It's tough at the top for Hearts

Ian Paul
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10 Dec 1997

HEARTS discovered how tough it can be when a team outside the Old Firm has the audacity to manoeuvre their way up to the giddy air at the top of the premier division.

They came up against a Dundee United team that put the form of the last couple of weeks behind them and gave the league leaders plenty to cope with.

The Edinburgh side proved up to the task, none the less, and the consequence was a contest of fast, entertaining football that could have gone either way.

There was little between the teams, with both defences in solid mood, and no-one in either back four was better than the oldest man of them all, Maurice Malpas, who simply was immense.

Hearts' top man was Stevie Fulton, whose smart thinking and deft touches deserved better reward.

Still, to follow six successive victories with a fighting draw at Tannadice was by no means a poor effort by the Tynecastle side, who will go into their clash with Celtic on Saturday in good fettle.

The gap may have been narrowed, but they are still looking like legitimate challengers.

Hearts fans gathered in good numbers in their allotted spaces and made enough noise to indicate that they are enjoying the atmosphere up at the top end of the league table, but although they played some decent stuff early on, it was United who made the best chance, and it was some chance.

Olofsson suddenly found himself clear on the right and, when he laid the ball across the front of goal, it came into the path of the unmarked Winters, who mis-hit his shot from about 12 yards and it veered off to the left and past the post.

Hearts had looked good until then, in particular Fulton, who had made some telling passes, especially one towards Adam, who was only thwarted by the alert Malpas.

For all their neat play, however, they were harder worked in defence than the home team whenever Oloffson, in particular, was involved in attack.

He was in at the thick of things again when a cross from Easton reached him inside the area.

The Swede cleverly nodded it on to Pressley, and his looping header forced Rousset to touch the ball over the bar.

Adam was doing a lot of intelligent running up front for Hearts and, from one of his crosses, Dykstra fumbled the ball and was relieved to see it squirm away out of Flogel's reach.

Cameron was booked for a foul on Pedersen, and Pointon was warned when he downed Olofsson.

There was much more flowing play than has often been the case in premier contests this season, never the less, and each team could claim opportunities to take the lead.

Flogel, for example, sent a wonderful cross-field pass to Cameron, whose well-hit cross was begging for a friendly intervention, but there was no ally in the vicinity.

Then it was Hearts' turn again when Locke delivered a superb ball into the middle to Adam, whose header was only a little too high.

There was an even better effort at Rousset's end, where Olofsson deftly steered a Winters cross for the far post and was unfortunate to see it slip outside rather than inside.

Just before the half-time break, Adam cut in from the right and hit a left-foot shot that would have sneaked in at the near post but for a fine diving save by Dykstra.

Zetterlund had his name taken at the start of the second half when he caught Locke late and high.

Despite immediate treatment, the Hearts man had to leave the field limping badly.

He was replaced by McManus.

Winters was a touch ambitious when he tried a chip from well out on the right, especially as the king-sized Rousset was standing on his line and was not troubled by the effort, which landed on the roof of the net.

Then Pointon was booked after another foul on Winters.

Both sides had impressive forward runs, but the final cross invariably landed behind team-mates or was diverted for a corner.

United made loud claims for a penalty when Bowman was knocked flat by an aerial challenge from Ritchie, but the referee saw nothing untoward.

Even so, Bowman had to be taken behind the goal for a minute's attention.

While he was there, his team-mates rushed forward, Oloffson put the ball across to Easton, and his shot was parried away at the last minute by Rousset.

A little later, Bowman was taken off and replaced by Skoldmark and, at this point, midway through the second half, Hearts were perhaps a shade ahead on points.

Just when we thought that was the case, naturally, United came racing upfield twice.

First, McLaren had a fine run and managed to get around the keeper, but the ball had just gone over the bye-line when he back-heeled it into the path of Winters, who put it in the net.

Then Malpas forced a good save out of Rousset.

With eight minutes left, United put on McSwegan for Olofsson but then had Perry booked for fouling Adam.

Dundee United - Dykstra, Bowman, Malpas, Pressley, Perry, Pedersen, Olofsson, Zetterlund, Winters, Easton, McLaren.

Substitutes - McSwegan, Dolan, Skoldmark.

Hearts - Rousset, Locke, Pointon, Weir, Salvatori, Ritchie, McCann, Fulton, Adam, Cameron, Flogel.

Substitutes - Hamilton, Quitongo, McManus.

Referee - K Bisset (Inverness)

Taken from the Herald