Robertson lets his goals do the talking

IAN PAUL

17 Sep 1990

A LONG, tedious trip into the depths of the Ukraine is not the most appealing foreign adventure for modern young footballers, but I suspect that John Robertson, Hearts' international striker, will be rather pleased to be heading into the relative obscurity of that part of the Soviet Union.

He has had a fair old week, after all.

His outspoken comments in support of sacked manager Alex MacDonald brought about a wee verbal rammy between his chairman Wallace Mercer and the national coach, Andy Roxburgh, who resisted Mercer's implication that 'Robbo' was not in the right mood for an international.

The player justified that faith by scoring on his debut against Romania and thus made the headlines again.

He is back at the top of the page once more after an eventful Saturday when he scored two goals in Hearts' 3-0 win over Hibernian at Easter Road and was at the centre of the fan bother which marred an otherwise mediocre derby.

His caretaker manager, Sandy Clark, hinted that the reason for taking Robertson off in the second half was as a result of the psychological effects of the earlier contretemps, when one Hibs fan ran on to the field after Robertson's opening goal and was joined by a Hearts fan, sparking off a mini invasion.

Clark's concern was understandable.

Perhaps in the past too little attention has been given to the delayed trauma a player could suffer after such an incident.

The vision of what might have ensued must flicker alarmingly in a footballer's mind when the hysteria has died down.

Maybe Robertson was playing on automatic pilot for a while, but if he was, then he knows now he can rely on that tack any time.

He was the best player on the field until he went off for a rest, no doubt relieved to get away from it all.

His first goal could be interpreted as an own goal by Pat McGinlay, who inadvertently deflected the striker's shot-cum-cross past Andy Goram.

But however traumatised the Hearts man was, he was still claiming the goals as his own afterwards.

There was no dispute about his second goal, the consequence of the best move of the game, involving Colquhoun and Foster before Robertson applied the final accurate header.

Between his strikes, Craig Levein had intervened with a header from an uninterrupted vantage point to leave Goram stranded again.

By half-time, therefore, the Tynecastle side had put an end to any ambitions their city rivals had held some minutes earlier.

They did so simply because they were able, in the main, to remember that this was a game of football.

Hibs, on the other hand, seemed to be caught up in a frenzied mission that produced manic energy but little else.

Maybe it was understandable after the emotional turmoil that has overhwelmed Hibernian, their management, players and fans since the summer's take-over bid, but it is a lesson for all.

However much anybody wants to win a football match, enthusiasm, even obsessive determination, has to be accompanied by some playing.

Even the promising Billy Findlay lost his way eventually and only Paul Wright's occasional thrust at the Hearts defence offered any hope for the Easter Road supporters.

Hearts looked, and were, much superior, especially in mifield, where Gary Mackay is beginning to recover the form that made him an international candidate.

Mackay's selfless running and intelligent passing, not to mention avoidance of macho nonsense, allowed him to dominate the direction of the game to such an extent that by the time Hibs regained some control in that area it was far too late.

Levein and Jimmy Sandison, who deputised for Dave McPherson, comfortably resisted such attempts at attack as Hibs

made, while the eagerness and sharpness of the front three, Colquhoun, Robertson and Foster, was always liable to cause even more damage to a static Hibs back four.

For both teams it is as well this first confrontation is over.

It was always going to be a dangerous occasion, but it is to be hoped that most of the vitriol has been expended.

Taken from the Herald