Injury-ridden Hearts face test of capital nerve

ian paul

26 Aug 1989

HEARTS, whose failure to make it into European competition again this year still rankles, have been enjoying and will continue to enjoy the kind of attention and crowd-pulling games that they could scarcely have envisaged as compensation, writes Ian Paul.

By dint of the Scottish league computer and the luck of the Skol Cup draw, the Tynecastle team are playing to full houses.

They had a grandstand opening against Celtic in the premier division, face Hibs today in the same competition, and next Wednesday their ground is ticket-only for the visit of Celtic in the Skol Cup.

All of which is well and good in financial terms but does not do a lot to help with the injury crisis the club faces as it tackles the first capital derby of the season.

The roughouse against Falkirk on Wednesday has left manager Alex MacDonald in some bother.

Doubtful after Brockville are Scott Crabbe and Neil Berry while Gary Mackay, who missed that game, is still a doubtful starter.

"When you remember that John Robertson and Tosh McKinlay, our biggest buys last season, are also out, it is not difficult to see our problems," said MacDonald.

It would be daft of Hibs, nevertheless, to make any presumptions about the outcome of the derby.

Their record over recent years has been so dismal that such confidence could easily be misplaced.

The chances of their manager, Alex Miller suffering from that affliction are minimal.

The penalty decider victory over Clydebank in the Skol Cup tie on Tuesday was a salutory reminder about the fickleness of the game.

Happily for Miller, the knee injury which striker Keith Houchen is carrying gets better by the week and will not prevent him taking his place.

Dundee United, smarting after that defeat by Hamilton on Wednesday, leave out Mixu Paatelainen from their team to meet Dunfermline at Tannadice.

In his place is Peter Hinds, the forward brought from Japan.

"Mixu's scoring record has been poor," said assistant manager Steve Murray." Added to the pool is Joe McLeod, while Kevin Gallacher has a fitness test this morning.

Dundee name the 13 who were beaten by Dunfermline in midweek but add the Campbells, Duncan and Steve, as well as Gordon McLeod.

They cannot go to Pittodrie against Aberdeen with great confidence bearing in mind that they last won there in March 1976, when manager Gordon Wallace was a member of the winning side.

Motherwell will have Nick Cusack and Davie Cooper back for their meeting with St Mirren at Fir Park.

"We have a quick chance to make amends for our defeat in the Skol Cup on Wednesday" said manager Tommy McLean, "and we intend to take it."

Saints, who beat Motherwell without a clutch of first team players, will be little better off this time.

Added to the depressing list of injuries is Fraser Wishart, their new full back, whose thigh injury sustained on Wednesday is serious enough to rule him out for weeks rather than days.

Back will be Gundmundur Torfason, the Icelandic internationalist who scored his country's goal in the 2-1 defeat by Austria in a World Cup tie on Wednesday.