ICT -V- HEARTS - Matchday Thread

[davieB]

Great game, and what a finish!

We were unlucky to go in 1 down at HT, but we really went for it after the break. Cowie just seems to get even better each week. Blackie was outstanding, despite some rough treatment. Tokely was like a man possessed going forward, absolutely brilliant, and he really seemed to push us on after HT. In saying that, he got skinned way to often, and was caught out of position too many times.

The defence still looks terrible, I was worried every time Hearts came forward. McGuire was mince, really really bad.....and Munro's passing was shocking. There's no-one taking control, too much indecisiveness, and no communication.

Up front, Dennis had his best game in a while......mind, he'll never get an easier goal in his life. Marius was quiet in the 1st half, but was fantastic in the second.

As for Brew......what a goal!!

Fully deserved 3 points in my opinion, and that'll hopefully give us the confidence to get our season well and truly moving.

[BA]

Agree that the defence did look a little dodgy today. Rossco was superb going forward but was caught out by Driver in the 1st half too many times. Black was brilliant in the midfield and was extremely unlucky with the goal, Cowie was again superb and Bazza had a good game as well. Niculae's movement seemed to be good but he lack a couple of yards of pace in my opinion. Denzil, like Niculae, was moving about well and should have scored with the header in the 2nd half and I thought he deserved his goal for his performance, can't complain about Brewster subs as Morgan crossed it in and he scored, although I would have liked to have seen them on earlier.

[Johnboy]

well feck me  :003:

Interesting choice of words there, Mee....  :rolleyes02:

[Mee]

Just taken by the moment JB  :001:

[Johnboy]

Just taken by the moment JB  :001:

Such "moments" don't happen too often for ICT supporters....!!  :023:

[Johnboy]

What a difference a week makes - Hearts completely destroyed Rangers last week - today we made them look very average....

The win today was no more than we deserved.... Cowie is proving to be an inspired signing - thanks CC -  Our season has finally started....  :022:

[MacBandy]

I'll admit the defence were not brilliant but thought they were the best I have seen them since Dodds left.

Maguire is way better than Caff. His positioning is spot on. He didn't display individual skill or last ditch heroics because he didn't need to because the defense was.....at worst OK....at best solid and organised.

Niculae was IMO really impressive but Dennis blew too many chances set up by Nic. I reckon we might

have won by more if Brew had been on instead of Dennis.

Blackie...fantastic and didn't rise to the bait when treated physically.

Rossco...back to his very best.

Mikey Fraser...very solid..no chance with the own goal.

Barry Wilson.....caused trouble wherever he went.

Brew....awesome..even before he scored his class was obvious.

Don Cowie...what a find!! my man of the match.

and as a team... immeasurably improved in all respects since the last home game.

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

Quite heartened that some of you are more impressed by Niculae but the bottom line is that Brew, and anybody with a football brain, realises that Brew and Niculae are not a pairing that you can play on the same pitch. Brew is sacrificing himself fer Niculae and trying to clone Marius into that role. I think that has lost us a lot of points this season but if Niculae takes on the mantle - then we are sweet.

[MacBandy]

"....anybody with a footballing brain...." thanks for the vote of conf IHE. Your point assumes that Nic plays as we expected him to. But if he plays like he did today...holding up and putting in perfect crosses/passes for others to score...many of which were suitable for a tall player then it might be an option nes pas?

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

Niculae like Brew has a briliant touch - and the experience to boot BUT neither are a penalty box players and neither have the pace or the movement to play off a creator. At Hibs they often got in each others way. I may have to be serious in admitting that I have not seen the last two games. We need Marius to take over the Brew role - He has the skill to do it but has he got the fitness and movement. The one thing Marius does not appear to have - and if he has shown it today tell me - which Brew still has - is to start off a move and have the guile to get into a position to be there at the end product.

They are both creators. But what marius is being paid he should be a lot more.

[buffy]

WELL DONE CALEYYY!!!

fantastic score today for yer team. very proud so i am.

however hauf of dunfermline is drowning their sorrows at oor misery in clyde today;

i am, thankfully, el skinto and wasnae there so listened into me second team's game oan radio scotland.  :sillywave:

hoooray for the heelanders.

Buffy x

[The Mantis]

What a day I had  :crazy07: :crazy07: :crazy07: :crazy07:

Great craic in a full car coming up the road. A bottle of Ross-Shire's finest from the supporters' trust (cheers DJS), the messiah scores a late winner in his second coming, and I get my text read out on Traynor (what do you mean "who's the Mantis" you blimp  :015: :015:).

And I got a shot of Peter Paul's camera while he went for a pie.  :015: :015: :015:

Chances are I'll be on TV at the winner too after a crazy run down the front, what a sensible, respectable old chap  :023:

BTW ICT must be the only club in the world where the photographer gets his name chanted 

"Peter Paul, Peter Paul, Peter Paul":021: :021: :021:

[TSTtiger]

first half wasn't great, some nice passing but probably only two real chances created.

black pretty pish first half but absolute quality second.great finish for the opener too :029:

same for tokely, dunno what brewster said to him at h/t  but he was causing them allsorts of trouble

dennis and marius both worked their baws off with dennis having his best game in ages wihout gettin much luck.would have been a travesty if he didnt get on the scoresheet.

cowie was a man on a mission all afternoon.played a blinder

barry too put in a great shift

defence pretty solid really, hearts never actually troubled fraser that much brewster looked a cut above anyone on the pitch which is pretty impressive given how late he came on.

would love to see marius in midfield against gretna  with brew and wyness up  front.

[IcyTea]

Niculae is a class act...nice touches, strong, good vision and tackles well and he was replaced by another classy player, Brew, he was just on the park for 5 minutes but won everything showed good distribution of the ball and had the killer instinct when it mattered.

I'll be glad when Hastings is fully fit as McBain was like a lost sheep at left back.

[Kind of Blue]

Well today's 3 points were a long time coming but the wait was worth it and what a fantastic winner from Brew.  I think now that we have the monkey of our back with having got some points, the team will firstly get off the bottom next week and the go on a little run and climb the table.

[Scarlet Pimple]

Well , (Canajins may always say "eh" after a comment but SP starts off by saying "well") I have really enjoyed reading every match report on the internet and  from the News  links  on here.

It's a very nice feeling to get a well-deserved win at last and in such a spectacular fashion. nAhhh --like a smoothy glass of wine.. :003:

Some of the comments on this thread are fascinating.

Cowie turning out so well, McGuire somewhat volatile, being mouthie and all ,but appears to be filling a gap nicely, Tokely taking the initiative and  spreading panic with his surging runs into enemy territory,  Blackie also came on  to a game and controlling his temper well and of course no need to say anything about Brew--same old, same old, if anything at all. Niculae is now fitting/settling  in  (?) but since he was hired as a striker and hitherto has not struck  much of anything what a novel idea to play him back a bit in midfield  with  the capability of spraying pinpoint passes to the likes of Dennis and Brew or even Cowie if he can get up.Barry playing hard but I am just a wee bit uncertain as to what Morgan is  supposed to be achieving and where exactly he is playing--the commentary today  from the BBC hardly seemed to mention his presence let alone his impact.

And Fraser acquitting himself well and getting lots of experience whilst his predecessor Mark Brown sits on the sidelines with a big paypacket but relatively anonymous due to his inactivity which cannot be very inspiring for him I am sure.

In short  this is a very encouraging thread ---and juncture (or turning point as Brew says on ther BBC interview) ---so hopefully  the climb will now start and with a few good wins under our belt the panic button can  once again  be put back into the cupboard  since surely no future year can  start so badly as this one.

Oh I really must thank the BBC too on this thread  (tongue in cheek though) for actually broadcasting a commentary from Tulloch Caledonian stadium despite the fact that their Sportsound site did not even have the customary link to the broadcast which I fanally found under the words SPL. sigh! :029: Charles can't you finally sort out the Beeb for us poor overseas fellas? :016:

[dead_ball_specialist]

Don't agree with those who say we made Hearts look average. That was the strongest Hearts team I've ever seen up here, even better than when Burley was in charge IMHO. They played some excellent stuff. We were fortunate that their manager (whoever that actually is!) decided to take their best player off at half time (Driver) who'd been running Tokely ragged. As soon as he went off for the over-rated Stewart, Tokely was able to run up and down the wing as he pleased.

For the first time in ages we actually looked like the stronger / fitter team! If the game had lasted another 20 minutes we could have won 4 or 5-1. Brewster has obviously kicked some *** behind the scenes.

[RiG]

Don't agree with those who say we made Hearts look average. That was the strongest Hearts team I've ever seen up here, even better than when Burley was in charge IMHO.

Never in a million years was that the best Hearts performance up here.

They played some excellent stuff. We were fortunate that their manager (whoever that actually is!) decided to take their best player off at half time (Driver) who'd been running Tokely ragged.

Aye, of course it was Frail who took him of. He's not a puppet or anything. But you are right, he was destroying Tokely and Cowie. he had one brilliant piece of skill that saw him take out both players and sprint off towards goal.

We easily deserved that win. Hearts had a fair bit of the ball but lets be honest, we were their best chances in the first half with the o.g. and Duncans fantastic diving header past his own post. They had that Kingston free kick that hit the post, well won I might add, but aside from that that I think we more than held our own and had the better of the game.

Good to see Wyness so lethal from 1 inch but he was creative as always I thought. Niculae was decent enough though he had a bit of an unsavoury incident with Neilson when he trod on the back of his head accidentally. Black and Cowie were excellent yesterday. Our passing out of defence was mince but I didn't think they were too bad overall.

[The Mantis]

I take it that was you posting on SoS this morning RiG (on the Hearts-Hibs love-in thread  :015:)

[strathyjags]

That was the strongest Hearts team I've ever seen up here, even better than when Burley was in charge IMHO.

ballocks,burleys hearst were best jambo,s side to come here,with scakel up front etc,this one was a pale version in comparison

[dead_ball_specialist]

Burleys side were dull and one dimensional. They left TCS with a very lucky 1-0 win. I don't remember them really causing us any problems at the back - Skacels goal came from a lucky break. In contrast, there were spells yesterday when they were playing us off the park. And you should also take into account that ICT are a stronger side now than we were back then.

[tm4tj]

I must have been at a different game yesterday.  What stage of the game were they playng us off the park?  Just after we gifted them the opener, they had a better spell, but hardly threatened to overrun us.  I thought we more than matched them and thoroughly deserved to win the game, in fact should have won more comfortably than the scoreline suggests.

Brew must have enjoyed that one, how sweet was that.  Great strike, and although he was only on for five minutes, his first touches in that space of time were impeccable, he was able to bring the ball down, hold it up and play people in, excellent display and leading by example, ye cannae do better than that. :021:

[RiG]

I take it that was you posting on SoS this morning RiG (on the Hearts-Hibs love-in thread  :015:)

Indeed it was  :003:

In contrast, there were spells yesterday when they were playing us off the park.

Erm, when exactly?

I must have been at a different game yesterday.  What stage of the game were they playng us off the park?  Just after we gifted them the opener, they had a better spell, but hardly threatened to overrun us.  I thought we more than matched them and thoroughly deserved to win the game, in fact should have won more comfortably than the scoreline suggests.

Fully agree with that. I wished he had made the subs sooner. We thoroughly deserved to win that game and the only bad thing was that it took so long to get the winner.

[+The_Sponge]

Tokely getting skinned in the first half wasn't entirely his fault. On several occasions Cowie was wandering into the centre of the pitch leaving his right back exposed to two players.

[RiG]

Tokely getting skinned in the first half wasn't entirely his fault. On several occasions Cowie was wandering into the centre of the pitch leaving his right back exposed to two players.

One of the reasons why, while I've been very impressed with Cowie, I don't think he is meant to be played wide right.