Rangers 2-0 Hearts

Jan 31 2008 By Keith Jackson, Daily Record

HEARTS left Glasgow last night with their cup dreams dead and buried - but with their persecution complex healthier than ever.

And this time, amid a great deal of fury and finger-pointing, it was impossible not to feel sympathy for a club that seems to believe sinister forces are out to get them.

It's all non-sense, of course. The rest of the world has a great deal more to do with its time than gang up and conspire against any club, especially one which manages to bring itself down from within with such regularity.

But there is no question Steven Frail and his players suffered injustice at Hampden last night when referee Mike McCurry failed to spot a hand-ball offence which was just about as blatant as they come.

That hammered the first nail into their coffin after the first half had ended goalless.

Barry Ferguson, whose contribution had been outstanding, used his left arm to control the ball inside the Hearts box before wheeling to rasp in an unstoppable shot.

How McCurry could possibly fail to spot it is a mystery, although not to Hearts punters.

They've known for some time that Scotland's whistlers are really out to get them.

The fact that McCurry waved away three decent penalty claims for Rangers in last night's CIS Cup semi final is, of course, an inconvenient irrelevance as is the inevitable conclusion that the better side won.

Rangers deserved their place in the final on March 16 and they cemented it when Jean-Claude Darcheville scored a second goal in 68 minutes to kill off the contest.

But Hearts will argue for some time that the game turned on Ferguson's foul play and there is no question they do have a point.

It didn't feel much like a big game. Yes, it was Hampden under floodlight and, yes, the first final of the season was at stake.

But half-empty and in doused in driving rain, the old place conjured all the magic and romance of a night in front of the box with Vera Duckworth. Then again, the old dear would probably have had a little bit more life about her.

It was against this half-baked backdrop that these sides set about their business, albeit somewhat sluggishly. Rangers, without Alan Hutton after his £9million sale to Spurs, and Kris Boyd, who was on the bench, were particularly leaden-footed and, in their hesitancy, they invited Hearts to come forward in numbers.

Although Frail's side were on the front foot and seeing much of the ball, they were failing to do a great deal with it.

It was not long before they were being forced back into their own territory as Rangers began to function.

Greek defender Christos Karipidis was lucky to survive a decent penalty claim when he used a forearm to smash the ball away from Darcheville, just as the Frenchman was trying to get the better of his man.

This was evened when McCurry waved away strong Hearts appeals after Christian Nade had been brought down by a Carlos Cuellar challenge which could just as easily have resulted in a spot kick.

In between, it was Rangers who were exerting themselves with more threat and purpose and Hearts keeper Steve Banks had to pull off a terrific save to claw out a volley from Charlie Adam who had been picked out by Hutton's stand-in Steven Whittaker.

Whittaker had caused concern for his bench earlier when he appeared to hobble badly but as the half wore on the pain wore off and the former Hibs man began to get forward with some menace down the right.

Hearts were also warming to the task and, after Nade's penalty appeal was denied, they enjoyed a decent spell of pressure.

Nade's power and pace were causing David Weir such serious discomfort that he might have ended the half a little more grey than he began it. Cuellar was also uneasy.

But Darcheville was doing much the same to the centre of the Hearts defence and screamed once again for a penalty before half-time when he was sandwiched between Karipidis and Robbie Neilson.

It was another tough call for McCurry but he was well positioned and chose to turn Darcheville down flat again.

McCurry should have brandished a card soon after when Adam threw up a hand to prevent Hearts keeper Banks from launching his side into attack with a throw out but the official turned a blind eye.

Then, in 40 minutes, Andrius Velicka came within a lick of paint of an opener when Eggert Jonsson, who was getting the better of Sasa Papac down the Hearts right, picked him out with a measured cross.

Cuellar stumbled awkwardly and Velicka rose unchallenged to loop a header over Allan McGregor only for it to hit the bar.

Velicka tested McGregor at the start of the second half with a powerful low drive after Weir had been out muscled again by Nade.

The keeper handled it cleanly and within three minutes Rangers were in front, although this time it was captain Ferguson whose handling was impeccable - to the absolute fury of Hearts.

They may have forgotten that in the build-up to Ferguson's 49th minute bullet, McCurry had dismissed a third Rangers penalty claim when Adam's free-kick appeared to be charged down by one of Jose Goncalves' white sleeve.

But within seconds Chris Burke's cross landed at Ferguson's feet 12 yards from goal.

Berra jabbed out a toe to intervene and ball spun up on to Ferguson's inner arm.

In a flash, he had slapped it back down, turned and flashed a spectacular left-foot finish high into the roof of Banks'net.

It was stunning goal but Ferguson's illegal improvisation was staggeringly obvious to everyone but McCurry and his helpers.

Not for the first time, Hearts were fuelled with injustice and their support convinced of conspiracy.

They reacted with venom when Whittaker brought down Saulius Mikoliunas - stopping the Lithuanian at full tilt - and McCurry produced a yellow card for the first time.

He booked Darcheville when he squared up to Neilson. Darcheville had just seen Banks tip his cross on to the bar and was getting little chance out of Karipidis and Berra.

But his moment was coming - and when it arrived it would be decisive.

First, Hearts would miss their own big chance after Michael Stewart and Nade had combined to set up Velicka. The striker needed only to keep his composure but rushed his effort and slashed the ball wide.

In 68 minutes Hearts were left to count the cost when Darcheville stabbed home after some superb wing play from Burke.

Adam was booked nine minutes from time for a two-footed tackle on Neilson - a challenge that infuriated Frail who strode out of his technical area to voice displeasure.

Lee McCulloch was cautioned for a foul on Stewart but by now there was very little over which to get hot and bothered.

That time had come and gone.


Taken from the Daily Record