Capital show from Saints

RAY HEPBURN

1 Sep 1994

Hearts 2, St Johnstone 4.

ST JOHNSTONE sent Hearts tumbling out of the Coca-Cola Cup last night in a Tynecastle tie they had virtually given up after the opening half-hour.

Hearts, with 19-year-old Gary Locke outstanding, had sprinted to a two-goal lead before Stephen Frail was sent off for deliberately handling a John O'Neil shot under his own bar.

Frail was the fourth Hearts first-team player to be sent off this season.

The match was delayed to allow 8461 supporters into the stadium and the home fans were soon cheered when Frail made a tremendous run down the right and fed John Colquhoun.

From his cross, John Millar's close-in shot was stopped at the near post by Andy Rhodes.

However, the keeper succeeded only in fisting the ball back to Colquhoun, whose pass found Locke, and the youngster's header flew past Rhodes into the net.

The second goal came in 31 minutes when Locke dispossessed John Davies, the ball ran to Colquhoun on the right, and his shot took a deflection off Paul Deas past Rhodes.

Five minutes later O'Neil saw his close-in shot touched over his own bar by Frail.

However, George O'Boyle's penalty was saved by Nicky Walker low down to his right, and the keeper swiftly recovered to tip over the Irishman's shot from the rebound.

One minute into the second half, O'Neil made a deceptive run into Hearts' penalty area, to coincide with an overhead kick from Peter Davenport, and nodded the ball past Walker from close range.

That goal lifted the visitors and in 67 minutes O'Neil pulled a corner from the left low into Colin Miller's path, and the Canadian full back beat Walker low down to his right with a fierce right-foot shot.

Twelve minutes later Hearts were in real trouble, when O'Neil this time played his corner in high, Peter Davenport head-flicked the ball on, and O'Boyle bundled the ball in at the post as Robertson tried in vain to keep it out.

After Rhodes had palmed a Levein header on to the bar, David Irons added a fourth when he headed an Allan Preston corner past Walker from six yards.

Four Perth players were booked -- Cherry, O'Neil, Miller, and McGinnis.

HEARTS -- Walker, Frail, Weir, Levein, Berry, McLaren, Colquhoun, Locke, Robertson, A Johnston, Millar.

Substitutes -- Foster, Harrison, Smith.

ST JOHNSTONE -- Rhodes, Cherry, Miller, Ramsay, McGinnis, Deas, O'Neil, Davies, Davenport, O'Boyle, Irons.

Substitutes -- McMartin, Preston, Donegan.

Referee -- K Clark (Paisley).

Taken from the Herald