Hibs stroll as Sauzee steers way

WATCHING Franck Sauzee mastermind a second successive Hibs victory in the Edinburgh derby, an old joke was resurrected in the mind. Two bulls, one young, the other old, stand on a hill eyeing a group of cows being herded into the pasture below.

"Hey, let’s run down there and service some of those cows," says the young bull, clearly driven by nothing more subtle than the impulsiveness of youth. "No, no," says the old bull, "we’ll walk down and service the lot of them."

The gag has always appealed as both funny and insightful and contains the very essence of what the great veteran midfielder brings to his work: an almost entirely cerebral application of a natural talent that has been refined by 16 years of experience at the highest level of the game.

Sauzee rations his energy and his well-worn muscles these days, but still manages to give his employers and his fans exceptional value. When Alex McLeish confirmed after this latest exhibition that he was resigned to losing the marvellous Frenchman to retirement at the end of the season, his regret was deepened by theesteem in which he clearly holds the player.

Hibees celebrate!"Yeah, it looks as though Franck will return home, his mind appears to be made up," said the manager. "Franck has enjoyed himself here and he’s been terrific for us, but he has business interests at home and family that he’s missing. As well as that, he doesn’t want to getto the point, perhaps next season, when the legs have gone and he spends much of the time on the bench.

"How do I replace him? Well, I can’t, it’s as simple as that. Even if you could find a young version of him, which is extremely unlikely, he would be worth millions that we certainly don’t have."

The point is, of course, that younger versions of Sauzee do not exist.

They only become what he is now, they can only have acquired his knowledge and astuteness, towards the end of their careers. It is Sauzee’s very seniority which informs hisevery action.

Even if Hibs had begun to look the likelier winners by the time Sauzee gave them the lead in the second half with a looping header from Tom Smith’s cross from the left, McLeish had no doubt that the goalwas the most telling factor in the victory.

"That was a very clever header, you know, typical of his quick thinking," he said. "It was the only way he could beat Antti Niemi from where he was (some ten yards out to the right of goal) and he executed it perfectly.

"It gave us control of the game, helped our players to be more sure of themselves and allowed us to play the last 30 minutes with composure."

Sauzee lost some front teeth in his collision with GaryNaysmith as he made the header and was taken to hospital for some remedial work immediately after the game. Hiswillingness to see out the match was not only another reminder of the bravery that is centralto the character of all greatplayers, but confirmation that being a foreigner is no bar to recognising the significance ofa local derby.

Sauzee was still around to see Mixu Paatelainen cement Hibs’ victory with the late third goal, tapping the ball over the line from close range after Russell Latapy’s run into the middle from the left had ended witha shot which Niemi couldonly parry to the feet of the lurking Finn.

It was a result that had seemed very unlikely during the first 30 minutes, Hearts’ indisputable authority atthat time doubtless exaggerating the disappointment Jim Jefferies felt by the finish.

Darren Jackson had not only given the visitors the lead with an exceptional goal – sidestepping Sauzee and left-footinga 20-yard drive high to the leftof Nick Colgan – but had been unopposably the best player on the field.

Latapy has talent to burn, but had been too easily prevented from exerting an influence on the game until he produced the equaliser.

As the little Trinidadian killed the cross from the right on the edge of the Hearts box, his back to goal, Sauzee offered himself as a decoy, pulling defenders with him as he made for the space through the inside-left channel. Free to turn and put the ball on his right foot, Latapy sent it low and accurate to the right of Niemi from about 16 yards.

The goal had a percussive effect on Hearts, who appeared to go through the remainder of the match as though mildly concussed.

The earlier vibrancy vanished, to be replaced by a sluggishness so pronounced even Jefferies was moved after to comment that his players "didn’t cause their goalkeeper to make a single save in the entire second half."

Colgan should have been thoroughly tested by theopportunities given to GaryMcSwegan and Gary Wales when the Tynecastle side were ahead, but both strikers missed the target when carrying the ball unchallenged into the penalty area.

"Hibs deserved to winbecause they wanted it more than us," said Jefferies.

"They showed what you have to do in these games. Our players simply lost it after Hibs’ first goal and you can’t do that in a derby and hope to survive."

Certainly not when you’re in the company of an old bull with mischief on his mind.

The Teams:

Hibernian:
Colgan, Collins, Smith, Hughes, McIntosh, Sauzée, Lovell, Latapy, Paatelainen, Miller, McGinlay.

Hearts:
Niemi, Murray, Pressley, Petric, Naysmith, Leclercq (Makel 81), Tomaschek (Adam 72), Cameron, Jackson, McSwegan, Wales.

Taken from the Scotsman