Hearts content as Ibrox era ends

Hearts 2 Rangers 1. Long-suffering fans hail overdue triumph

EVERY triumph comes trailed by statistics. Heart of Midlothian's victory over Rangers in the Tennents Scottish Cup final at Celtic Park brought the club its first trophy for 36 years. For the losers, defeat meant that a season had passed without an honour for the first time since 1986. The conclusion of the game, though, was no moment for consulting almanacs.

What registered then were the human consequences of Hearts' barren decades. Supporters who have survived them with gloomy fortitude were engulfed by a euphoria that was enhanced by disbelief that the moment of success had at last been attained. The distinction between crowd and players dissolved as the trophy was presented.

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. "I've waited 22 years for this," the defender said. At birth, in other words, Locke entered into the yearning that already consumed a family devoted to the club.

Even the vanquished on Saturday found it impossible to begrudge Hearts the jubilation. At the Rangers end, people marshalled their dignity, hailing their own side, whose marvellous era had ended, and applauding the victors. All the same, a little indignation must still have been festering in their souls.

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. Steve Fulton, the midfield player, streamed through on the left before being felled by the ill-considered challenges of Sergio Porrini and Ian Ferguson. The offences, however, had taken place outside the area.

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. This was simply one of those afternoons that was determined to spite a club and Rangers will be rueful over the perfect discernment exercised by Young in the 86th minute.

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. The referee, though, made the acute and accurate judgment that the foul had taken place a fraction before the forward reached the 18-yard line.

It was always likely that Hearts would require indulgent circumstances if they were to prevail. The Edinburgh club was taken over by Chris Robinson and Leslie Deans in 1994 and, since then, Tynecastle has largely been rebuilt. Only limited funds were left for Jim Jefferies, the Bell's manager of the year. Eight of the starting line-up on Saturday were signed by him, but the total cost came to around Pounds 1 million. Rangers spent more than three times as much on the man who lost them the final.

Lorenzo Amoruso, the former Fiorentina centre half, was disorientated and sluggish as a long free kick dropped towards him in the 53rd minute. He let the ball bounce, allowing Stephane Adam to run through and finish with an angled shot. Amoruso may yet prosper, but that goal still epitomised the decline of players who have been so precious to Rangers.

In days gone by, Andy Goram, the goalkeeper, would have saved when tested by a drive from such a position. This season, however, he has made more mistakes than in the preceding six years with Rangers. Despite the spree on signings last summer, the team has proved to be dependent on men who could no longer be relied upon.

Half of the side, including Goram, McCoist and Richard Gough, will now be leaving the club. Walter Smith, the manager, is also to stand down. Glory, however, has departed first.

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. None theless, the mishaps will be forgotten while Smith's feats lodge ever deeper in the memory of supporters.

His restless, passionate counterpart at Tynecastle has only just begun the attempt to make history. After a final spent trying to persuade Jefferies to remain inside the technical area, John Rowbotham, the fourth official, would probably regard a summer job as a lion-tamer as a form of recuperation. Next season, it is the rest of Scottish football that will have the fearful task of keeping Hearts at bay.

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