Hearts harry Kozma out of his stride

Hungarian having an unhappy time

DOUGLAS CAMPBELL

9 Dec 1991

ISTVAN Kozma was wished a good night by a Dunfermline follower as he made his exit into the gloom from East End Park on Saturday evening.

He resembled a tourist who had momentarily lost his bearings in a large, strange city, an impression he has exuded many times this season in the kit of Dunfermline.

The Hungarian internationalist had just failed to come to grips with the snapping, snarling defenders who are wearing the maroon of Hearts this season with distinction.

No sooner had the ball been delivered to Kozma's feet during Hearts' 2-0 premier division success than Alan McLaren or one of his colleagues darted in to hasten the talented forward into moments of rashness or error.

In one such encounter Tosh McKinlay was cautioned after having left Kozma in a heap following an awkward challenge.

It is, in fact, quite some time since Kozma has thrilled audiences with his brand of play.

The Dunfermline management, it appears, wish him to play a wide role, a position the player himself finds uncomfortable, and perhaps a stint in the heat of the action, where his fast, clever feet have made chumps of lumbering defenders in the past, is the area where he could best serve his employers.

Dunfermline's people had a little justification for feeling miffed after the Edinburgh lot's success.

They were dealt an early body blow when, in four minutes, John Millar opened the scoring.

And to compound the misery Neale Cooper was adjudged to be at fault after Scott Crabbe tumbled to the grass when charging in a direction that held little by way of danger to the home side.

Referee George Smith, a considerable distance from the action, pointed to the penalty spot and Crabbe booted the ball past Andy Rhodes.

Any chance of a Dunfermline revival was carried indoors on the same stretcher which bore Scott Leitch shortly after the interval.

The striker had been a complete pest to the Hearts' rear division despite a total lack of support from Hamish French.

And although Chris Sinclair continued to carry threat towards Henry Smith in the Hearts' goal in the latter stages, Leitch's parting proved the final straw.

Jocky Scott, the Dunfermline manager, thought it best to keep mum regarding the penalty decision for fear of retribution from the powers that be.

Instead Scott's silver-haired assistant, Gordon Wallace, popped up briefly to say next to nothing about Cooper's misconduct but had that "we was robbed" expression that speaks louder than words.

Despite the fact that Smith was not exactly overworked on Saturday, he performed in an altogether confident manner and was rightly chuffed to point out later that he had just had his fourteenth shut-out of the season.

With Smith in such form it may be that Andy Goram will have as much difficulty holding on to his position as Scotland keeper as he has had the ball on several instances this season.

However, the plaudits for being downright miserly when it comes to giving away goals do not stop with Smith.

His defenders are going about their business in a most able fashion, none more so than Alan McLaren, the Scottish under-21 internationalist, who hobbled on to the Hearts' coach with an ankle swathed in strapping.

He had a fine afternoon, no doubt spurred on by the thought of Graeme Hogg, willing and able to step into McLaren or any other defender's boots at the first sign of flinching.

The struggle for a starting place in Hearts' team is a situation that manager Joe Jordan has carefully nurtured, and there is no doubt this kind of competition is keeping his men in a constant state of readiness.

Although Hearts only have Rangers in close proximity at the head of the premier division, this is not a position which gladdens Jordan.

It would, he said, be to his club's benefit if the chasing pack got their act together.

"With 21 matches remaining," said Jordan, "anything can happen." A situation with the pursuers cutting each other's throats in a desperate fight to claw back Hearts' lead would be of no little pleasure to the Gorgie Boys.

The brave men of Motherwell have the task on Saturday of halting the leaders' progress, a chore which will be made no lighter with the news that Derek Ferguson, the Tynecastle midfield provider, trained on Saturday morning and with extra work on a sore ankle may return to face the Lanarkshire threat.

The maroon-and-white merchandise outside East End Park on Saturday, some of which informed the world at large that "Santa is a Jam Tart" seemed to be selling well.

But then success, it is said, breeds success.

Taken from the Herald