Report Index--> 1997-98--> All for 19980516 | ||||
<-Page | <-Team | Sat 16 May 1998 Hearts 2 Rangers 1 | Team-> | Page-> |
<-Srce | <-Type | Times ------ Report | Type-> | Srce-> |
Jim Jefferies | <-auth | Kevin Mccarra | auth-> | Willie Young |
[A McCoist 81] | ||||
40 | of 138 | Colin Cameron pen 1 ;Stephane Adam 52 | SC | N |
Hearts content as Ibrox era endsKevin McCarra Hearts 2 Rangers 1. EVERY triumph comes trailed by statistics. What registered then were the human consequences of Hearts' barren decades. Gary Locke, the young club captain whose knee injury had prevented him from playing, laid his hands on the cup with a fervour to equal that of Hearts' most dedicated follower. Even the vanquished on Saturday found it impossible to begrudge Hearts the jubilation. The incorrect award of a penalty after 34 seconds had allowed Colin Cameron to sweep Hearts into the lead and the incident exerted a strong influence over the game. It would be dishonest to castigate Willie Young, the referee, since only those with access to television replays could have known that he had made a mistake. Ally McCoist, the Rangers substitute who had scored five minutes earlier to cut the deficit, was felled by David Weir for an apparent penalty that promised an equaliser. It was always likely that Hearts would require indulgent circumstances if they were to prevail. Lorenzo Amoruso, the former Fiorentina centre half, was disorientated and sluggish as a long free kick dropped towards him in the 53rd minute. In days gone by, Andy Goram, the goalkeeper, would have saved when tested by a drive from such a position. Half of the side, including Goram, McCoist and Richard Gough, will now be leaving the club. The miscalculations began last summer, when David Murray, the chairman, decided to hold Brian Laudrup to the final year of his contract, forfeiting the right to a fee for the player, who will move to Chelsea, and then discovering that the Dane's level of performance was to decline. His restless, passionate counterpart at Tynecastle has only just begun the attempt to make history. HEART OF MIDLOTHIAN (4-1-4-1): G Rousset - D McPherson, D Weir, P Ritchie, G Naysmith - S Salvatori - T Flogel, C Cameron, S Fulton, N McCann - S Adam (sub: J Hamilton, 78min). RANGERS (3-5-2): A Goram - S Porrini, R Gough, L Amoruso - J Bjorklund, I Ferguson, S McCall (sub: I Durrant, 68), R Gattuso, S Stensaas (sub: A McCoist, 46) - G Durie, B Laudrup. Referee: W Young. Taken from timesonline.co.uk |
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<-Page | <-Team | Sat 16 May 1998 Hearts 2 Rangers 1 | Team-> | Page-> |