Auchinleck No 1 Leishman relishing his Gorgie return
Leishman almost earned Tynecastle move after 2012 exploits... now Talbot keeper is aiming to go one better on his latest visit to Gorgie
IN the form of his life at the age of 22, Andy Leishman was not leaving opponents many open goals to aim for. His mischievous friends and team-mates enjoyed a different view. The scope for prank calls was all too easy. The Auchinleck Talbot goalkeeper had starred at Tynecastle and come within six minutes of causing one of the greatest ever Scottish Cup shocks. He had been invited to train with Hearts and felt confident about the impression left.
From the Juniors to the Premier League is a ridiculous leap but, for Leishman, the break he had always yearned for looked within reach.
Then Paulo Sergio was sacked. Leishman’s mobile didn’t ring with contract talk invitations. That was, until the comedians commenced their campaign.
‘I’m still waiting on the call,’ grins Leishman, seven years on and preparing to return to Gorgie today. ‘But my mates, boys that I work with, would phone me up, kidding on they were John McGlynn...’
Unfortunately, the real McGlynn was only the first of five Hearts managers since that summer to fail to act upon the file concerning Leishman’s dream trial. Since then he has got married, quit one job as a bouncer after becoming a dad and grown into a considerably better goalkeeper than he was when holding Hearts to a late 1-0 win in January 2012. However, he has not been tempted sufficiently by other senior football offers to quit his job putting in water mains as a sub-contractor for Scottish Water. So he’s back facing Hearts today as an Auchinleck Talbot player, reminiscing about the chance that slithered from his grasp and wondering what might have been. His unintentional job interview began on Saturday, January 7 when a penalty save from Hearts debutant Fraser Mullen was the highlight of a stunning individual display. Even his errant role in Gordon Smith’s 84th-minute winner for toiling Hearts didn’t put Portuguese coach Sergio off from ordering his staff to keep an eye on Leishman.
‘I remember being the busiest man on the park and having a good game, saving a penalty,’ recalls Leishman.
‘Rudi Skacel was arguing with the lad Mullen because he was the penalty taker, but it was the young boy’s debut and he wanted to get a bit of confidence.
‘I saved it and Skacel wasn’t happy about it. They were arguing going into the tunnel at half-time.
‘I’d had a few good saves before that and, at half-time, they were struggling for a goal, panicked a bit and brought David Templeton on.
‘The embarrassment of not beating us would have been too much for them. They were much better with Templeton but I saved a few from him as well.
‘Then I came out for a cross and shouted but big Bryan Slavin got in my road and I dropped it as he hit into me. It’s a tap in.
‘I was sore for days after it with whiplash, I got smashed and actually didn’t even see the goal going in.
‘Everyone expected us to get beaten 10-0. We did well and showed everybody we weren’t just turning up to get leathered.
‘We were so close. It was gutting because we scored and it was called for offside, but when we saw it again it was onside.’
Leishman’s pain of defeat and the injuries subsided when his display eventually led to a trial on the Tynecastle pitch four months later.
As Hearts counted down to a Scottish Cup final against Hibs, he worked with Jamie MacDonald, Mark Ridgers and Jack Hamilton.
‘I remember giving Jamie Hamill a lift home that evening. He stays in Irvine and had done his knee, so was going back to his family that weekend,’ recalls Leishman.
‘He was saying: “Just imagine going back to your job but then signing for us here next season”. Of course I was thinking about that all the time. Because I don’t really want to be out working in all sorts of weather every day. But I have been.
‘I thought I’d done enough, definitely. They said they’d be in touch with me. But then Sergio got the sack and I never heard anything back.’
Leishman’s Tynecastle experience meant he was only ever pleading for an away tie at a top-flight ground after bundling Ayr United out at the fourth-round stage — and he’s hoping the fans are just as charitable this time around.
‘When we play Cumnock I get absolute pelters for 45 minutes from right behind the goals, because I stay in Cumnock,’ he explains.
‘I am used to that but at Hearts last time I didn’t get any because I had quite a good game. The fans actually applauded me, which was quite good of them.
‘I can’t wait to play them again. There’s only three of us here that played the last time and it’s one of the best stadiums I’ve played at.
‘Our supporters all think we are going to win. It’s just the way because we’ve beaten Ayr. I thought I’d be busy against Ayr and I really wasn’t. But it will be a step up in class against Hearts.’
What happened in the 84th minute of the previous meeting paved the way to one of the great days in the history of Hearts.
After evading Auchinleck’s banana skin, Hearts knocked out St Johnstone, St Mirren then Celtic before setting about that 5-1 Hampden destruction of Hibernian.
Leishman sampled some of the anticipation ahead of that Scottish Cup final when his training day took place just three weeks before the end-of-season showpiece.
He craved much more, however, and believes he would have been capable of making the top-flight grade.
‘I feel 100 per cent I could have played senior football,’ he insists. ‘I always say if I’d had a wee chance with a full-time goalkeeping coach I’d only have got better.’
Andrew Leishman was speaking at a William Hill media event. William Hill is the proud sponsor of the Scottish Cup.