Robertson reinforces his cap claims

James Traynor

12 Mar 1990

Celtic 1, Hearts 1

THE premier-division championship trophy will not be leaving Ibrox.

It's one of these things that are just meant to be, preordained if you like.

Even when they don't play they take a step closer to retaining the game's biggest prize.

Rangers' match against St Mirren was postponed on Saturday because Love Street was like the Everglades, or Boghead, yet it was still a productive afternoon for Rangers.

Aberdeen lost and Hearts drew at Celtic Park.

"Rangers are winning the championship in a novel way," Billy McNeill said to no-one in particular after the match.

"They don't even have to play."

It was not that the Celtic manager was particularly upset at having dropped a point.

If anyone should have been disappointed with the outcome it ought to have been his Tynecastle counterpart, Alex MacDonald.

After a fairly frustrating first half Hearts manufactured several splendid scoring opportunities in the second period, but were denied because they found Pat Bonner at his most alert and agile.

The keeper made a series of excellent saves -- a couple were breathtaking -- which more than made up for Celtic's defensive frailties.

Scott Crabbe, who finished the game with his socks at his ankles and looking as though he was about to collapse into the mud through which he had been ploughing all afternoon, will look back on the second half and blame himself.

He had four good chances, but inaccuracy, a lack of power and Bonner all conspired against him.

It is indeed a sign of the times that Hearts are no longer satisfied with a point at either of Glasgow's two main arenas and their healthy level of expectation has its origins in the sharpness of their attack.

Crabbe, John Robertson, and John Colquhoun are capable of cutting through even the most sturdy and robust of defences.

Their inter-changing style of play and perpetual motion make them difficult to chaperone and, unlike Celtic's strike force, they are compatible.

Much consideration has been given to the problem of getting the best from Dariusz Dziekanowski's skills, which are becoming erratic after a thrilling start.

Is he better paired with Tommy Coyne or with Andy Walker?

He has been tried with both, but still his game appears to be malfunctioning.

Everything he does looks good, even when he's dispossessed.

He's always elaborate, usually too much so, and some people are beginning now to wonder if he really is as good as he looks.

He was substituted on Saturday, and who could say it would not be worth Celtic's while to persevere for a spell with Walker and Coyne, who scored Celtic's goal a couple of minutes before the interval.

Joe Miller had run on to a through ball, which he then knocked wide of the advancing Henry Smith, leaving Coyne to score into an unguarded net.

Hearts, as we have touched on, have no such worries up front and one of their diminutive forwards, Robertson, is certain to be included when Andy Roxburgh names his squads for the B match against Yugoslavia and the full international against Argentina on March 27 and 28 respectively.

The striker, whose equaliser against Celtic took his tally for the season to 19, deserves an opportunity to prove whether or not he can operate at the highest level.

He is not a greedy sort and insists he will settle for one chance.

"If I do get in and don't play well then I'll have no-one to blame but myself," he says.

Like every other player Robertson harbours a notion to be in Italy this summer and if he continues to score Roxburgh might be unable to ignore him.

There is no doubt Robertson currently is the sharpest penalty-box player in the top division.

Having shaken off the effects of a troublesome hernia, which required surgery, he has shot into the World Cup reckoning and it is likely that he will play against Yugoslavia, whose B team is bound to be much better than the first-choice selections of quite a few other countries.

That will not concern Robertson, who has great faith in his own ability and who pays little attention to those critics who say he does not chase back enough to help when his team are under pressure.

He is not afraid to admit the opposition's penalty box is his domain and that that is where he is at his best, as he proved yet again on Saturday.

Celtic were still jubilant after Coyne's strike when, straight from the kick-off, Dave McPherson swept the ball out to Crabbe, who scurried down the right before attempting a shot at goal.

The ball was deflected and it was inevitable Robertson would be waiting to thump the ball into Bonner's net fewer than 40 seconds after Smith had watched his net billow.

Hearts' potency in attack was diluted soon after half-time when Colquhoun had to be substituted, still hobbling because of a hefty challenge by his former team-mate, Mike Galloway, who was booked.

Wayne Foster took over and his pace caused a few problems for Celtic's central-defensive pairing of Derek Whyte and Paul Elliott, who, as you might expect, collected another booking.

He was punished in the first half after a clumsy tackle on Robertson.

David McCreery, an industrious little midfield chaser for Hearts, also was booked because he refused to retreat the required yardage when Paul McStay was trying to take a free kick.

CELTIC -- Bonner, Morris, Wdowczyk, Galloway, Elliott, Whyte, Grant, McStay, Dziekanowski, Coyne, Miller.

Substitutes -- Rogan, Walker.

HEARTS -- Smith, Kidd, McKinlay, Levein, McCreery, McPherson, Colquhoun, Berry, Robertson, Crabbe, Bannon.

Substitutes -- Mackay, Foster.

Referee -- B McGinlay (Balfron).