Leighton revels in derby victory.

Jackson singled out for praise

IAN PAUL

31 Oct 1994

GOALIES have long memories as well as long arms, a fact illustrated by Jim Leighton after his team's 2-1 win over Hearts in the Edinburgh derby at Easter Road.

The man who was captain of Hibs for the first time, in the absence of Gordon Hunter, was determined to make a special phone call on Saturday night to his Scottish international squad colleague, Andy Goram, of Rangers, who had been ever eager to remind his fellow keeper that he had been skipper of Hibs in his time there.

Leighton was keen to announce his "equaliser" and, of course, remind his pal that he now had an unbeaten record as captain.

Leighton's good mood followed a derby which really did entertain as well as excite.

There will be many who will say that was overdue, with every justification, but it is maybe better to dwell on the positive.

Leighton was a star himself but so, too, were his defensive colleagues who, minus Hunter, still managed to stand firm against a Hearts team which, in the second half, took the initiative and kept it.

Yet their best man was Billy Findlay whose performance in the first half, when he ran the game from midfield, provided the inspiration for their two-goal lead.

Leighton, who always has been able to talk a good game as well as play one, had one or two great saves but he was critical of his team for allowing Hearts to dominate the game after the interval.

"We defended well but we shouldn't have been forced into defending so far back."

The win put Hibs on top of the premier division for the third time this season, if only for a day, but Leighton scoffs at the idea that this means extra pressure.

"It is when you are near the bottom that there is pressure.

There is too long to go to think about winning titles but being up there gives us an incentive to keep winning."

He did pick out striker Darren Jackson as due special praise after his scoring return following two games out through injury.

"Darren started the season so well and to come back and do that today was tremendous."

Jackson's goal came after some fine work by another man returning from injury, Mickey Weir, whose clever run ended with a pass to Joe Tortolano and a cross which Jackson headed past Henry Smith.

The second was only a couple of minutes later and proved a frustrating goal for Craig Levein, who chased after Jackson when he was released by a long punt by Bryan Hamilton.

Levein did a marvellous job in getting back to put in a saving tackle on the striker but the ball ran to Michael O'Neill, who whipped it into the net.

Dave McPherson, newly returned from Ibrox, did seem to have trouble fitting in with the Tynecastle style.

Overall, though, he had a decent return and, in the second half, he and Levein seemed to get their act together.

By then Hearts were doing all the work, understandably, as Hibs went into retreat behind their two-goal cushion.

It may have been the realisation that Jackson had missed the best chance of all to put Hibs three in front which galvanised Hearts into action or it may have been the arrival of John Colquhoun, who replaced Gary Mackay, which did the trick but, whatever the cause, they were a far better, more dangerous team in the second half.

If Coloquhoun had scored with a clear header instead of knocking it wide, the afternoon could have finished up differently.

Hearts did get a goal back 10 minutes from time from a John Roberson penalty but it had come a little too late.

It didn't look a justified award from our viewpoint, although it has to be pointed out that sitting in the second row of the overcrowded Easter Road pressbox has to come into the "badly restricted view" category.

Stephen Frail who, in my estimation, was the best Hearts player of the day went down in classic style following a tackle by Graeme Love and referee Hugh Williamson, admittedly in a much better position to see than most of the press corps, immediately gave a spot-kick.

It didn't help Tommy McLean's men save the day and the manager who has made a fine start to his Tynecastle career must wonder if the derby jinx has shifted camps.

At least he can claim to have been involved in a revival of derbies which are about football rather than manic energy.

For that we should all be grateful.

Taken from the Herald