Raith fail to break Hearts

24 Feb 1997

Hearts ................... 3 Raith Rovers ........ 2

IT is often stated that those who inhabit the land east of Harthill are a strange, frugal breed, who would find it quite loathsome to part company with daylight for those trapped in a dark corner.

Whether this widely-held belief should be given credence is a matter for conjecture, but the good people of Edinburgh who swear allegiance to the maroon and white were not exactly going overboard on Saturday to show their delight and gratitude to John Robertson when the diminutive striker clocked on for duty in Hearts first team for the 600th time.

An announcement of Robertson's achievement was made over the loudspeaker system, the audience applauded politely - and that was that.

Strange.

Still, perhaps foresight is in great supply in the capital, because Robertson's contribution to the afternoon's entertainment was minimal, and he suffered the ignominy on his landmark day of being withdrawn after 74 minutes without ever looking like causing Scott Thomson in the Raith goal any palpitations.

Indeed, after just three minutes, and with many in the VIP section still fidgeting in their seats, Raith nipped up the field and took the lead through David Craig, a situation which lasted 20 minutes when Colin Cameron regained equality.

Two goals in as many minutes from Neil McCann seemed to put Raith in their place, but they made sure that Hearts kept clear of the cruise-control switch when Jani Makela, on trial with Raith, was on target prior to the break.

There cannot be many men with the ability to kick a ball remaining in Scandinavia these days, as most seem to be running around the pitches of Britain.

However, Makela, looks as though he could be of some benefit to the Stark's Park club in this time of great need.

The dark place that is the First Division may now be calling Raith in louder tones as the weeks pass, but manager Iain Munro is having little truck with such a situation.

"We are still in there, still fighting," he said in defiant volume.

"We started well today but sat back, made mistakes for the goals and were punished.

However, I think that we deserved a point." Jim Jefferies, the Hearts manager, slumped into a seat looking as though he had the cares and troubles of the planet resting firmly on his ample shoulders.

He claimed that his men had gone from playing "some of their best football for ages, to some of their worst," during the course of the afternoon.

They did enough - just - and there were several instances when Jefferies and his assistant Billy Brown, looked very much perturbed with their employees, so much so that the pair could have suffered apoplexy, so fervent were their protestations at the way some in Hearts kit were performing.

Still, as is the norm these days when fear of defeat and the possible dreaded consequences are taken on board, Jefferies was content that his club were three points the richer when it was time for us all to go home.

A trip up to Dundee on Scottish Cup business now looms large for Hearts, and if Robertson scores the winner against United, it is hoped that Tynecastle fans will not be so backward at coming forward with praise for their man.

DOUGLAS CAMPBELL

Taken from the Herald