Leaders ready to battle: Hearts' Mackay makes his point as he is ordered off

James Traynor

25 Nov 1991

INSTEAD of toppling off their perch as many people had expected, Hearts not only beat Dundee United in an unmemorable match but widened the gap between themselves and the defending champions, Rangers, at the sharp end of the premier division.

It could take a mighty push to dislodge the Edinburgh club from their lofty position.

Judging by the manner in which the Hearts players went about engineering their 1-0 win there can be no doubt they enjoy the feeling of being able to look down on everyone else.

They fought like demons for their points, and the jarring result from the game at Ibrox, where St Mirren finally got it right and won, ensured an extremely productive Saturday afternoon, at least so far as the Tynecastle side were concerned.

Hearts' laconic manager, Joe Jordan, has watched his team perform with greater method, but he would not have been overly concerned that the game contained hardly any subtlety.

It had been one of those days when it was necessary to pull up the sleeves and "get wired in,"

as John Robertson put it afterwards.

The striker, of course, offered more than work-rate and scored the kind of goal for which he has become renowned.

Scott Crabbe delivered a precise ball from right to left and found Ian Baird lurking at the far post.

He leapt above his marker and nodded the ball back across goal, where Robertson, whose predatory instinct had ushered him into position, flicked out a foot and diverted it into the net.

It was Robertson's ninth goal of the season and underlined his importance to the Hearts dream of winning the title.

He was taken off soon after he had scored his goal and replaced by Ian Ferguson, but the hug which Jordan reserved for Robertson when it was all over was sincere.

The manager realises he possesses a top-class striker and might be a shade disturbed when others read too much into his decisions to take Robertson out of matches before the end.

Jordan is proving to be something of a tactician and it would be churlish to question his methods, at least while Hearts remain at the front of the procession.

He appears to be combining the team's willingness to run and challenge with strict organisation, particularly at the back with an improved feel for the ball and, as a consequence, Hearts are becoming a much more attractive side.

On Saturday Hearts did what was required to secure their win, although commitment pushed them into trouble when Gary Mackay was sent off six minutes from time.

Usually when two sides have abandoned the notion of trying to entertain by knocking the ball around they begin knocking themselves about and, inevitably, the temperature soared.

While the referee was booking George Wright, who had fouled Darren Jackson, several players from both teams were behaving like schoolgirls behind his back.

As they pushed at one another the United manager, Jim McLean, was on his feet at the edge of the track gesticulating wildly.

Eventually, when order had been restored, the referee had a long chat with a linesman and then called over Mackay.

The realisation that he was about to walk almost floored the Hearts player, and perhaps he was entitled to look stunned, because how anyone could have seen exactly what had occurred in the tangle of limbs was beyond me.

However, Mackay had to go and, by jabbing an accusatory finger towards McLean on the way, he left no-one in any doubt about who he felt was to blame for his dismissal.

United's Victor Ferreyra and Ray McKinnon were booked and so, too, was Craig Levein, of Hearts, although there were several more culprits who escaped censure in an untidy game in which some of the tackling and antics were depressing.

United had a couple of good opportunites, but found Henry Smith in fine form betwen the posts.

In fact, the Hearts keeper was called upon in the closing moments to tip the ball, which had been sent whizzing towards the top of his net by John Clark, over the bar.

It was a wonderful save which probably confirmed Smith as the premier-division's form keeper.

Ferreyra, United's Argentinian import, displayed good touch and awareness, but there were signs that he is something of an actor.

His performance was animated and he seemed to like falling down a lot, although Levein sometimes was guilty of helping him collapse.

Saturday's match was the last one before United must reduce their ground capacity to 12,787.

Work begins today to remove the north enclosure and build in its place a two-tier stand.

United's next home match is against Celtic on December 7 and there is bound to be a scramble for tickets.

Taken from the Herald