Levein underlines how costly his ban will prove.

Hearts close the door on Celtic and Burns' record

IAN PAUL

17 Oct 1994

THE probability that Hearts will have to tackle a sizeable slice of the season without Craig Levein must be causing considerable palpitations in the management team who saw the Scottish international defender in magnificent form once again during the 1-0 win over Celtic at Tynecastle.

As the season goes on, the foolish piece of fisticuffs between Levein and Graeme Hogg in a pre-season friendly, which has cost them both 10-game suspensions, grows into nightmarish proportions.

Levein has been an immensely influential figure in the side this season and is playing as well as he has ever done but, unless he manages a miraculous reprieve with his appeal in a fortnight, he has only two more games to go before he heads for a long holiday.

That will be a severe set-back for a team which looked tremendously sound at the back against Celtic, with not ony Levein in great form but Alan McLaren only marginally less reliable.

And Neil Berry did his part to shore up the barricades when necessary, too.

The fact that Hogg, who would have been an able deputy for Levein in normal circumstances, is also destined for a long rest -- in his case he has an extra three-game suspension already in the pipeline -- compounds the problems for manager Tommy McLean.

And if Rangers get around to buying McLaren, the Tynecastle defence would need a major restructuring job.

In many ways that would be a pity because, after a faltering start, McLean's team are beginning to get their game together.

It is not brilliant by any means, but it is professional and workmanlike.

It was their defensive solidarity which proved the key to their becoming the first team to beat Celtic under manager Tommy Burns.

John Robertson must be given his due deserts for scoring the goal that mattered, but the eclipse of Celtic as a striking force was the foundation for victory.

Manager McLean acknowledged the contributions of Levein and McLaren, especially during the "backs-to-the-wall period" after Scott Leitch and John Colquhoun, who had come on for Kevin Thomas, suffered injuries.

Colquhoun, in fact, had looked very lively indeed when he entered the action with half an hour to go until he damaged ankle ligaments.

"They were outstanding," said McLean, "and I don't think Henry Smith was called on to make a real save."

That was true enough and reflected the inability of Celtic to create many genuine openings in either half.

The Parkhead team had lots of possession, but rarely put it to effective use, and there was only a couple of smart passes from Charlie Nicholas, who replaced the injured Paul McStay, to indicate that the Parkhead side had any ideas of how to get around the Tynecastle back division.

McStay went off on a stretcher, suffering from what seemed a severe leg injury, but it turned out not to be as bad as feared, although sore enough.

Manager Burns said that he needed five or six stitiches in a shin wound, but did not believe it would keep the captain out for any length of time.

McStay is a quick healer and might well be back in place by the weekend.

Neither he nor his international team-mate, John Collins, were able to take control of matters as they have done often this season and perhaps their lacklustre display was an illustration of weariness after their midweek efforts in the European Championship match at Hampden.

Even so, there was a lack of imagination right through the team, although no-one could question their willingness.

Barry Smith, called into the heart of defence for his first game of the season, did not let the side down and, in fact, it was in defence that Celtic were best.

Only once did they lose their way, and it needed the sharp reflexes of Robertson to take advantage and give his team the goal that was to secure the three points.

That was just before half-time when Jim Bett, who coped pretty well in midfield considering he has only recently recovered from an operation, sent in a shot that carried little danger until Robertson, reacting before anybody else, stuck out a foot to steer the ball away from Gordon Marshall.

It was a real striker's goal, a real Robertson goal, in fact.

That proved enough to end Celtic's unbeaten run and Burns was honest enough to say afterwards that maybe the record had given a false impression of their quality.

He also made a remark which could turn out to be important for the men under his charge -- "You learn more about players in adversity than you do when they are winning."

That might indicate changes on the way.

Taken from the Herald