The boo-boys fail to upset Hearts

JIM REYNOLDS

18 Feb 1991

HEARTS showed a lot of courage at the weekend to win back a bit of pride.

A place in Europe is still a legitimate target and a season which has been mainly a painful one could yet yield a measure of comfort for manager Joe Jordan and his players.

Saturday's 2-1 victory over United at Tynecastle -- it is almost six years since the Tannadice club won there -- was achieved in front of just over 7000 spectators, which is Hearts' lowest home attendance for four years.

But those fans who did turn up showed an impatience which could have been a hindrance rather than a spur.

That is not a criticism of the fans, for they have had much to put up with over the last few weeks -- like a Scottish Cup defeat by Airdrie and a five-goal thumping from Aberdeen.

Like so many others they could have stayed away, watched the rugby on television or gone shopping.

But they paid their money and were entitled to show their displeasure at what they saw for an hour or so.

The Hearts players, however, refused to let the sporadic booing upset them and eventually snatched a victory which was as dramatic as anything seen at the ground this season.

Dundee United seemed to be coasting on a one-goal lead provided by John Clark, but they made the mistake of failing to move up a gear and paid dearly for it.

"The game was there for the winning," said manager Jim McLean.

"We have no excuses and nobody to blame but ourselves.

"Instead of going for a second goal when their fans were getting on their backs, we had too many negative players.

I have stuck by certain individuals and decided to give them another chance in this game, but now I will seriously

re-think the situation."

The Hearts Houdini act began in 68 minutes, when 17-year-old Tommy Harrison, who had come on as a substitute for Eamonn Bannon, laid on a perfect pass for John Robertson, who wheeled and hit a low drive past keeper Alan Main.

The goal gave the home side a massive injection of confidence and for the first time they looked the likelier side.

Yet, it wasn't until the closing seconds that they came up with the winner.

Main made a terrible hash of trying to clear a John Colquhoun corner and Alan McLaren sent a glancing header in for his first goal of the season.

Jordan felt it was no more than his side deserved, and certainly over the last twenty minutes or so Hearts were a vastly different outfit from the one that had tip-toed through the first half making basic mistakes in almost every department.

At the end of the day the braver side won the spoils, but if it hadn't been for the dramatic finish ordinary would have been sufficient to describe the match.

Looking on the bright side, however, young Harrison, making his debut, provided a bit of freshness.

He is a confident lad with a good touch and certainly has chances.

Jordan said: "Because of our injury situation Tommy had to come into the first team earlier than planned, but he certainly didn't let himself down.

We played him slightly out of his normal position, but he did well and didn't give the ball away.

"When I came to Tynecastle I said that youth would get its chance, because this is the only way a club like Hearts can prosper.

Tommy is an example, but I have to admit we don't have enough like him and despite his success he must be nursed along sensibly."

Praise is also due to keeper Nicky Walker, playing in his first premier-division match for two years because of the consistency of Henry Smith, who had finally blotted his copybook enough to be left out on Saturday.

Walker did everything that was asked of him and was desperately unlucky when United scored, as he had made a magnificent save from John Clark seconds earlier.

After the match Jordan revealed that a deal which could take Neale Cooper from Ibrox to Tynecastle is still very much alive.

In fact, it would now seem to be up to the player, who has made less than 20 first-team appearances for Rangers since signing from Aston Villa in 1988.

Jordan said: "I'm still very interested in Cooper.

I have had talks with him and Rangers, and I have spoken to my chairman about the situation.

We can afford him; we don't have to sell to come up with the money.

I'll be back in touch with the player within the next few days."

Taken from the Herald