Hearts fail to come up to high standard

JIM REYNOLDS

22 Oct 1992

Hearts 0, Standard Liege 1

HEARTS and Standard Liege last night turned back the clock at Tynecastle in this UEFA Cup second-round, first-leg match and, as happened 34 years ago, it looks as if the Belgian side are heading for the next round after a super opening spell.

The sides made their European debuts against one another in 1958.

Standard then won comfortably enough over two legs, and after last night's event it is understandable that they feel they can again do so.

Alain Bettagno gave them a dream start with a headed goal in only seven minutes and that left Hearts chasing the game.

They worked themselves almost to a standstill but could never quite match the Belgians either for pace or the quality of passes.

The Scots can point out that they came close to breaking through what was an impressive defence, but the Belgians will rightly counter that they should have had more to show than Bettagno's effort.

Another blow for the Tynecastle club is that striker Ian Baird will miss the return in two weeks' time.

He was booked shortly after half-time and that was his second yellow card of the tournament.

Sadly, it was an all-too-familiar story of a Scottish effort in Europe.

Hearts were stunned after just seven minutes when Levein conceded a corner on the left, and from the award the Belgians went into the lead with the home defence caught flat-footed.

Vervoort swung the corner towards the penalty spot and no-one picked up Bettagno as he flashed a header past Smith.

Robertson should have equalised a minute later when a Baird header put him through, but the striker blasted his shot over.

At the other end Goossens could have increased Standard's lead when he took a pass from Hellers but shot straight at Smith.

Hearts were fighting to get back into the match.

Leonard was booked for a lunging tackle on Baird on the edge of the penalty area, then in 16 minutes Genaux cleared a Robertson shot off the line after Bodart had blocked an effort from Mackay.

But the goal had boosted Standard's confidence whereas Hearts were so anxious to get on with things that the final touch more often went astray.

The Scots seemed to shake themselves into greater effort, and they pounded the Belgian goal in the closing stages of the first half.

They were so unlucky when a thundering 25-yard drive from Mackay took a deflection and went inches over the crossbar.

There was a surprise for the Hearts fans at the start of the second half when McLaren replaced Levein at the centre of the defence.

Baird was booked for foolishly manhandling the Belgian keeper, who had safely held a cross, and Vervoort became the third man to be cautioned soon afterwards.

Hearts then were out of luck in 67 minutes when a powerful Snodin free kick was deflected past for a corner.

Ian Ferguson took over from namesake, Derek, after 72 minutes, and Wilmots was yellow-carded near the end for carrying on and sticking the ball in the Hearts net after he had been whistled up for offside.

Standard coach Arie Haan was delighted with the performance of his side and is confident of overall victory, but he also lashed Hearts for over-physical tactics.

He said: "That was too physical for my liking.

Joe Jordan was getting excited at the trackside and I shouted to him: 'Hey Joe, calm down with your rugby team'.

"

However, Hearts' manager Jordan would not be drawn into any argument.

He said: "The comments from that camp have been less than generous all the way.

I'm sorry Arie Haan feels that way but then again everyone's entitled to their opinion."

HEARTS -- Smith, Hogg, McKinlay, Levein, Mackay, Van de Ven, Robertson, D Ferguson, Baird, Snodin, Bannon.

Substitutes -- I Ferguson, Millar, McLaren, Wilson, Walker.

STANDARD LIEGE -- Bodart, Genaux, Vervoort, Demol, Cruz, Bettagno, Hellers, Goossens, Leonard, Van Rooy, Wilmots.

Substitutes -- Munaron, Bisconti, Pister, Asselman, Quaranta.

Referee -- G Kapl (Austria).

Taken from the Herald