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  • tm4tj
    tm4tj

    Inverness CT -V- Hearts - Report

    No Broken Hearts.

    Inverness matched top flight Hearts in this entertaining encounter but had to settle for a share of the points as the Edinburgh side came from behind to level the game in the second half.

    Aaron Doran started the scoring with a beautifully guided volley in the sixth minute and the game developed into an evenly balanced contest with both sides spurning opportunities to score again.  Inverness shaded the first half but Hearts showed why they are in contention for European football next season by coming back strongly in the second half.  A Stephen Elliot goal levelled the match and the home side were left clinging on as Ross Tokely was sent off for a second bookable offence.  In all honesty, Rossco was sucked into a tackle as two players in front of him missed their cues and Rossco ended up lunging in, yellow card and off.

    Great contributions from Richie Foran who worked himself to a standstill and Lee Cox who showed up well in midfield.  Special mention to Kenny Gillet who showed why we want him here and he never shirked a tackle; some guy.  Ryan Esson showed again why the national squad are worse off without him, shame on you Levein, are you wearing the same blinkered goggles that blight the SPL and SFA.  Jonny Hayes gave glimpses of his precocious talents and has earned his season's break, unfortunately for him, it means an operation on his problem foot/ankle.

    All this means promising signs for Inverness but with contract negotiations looming, it is an unsettling time for managers and fans alike.  This season has been a bonus, especially with our sprinters start, but nobody is getting carried away here, it's a long haul, and that's what we are here for.

     

    16th April 2011 Tulloch Caledonian Stadium

    ICT 1 - Doran (6)
      TEAM: Esson, Gillet, Hogg, Tokely, Duff, Cox, Hayes (Sutherland 75), Ross, Foran, Doran (Munro 78), Rooney (MacDonald 72)
    SUBS: Tuffey, Duncan, Innes, Morrison
    Booked: Hogg (26), Tokely (44), Foran (79), Gillet (86)
    Sent Off: Tokely (78)

    HEARTS 1 - Elliot (53)
      TEAM: MacDonald, Webster, Bouzid, Thomson, Palazuelos, Santana, Black, Driver (Templeton 69), Stevenson, Skacel (McGowan 64), Elliot
    SUBS: Balogh, Glen, Zaliukas, Robinson, Mrowiec
    Booked: Bouzid (79), Black (89)
    Sent Off: none

    Referee Crawford Allan
    Attendance 4336

     

    Our roving reporter young ginger jaggy will spill the beans.....................

    Yesterday the Tulloch Caledonian Stadium witnessed a thrilling spectacle which saw both teams looking to claim all 3 points. The first half was mainly dominated by Inverness with Aaron Doran putting us in front. Hearts had a decent spell either side of half time before levelling through Stephen Elliot. Both teams had chances to score a decisive winner but both defences did there job with each team having chances cleared off the line. To end the game Inverness found themselves down to ten men after a second booking to Ross Tokely. It didn't prove to be costly as both teams settled for a draw in what was a very entertaining game of football.

    It was  Caley Thistle who threatened first with the imperious Foran getting a head on to a Hayes cross which brought out a comfortable save from Jamie Macdonald in the Jambo's goal. Foran was again in the thick of the action as he dispossessed one of the Hearts centre backs and put in a teasing cross which only needed the slightest of touches from Adam Rooney to put us ahead. The home fans though were not made to wait long for the breakthrough. Some brilliant quick attacking football saw Rooney gain some space on the right which allowed him to play a pinpoint cross onto the boot of Aaron Doran. He expertly volleyed past the despairing Macdonald to put us deservedly in front. Caley Thistle continued to press and could have had a couple more before the break. Rooney was involved in both. He first of all latched on to a Doran cross, diving in he forced a decent save from McDonald. Next up Rooney was sent through on goal but he wasn't himself and the keeper pounced on his hesitancy, Nick Ross followed up but his shot was blocked by a defender and Hearts survived. Inverness should have had a penalty when Foran was impeded by Ex Caley Jag Ian Black's elbow. Referee Crawford Allan waved away all the protests to the dismay of the home supporters. Tokely was booked for what was a trip even though it looked like the big defender had not meant it and so to see a yellow was very harsh indeed. Hearts as an attacking force were fairly limited in the first half. Suso Santana had a low drive comfortably collected by Esson, he was still to be really tested. This almost changed on half time when Stuart Duff made a brilliant goal line clearance to deny Rudi Skacel who had beaten the helpless Esson.

    Half Time 1-0

    The second half started much the same as the first ended. Jefferies must have been shouting at his players at half time and they came out and pushed the home side back. It wasn't long before Hearts almost equalised. Elliot got a deflection to Lewis Stevenson's header only to see Rooney, helping back, knee the ball off the line and onto his own bar. Inverness escaped, only just, but it wasn't to last long. Hearts early pressure paid off with Elliot finishing Suso's cutback to give them a deserved equaliser. Controversy plagued the equaliser as the Inverness players and fans were furious about the thrown in. The question wasn't a matter of whether it was a Hearts throw but where the throw was taken as it looked like it was taken in the wrong place. Protests fell on deaf ears, even Terry Butcher who sat in the main stand rushed down to confront the fourth official. Instead of Hearts taking the momentum from their equaliser it was Caley Thistle who looked most likely to score. Hayes and Doran were causing trouble down the Inverness flanks and it was Hayes with a tempting ball to the back post which only needed a touch but ran agonisingly wide of the far post. Hearts then looked like they had taken the lead when Suso easily out muscled Kenny Gillet to run towards the Caley Thistle goal, cutting it back to Lewis Stevenson but he saw his shot brilliantly tipped past the post by a fully stretched Esson. Next it was the home side claiming the ball crossed the line from a goal line clearance. Richie Foran found space at the back post with his header flying past the stranded Macdonald only to see a fantastic clearance by Andy Webster. The clearance was made better by the fact that it looked like Rooney would bundle it in. The replays have proved inconclusive but at the time the majority of the stadium believed it was over the line. Hearts then had a second cleared away when it looked certain to end in the back of the net. Lewis Stevenson again beat Esson but found Tokely covering behind him to clear it away comfortably from the six yard box.

    The game then took a dramatic turn as Ross Tokely was given his marching orders for a second bookable offence. This tackle did deserve a yellow, but because the first was harsh he found himself having to go for an early bath. It was a shame for him as he had had a decent game in the centre of defence. The surprising thing though was it was 10 man Inverness that looked like getting the winner as Hearts huffed and puffed against a deep home side. On the break Caley Thistle looked dangerous but it turned out that both goalkeepers were not to be tested again as the game ended all square.

    Full Time 1-1

    Terry Butcher would have been the happier of the two managers with his players putting in a great performance with the issue of contracts now to be resolved. Jefferies wasn't particularly happy with his players but this result shouldn't make any real effect on their grip to  retain third spot in the league. As for the players every one of them had a brilliant game apart from Adam Rooney who has looked a shadow of the player that we saw earlier on in the season. Aaron Doran won man of the match with one of his best performances to date since joining on loan in January. But if I was to single out one player, it would be club Captain Richie Foran who deserved the MOM award for his outstanding display of quality and commitment.  A pleasing outcome which could have been better as we now enter the split fixtures.

    Next week we will be off to McDiairmid park on easter Monday in a 7:45 ko against the Perth Saints.




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