Adrian bounces back

Ray Hepburn

11 Jan 1993

THE journey from reject to hero is not often made in football, but Adrian Boothroyd has completed the transition in just six weeks.

Released by Malcolm Allison at Bristol Rovers, the defender was quickly snapped up by Joe Jordan, and he indicated why in Hearts' 6-0 victory over Huntly.

The Hearts manager took the chance to give him an outing and rest Derek Ferguson after 54 minutes, with the Edinburgh team already four goals ahead.

Six minutes later he had scored his first senior goal and added a second as the Highland League team started to feel the pace.

"That was an unbelievable thrill," said Boothroyd.

"I've never scored a senior goal before and I think I was running around like a headless chicken for 10 minutes after scoring.

"This has been a great move for me so soon after being freed.

Hearts are a tremendous club and my aim now is to established myself in the team."

He did his prospects no harm in Saturday's cup tie that developed along the lines of the script, after a spirited start by Huntly.

"I have to give my players a pat on the back.

The scoreline is what everyone expected but you can only achieve that if the players do the job professionally," claimed Jordan.

Defeating the men from the Highlands and qualifying for a fourth-round meeting with Dundee, may not be over-significant in Hearts' season but it will be interesting to see how their players react to the victory.

For a team that has been having problems scoring of late, the goals and their quality may offer them a timely injection of confidence and belief.

John Robertson will appreciate that the wait for his 200th goal is over, while Ian Baird, Derek Ferguson, and Glyn Snodin accepted their goals gratefully.

Finally, a word of congratulations to the home supporters.

Those in the stand waited to give the Huntly players a warm and prolonged ovation at the end.

That was fully deserved after the part-time players played adventurously and also for the sporting way they played out a second half that must have felt that it was lasting forever.

Taken from the Herald