it's not about money, it's about love of playing the game."

The new man had settled well by the time Sterland headed his second goal, a beautifully constructed affair involving Kevin Drinkell and Mark Walters.

Drinkell's own brace of goals after the interval were the result of smart pieces of play, too.

Walters and McCoist headed the ball along the way until Drinkell met it with his right foot so powerfully that Smith had no chance of halting its progress.

The fourth of a collection of fine goals was down to Hearts' failure to operate their offside tactic correctly and to a quick-witted pass from master Cowan, who laid the ball around the Tynecastle defence, where Drinkell calmly moved forward before placing it carefully into the net.

Davie Cooper came on for McCoist to enjoy the final moments, but it was now a case of waiting for the final result to be transmitted from Pittodrie.

That in itself provided a unique scenario.

There they were, dressed in the colours at Ibrox, quaking lest Celtic lost.

A funny old game? You had better believe it.

RANGERS -- Woods, Stevens, Munro, Gough, Wilkins, Butcher, Drinkell, Sterland, McCoist, Walters, D Ferguson.

Substitutes -- Cowan, D Cooper.

HEARTS -- Smith, McLaren, McKinlay, McPherson, Berry, Sandison, Galloway, Ferguson, Colquhoun, Black, Bannon.

Substitutes -- Robertson, Levein.

Referee -- J R Renton (Cowdenbeath).

Taken from the Herald