Foster on mark again but Hearts are made to battle

RAY HEPBURN

18 Aug 1990

Hearts 2, Airdrie 1

TWO goals from Wayne Foster were enough to give Hearts victory in last night's challenge match at Tynecastle.

The striker, who netted Hearts goal in the recent 1-1 draw with Tottenham, opened his account in 71 minutes when he took a pass from Kidd and hooked the ball over John Martin.

Five minutes from time Bannon found the striker unmarked at the far post and again he made no mistake.

Until Foster's intervention, Airdrie seemed set to hold the Tynecastle side with keeper Martin in brilliant form.

His best save came two minutes from the break after a shot from Scott Crabbe had struck the hand of Balfour.

The referee awarded a penalty but Martin made a fine save.

A minute later, the keeper kept out a free kick from Kirkwood.

With both sides using their substitutes, it was Hearts who cashed in, although Martin denied Foster in 60 minutes, and then a low shot from Kidd was well saved by the keeper.

Graham Harvey scored a consolation goal for Airdrie two minutes from time with a well taken effort.

HEARTS -- Smith, Wright, McKinlay, Kidd, McLaren, Berry, Kirkwood, Foster, Crabbe, Christie, Bannon.

Substitutes -- Ferguson, Sandison, Donaldson, McArthur, Walker.

AIRDRIE -- Martin, Dornan, Conn, Balfour, Auld, McPhee, Jack, Smith, Stewart, Coyle, McDonald.

Substitutes -- Harvey, Lawrence, Walsh, Irvine, McCulloch.

Referee -- A Huett (Edinburgh).

* AIRDRIE central defender Stuart Auld was rushed to hospital after last night's match with a suspected collapsed lung.

Auld went off with six minutes of the match remaining after a clash in the centre of the park.

Airdrie manager Jimmy Bone said afterwards: "Stuart's gone to hospital for X-rays and tests.

He had a similar problem a couple of years ago, and we didn't want to take any chances."

Motherwell 2, Leicester 2

MOTHERWELL ended their pre-season build-up with this draw against Leicester City at Fir Park last night -- the English side's third against Scottish opponents this week.

The premier-division side made enough chances to win, but failed up front.

Davie Cooper turned on the style against the English second-division side, but Kirk missed an early chance from a free kick taken by the winger.

City's Steve James was fortunate to escape after a poor pass-back, keeper Hodge coming off his line to block Dougie Arnott's shot.

But it was Leicester who had a great opportunity to go ahead in 27 minutes.

Motherwell's new signing Ian Angus brought down Gary Mills, but Alistair Maxwell dived to his right to save Tommy Wright's penalty.

Arnott almost shot Motherwell into the lead before the interval when he ran on to a Cooper pass but his shot came back off an upright.

Leicester scored five minutes into the second half when Pat Gavin headed a Mills cross home from eight yards.

But Motherwell leveled the score seven minutes later when Kirk headed in an Arnott cross.

City regained their lead after 62 minutes when Wright converted a Mills pass from 12 yards.

But Motherwell equalised with 11 minutes remaining when an overhead kick by Cooper was headed in by Nick Cusack.

MOTHERWELL -- Maxwell, Burley, Angus, Nijholt, Paterson, McCart, Russell, O'Neill, Arnott, Kirk, Cooper.

Substitutes -- Cusack, Philliben, Mair, Dolan, Ainslie.

LEICESTER CITY -- Hodge, Mills, Paris, Mauchlen, James, Walsh, Wright, North, Gavin, Davies, Kelly.

Substitutes -- Peake, Oaks, Ramsay, Reid.

Referee -- D McVicar (Carluke).

St Mirren 1, Middlesbrough 0

GEORGE Shaw proved that he could be an important player in the coming season for St Mirren.

On Wednesday he came off the substitutes' bench to test the Leicester defence.

And last night, he did the same to score the only goal of the game in this friendly at Love Street.

Yet it was a misfortune for Saints that enabled Shaw his entry after 20 minutes when their Icelandic striker Gudmundur Torfason was taken off with a facial injury.

Within seven minutes, Shaw had combined with Fraser Wishart to open up the Middlesbrough defence, and he finished off the move with a raking drive for the only goal of the game.

ST MIRREN -- Fridge, Wishart, Black, McEwan, Martin, Manley, McDowall, Radojewski, Stickroth, Torfason, Kinnaird.

Substitutes -- Shaw, McWalter, Dawson, Winnie, Guidi.

MIDDLESBROUGH -- Pears, Cooper, McGee, Mowbray, Kernaghan, Wark, Slaven, Mustoe, Baird, Hendrie, Russell.

Substitutes -- Parkinson, Coleman, Burke, Poole.

Referee -- D D Hope (Erskine).

Taken from the Herald