Hearts decide Musemic can go

Ray Hepburn

20 Nov 1989

Hearts 3, Motherwell 0

ONE of the exhilarating aspects of a visit to Tynecastle these days, is that most of the action and conversation after the game concerns goals, and those who score them.

Hearts fans have seen their favourites collect 13 in three home games, and their strikers consequently have been elevated to a level beyond criticism.

Manager Alex MacDonald, however, has decided that one of his forwards no longer has a future with a team, which, increasingly, look like potential championship candidates.

He has circulated clubs on the Continent that the Yugoslavian internationalist Husref Musemic is available for transfer, after having been convinced that the premier division is too robust for the 28-year-old.

The tall, likeable Musemic has scored four times in six appearances, but clearly will have major problems making his way past the competition.

Scott Crabbe, John Robertson, John Colquhoun, Wayne Foster, and Iain Ferguson possess so much goal threat that the Yugoslav clearly is superfluous.

On Saturday, Crabbe with one goal and one assist, again took the eye while Colquhoun followed up last Saturday's hat trick with the vital first strike against Motherwell.

To emphasise that there is promise in other areas of the team, Jimmy Sandison celebrated his recall at full back with the second goal.

Motherwell competed favourably for an hour, but it was the ability of Hearts to create chances, and to finish them, that Tommy McLean's players could not emulate.

Oddly, the goals did not come for the Edinburgh team until after Foster was sent off early on, having been cautioned for dissent, and then having lunged at Alistair Maxwell after the goalkeeper had the ball safely in his grasp.

It was a silly lapse by the Englishman.

Having been out of the team for much of last season, how long will it be before he returns after suspension, especially with the eager Robertson ready take his place.

HEARTS -- Smith, McLaren, McKinlay, Levein, Kirkwood, Sandison, Colquhoun, Mackay, Foster, Crabbe, Bannon.

Substitutes -- Ferguson, Wright.

MOTHERWELL -- Maxwell, Griffin, Boyd, Paterson, Philliben, McCart, Russell, O'Neill, Cusack, Arnott, Cooper.

Substitutes -- Gahagan, Dolan.

Referee -- J Renton (Cowdenbeath).