Two star turns in a dreary capital affair

IAN PAUL

26 Nov 1990

TWO players who, a few weeks ago, could scarcely have envisaged playing in an Edinburgh derby, turned out to be the star turns in what, none the less, was another dreary episode in this capital affair.

The fact that they are both defenders perhaps tells its own tale, but in any case Jimmy Sandison of Hearts and Murdo MacLeod of Hibernian were outstanding in the 1-1 draw at Tynecastle.

Last month Sandison had been neatly parcelled up, ribbons secured, and made ready for delivery to Broomfield, where Airdrie had agreed to pay £100,000 for his transfer.

In fact, he had turned down the first move to the Lanarkshire club because he was not satisfied with their terms, but a few days later all was settled and the word was that he would be lining up against Kilmarnock at Broomfield.

It was then that Joe Jordan exercised that prerogative which is exclusive to women and football managers.

He changed his mind.

Thus, instead of meeting his new team-mates in preparation for the first-division game, Sandison was told he was playing for Hearts against Celtic at Tynecastle, and he has not looked back, or even out of place, since.

Jordan had decided to use a sweeper system and, among the fit staff available, Sandison seemed the best choice to slot in beside Dave McPherson and Craig Levein.

And so it came to pass that he was a star against Celtic, did well again the following week in the draw with Dundee United, and was once more in great form on Saturday.

"That's football," was how Jordan summed up the Sandison situation, accurately enough if not brimming with originality.

The 25-year-old Sandison, who has been at Tynecastle for seven years, can therefore expect to be staying in his home town for some time yet.

Murdo MacLeod, on the other hand, is an immigrant to the capital city.

He spent much of his career in the west with Celtic before moving to Germany where he plied his trade efficiently with Borussia Dortmund.

Only last month did it emerge that the midfield man, who had also resuscitated a fading career with Scotland, was available to come back to his roots.

Hibs moved in, beat a few other hopefuls to his signature, notably Dunfermline, and as well as an enthusiastic assistant manager they captured a player of admirable versatility.

Although Murdo has tackled most roles in his time and, indeed, played as a sweeper with Dortmund, he has never been considered centre half material.

He put that to rights on Saturday, settling into that position with some comfort and, alongside Pat McGinlay, forming a formidable double act which kept John Robertson and company firmly in hand.

With McPherson, Levein, and Sandison doing the same at the other end there was not much happening to get the 19,004 in attendance excited but, then, in these derbies some of them do not need a lot.

As defences remained on top for 70 of the 90 minutes all the fun and thrills were squeezed into the last quarter of the match.

Once Hibs brought on a winger, Mickey Weir (for McGraw), things started happening for them and perhaps that inspired Hearts' own wee winger, John Colquhoun, who began to dazzle at the diagonally opposite end of the ground.

One of Weir's first intrusions was a marvellously placed knee-high cross around the Hearts defence, midway between keeper Henry Smith and striker Keith Houchen.

The Hibs man reached it first and the vistors were ahead.

For a little while they looked as if they would hold on to that lead but Colquhoun had got his engine started and seven minutes later, after a brilliant run by the winger, Robertson seemed to have added to his remarkable scoring record against Hibs when he headed the cross over Goram towards the net.

The ball came off the bar, much to the striker's consternation, but all was rescued when Neil Berry popped in the rebound to level the scores.

Hibs might have snatched victory, perhaps should have snatched victory, when Billy Findlay was presented with a similar chance to that put away by Houchen but he failed to control the ball and it spun into the arms of Smith.

Seven players had their names taken for various offences but there did not seem to be much extraordinary aggro on the park.

Maybe referee Kenny Hope was in a bad mood.

It happens to us all.

Neither manager was growling, however.

Alex Miller, naturally, was a bit disappointed his men had not held on after having gone ahead, and Jordan was a little annoyed at the way his lot had lost the goal.

Otherwise both were reasonably happy with their lot.

Each felt there had been some good football played.

I must have missed it.

Taken from the Herald