AWAY THE LAD; Strip show fires Lee to Euro glory

Hearts hero Lee Makel last night revealed how his boyhood loathing of Newcastle fired him to European glory in Estonia.

Sunderland fan Makel's first half goal proved to be the winner against FC Lantana.

Now Jim Jefferies' Jambos look set for a comfortable passage into the second round of the Cup Winners' Cup when the sides meet at Tynecastle in a fortnight.

But Makel admitted that his mates feared the mere sight of Lantana's black and white striped shirts could have led to him being red-carded.

He away the lad went to hit the only goal and he said: "As soon as we realised what their strip was, one of the guys in the dressing room said I would be sent off.

"But it was nice to get the goal - I was really pleased with it. Gary Locke told me I would score and maybe I should have had a flutter on it.

"I don't score tap-ins - in fact, I don't score many. That was my first for a couple of seasons."

Skipper Locke was delighted with the club's first away win in Europe for nine years and revealed he had tipped room-mate Makel to score before the kick-off.

He said: "We were using a Tango ball and that's different from the one we use at home.

"It fairly zips through the air and Lee has a good shot.

"As soon as I found out he was playing in the centre of midfield, I told him he would score.

"But it was hard to get the boys going here. Although there was a decent Hearts support, it was like playing at a Junior ground.

"Even so, we've done a professional job and an early goal in the second leg should see us through.

"The atmosphere was similar to a pre-season friendly but we should have scored more goals."

Boss Jefferies was delighted with the win but felt his side should have made more of their superiority.

Just over a thousand fans were in the ground and Jefferies said: "Coming here was a trip into the unknown for our players.

"They said afterwards it was like playing at Grangemouth. It was an unreal atmosphere.

"I felt we dominated the game and I'm just disappointed we didn't turn our superiority into more goals.

"A reasonable reflection would have been a 3-0 win, but I'm just pleased to have come away with a victory.

"Lee Makel was our best player on the night. He scored a great goal, was unlucky not to get another near the end and was involved in all our best moves.

"There's no reason why we shouldn't win comfortably at Tynecastle and go through."

But there was precious little joy yesterday for Hearts defender Allan McManus. The 23- year-old hit out angrily at the new Scottish Premier League for holding up his three-month loan deal with Livingston.

McManus, who is three months short of his 24th birthday which would make him a free transfer, needs permission from the League to be allowed to leave Hearts.

But despite McManus, his agent and Players Union boss Tony Higgins all writing to the new-look SPL, all their letters and phone calls appear to have been ignored.

McManus said: "I need official written permission from the Scottish Premier League to be allowed to leave and that's where the problems have been.

"I don't know what's going on and it is deeply frustrating for me because I can't sign for anyone until they get back to me.

"Obviously, the new league set-up perhaps have teething problems, but it still leaves me without a game."

Taken from the Daily Record