Mackay knows score in derbies

6 May 1995

HEARTS' longest-serving player, Gary Mackay, who ought to know a thing or two about the capital derby, has no doubts that the final meeting of the Edinburgh clubs this season will be the most important in his 15 years with the club.

Mackay, who has played in around 50 of these tense contests and lost only four times, said yesterday: "Every derby has its own pressures around the city because all the fans want to win, but in this instance there is so much more as both sides are desperate for the points."

The devastation which would be felt by Mackay, a Hearts man from head to toe, if the worst came to the worst and the Tynecastle side were to go down, is not difficult to envisage, but he is confident his team can ensure there will be an end to the agonising by beating their old rivals.

"The good thing is that it is in our own hands and we need no favours from others, although I wouldn't say no to a draw at Pittodrie."

Not surprisingly, the midfield player finds the whole scenario a touch bizarre.

"It is incredible to think that we are fighting to stay up and Hibs are chasing European points, when 10 years ago the roles were completely reversed.

But our players have a habit of churning out ressults in this game and we are ready for it."

Manager Tommy McLean has to decide if he should use striker John Robertson from the start -- he came on for 18 minutes last week with his broken arm protected by a strapping.

Robertson, whose scoring record against Hibs is outstanding, had a reserve outing during the week and it looks likely that he will be called upon to aid the cause.

John Millar is doubtful.

Hibs manager Alex Miller will bring back Steven Tweed, fit after injury, to replace injured captain Gordon Hunter but Darren Jackson will be confined to the stand as a result of suspension.

While that tense meeting is going on, Partick Thistle will be trying to find the one point they require for safety to set the Maryhill celebrations going ahead of VE Day, but collecting it against Falkirk, who still have an eye on the runners-up place, will not be straightforward.

Manager John Lambie has tried hard to keep his players' minds on the job as they get closer to their goal and, if he can manage it one one more time, he may well emerge from the dressing room with three cigars in his mouth.

"We still have a big job to do," he said, "and to be honest I think Falkirk and Kilmarnock should be the teams people talk about after the way they have ended up in the table, rather than us.

This might go right to the wire yet."

He has to check on three players, Kevin McKee, Tommy Turner, and Rod McDonald, but, as ever with the current Jags, it will be about team effort rather than individualism.

Falkirk, who have shown a fair amount of that quality themselves, will have Neil Oliver standing by if Joe McLaughlin is unfit.

Forbes Johnston is already ruled out.

Taken from the Herald