Hateley spot on but Colquhoun rescues a point for Hearts

JAMES TRAYNOR

10 Nov 1994

Hearts 1, Rangers 1

MARK Hateley's twelfth goal of the season -- and his eleventh in seven matches against Hearts -- ought to have put Rangers on the way to victory at Tynecastle last night, but Hearts produced a spirited display and may have taken maximum points.

The Edinburgh side, whose defence has been broken up by the sale of Alan McLaren and Tosh McKinlay -- and also the 10-game suspensions to Craig Levein and Graeme Hogg -- have had to make drastic rearrangements and they must have been anxious about the prospect of facing the power of Hateley and the exquisite skills of Brian Laudrup.

However, with rain falling steadily, Hearts responded impressively, despite falling behind to Hateley's goal just after the interval.

John Colquhoun equalised midway through the second half and it was then Rangers who were hanging on.

The game was only seconds old when Basile Boli stepped in to break up a Hearts attack.

With all the poise and pose of a true continental, he stroked the ball out of defence -- and straight to Scott Leitch.

Fortunately for Boli and Rangers, no real damage was created, but he must have alerted McLaren to the dangers inherent in playing alongside the Frenchman in a back four.

The early endeavour was all from Hearts, who appeared more composed than on Saturday, when they lost their way and then three points to Motherwell.

Then they had tried Jim Bett as the free man in defence, but his best work is still done in midfield.

That was where he was deployed against Rangers, and it was from his left foot that the first chance was created.

From a free kick he clipped the ball into Rangers' penalty box, where Dave McPherson beat Hateley in the air to head for goal.

Andy Goram saved, and did so again when John Robertson shot from 18 yards.

Neil Berry almost gave his fans cause to mock him when, in trying to clear Laudrup's cross from the right, he screwed the ball the wrong way and was relieved to see the ball fly wide.

Two-and-a-half minutes into the second half, Laudrup escaped John Millar on the right and thumped in a good cross.

Hateley had read the Dane's intentions perfectly but, as he prepared to spring, he was impeded by Stephen Frail.

The young Hearts defender was booked as Hateley scraped the mud from his knees before stepping forward to take the penalty.

He hit the ball powerfully to Smith's left and, although the keeper touched the ball, its velocity carried it into the net.

Pieter Huistra was booked for dissent in 58 minutes, and a couple of minutes later Hearts took off Johnston and sent on Kevin Thomas in an attempt to inject urgency into the attack, but it was Frail who caused panic in Rangers' defence.

His cross was nodded on by Leitch, forcing Goram to slap the ball clear, but only as far as Colquhoun, who drove it through a mass of legs and into the net.

The winger had barely stopped celebrating when he was booked for a foul, and then Rangers' Craig Moore also was cautioned for something he had said to a linesman.

Ten minutes from time, Rangers sent on Ally McCoist for Neil Murray, and the Tynecastle side made their second change with George Wright taking over from Colquhoun.

Four more players, Robertson of Rangers and Hearts' Frail, Bett, and Robertson, were booked, but the game ended with Goram making a splendid save from Robertson.

HEARTS -- Smith, Frail, Berry, McPherson, Millar, Mackay, Bett, Leitch, Johnston, Colquhoun, Robertson.

Substitutes -- Thomas, Wright, O'Connor.

RANGERS -- Goram, Moore, McLaren, Boli, Robertson, Huistra, Durrant, McCall, Murray, Hateley, Laudrup.

Substitutes -- Hagen, McCoist, Scott.

Referee -- Mr H Dallas (Bonkle).

Taken from the Herald