Motherwell on top after Johnston penalty miss

RAY HEPBURN

16 Dec 1993

Hearts 2, Motherwell 3

MOTHERWELL joined Aberdeen and Rangers at the top of the premier division by winning at Tynecastle for the first time in almost 12 years against an unfortunate Hearts side.

The Fir Park team had scarcely shown as an attacking force in the opening half, but Tommy Coyne capitalised when their meagre share of the ball created chances.

He followed up his two goals at Easter Road on Saturday with another couple last night to make Hearts' form figures of one victory in 15 games read of the long outsider variety.

Mo Johnston had given the Edinburgh side an eleventh-minute lead, but he marred an outstanding night's work by hitting the crossbar with a penalty 11 minutes from time.

Financially, too, it was a bleak night for Hearts, who had asked that the twice postponed game be held back until the spring.

Their lowest league crowd of 5531 welcomed the match, and it ended with calls for chairman Wallace Mercer to move on.

Hearts took the lead in 11 minutes, when Leitch directed a free kick from the right toward the near post, where Johnston volleyed the ball behind Sieb Dykstra.

The Edinburgh team almost moved two ahead after 33 minutes, when Colquhoun made contact with a Leitch corner, but after his accurate effort had beaten Dykstra, Jamie Dolan cleared the ball off the line.

The goal that swung the match Motherwell's way came four minutes before the break, when McKinnon found himself in acres of room on the left and, after Paul McGrillen headed his cross down, Coyne forced the ball in ahead of McLaren's covering tackle.

In the fifty-fifth minute, a Phil O'Donnell shot was deflected off McLaren into McKinnon's path and the full back thundered his left-foot shot from 16 yards high into the net.

Three minutes later Hearts were caught short of concentration at the back again, when McCart's pass released substitute Steve Kirk in behind Jim Weir and his driven cross found Coyne sliding in at the far post for his second.

Hearts pulled themselves back into the argument in 66 minutes, when Johnston's headed pass allowed Leitch time to steady himself before shooting left-footed past Dykstra from 10 yards.

Johnston's penalty miss, when he almost broke the crossbar in 79 minutes, came after Martin had halted an excellent run from Gary Mackay by dragging him to the ground by his shirt.

HEARTS -- Walker, Weir, McKinlay, McLaren, Berry, Leitch, Colquhoun, Johnston, Thomas, Locke, Mackay.

Substitutes -- Foster, Millar, Smith.

MOTHERWELL -- Dykstra, Shannon, McKinnon, Philliben, Martin, McCart, Lambert, Dolan, McGrillen, O'Donnell, Coyne.

Substitutes -- Kirk, Cooper, Thomson.

Referee -- J McCluskey (Stewarton).

Taken from the Herald