honours even in tynecastle bore

JAMES TRAYNOR

31 Mar 1994

Hearts 0, Motherwell 0

SOMETIMES scorelines can be misleading.

They can tell downright lies.

Not this one, though.

Neither Hearts nor Motherwell, who both have a pressing need of premier division points, were able to display enough skill to make their match even remotely enjoyable on a miserably cold and wet Edinburgh night.

The 7879 fans suffered from the elements and the poverty of the football.

At least Hearts chairman Wallace Mercer had sympathy for the customers in the family enclosure and had them evacuated.

They were moved to drier quarters, but if he had really wanted to be seen as genuinely caring he would have allowed them to flee Tynecastle altogether, instead of expecting them to watch the full, depressing 90 minutes.

Motherwell may come to rue the loss of a point here, because they have now fallen five points behind league leaders Rangers, who have played a game fewer.

In fact, it looks now as though the Ibrox side will certainly retain the championship, although Motherwell are not about to conede.

"We are not throwing in the towel," said manager Tommy McLean.

"All right, conditions were difficult, but the basic control of players up front in the second half was disgraceful.

It was kick and rush stuff."

Naturally, McLean looked upon the scoreline as a point lost, while Hearts manager Sandy Clark felt a draw was about right.

Hearts, in fact, were dreadful in the first half, but better in the second.

Clark's side have now been overtaken by Kilmarnock and remain in relegation trouble, only two points above third-bottom St Johnstone.

However, as the manager pointed out, their destiny lies in their own hands.

"We play Kilmarnock on Saturday and St Johnstone the following midweek," he said.

"But I'm not saying these two games will decide the relegation issue, because there are nine matches left and all are crucial."

If Hearts are to escape, however, and Motherwell's outrageous dream of the title is to be realised, both sides really must produce more controlled performances.

Although no-one knew it at the time, an indication of just how hopeless the evening would become was offered when the ball had been rolling only 15 seconds.

Alan McLaren, one of the best defenders in the country, was far too casual with an attempted passback and the ball moved only a few yards.

McLaren and keeper Henry Smith were horrified.

Tommy Coyne was delighted.

He pounced, but was denied when his shot struck the base of a post.

Later, Phil O'Donnell, another of Scottish football's bright young hopes, applied a poor touch on the ball when in front of Smith's goal and his chance was lost also.

John Robertson should have scored early in the second half after Miodrag Krivokapic had been negligent and failed to clear.

Robertson surged towards Sieb Dykstra, but hit his shot too straight and the Motherwell keeper saved.

There were many more errors of touch and vision throughout the game and the supporters were left wondering why they had bothered to venture outdoors on such a foul night.

On one occasion George Wright tried to play a pass and the ball landed in the mouth of the tunnel.

Two players, McLaren and Brian Martin, were booked, although the match was never wild.

It was an evening much better forgotten.

HEARTS -- Smith, Wright, McKinlay, Levein, Berry, McLaren, Colquhoun, Mackay, Robertson, M Johnston, Millar.

Substitutes -- Foster, A Johnston, Walker.

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

Substitutes -- Davies, Philliben, Thomson.

Referee -- J Herald (Newton Mearns.)

Taken from the Herald