PENALTY WAIT SEEMED TO GO ON FOREVER

THERE wasn't a medal for what Hearts achieved on Wednesday night. But there are memories that will remain fresh in the mind long after the gilt on any gong would have faded.

Yes, each and every second of Hearts' 1-0 win over Aberdeen that clinched a place in the Champions League will stay with Paul Hartley for as long as he lives.

He banged home the penalty that nailed down second spot in the SPL and sent tens of thousands of Jambos into a place that makes the eyes glaze over and moulds mouths into giant smiles. Hell, it might take them months to recover.

That wasn't why he picked up Bank of Scotland Player of the Month trophy yesterday but it provided proof that this was a player at the peak of his powers.

Most players would have ran in the opposite direction when Stuart Dougal pointed to the spot.

After all a miss might have won him a Pizza Hut sponsorship deal but it would also have handed him the biggest disappointment of his professional career.

Yet Hartley shut out the negatives and positively battered the ball behind Jamie Langfield to start the mother and father of all parties. Yesterday, when he recalled the moment, he said: "There was such a delay before taking the penalty. It seemed to be about 10 or 15 minutes at the time and big Zander Diamond was in my ear telling me I would miss it.

"I tried to stay focused and hit the target. I managed to do that. I've been pretty confident with penalties all season. I think that was my eighth.

"It doesn't matter how we scored - an own goal, a penalty or whatever. We just had to win the game.

"It was a fantastic feeling when the ball hit the back of the net. I was relieved when it went in because Jamie Langfield went the right way. I just managed to get enough pace on it.

"Then we were sort of hanging on a wee bit. Everybody was nervous - the manager, coaching staff and particularly the players.

"We didn't perform but you can see why. It was such a big game - probably one of the biggest in Hearts' history.

"I just kept asking Stuart Dougal every five minutes how long was left. I just wanted him to blow for full time."

Hartley knows Rangers tried everything to crank up the pressure on his team in the run-in - maybe that's why he and his mates are going to enjoy every minute of their now-meaningless fixture at Ibrox on Sunday.

He added: "Everybody thought our bottle had gone but we managed to stay calm and get there.

"I think Rangers were trying to play mind games over the last couple of weeks, considering we hadn't been in this position before.

"But I have always said that in our dressing room we have really strong characters and a great spirit. That's got us through a lot of games and it certainly got us through last night.

"I think everything that has happened has welded the players together.

The players haven't been criticised but the owner and everybody else has been.We've tried to stay strong as a group because we all want the same thing.

"We are all dying to play in the Champions League because you might never get another crack at it. We were so determined to get that second spot.

"It would have been difficult going to Ibrox looking for a result. There would have been 50,000 Rangers fans cheering on their team and we would have felt the pressure.

"People say we would have collapsed but who knows? Now we can go to Ibrox with the pressure right off. We can play football and have a laugh."

Of course had Hearts accepted an offer from Celtic 18 months ago, Hartley would have a championship medal by now. But he isn't complaining about the way his career has panned out. In fact, he insisted he wouldn't change a thing.

He said: "I don't have any regrets about the Celtic thing. It's just one of those things. I couldn't do anything about Celtic making an offer but I put the transfer request in, which is something that happened at the time.

"The only reason I did that 18 months ago was that the club was in real turmoil.

"We didn't really have a team. We didn't have the quality we have now and we didn't have the owner we have now or have the money.

"Everything has gone well for me over the last couple of seasons but this season has been a dream come true. To score 17 goals is fantastic and to get to the Scottish Cup Final and the Champions League. It doesn't come any better.

"When you're at St Johnstone, as I was, you don't think you'll experience Champions League football or play in Scottish Cup finals.

"All credit to Craig Levein for signing me and since I've come here, I feel Ihave found the right club."

Hartley was the picture of contentment yesterday afternoon. He's living out a dreamat the moment and sure enough his eyes were glazed and his smile plastered all over his face.

Champions League? He's having a laugh.

Taken from the Daily Record