Paul Bernard was left to hound Fulton and John Millar.As the game went on, Hearts could feel aggrieved to be a goal down. Forced to chase the equaliser, they played themselves back into the game Steve Fulton took charge of the midfield. Few could have predicted how it eventually materialised. With a squad depleted through injury and suspension Hearts' priority was simple: huddle together in the box to protect themselves from the North-east chill and the Aberdeen attack In practice the strategy lasted 45 seconds. Alan Johnston, who eventually got the equaliser, had a cracking game against Stephen Glass, who is clearly not comfortable in his present left-back role.Johnston was emulated by Joe Miller for Aberdeen. When Billy Dodds cleared to Duncan Shearer, his fresh-air swipe left the unmarked Dean Windass to comfortably finish in his second consecutive game.With hindsight, Hearts might agree that it was the best thing that could have happened. Three weeks ago their manager, Roy Aitken, had asked for wins from the following three home games.
They had completed two-thirds of his wish, but their inconsistent form this season meant they were due a defeat. THE new-look continental Hearts are the closest Aberdeen have come to European football this season. As the Dons prepare for next year's re-entry to the Uefa Cup they will do well to remember the harsh lesson in persistence they received yesterday. He offered the Second Division club for sale half-an-hour after yesterday's 4-2 home defeat by Burnley.. Celtic has already won more league games this season than in the whole of 1994-95.Finally, if you're looking for that last minute Christmas present, give Swansea City chairman Doug Sharpe a call. Steve Macauley's goal meant they leapfrogged over the Magpies into second. A small ripple for the bottom side Hull who won their first away match of the season, 1-0 at York.In the Third Division, the top two met as leaders Chester and Preston earned a point when Nick Richardson's 35th-minute goal cancelled out Steve Wilkinson's strike.Celtic moved to within a point of Rangers in the Scottish Premier, Pierre Van Hooijdonk scored the only goal against Falkirk.
"I had him at Manchester City, so I know how good he is," he said. And the Blades' performance overall? "We rolled our sleeves up and did well, but we didn't really look a force going forward."To score one own-goal, like Tuttle, is unfortunate. But two? Birmingham's goalkeeper Gary Poole and striker Kevin Francis gave Oldham a two-goal lead at Boundary Park before Stuart Barlow and Gunnar Halle completed the 4-0 rout.Charlton went third after a 2-1 win at Barnsley and Huddersfield hammered West Brom 4-1, Ronnie Jepson scoring twice, to go fourth Albion have now lost nine games in succession. Stoke were denied a fifth successive victory by Crystal Palace's 2-1 win at the Victoria Ground, but Southend's unbeaten run was stretched to six games when Dave Regis levelled the scores at Grimsby, who are fifth.In the Second Division, the leaders Swindon were pegged back when a Karl Connolly penalty, his 13th goal of the season, gave Wrexham a point - the beneficiaries were Crewe who won 1-0 at Notts County.
David Tuttle put the Suffolk men ahead when he slid Ian Marshall's cross into his own net, but after a neat move between Carl Veart and David White, Phil Starbuck equalised.White is on loan from Leeds and Kendall is keen to make the move permanent. Martin Smith's flying header from Andy Melville's centre had given the Roker men a first-half lead.Another new manager, Howard Kendall, saw his Sheffield United side score both goals at Ipswich. Next week, Wolves go to Reading, one of McGhee's former clubs, who yesterday denied the leaders Sunderland three points when the 36-year- old joint player/manager Jimmy Quinn hauled himself off the substitutes bench.The mighty Quinn raced on to a Trevor Morley header and scored an 86th- minute equaliser. AFTER two weeks of managerial changes in the Endsleigh First Division, it was time for the new men to be judged on deeds not words. But Wolves' new incumbent, Mark McGhee, was talking again very soon after their 1- 0 home defeat by Port Vale. "Obviously, there is some confusion with regard to passing the ball because we did so for the sake of it rather than with any purpose," McGhee said after his side had been booed off the pitch.
"In fairness to the players, they have tried to do what I asked of them and we have to get back to the training ground to work hard and get it right." They lacked ideas and confidence, he added, "but I think we will have enough to get out of any trouble." Reaching the play-offs was another matter.Andy Porter gave Vale, who were bottom at the beginning of the month, their third consecutive win after a mix up between John De Wolf and Neil Emblen. The scrum-half moved to Featherstone last season, but showed few glimpses of his Eagles form. A year later, Hetherington brought him home for a fraction of the original fee.It was not only good business, it has also revived the Eagles. "It took a match or two for him to settle back into the side, but he has started to play some of the best rugby of his career," said Hetherington, who signed him as a teenager from a pub side in Selby almost a decade ago.Although Aston may miss the match today with a thigh strain, the return of a notable home-grown talent has been just as influential in Sheffield's revival as the arrival of the foreign legion..