From the archives: Hearts drink to Wayne Foster’s largesse

WAYNE Foster, a second-half substitute, scored his first goal for two seasons to put Hearts into the quarter-finals of the Tennent’s Scottish Cup and further underline the jinx on Hibs’ efforts in derby matches. Hibs were, from the time of their first-half equaliser until Foster’s winner four minutes from the end, the dominant force, but the game was stolen from their grasp. There was John Robertson’s early goal and Foster’s late finish but little in between to commend the Hearts’ performance.

Hibs should have known it wasn’t to be their day from the very beginning. A rearranged back four, in which Dave Beaumont and Steven Tweed replaced Graham Mitchell and Gordon Hunter because of injury and suspension respectively, was made unsteady by a remarkable start which saw Hearts ahead after two minutes.

Inevitably, the scorer was Robertson, maintaining his status as Hearts’ most prolific goal-scorer in Edinburgh derbies. Robertson’s 20th goal against Hibs was made for him by full-back Tosh McKinlay. The pass which went low across the face of Jim Leighton’s goal was flicked behind the keeper by the player whose fitness had apparently been in doubt. .

It took 40 minutes for an Easter Road player, Michael O’Neill, to have a meaningful shot at goal and yet, two minutes later, they had equalised through Keith Wright and they could have gone in front before the interval. Poor marking left Wright unattended and he headed the ball beyond Henry Smith. McAllister then ran free and struck the base of the post.

By then, the game was in the early stages of a transformation which saw the upper hand pass from Hearts to Hibs. A catalogue of opportunities were created and squandered as Wright, twice, and Brian Hamilton were denied by their own inaccuracy.

The team on top had most to prove. But then Foster left Beaumont in his wake and won the tie with a finely-finished goal. Gary Mackay’s pass allowed Foster to show composure under pressure as he squeezed the ball past Leighton.