Hearts sew it up early

RAY HEPBURN

21 Aug 1991

Hearts 3, Clydebank 0

HEARTS, who clocked on swiftly against Rangers in the league on Saturday, did all their work in double quick time against Clydebank in the Skol Cup second-round tie.

The over-taxed first division side's defence held out against Hearts' exciting new attack for just 10 minutes, and 22 minutes later they had been breached three times.

Crabbe, John Robertson, and Ian Baird have been welded together this summer by Joe Jordan, and their nine goals in four games -- exactly Hearts' total -- speaks sufficiently for their effectiveness.

The only blemish for the home team was the stretchering off of full back Alan McLaren with what appeared to be a nasty knee injury, but no tackle was involved in the accident.

Watched by a crowd of 7867, the premier side quickly exerted a vice-like grip on the game.

In the fourth minute Gary Mackay was just a foot wide with a low right-foot drive from the edge of the penalty area.

After only eight minutes Scott Crabbe brought the home fans to their feet with a jinking run into the area which took three Clydebank defenders out of the play, but his cutback was cleared for a corner by John Crawford.

However, the first-division team's defence held out for only 10 minutes.

Mackay's free kick from the right was headed down by Baird to Robertson, and he rolled it into Crabbe's path for the in-form striker to shoot home firmly from eight yards.

Clydebank, who had little chance to contribute to the tie in an attacking sense, had to yield again in 28 minutes.

Robertson released Tosh McKinlay on the left, and his cross pinpointed Baird at the far post, and the former Middlesbrough striker headed high into the net.

Four minutes later Crabbe took his total of the season to four, after Baird had been rudely stopped on the edge of the box by Crawford.

His free kick from 20 yards curled round the left side of the wall and inside the post.

Near half-time George Wright replaced Ferguson, who appeared to be suffering from a strain.

Hearts sensed that their endeavours had been enough, and that allowed Clydebank an attack or two.

Indeed, five minutes into the second half Ken Eadie was unmarked eight yards out, but somehow managed to glance his header off a post.

In the closing minutes of a rather dull second period, Brian Wright and Eadie had fierce long-range efforts although they did not trouble Henry Smith.

HEARTS -- Smith, McLaren, McKinlay, Levein, Mackay, McPherson, Crabbe, Ferguson, Baird, Miller, Robertson.

Substitutes -- Foster, Wright.

CLYDEBANK -- Spence, Traynor, Crawford, Maher, Rowe, Wright, Harvey, Lansdowne, Eadie, Dickson, Maher.

Substitutes -- Rossiter, Henry.

Referee -- D Yeats, Perth.

Taken from the Herald