These new, mature Hearts are digging in at the top

Jim Reynolds
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8 Dec 1997

HEARTS are no flash-in-the-pan challengers for the premier division championship.

They proved that at Tynecastle on Saturday when they beat Motherwell - something Celtic and Rangers have failed to do in recent weeks - completing their sixth successive win with a tally of 18 goals.

Manager Jim Jefferies rated it as one of the club's best performances of the season and few could argue with his summing up.

It was one of those days when prospective champions had to dig in and match the commitment of the underdogs then let their superior skill come through.

In these situations there is no place for frustration and this Hearts side once again displayed a maturity which in past seasons may have been the only missing ingredient, the one thing that stood between them and a major honour.

Motherwell will claim they were denied the chance of another shock result when young defender Kevin Christie was sent off deep into injury time at the end of the first half, but they can't complain about the penalty award.

Christie did push David Weir in the box and the referee was correct in giving the spot kick which Colin Cameron put away with some style.

Where the referee erred was in deciding that the push deserved a second yellow card.

The penalty kick should have been enough of a punishment for the Fir Park side.

''The word 'fussy' springs to mind,'' said Motherwell manager Alex McLeish afterwards.

''I tried to have a word with the officials at half time to find out what had happened, but they didn't want to know.

The lad pushed Weir and it was a silly thing to do, but it was a shame it came when it did.

''Hearts are certainly credible challengers to the Old Firm, but it would have been interesting if we had gone in at half time on level terms.

If we could have kept them out for a bit longer, who knows, maybe some jitters would have set in.

But Hearts are on top on merit and are looking very sharp.'' Said Jim Jefferies: ''That was certainly one of our best performances of the season.

Our passing and movement were excellent and we should have been two or three goals up before we did score.

We knew if we kept playing away as we were doing we would get the breakthrough.

''We made more chances in this game than we did against Kilmarnock and we scored five against them, but I would have settled for 2-0 before this match, so I have no complaints.'' Ironically, Motherwell seemed to play better when they went down to ten men, but there was no way back for them after Austrian Thomas Flogel scored Hearts second goal in 68 minutes.

The striker took a through pass from Steve Fulton and controlled the ball beautifully before wheeling and sending a low drive past Steve Woods.

The pass was one of Fulton's many contributions to a fine team performance.

Flogel was the sponsor's man of the match, but for me, it was Fulton who stole the show with the way he always looked in complete control.

Said Jefferies: ''Fulton, Salvatore and Cameron are all playing at their best at the moment, getting plenty through to the front players and that is a big factor in our being at the top.'' Hearts have passed several examinations this season and now they will be judged again over their next three matches - against Dundee United at Tannadice, Celtic at Parkhead and Rangers at Tynecastle.

If they can still maintain their place at the top after those matches, then maybe more people will begin to believe there is a lively football life in the capital.

''Three hard matches for us?'' Asked Jefferies.

''They will be just as hard for our opponents.

''We're there to be shot at now.

Every game is a cup final for us, but we have to live with that and show people why we are up there at the top of the league.'' Next league matches: Hearts - Dundee United (a).

Motherwell - Dundee United (h).

Taken from the Herald