| The Greatest Game in History Hearts 0 Hibs 7 |
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| The Edinburgh Evening News Match Report from 2/1/73 back to the greatest game homepage: back to the 0-7 menu: |
| Invincible- thats Seventh Heaven Hibs Scottish League Division 1, Jan.1 1973 Hearts 0 Hibs 7 Can Hibs stay top of the league? They took the leadership yesterday on goal difference from flu-hit Celtic after the 7-0 humilation of Hearts at Tynecastle- the widest victory margin between the teams for more than fifty years. Although they have played two more games than Celtic, Hibs are in the mood to fight for the title until the last day... and that might be April 28, when the two contenders meet at Easter Road. Unstoppable Hibs are the team of the moment - and the team of the future so full of football, loaded with confidence and talent. And the only blemish on their "Derby" performance of high quality was the third booking received by John Brownlie for a needless foul on Andy Lynch with his team seven up. Hardly the time to do anything rash! Hearts, who had conceeded only three goals in 13 and a half hours of league football at home, lost three in 26 minutes here and trailed by five at half time. Indeed, only three excellent saves by goalkeeper Kenny Garland from Pat Stanton, Alan Gordon, and Jimmy O' Rourke prevented this first match of the year being a double-figure tale of woe. HAPPY TIME Hearts contributed to their predicament through some slack defensive work but Hibs teamwork, pace and understanding left the hosts, uncharitably, without any hope. Jim Brown was one Hearts player who tried to compete with Hibs at their skilful level but he couldn't raise much response around him. It might have been closer if either Tommy Murray or Donald Park had scored in the first five minutes before Hibs began their devastating striking power. This was Hearts third successive defeat and put them six points behind the leaders - an unhappy holiday period for them. Hibs, with 11 points from a possible 12 and 25 goals from these games, are in near-invincible form with outstanding prospects of adding to the two trophies already won. I thought Alex Cropley was a stand-out in the midfield for Hibs and certainly Gordon is the best centre forward in Scotland. But they all dovetailed so successfully and it's a fact that O'Rourke, Gordon and Arthur Duncan who had a double apiece, have collected the staggering total of 80 goals this season. Both backs played impressively and Stanton came on to a powerfull game provide the right backing for the marksmen. At half-time, Hearts introduced Andy Lynch for Eric Carruthers, but you couldn't look for much improvement from a team that was totally demorailsed at that stage. Anyhow the 36,000 fans saw plenty goals this time in contrast to the goaless affairs of past seasons- ieven if it was one-sided. Astonishingly, Hearts have gone nine games without managing a single goal against Hibs, who extended their unbeaten run in this fixture to 14 matches. The rout began in nine minutes with a huge throw-in from Schaedler on the left. Anderson and Thomson were busy watching Gordon and the ball bounced beyond them all to O'Rourke who left-footed a high shot into the net. A superb Edwards pass gave Gordon the second goal in 16 minutes. The centre-forward slipped as he chested the ball down but regained his balance to poke a right footer past Garland. Edwards missed a chance in front of goal- and then Duncan made it three with a trundling shot 26 minutes after Cropley had nodded a Clunie clearence into the winger's path. As a contest it was all over, but Hibs made it an exhibition with their precision football. Anderson stretched for a Duncan centre in 35 minutes and Cropley volleyed a glorious left-footer past Garland from more than 20 yards. GREAT RUN Two minutes later a Cropley cross and a Duncan header signalled Hibs' 50th league goal. Herriot stopped an angled drive from Ford at the start of the second half, and soon Hibs were slicing through the Tynecastle defence again. A magnificent run by Stanton was worth a goal, since he outstripped the entire home defence. But it was O'Rourke who slid the ball home to establish himself as the NO.1 goalscorer in the country. That was in 56 minutes and the final goal didin't arrive untill there were only 15 minutes left. Duncan squared the ball to Gordon, whose well-timed header went in off the post. Hearts were left blitzed and bewildered by a Hibs team that Eddie Turbbull has moulded quite spectaculary in the space of 18 months. |
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