Hibs and Hearts men combine for Festival match
Mike Aitken sees Edinburgh XI record a great win over Bayern
THE Edinburgh select of Hearts, Hibs and Meadowbank players fashioned a fine win over Bayern Munich, the Bundesliga champions, to lift the handsome Festival Trophy at Tynecastle last night in front of a crowd of 10,000.
Hearts striker John Robertson was the inspiration for the home side’s win, setting up the opening goal for Willie Irvine and subsequently striking the winner himself. Bayern, who scored through Mathy, had the consolation of fielding the game’s outstanding player. No-one used the ball more imaginatively or authoritatively than the eager Danish international Soren Lerby.
It was a successful night for Edinburgh football off the field as well as on it. The terracings were trouble-free and the match may have played some part in creating a more harmonious relationship between the supporters of Hearts and Hibs.
The last time an Edinburgh select had taken the field at Tynecastle was 23 years ago against Burnley. On that occasion the teams shared six goals, a tally the crowd regarded as meagre rations after the same teams had served up no fewer than 11 goals the year before.
On a bright, pleasant evening in Edinburgh there was never much chance of this Festival friendly producing that kind of carefree entertainment. Having said that, the first half was inventive enough by the standard of today’s friendlies, with the Hearts and Hibs forwards combining suprisingly well as a unit.
Bayern were solid, with Pfaff, the Belgian internationalist, a commanding goalkeeper, and Augenthaler, the big defender who scored against Aberdeen in the Cup Winners’ Cup a few years ago, totally in control at the back. All in all Bayern played the typical Continental containing game.
Lerby caught the eye with his authoritative play in midfield, but the front players, Hoeness and Rummenigge, didn’t have much to offer. Indeed, the veteran Hoeness was fortunate not to be dealt with more strictly when he clashed with Durie before the interval.
Although the first half did not produce a goal, there was a fair number of chances created. The best of them from Edinburgh’s point of view were Durie’s header from a Mackay cross in the 16th minute that Pfaff saved brilliantly, and a Black chip right on the interval which should have found the target when the goalkeeper was out of his area.
Bayern could reflect on a couple of worthwhile openings themselves, Alan Rough preventing a goal with a diving save from Wolfarth in the 43rd minute and an early block from a Lerby free-kick.
The pace quickened after the interval and goals followed too. Edinburgh went ahead after 50 minutes after a long ball out of defence had been cleverly controlled by Robertson. The Hearts forward chipped the ball back for Willie Irvine of Hibs to rattle a low shot into the net.
Almost immediately Bayern were awarded a penalty after McBride brought down Rummenigge in the 51st minute. Rummenigge himself took the spot kick and Henry Smith, who had repleced Rough at the interval, made a spectacular diving save to his right.
However, the Germans were denied an equaliser only until the 60th minute when they levelled the score with a marvellous sweeping move. Bayern built the play methodically from the back until Winklhofer was able to prise an opening for Reinhold Mathy to score from 10 yards.
The longer the game went on the better it got with Bayern unfortunate not to take the lead themselves in the 71st minute when a superb ball from Lerby found Mathy on the right and Rummenigge’s finish was matched by Smith’s excellent save.
With Sneddon and Whittaker having replaced Kidd and Munro at full-back, there was an immediate breakthrough courtesy of Sneddon, who found John Robertson running free in the 72nd minute. The Hearts striker delivered the most clinical of shots to give the Edinburgh Select a winning lead.
Edinburgh Select: Rough, Kidd, Munro, Levein, Rae, Black, Mackay, Durie, Irvine, Robertson. McBride. Subs: Smith, Sneddon, Whittaker, Laurence, Colquhoun.
Bayern Munich: Pfaff, Winklhofer, Pflueger, Ader, Augenthaler, Lerby, Mathy, Nachtweih, Hoeness, Rummenigge, Wolfarth. Subs: Beierlorzer, Hartmann.