Smith: I can't wait to see Gordon break my record

BARRY ANDERSON

AS Craig Gordon ran from his goal line to throw himself at Darryl Duffy's feet on Sunday, no-one winced more than Henry Smith at watching the striker tumble and the Scotland goalkeeper instantly issued with a red card.

Trudging off to be comforted by his manager, George Burley, Gordon knew it was back to square one with an imminent suspension guaranteed to destroy his attempt at beating Smith's consecutive appearance record for Hearts.

The dismissal in his 99th game on the bounce sees him starting all over again in striving to usurp Smith, who played 164 successive games for Hearts in his prime years between 1983 and 1987.

Gordon, at 22, is indisputably the beneficiary of his own youth in this instance, and no-one would derive greater pleasure from the record being wrested than Smith. "Records are there to be broken," as the man himself says. But perhaps there is a more protrusive question surrounding the current Hearts goalkeeper.

"I would be very proud if it is Craig who beats the record," said Smith, "but in saying that, with the way he is playing just now, will Hearts hang on to him? I think that could be a major problem with his performances of late. There are big clubs sniffing around, very big clubs, so it's up to Mr Romanov to get his money out and keep hold of him. They say every man has his shilling, though, and Craig is no different."

Just as the nation expects of Gordon and his international team-mates against Belarus this weekend, so does Smith, himself the proud owner of three caps. He is also looking ahead to when domestic matters resume with Steve Banks in goal for Hearts at Parkhead on Saturday week.

"Craig will know he has a fight to get his place back because Stevie is no mean keeper himself," continued Smith. "I've known him for a few years and saw him play down in England when he was with Blackpool and Bolton and he has a good name in the game.

"Craig should, ultimately, get back in the Hearts team one way or the other. He's done nothing wrong and hopefully he will get past the appearance record. I imagine he will be keen to start again and have another tilt at that. Fingers crossed, I think he'll do it.

"I've always said that Craig was the best in Scotland and I think he has proved that with his performances in the last three or four games with the national team. Even when Rab Douglas and David Marshall were playing regularly, he was always the better keeper because of his mentality.

"It's very rare that Craig makes a mistake, but when he does he just puts it to the back of his mind. I like that kind of strong will and he will need that on Saturday and next Wednesday because these are big games for Scotland."

There has been debate aplenty over whether Gordon erred at the Falkirk Stadium on Sunday, but he has been forced to suffer regardless as the consequences of his red card impress themselves upon him. Hearts supporters can rest assured that Banks' donning of the gloves next week will not sit too comfortably with the club's No.1 goalkeeper.

In conversation with Gordon, Smith has been able to detect the kind of unshakeable mentality that has been central to Hearts attaining a position at the top of the SPL table. "I was speaking to the big man a couple of weeks ago and he'll be very disappointed, first at being sent off and second at having his run in the team interrupted with the record in mind.

"Craig and his coach, Malcolm Webster, will look at the incident which led to the penalty and attempt to pinpoint what could have been done to avert that kind of situation. Personally, I did think it was a penalty. But nothing fazes Craig and that's what comes across about him. He will be angry inside and upset with himself but he won't allow that to affect his performance. He'll just get his head down."

With 18 months left on his present Hearts deal, Gordon is obliged to do exactly that. But Smith, and the Tynecastle support, would rest easier at seeing him with head down and pen in hand signing a new contract.

Taken from the Scotsman