McLean's half-time change of plan pays dividends for Hearts

RAY HEPBURN

27 Dec 1994

Hearts 3, Partick Thistle 0

BARGAIN buy David Hagen plunged Thistle into even deeper relegation trouble in front of a crowd of 8920 at Tynecastle yesterday when three stunning second-half goals proved conclusive.

And it was Hagen's strike after 55 minutes that was influential in turning the match away from the Firhill team, after there had been little to separate two sides seeking to find a rhythm.

After the former Rangers player, who moved to Hearts for £150,000 four weeks ago, put them in front John Robertson and Jim Bett underlined their superiority.

It is now 11 games since John Lambie's team last beat Hearts and although Hagen was the obvious man for Thistle fans to curse, full back Stephen Frail once again was the Tynecastle side's outstanding player.

And the change made by manager Tommy McLean at half-time, when Gary Mackay replaced Colin Miller, also offered the home team the creative play from midfield that their earlier performance had lacked.

There was no hint in the opening stages of the goals that were to follow although a low, left-foot shot by Ian Cameron was held by Craig Nelson in 20 minutes, after Wayne Foster had mis-hit a Kevin McKee cross.

Three minutes later, Frail and Robertson combined neatly on the right, but the angle narrowed for the full back and his right-foot shot was charged down by Steve Welsh.

Foster should have scored against his former team-mates after 25 minutes when his run into the penalty area coincided perfectly with a Cameron cross, but, somehow, he headed wide from six yards.

Robertson used all his wile in 43 minutes to find a goal, and when he curled a free kick round the Thistle wall from 20 yards, Walker used his inside knowledge to save low down at a post.

However, Hearts made the breakthrogh 10 minutes into the second half and never looked back.

John Colquhoun's corner from the right was headed on to a post by John Millar, and Hagen's low shot from a difficult angle squeezed behind Walker.

Robertson was only inches wide from 20 yards and a crisp, right-foot shot by Millar was held by Walker, as Hearts pushed forward in search of the clinching goals.

Robertson tried to help with 18 minutes left when he took on Alan Dinnie and Welsh but after wrong-footing both defenders, he scraped Walker's left-hand post with a fierce low drive.

The little striker would not be denied, however.

After 81 minutes he slid in to beat Walker after Colquhoun had released Hagen into the box, and his shot bounced back off a post.

An afternoon which had started promisingly for Thistle ended in despair after 88 minutes, when Frail rolled the ball into Bett's path 14 yards out, and his low drive flew behind Walker.

Three players were booked -- Kevin Thomas, of Hearts, and Thistle's Chic Charnley and Gregg Watson.

HEARTS -- Nelson, Frail, Miller, Jamieson, Berry, McPherson, Colquhoun, Bett, Robertson, Millar, Hagen.

Substitutes -- Thomas, Mackay, Smith.

PARTICK THISTLE -- Walker, McKee, Milne, Watson, Welsh, Dinnie, McDonald, Craig, Foster, Cameron, Charnley.

Substitutes -- Grant, Law, Cairns.

Referee -- A Roy (Aberdeen).

Taken from the Herald