Point not enough for Jordan

James Traynor

23 Nov 1992

RANGERS took their run of matches without defeat to 21 and Hearts prevented the premier division leaders from opening further the gap at the top.

Apart from that, there is not really much else worth saying about the game at Tynecastle.

It was all pretty mundane stuff.

Sometimes it was not even that good.

Of course, the weather was atrocious, and the driving rain, which turned to snow as the afternoon edged towards evening, made the playing surface treacherous and intricate ball skills difficult.

A share of the points was about right, although Hearts had been hoping to close the gap between themselves and Rangers instead of holding it to five points.

Ian Baird equalised an Ally McCoist goal, his 200th for Rangers, but Hearts manager Joe Jordan knew afterwards that a draw was not enough.

"It was a better result for them than for us," he said.

Rangers continue to meet their domestic challenges by doing just enough.

It is almost as though they are holding back resources and energies for the more glamorous contests in Europe, like the one coming up on Wednesday night.

You know, when all has been taken into consideration, Rangers deserve a deal of credit for the manner in which they have maintained challenges at all levels this season.

The demands have been severe, but they refuse to buckle, although in midweek Frenchman Basile Boli might come closer than anyone to making Rangers come to a shuddering halt.

However, Rangers supporters should not be too alarmed, because they will have Stuart McCall and Richard Gough back in the side to play against Marseille in the first of their group matches in the Champions' Cup, and they are not the sort to be easily pushed around.

Neither played in the 1-1 draw at Tynecastle, but both will be ready to resume come Wednesday.

Walter Smith took the risk of resting Ian Durrant, who was used only for the last 14 minutes of the game, when he was sent on as a replacement for Pieter Huistra, but the midfield player will start against the French champions, and so, too, might

19-year-old Neil Murray.

The manager said he would have to play Murray because Ian Ferguson is suspended, but Smith might also be tempted to push John Brown into midfield, now that Gary Stevens is back in business.

Playing someone as inexperienced as Murray, who has appeared only once in the first team (at full back against Stranraer) in midfield seems a gamble, but Smith insists he does not have enough cover despite the popular belief that Rangers have a large pool.

Nevertheless, Marseille might be too much of a test for one still learning his trade.

Smith could be thinking of starting with only two foreigners, holding the third, who could come from Trevor Steven, perhaps, Alxei Mikhailichenko, Huistra, or Dale Gordon, in reserve on the bench.

However, we shall discover soon enough if the manager is indulging in bluff or reality.

Taken from the Herald