Hearts see off Dons to stay tied for lead

WILLIAM HUNTER

14 Sep 1992

FOOTBALL, like most other diversions, has become so complex that even a good Saturday can be like just an ordinary day of the week.

So it was at Tynecastle.

An exciting 1-0 win by Hearts over Aberdeen afterwards felt just so-so.

There was a perfectly constructed goal.

Good, if isolated, skill was offered by both sides.

Enough near misses occurred to race the pulse.

Raw endeavour prompted six bookings.

And victory sustained Hearts on the twin peak of the championship.

Yet it seemed like just another Saturday.

Wednesday, when Hearts begin their European adventure in Prague, overlaid everything.

Saturday became only a preliminary bout.

Who will be in for the first big one, who will not?

Saturday's worthy performance served only to create a couple of small definite uncertainties because Derek Ferguson and Ian Baird were taken off the field with injuries.

Baird suffered a knock on an ankle, while Ferguson had a rattling.

Being a master of Euro-speak, Hearts manager Joe Jordan did not give anything away about his thinking for Wednesday.

First, he would have to take assessments about performances in the reserve team.

Second, it would be wise to weigh up the potential players who had not been available for Saturday employment.

Just repeating the formula which saw off Aberdeen is possibly not an option because Hearts ought to have punished their visitors more severely.

Three players emphasised their importance to any occasion that might be global and not just European.

Gary Mackay was immense not only for his own good work here, there and everywhere but for how he encouraged excellent behaviour in those around him.

Towards the final whistle, when Aberdeen started to assert themselves a little, Henry Smith had a save from Brian Grant, which at the end of an afternoon of little activity, asserted his awareness and agility.

John Robertson's goal just before half-time -- handed to him by the expert construction of Baird and Wayne Foster -- should have helped him rediscover the ability of being in the right place at the right time -- something Hearts may lack.

Especially because the referee did Hearts no favour, the position of Aberdeen in the scheme of things became more problematical.

Although they had a couple of late misses which were hard to believe and Eoin Jess produced the most silky touches of a robust game, the Dons appeared less than equipped for the long haul of the championship.

Taken from the Herald