Hearts join Europe's elite

AFTER so many twists and turns, so much upheaval and turmoil, Hearts' league season boiled down to a single moment in a single match last night. Fittingly, it was their playmaker Paul Hartley who took charge of that moment, scoring from the penalty spot to give them the 1-0 victory over Aberdeen which ensured them of second place in the SPL with a game to spare.

The victory put them four points ahead of Rangers, and means that, in Vladimir Romanov's first full season as owner of the team, they will play in the Champions League for the first time. The immediacy of the impact made by the Lithuanian is evidenced by the fact it is 14 seasons since the Tynecastle club last finished the season as runners-up, and all of 46 since they took part in European club football's premier club tournament.

Steven Pressley, for one, thinks there will be nothing like a wait of that length before the team do anything similar. "I believe this is just the start of something a bit special here," the club captain said after leading his squad on a lap of honour. "There has been serious investment and there's more to come. This group of players has come a long way in nine months. I've been at the club eight years and every second of the wait has been worth it. It was a nervy night and we really had to show our mettle. Winning this takes a lot of pressure off for the Scottish Cup final.

"There have been noises from elsewhere, playing games. We answered them all. Now I'm sure additions will be made during the summer - dangling the carrot of Champions League football will be very significant."

It was, as Pressley implied, a close-run thing. The penalty by Hartley eight minutes into the second half - awarded after a handball in the Aberdeen box, with it unclear whether Russell Anderson or Zander Diamond committed the offence - might have calmed nerves somewhat, but the second goal just would not come. Even after Aberdeen had been reduced to ten men following the dismissal of Scott Severin, they still fought on in search of the equaliser.

But Hearts were not to be denied, and after more than three minutes of time added on, the referee's whistle blew for full-time, to be followed almost immediately by the Champions League theme tune. The squad who were on duty last night were joined on the pitch by Andy Webster, among others who have played their part this season, and by Valdas Ivanauskas, the interim manager who was serving part of a touchline ban.

Again, as Pressley implied, everyone at the club knows this was no more than a necessary step, and that, achievement though it is, they have so far done no more than get into the second qualifying round of the Champions League - four matches, in other words, from the group stages. But it was a very necessary step, nonetheless, and one which a few Hearts teams of recent decades have failed to make. Had they lost last night, they would have had to avoid defeat at Ibrox on Sunday - and after the draining tension of last night that feat may well have been beyond them. Now, they can play out the league campaign before concentrating on the countdown to that Hampden showpiece against Gretna next week.

Besides being an achievement in its own right, to an extent last night's result also exorcised the ghosts of 3 May 1986, when Hearts ended runners-up in the last game of the season after leading the table for months. At one stage, when they held a 16-point lead over Rangers, they looked like making sure of second place with weeks to go. That lead shrank to a single point, but Hearts held their nerve on Sunday to beat Celtic for the first time this season and restore the lead to four points, and they stood firm last night after Rangers' win at Easter Road had again cut their advantage to just one point.

Besides confirming Hearts in second, the result also ended Aberdeen's hopes of European football next season, as it means Gretna will be in the UEFA Cup along with third-placed Rangers.

Taken from the Scotsman