Hearts out to prove a point

James Traynor

20 Jan 1993

HEARTS, whose challenge for the premier division championship has subsided beyond redemption, still are determined to make a greater impact, and they have a chance this evening to leap in front of Celtic into third place by beating St Johnstone at Tynecastle.

Perhaps for the first time this season the Edinburgh side are in good shape with all their first-team players available for selection after injuries and suspensions and the fact that they have been idle since their Scottish Cup tie against Huntly 11 days ago will not be allowed to dull their intentions.

They beat the Highland League side 6-0 and, with manager Joe Jordan down south yesterday, his assistant, Frank Connor, said he expects the side to continue scoring.

Saints, of course, will have other ideas and John McClelland, who has until the end of the season to prove he is the manager for McDiarmid Park, believes his players can raise their own game enough to cope with Hearts, provided the weather is mild enough to allow the match to be played.

Rain yesterday caused the postponement of several matches last night.

Motherwell and Dundee United will play their game on Wednesday, February 3, but no date has been fixed yet for the match between Partick Thistle and Hibernian.

United and Aberdeen, who meet in the Scottish Cup on Saturday, February 6, both will be involved in league business only days before because the Dons play Rangers in a rescheduled game at Pittodrie the previous Tuesday night.

These sides come together at Ibrox on Saturday, and Gary McSwegan looks certain to be in Rangers' squad for that match after his performance in a Reserve League Cup fourth-round tie at Dens Park yesterday afternoon.

Rangers won 5-3 and he scored all of their goals.

Dumbarton and Raith Rovers, who should have played last night, are expected to try again on Scottish Cup Saturday since both are out of that competition.

Stenhousemuir and Alloa will play on either February 2 or 3.

Taken from the Herald