Points should cheer Hearts

RAY HEPBURN

2 Dec 1991

THE Hearts folk who left Tynecastle depressed with their team's performance in the 1-0 victory over Airdrie may reflect in the weeks ahead that it is results like this that win championships.

Would those who trooped away dejectedly, albeit understandably, rather have been Rangers fans at Ibrox the previous week, against St Mirren, or Aberdeen supporters on Saturday who watched a 1-1 home draw with Falkirk? Of course not.

Hearts claimed the two points because they were a better team than Airdrie, even if most of their best flamboyant play was absent.

Airdrie must take a lot of the credit for that, even if they did not enhance the entertainment value of the match.

That is not their responsibility: staying away from the bottom two places in the league is.

Alex MacDonald may well bemoan the loss, from his own professional life, of the talent he nurtured for a decade at Tynecastle, but there was still his unmistakable stamp on Airdrie's play.

They were extremely fit, worked like men possessed, and defended as if life itself depended on a point.

Survival, though, was always going to be odds against.

For Hearts, missing the creative Gary Mackay and Derek Ferguson from their midfield, still had too much quality within their team and their inevitable build-up of pressure in the second half eventually produced a penalty.

Quality may be scarce in some parts, but not at Tynecastle, where everyone smiles silently at the many suggestions claiming they cannot remain in their current league position until the race is over.

At the back, Scotland players Craig Levein and Dave McPherson regularly claim the plaudits but on Saturday it was apprentice Alan McLaren who grasped the congratulations from the journeymen.

Not yet 21, this towering centre back has nimble feet and genuine pace in addition to a steely defensive core to his game.

That combination looks certain to allow him to follow his partners into the full Scotland team.

The penalty after 70 minutes which separated the teams caused a furious protest on the pitch, and prolonged argument after the match.

It is true that there was precious little contact when Evan Balfour jockeyed Scott Crabbe as the Hearts player made his way to the six yard area.

Perhaps the pertinent question is why the Airdrie player made such a clumsy challenge at all, when two of his colleagues still stood between Crabbe and the goal.

Taken from the Herald