Scotland Call-Up For Hat-Trick Hero McCoist
Kilmarnock 3 Hearts 0
(Scot Premier Division, Match 5,
Rugby Park, Aug 30th 1998)
ALLY McCOIST forced his way back into
Scotland squad in emphatic style yesterday with a hat-trick
against Heart of Midlothian.
It was an irresistible display from the
veteran striker - the watching Craig Brown immediately
deciding to go back on his earlier decision to leave McCoist
out of
his squad for the opening European championship
qualifier in Lithuania on Saturday.
McCoist confirmed that he remains the
deadliest home-bred with a single in the first half and a
double after the interval which killed Hearts' ambitions of
returning to the top of the Scottish Premier League.
Hearts had a bad day, well below normal
form and without a single player who looked capable of
matching his opposite number in the home team. A measure of
their mediocrity was the decision by manager Jim Jefferies
to remove two strikers, Stephane Adam and Jim Hamilton, and
full-back Rob McKinnon in a futile effort at improvement.
The goal with which McCoist gave
Kilmarnock the lead after only eight minutes looked very
familiar. The fact that he has been performing this trick
for the best part of two decades probably explains the
feeling of déjà-vu.
Even so, the veteran former Rangers
striker - he will be 36 in three weeks' time - seems to be
defying time itself, as he retains the predatory instinct
and the timing and deadliness to feed it.
Paul Wright began the move with a ball
drilled down the right wing that allowed Jerome Vareille to
outsprint Rob McKinnon. The Frenchman's centre was low and
inviting.
But David Weir, the Hearts and Scotland
defender, looked odds-on for the interception. It is here
that McCoist's demonstrates his extraordinary nous. Weir
himself probably could not believe it when McCoist got there
just ahead of him and stretched out his right foot to stab
the ball high to the left of Gilles Rousset from six yards.
Hearts found it difficult for long
periods to find their touch, with the midfield of Steve
Fulton, Gary Locke and Thomas Flogel rarely providing proper
service for the front three of Neil McCann, Jim Hamilton,
Stephane Adam.
Kilmarnock's own 4-3-3, especially in
the first half, worked contrastingly smoothly, and McCoist
could have had a hat-trick before the interval. But he
delayed his next contribution until the 61st minute.
Dylan Kerr played the ball long from
the left and McCoist ran to meet it down the inside
left-channel of the penalty area. He simply squeezed the
ball past Rousset with his left foot from eight yards.
His third was from the same position after Ian Durrant
had made the run and supplied the pass. This time, Rousset
was beaten low to his right.
Ally McCoist's Post Match
Comments... After the 35-year-old is now in line to
try to get Scotland off to a Euro 2000 flier after getting a
recall "I am absolutely delighted. I didn't think
this would happen but anyone who knows me knows I have never
turned my back on my country and I never would. I am feeling
good and my fitness is fine. Now I'll have to buy a new
Scotland suit because I think I've thrown the old one out."
McCoist's recall came just minutes
after he launched a thinly-veiled rebuke towards Brown, who
failed to pick him for the World Cup. ....."I don't think
we are overflowing with goal-scoring strikers at the moment
but I am not holding my breath for the call. I believe I
should have been at the World Cup and although Craig was
here today, he might have turned his back at three vital
moments! Anyway, I think I'll just wait until we qualify for
the finals then I'll come along. I can't be bothered with
these qualifying games!"
He'll have to bother now after being
asked by Brown.
