Merchants of doom rile Robertson

ALAN PATTULLO

IN THE setting where as a player he could do little wrong, John Robertson will hope the blessings continue to seek him out in an effort to break the semi-final curse which twice saw him lose out at this stage when manager of Inverness Caledonian Thistle.

Both of these Scottish Cup defeats, against Dundee and Dunfermline, were by one-goal margins and Robertson, now in charge at Tynecastle, knows it will again be tight tonight against a side Hearts have yet to beat this season.

Indeed, Robertson contends that Motherwell, who they face in the first of this season’s CIS Cup semi-finals, start as favourites after defeating Hearts in both their meetings during the present campaign. It was a neat attempt at a psychological trick, but one unlikely to fool those observers -- brassed-off Motherwell among them - who feel that Hearts have been favoured by the decision to schedule the match in Edinburgh, if at a neutral venue.

Neutral is something Robertson can’t say he feels about Easter Road, the ground where he enjoyed so much derby success as a striker whose speciality was spearing Hibs.

"Obviously it’s better for us," admitted Robertson yesterday. "I think there will be a better atmosphere at Easter Road for both teams. I think it is a sensible place to play the game at, but Motherwell might not agree."

Allowing further cause for optimism is the return of play-maker Paul Hartley from injury and Robertson was keeping an eye on the clock and the phone as yesterday’s transfer window drew to a close. One fresh offer from Celtic for Hartley had been rejected by Hearts on Sunday and Robertson could do little more than provisionally name him in his plans for tonight’s fixture.

"If he’s still a Hearts player he’ll be involved," said Robertson, betraying the frustration which seems to stalk his daily activities at Tynecastle. But there is much, also, to feel good about, including this opportunity for Hearts to reach their first final since winning the Scottish Cup in 1998.

Robertson referred to the men who led the team to that particular trophy - Jim Jefferies and Billy Brown - as the "bench-mark" for Tynecastle head coach since, because they proved that cup wins could be achieved even in an era so dominated by the Old Firm.

But Robertson is not doing so badly himself. Barely three months after joining the club again he finds himself a game away from a cup final, and he sought yesterday to accentuate the positives of a season which is alive with possibilities for a Hearts team still unbeaten this year.

"There are a lot of doom-and- gloom merchants out there saying we are not having a great season," he said. "But we feel we are doing well. We have lost two key players [Mark de Vries and Alan Maybury] and also Patrick Kisnorbo through injury, yet we have still maintained a good level of competitiveness. We have had six high-profile UEFA Cup games this season, we are in the semi-final of the CIS Cup and have another tough match in the Scottish Cup against Kilmarnock coming up. We are also fourth in the league.

"I don’t think it’s as bad as people have been making out. There has been a change in management, there has been a takeover that was off and then on again, and we don’t know whether we are staying at Tynecastle or not, so for the players to remain as focused as they are is a credit to their professionalism, honesty and commitment."

Robertson added that his players require no further motivation for this evening’s game than to consider that, with the correct application, there is every possibility they might be appearing in a cup final in March. For many, including full-back Robbie Neilson, it would prove their first as a senior player. Neilson was a 17-year-old and on the Tynecastle ground-staff in 1998, in what was his first year attached to the club.

"It was a good time," he remembers. "Everyone was on a high. But to get to a final this time, with all that has gone on off the park, would be an even bigger achievement. It gives us something to concentrate on as well as giving the fans a buzz."

Hearts have had plenty to focus on of late with tonight’s match their third midweek appointment in a row. This game, though, carries an allure of its own.

"It represents a great chance for both Hearts and Motherwell," agreed Robertson. "Motherwell have beaten us twice this season and on that form they’ll probably go into the match as favourites. It’s one big effort and then you are guaranteed a medal. We have always said that cups are the best chance of winning a trophy and there are only four teams left who can win it."

Robertson revealed that midfielder Michael Stewart would not feature this evening due to the recurrence of a groin injury, but the coach announced himself happy with the squad he has been left to work with for the remainder of the season after proposed last-minute deals to bring players in fell through yesterday. "If I have this squad to deal with and work from now until the end of the season then I’ll be happy with that because we have quality players," he said.

Having not lost a game in their last seven, it would be cruel if the players who have served Hearts so well should fall at a hurdle which could place the club in touch with something so significant as a first trophy win of the millennium.

Hearts a bad League Cup omen for 'Well

IF MOTHERWELL beat Hearts tonight, it will be their first League Cup semi-final victory in 50 seasons.

In 1954/55, the Fir Park side defeated holders East Fife 2-1 at Hampden, having beaten Rangers 3-2 on aggregate in the quarter-finals.

But their luck ran out when they returned to Hampden for the final against Hearts, with a Willie Bauld hat-trick and a Jimmy Wardhaugh goal securing Hearts’ first major trophy for 48 years with a 4-2 victory. The losers’ goals, in front of a crowd of 55,640, came from a Willie Redpath penalty and Alex Bain.

Hearts had beaten Airdrie 4-1 in their semi-final, with Wardhaugh notching a brace.

Motherwell have reached the last four of the League Cup a further four times, but have never again made it to the final.

The teams in that League Cup final, played on 23 October 1954, were as follows:

Hearts: W Duff, R Parker, T Mackenzie, D Mackay, F Glidden, J Cumming, J Souness, A Conn, W Bauld, J Wardhaugh, J Urquhart.

Motherwell: S Weir, W Kilmarnock, W McSeveney, C Cox, A Paton, W Redpath, R Hunter, C Aitken, A Bain, W Humphries, A Williams.

Taken from the Scotsman