Ferguson proves the ace of Hearts

WILLIAM HUNTER

21 Aug 1989

St Mirren 1, Hearts 2

FOR so plain a team Hearts continued to be a puzzle.

The enigma lay in their variation at the interval when they swapped Husref Musemic, who had scored in the first half, for Iain Ferguson.

The poser was not so much what ailed Musemic as what was wrong with Ferguson that he had to wait so long for a kick at the ball.

His late arrival put some gloss on Hearts.

True enough, they were by then two ahead, a brisk toe-ender by Neil Berry having opened the way for a headed goal by Musemic.

True also, Ferguson did not achieve a lot.

His arrival, however, made St Mirren's defence, obsessed with setting off-side traps, look even more edgy.

If Ferguson was a dog that didn't bark, nobody could be sure when he might bite.

His class made a difference.

Just by his presence on the park he gave Hearts a shine.

Going into the wind and the wet in the second half they had only the simple chore of defending their lead.

But how Hearts went about it was with confidence.

They chose to do much of their defending in St Mirren's half of the park.

Since Gary Mackay had gone off hurt (Bannon substituted) near the middle of the first half, that showed good coolness.

Much of it derived from an easy, precise display by young Alan McLaren.

Peter Godfrey was conspicuous for St Mirren in several ways.

He was the good, the bad, and the unlucky.

From near the far post at a corner he headed a goal, thereby making amends for how statuesque he had looked when Musemic scored.

And Godfrey came close when he nodded the ball on to the top of the crossbar from a free kick by Fraser Wishart.

In his first game at Love Street, Wishart showed his smooth surges of speed and made some telling passes.

After their mayoral show at Ibrox the previous Saturday, it was dustcart time for Saints.

Defeat felt inevitable.

They are a club who always pay for their successes.

Paul Chalmers overdid his payment by squandering two chances with only Henry Smith to beat.

He mishit the first opportunity and failed to hit the second at all.

To fail once was unfortunate, but twice was very conspicuous.

The play of both teams, more than somewhat bedraggled by heavy rain, was homespun and hairy, with Hearts having a little more colour to their pattern.

Some heavy clogging went on.

St Mirren's Martin and Walker together with McPherson and Kidd of Hearts were caught at it.

ST MIRREN -- Money, Wishart, Wilson, Walker, Godfrey, Winnie, Chalmers, Martin, Torfason, Davies, Weir.

Substitutes: Kinnaird, Lambert.

HEARTS -- Smith, Kidd, McLaren, Whittaker, Berry, McPherson, Colquhoun, Mackay, Musemic, Kirkwood, Crabbe.

Substitutes: Bannon, Ferguson.

Referee -- L W Mottram (Harthill).