Sting in the tail for Hearts

RAY HEPBURN

15 Sep 1993

Hearts 2, Atletico Madrid 1

HEARTS' UEFA Cup hopes are still intact after last night's narrow victory over Atletico, but they came so close to having a genuine chance of reaching the second round.

The goal by Polish striker Roman Kosecki 13 minutes from time, makes the world of difference to their task in Madrid two weeks hence.

After a first hour which lacked the tempo and excitement that traditionally goes with European ties, the Edinburgh team lifted themselves into clear ascendancy through goals from John Robertson and John Colquhoun.

However, a change of gear by the Spanish team, unbeaten so far this season, produced the killer away goal.

The first-round, first-leg tie created the most lucrative football match ever staged at Tynecastle, with £395,000 in television revenue being added to handsome gate receipts from a near 16,000 crowd.

After a sedate start to the tie, Hearts waited 18 minutes before creating their first real chance, when Craig Levein's foresight sprung the Madrid offside trap.

He transferred a clearance out to the left which found Scott Leitch making the perfect run, and his cut-back was met by Colquhoun, whose drive was blocked by Perez

Robertson almost made the breakthrough in 43 minutes when he turned quickly on the edge of the area on to a Gary Mackay pass and Diego was happy to touch this fierce shot over the bar.

However, the Tynecastle prolific scorer did the trick in 70 minutes with a typical Robertson goal.

Eighteen-year-old Gary Locke looped a free kick in from the right, and after Diego stopped Justin Fashanu's header on the line, Robertson pounced to rap the ball over the line.

Five minutes later, Locke found Colquhoun 20 yards from goal, and the winger drove the ball low past Diego into the far corner of the net.

An otherwise perfect night from Hearts was marred two minutes later when Kosecki's pace took him into a threatening position on the Hearts left, and the Pole's accuracy from 12 yards was much too good for the diving Smith.

HEARTS -- Smith, Locke, McKinlay, Levein, Weir, McLaren, Colquhoun, Mackay, Fashanu, Leitch, Robertson.

Substitutes -- Berry, Hogg, Johnstone, Thomas, Walker.

ATLETICO MADRID -- Diego, Gomez, Gonzalez, Perez, Lopez, Moacir, Manolo, Quevedo, Garcia, Mori, Narvaiz.

Substitutes -- Alamillos, Abel, Kosecki, Huertos.

Referee -- A Frisk (Sweden).

Taken from the Herald