Hearts lifted as O'Neill fails in Hartley bid

By Ewing Grahame (Filed: 01/02/2005)

Largely overshadowed by the Glasgow giants, Motherwell and Hearts meet at Easter Road tonight for the right to face either Rangers or Dundee United in this season's CIS Cup final.

The most pleasing news for anxious supporters of Hearts yesterday was that, after two failed attempts, Celtic had seemingly abandoned their attempts to prise top scorer Paul Hartley away from Tynecastle.

On top of that, playmaker Hartley, who missed Saturday's 1-0 win over Aberdeen with a groin injury, will be available for selection tonight.

This is not a competition which has been kind to Hearts. They last won the trophy in 1962 and have reached the final only once since, losing to Rangers nine years ago.

Yesterday, though, was a time for looking back as well as forward for full-back Robbie Neilson, a member of the ground staff at the time of Hearts' last major success, the Tennent's Scottish Cup win of 1998.

He believes that, following the uncertainty which has surrounded the club in recent years, when its continued existence has been in doubt, a return to Hampden would represent a significant step forward.

"It was a good time to be at the club back then because everyone was on a high," said the 24-year-old. "However, to reach this final after all that's happened off the park would be an even better achievement, and we'll never have a better chance."

Manager John Robertson was an unused substitute in 1998, a role Hartley is unlikely to fulfil tonight. "Celtic made a slightly improved bid, it has been rejected and Paul is in the squad," said Robertson.

By contrast, his counterpart, Terry Butcher, bemoaned the lack of attention his players had received during the transfer window. "In a perverse way, I wish I'd had that distraction because it would mean we wouldn't be on this wretched run," he said.

Motherwell have lost five of their last six matches, drawing the other, and new signing Jim Hamilton is cup-tied. Veteran midfielder Phil O'Donnell, the only survivor of the club's Scottish Cup-winning side of 1991, said: "I've told the lads here how that felt and how we need to grasp this opportunity."

Taken telegraph.co.uk/sport