Hearts 0 Hibernian 7

January 1st 1973
Scottish First Division
Attendance:36,000

Scorers:
Hibernian: O'Rourke(2), Gordon(2), Duncan(2), Cropley

Can Hibs Stay at the top of the league? They took over the leadership yesterday on goal difference from flu-hit Celtic after the 7-0 humiliation of Hearts at Tynecastle - the widest victory margin between the teams for more than 50 years.

Although they have played two games more than Celtic, Hibs are in the mood to fight for the title until the last day...and that might be April 28, when the two contenders meet at Easter Road.

Unstoppable Hibs are the team of the moment - and the team of the future so full of football, loaded with confidence and talent.

And the only blemish on their 'Derby' performance of high quality was the third booking received by John Brownlie for a needless foul on Andy lynch with his team seven up.

Hardly the time to do anything rash!

Hearts who had conceded only three goals in 13½ hours of league games at home, lost three in 26 minutes here and trailed by five at half-time.

Indeed, only three excellent saves by goalkeeper Kenny Garland from Pat Stanton, Alan Gordon and Jimmy O'Rourke prevented this first match of the year from being a double-figure tale of woe.

UNHAPPY TIME

Hearts contributed to their predicament through some slack defensive work, but Hibs' teamwork, paceand understanding left the hosts, uncharitably, without any hope.

Jim Brown was the one Hearts player who tried to compete with Hibs at their skilful level but he couldn't raise much response around him.

It might have been closer if either Tommy Murray or Donald Park had scored in the first five minutes before Hibs began to display their devastating striking power.

This was Hearts third successive defeat and put them six points behind the leaders - an unhappy holiday period for them.

Hibs, with 11 points from a possible 12 and 25 goals in these games, are in near invincible form with outstanding prospects of adding to the two trophies already won.

I thought Alex Cropley was a stand-out in midfield for Hibs and certainly Gordon is the best centre-forward in Scotland.

But they all dovetailed so successfully and it's a fact that O'Rourke, Gordon and Arthur Duncan, who had a double apiece, have collected the staggering total of 80 goals this season.

Both backs played impressively and Stanton came on to a powerful game to provide the right backing for the marksmen.

At half-time, Hearts introduced Andy Lynch for Eric Carruthers, but you couldn't look for much improvement from a team that was totally demoralised at that stage.

Anyhow the 36,000 fans saw plenty goals this time in contrast to the goalless affairs of past seasons - even if it was one-sided.

Astonishingly, Hearts have gone nine games now without managing a single goal against Hibs, who extended their unbeaten run in this fixture to 14 matches.

The rout began in nine minutes with a huge throw-in from Schaedler on the left.

Anderson and Thomson were busy watching Gordon and the ball bounced beyond them all to Jimmy O'Rourke who left footed a high shot into the net.

SUPERB PASS

A superb Edwards pass gave Alan Gordon the second goal in sixteen minutes.

The centre-forward slipped as he chested the ball down but regained his balance to poke a right footer past Garland.

Edwards missed a chance in front of goal - and then Arthur Duncan made it three with a trundling shot in twenty six minutes after Cropley had nodded a Clunie clearance into the wingers path.

As a contest it was all over, but Hibs made it an exhibition with their precision football.

Anderson stretched for a Duncan centre in thirty five minutes and Alex Cropley volleyed a glorious left-footer past Garland from more than twenty yards.

GREAT RUN

Two minutes later a Cropley cross and an Arthur Duncan header signalled Hibs fiftieth league goal.

Herriot stopped an angled drive from Ford at the start of the second half and soon Hibs were slicing through the Tynecastle Defence again.

A magnificent run by Stanton was worth a goal since he outstripped the entire home defence.But it was Jimmy O'Rourke who slid the ball home to establish himself as No.

1 goalscorer in the country.

That was in 56 minutes and the final goal didn't arrive until the seventy fith minute, Duncan squared the ball to Alan Gordon whose well-timed header went in off the post.

Hearts were left blitzed and bewildere by a Hibs team that Eddie Turnbull has moulded quite spectacularly in the space of eighteen months.