Levein can cap his comeback in Italy Hearts defender will shine in the World Cup arena

Ian Paul

4 Dec 1989

Hearts 1, Rangers 2

AS WELL as following the fortunes of teams trying to win the premier-division title, patriotic observers of the Scottish scene this winter and spring will be eager to point out fresh contenders for the great Italian adventure next summer when the international side joins the elite of football for the World Cup finals.

And in that context one powerful candidate is already making his claims, Hearts defender Craig Levein, whose exciting potential has been hampered by serious injury problems but who is now beginning to look like a man of immense promise again.

Levein, who has been in the Scotland squad once but has not been capped at full international level yet, has not been forgotten by Andy Roxburgh or his side-kick, Craig Brown.

In fact, they wanted to field him as an over-age man in the Under-21 side last month against Norway, but he was suffering from a minor knock at the time.

Now the 25-year-old is going along so well that, fingers crossed and God being with him, he is bound to become a genuine challenger for a place in the final pool.

The Levein style, that agility and awareness in defence allied to a superb passing ability, is exactly the kind of skill which will be necessary in the rarified atmosphere of the finals.

Hearts' manager, Alex MacDonald, acknowledges the progression of his player.

"Craig is getting his old aggression back and is gradually coming back to his best.

He was immense."

Alongside another young man who has legitimate expectations of a place on the plane for

Italy, Dave McPherson, Levein presents a formidable barrier for any opposition, as Rangers' highly priced talents, Maurice Johnston and Ally McCoist, discovered on Saturday.

Apart from one snip of a chance which Johnston missed -- although Henry Smith did well to block his shot -- the Scotland striking partnership was brilliantly marshalled.

It was farther back that Rangers did their best work, with Trevor Steven again revelling in his role of midfield general.

Some of their build-up in the first half was excellent, even if they were inclined to make one pass too many.

They will have to do without one of that midfield, of course, following the ordering-off of Mark Walters.

He will miss at least two games, as his first booking had already brought him on to the punishment threshold.

Hearts, while not so efficient

in that midfield area, were dangerous up front, where the impressive pace and penetration of Wayne Foster and John Colquhoun were always liable to do serious damage.

It was Foster, sent away by a great Tosh McKinlay pass, who helped lay on the opening goal scored by Eamonn Bannon after Chris Woods had done well to block the first effort from Scott Crabbe.

If Rangers were entitled to feel a little hard done by when they went into the dressing room a goal down at half-time they could have no complaints about the distribution of good and bad fortune afterwards.

The miss by Foster, with only Woods to beat, four minutes after the break was harsh enough for Hearts, but the deflection from Dave McCreery's foot of a Walters effort that was going nowhere yet finished up in the net was brutal treatment from the gods.

It was all Rangers needed to set their sights on victory and it was apt enought that Steven, assisted especially by Stuart Munro and then Johnston, tapped in the winner.

The former Everton man was ably supported in his leading role by the new man, Nigel Spackman, who did well, particularly in the first half.

After that Steven goal Foster had a header which came off the post, conclusive evidence that Somebody Up There is not one of the Gorgie boys, and all that remained was some frantic play and the sending-off of Walters.

Until those hectic closing stages, there was nothing like the ferocity that has marked clashes between the clubs at Tynecastle in the past.

Everything just got faster and faster until it became impossible to be sure if players were being tripped or falling in anticipation.

Walters had been booked for bringing down McPherson from behind, although it looked accidental to me.

At any rate, the Rangers man, who had been unusually narky, getting involved in fouls that do nothing to enhance his talented game, then clashed with McPherson again.

Whether or not he was going to be punished for that we don't know because, before the referee made any move, Walters appeared to impede John Colquhoun on the touchline.

Referee Hugh Williamson then called him forward and sent him off, as Hearts players held back a clearly irate McPherson.

HEARTS -- Smith, McLaren, McKinlay, Levein, McCreery, McPherson, Colquhoun, Mackay, Foster, Crabbe, Bannon.

Substitutes -- Robertson, Kidd.

RANGERS -- Woods, Stevens, Munro, Brown, Spackman, Butcher, Steven, Ferguson, McCoist, Johnston, Walters.

Substitutes -- Dodds, Cowan.

Referee -- H F Williamson (Renfrew).