New man Baird set to bring the best out of Crabbe in attack

12 Aug 1991

THE phoney war is over.

After the good natured preamble of friendly matches against Mediterranean waiters and Highland League sides, the 2-1 win by Hearts over Dunfermline at East End Park was an encounter in the finest traditions of the premier division.

With three spectacular goals, four bookings, and the second-half dismissal of Hearts full-back Tosh McKinlay, there was plenty for the 10,000-plus opening day crowd to enjoy.

For the visitors' manager, Joe Jordan, the afternoon also promised much for the coming months.

Hearts fielded Ian Baird in a competitive match for the first time, and whilst the £350,000 striker had a relatively quiet match, there were signs that he will form a potent strike force with Scott Crabbe and John Robertson.

Crabbe in particular may flourish playing alongside the former Middlesbrough man.

After a season ruined by illness and injury last time round, he looked strong and eager before being replaced by Eamonn Bannon 25 minutes from the end.

The Tynecastle management recently were prepared to transfer the Scotland Under-21 cap to St Johnstone, but the lifelong Hearts fan would not co-operate.

"I just didn't think St Johnstone was the right move for me," he said.

"I'd rather stay at Tynecastle and battle for my place.

Hopefully, if I can score a few goals, I'll keep it.

"Last season was a bit of a disaster for me.

I missed 11 weeks after getting food poisoning, and then I was out for another six weeks with knee ligament problems."

Those problems reduced Crabbe's goal tally from 17 the previous season to just four, but he demonstrated his new sharpness after just four minutes by shooting the opening goal from 20 yards.

Dunfermline had only themselves to blame for failing to equalise before half-time.

After 21 minutes, Ian McCall missed a penalty when his shot beat Henry Smith, but came back off the bar, and then Istvan Kozma blazed the ball wildly over from close range.

Tosh McKinlay seemed to be trying to help Dunfermline's cause after 58 minutes when he deservedly was sent off for lunging at McCall, completing a five-card trick in as many minutes for referee Hugh Williamson.

Hearts were not greatly inconvenienced by the reduction in numbers and in 65 minutes, John Robertson turned sharply in the box and threaded a superb shot into the net via a post.

Ray Farningham scored Dunfermline's consolation goal eight minutes from time, a reward he had earned for a fine individual display which had his manager, Iain Munro, acclaiming him as "the best player on the park."

With the season only one game old, Munro was inclined to look on the bright side.

He was more concerned about poor execution of set pieces than about his team's inability to finish the chances which came their way.

"The delivery of the ball at set pieces was the worst aspect of our play," he said.

"If you take away the result, however, there were a lot of positive things for us.

"It's a transitional phase for the club.

We're nearly there at times but nearly is not good enough.

We created eight or nine chances, but I'd never blame strikers for missing them, only for not being there to take them in the first place."

Results, however, will be everyone's yardstick as the campaign unfolds and Munro will be hoping that his new signing from Falkirk, Derek McWilliams, will soon be fit to bring a scoring dimension to Dunfermline's play.

Taken from the Herald