Good Edinburgh derby so far. Both have had chances. Far more entertaining football than the rat or the joker teams are playing in Glasgow.
Champions find a way. Heart of Midlothian break the deadlock in the 91st minute.
Undeserved but that’s the breaks. 5 points clear now.
Hearts could put the title to bed if they defeat Celtic at Tynecastle at the end of the month.
Revenge for Albert Kidd.
Rattling end to the Derby. Great oul atmosphere. You love to see it.
There would be a certain mathematical symmetry if Hearts finally could win the title 20 years after that agony.
I’d be raging with Martin Boyle if I was a Hibee. Not the chance off the bar but the way he couldn’t hold the ball in & relieve pressure, especially late on. His attempts to stop a couple of crosses at source in injury time, including for the goal, were half hearted enough. Hearts are physical, determined & organised. I think they’ve a good bit more about them than, say, Aberdeen last season who similarly started like a train.
40…
I was reading up a bit on that 1985/86 season recently. Heart of Midlothian had a poor start to the season, lost 5 of their first 8 games and in those 2 points for a win days, trailed Glasgow Celtic by 9 points after 8 rounds of games at the end of September 1985. They then went on a 7 month, 27 game unbeaten run and were 2 points and 4 ahead on goal difference going into the 36th and final round of games.
A draw would have sufficed for the Jambos at Dundee on the last day or even a loss if the goal difference swing was minimised to 3, as Glasgow Celtic would be ahead on goals scored if it came to that. Glasgow Celtic won 0-5 at St Mirren. The jambos were still champions elect with 5 minutes to go at Dens Park, until those two late Albert Kidd goals sunk them.
They met at Tynecastle in the opening game of that season. A 1-1 draw, with Paul McStay salvaging a point with a 91st minute equaliser. A turning point on the opening day of the season.
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A few years ago.
Hearts went out and got walloped by Alex Ferguson’s Aberdeen in the Cup Final at Hampden a week later. Graeme Souness then returned from Italy to take over at Ibrox Park and brought a clatter of uncompromising English Yeomen with him. Ferguson was gone from Aberdeen by early November, I can’t recall what became of him afterwards. Those events were the definitive end of the “New Firm”.
There’s a bit of a history of teams losing their first game of the season and going on to win the title in Scotland. Souness’s first game in charge of Rangers at a febrile, baking Easter Road in August 1986 a good case in point. Souness was sent off to boot, after an injudicious use of his boot, and didn’t that Easter Road crowd only love it.
11 years later Celtic lost the first two games in the famous ten in a row that wasn’t season and their new star forward from Sweden looked like he might be a bit of a dud. Celtic had a Dutch guy in charge who’d previously won a league title as manager of Feyenoord. Liverpool have just lost twice in a row in the league under a Dutchman who won a league title managing Feyenoord and their new Swedish star striker has had a slow start so perhaps that’s a good omen.
That’s exactly what the pundits said. I was distracted by the leather pants though
Heart of Midlothian cruising along 0-3 at Rugby Park, Kilmarnock which will stretch their lead at the top of the table to 5 points.
Just looking at the fixtures and results from the Second Round of the Scottish Cup. You get a lovely class of club name in Scotland.
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Looks like Jim Goodwin’s Dundee United are the only hope for the Fine Fare Scottish Premier Division title to remain in Catholic Fenian hands this year.
Bonnyrigg Rose flying the flag for Midlothian in the Scottish Cup this weekend.
I see Heart of Midlothian beat Glasgow Celtic 3-1 in the big top of the table clash to move 8 points clear.
Heart Of Midlothian have fallen behind at Love Street.
Lawrence Shankland has equalised for the league leaders.