Hearts -V- ICT : Matchday thread

[CELTIC1CALEY3]

Guys we have to keep winning because Gretna are on a run just now. This was a fantastic result. Falkirk next week will be the ultimate test. They are probably the team of the moment so we need to regroup and get ready for a very tough game.

What chance Frail out the door?

[Scarlet Pimple]

Is it Frail's fault.?He talks sense and has controlled comments.

But with Romanov and his influence in the background what chance has any Manager got at Tynecastle ?

[TSTtiger]

Guys we have to keep winning because Gretna are on a run just now. This was a fantastic result. Falkirk next week will be the ultimate test. They are probably the team of the moment so we need to regroup and get ready for a very tough game.

What chance Frail out the door?

we have to keep winning cos were only 7 points of 3 rd place and europe :tic01:

[Fanoffooty]

:021:  Well done ICT  :021: 

  Here's hoping the Gers beat Aberdeen tomorrow  :023:

[chris123]

Interesting to note that we havn't had a 0-0 draw for exactly a year now

[The Mantis]

Just in the door and still getting my breath back. What a game, full of incidents and we showed real class and guts to win it after it looked like the Jambos had nicked a point. Top six and well worth it. A noisy away support, everybody's hoarse. 5 in a row, merry feckin xmas!

[+Wanderer]

What a game to come home for...had every bloody thing! Pure entertainment.

Superb. Well done Brew and the squad!

(Oh, and Mikey Fraser was outstanding....Mark who?)

[Yngwie]

I thought Blackie was outstanding today.

Not impressed with our substitutions though. When Bayne came on you expected a straight swap with Marius, but he instead got pushed back to central midfield.

Then Wilson comes on, and you think that Brew has realised that Niculae can't play there, is kcackered and not contributing any more, and simply can't defend. But no, he stays on!

If we had not snatched victory, those decisions would be coming under an awful lot more scrutiny from unhappy fans.

[Naelifts]

I don't really want to spoil the euphoria. It was a superb afternoons entertainment with echoes of the Pele era.

However I was getting very concerned when we sat back with 20-25 mins to play and let Hearts have the ball and play a bit. There were also moments of complacent showboating. Brews substitution of Bayne for Black was puzzling and did not work for me. Niculae should definately have been hooked. Blackie (who bossed the 1st half) didn't look too chuffed.

The way we finally pushed forward and got the decider was the stuff of legends but we should have been taking the game to them for the preceding 20 mins...............not sure who was giving the orders out there.

5 in a row and I am still moaning..............there is no pleasing some people!

Well done to all.................the crowd were great too

Happy Whatsit

[Yngwie]

When Marius won us the penalty, I must admit didn't actually see the contact, but it was very hard to tell. I've just seen it on telly (full speed, no slow motion) and I still couldn't see it.

Am I missing something? Is my eyesight poor?  :024:

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

Niculae was the consummate professional. He was as slow as ever but poked the ball past the keeper - the ball was going well away from goal and Marius would never have got to it - but he drew the keeper, drew a touch and threw himself. If that was a booking today then Pressley should have walked.

Niculae should NOT play away from home - is he still being played fer contractual reasons ?? He is a protected species - Black must be feckin fizzing.

[The Mantis]

Aye, not seen the penalty on TV yet but we all thought Marius 'won' it. What about the assault on him after 5 mins though? Anybody seen it yet?

[Yngwie]

It was either a straight red, or a superb tackle. When it happened I looked at the Hearts fans behind their goal and none of them were applauding.....it was more like they were holding their breath.

A Hearts fan on P&B confirms Berra should have got red for it.

[Fanoffooty]

 

  Was Phil Mcguire sent off ? it says so on teletext (ITV)

[davieB]

Brilliant game.

Berra should've been off after bring down Niculae in the first few minutes. Then their 'comedy' keeper slides yards outside the area....with the ball, and nothing given.

Then a brilliant Duncan strike, after some fantastic passing. A Rankin penalty, 'won' by Marius :015: Then, for some bizarre reason, we sat back and invited them on to us.

Taking Blackie off was a mistake, he was outstanding (as were Fraser and Rankin).

Couldn't really see their penalty, but the players were raging about it.

Then the keeper/Duncan incident :rotflmao:.....all their subs used, an outfield player in goal, and everyone screaming 'shooooooooot'.

Conversation with my son in the last minute....

"Ach, Bayne's mince, absolute rubbish.....go on Graham!!!! Ya fecking dancer!!!!

Top entertainment, against a big, physical Hearts team.

Special mention for their goalie....possibly the most inept keeping performance you could hope to see???

Oh, and another special mention for the ginger 'psycho' down towards our left :crazy07:

[NigeyBear]

Oh, and another special mention for the ginger 'psycho' down towards our left :crazy07:

  Haha, what about them four/five "casuals" to our right - loved the look on their faces when Graham smashed in the winner!

[ymip]

Fantastic performance today and what a bounce after the winer. Great day out despite mising my stop on the train home  :023

[crownjaggie]

Just watched their pen again on Santa + still feel the ref had decided they were getting one to even it up cos it looked very soft.

Their keeper was mince and got himself sent off.  Contact with Marius was minimal and exaggerated by the big man but raising his hands when Russeldinho touched him gave the plonker in the middle no choice.  Thoughts at the game were that Baynes goal was a screamer, but having watching it again the stand in keeper obviously forgot he was wearing gloves and tried to keep it out with his legs.  No objections from me - just finished the afternoon perfectly

All in all well worth the trip down

[Harry Chibber]

What a game!!

Considering the effort the team put in last week they exceeded all expectation again with a superb performance.  Another action packed game with plenty of incidents but all in all we deserved the 3 points.

Some dive by Niculae

[Harry Chibber]

Oh, and another special mention for the ginger 'psycho' down towards our left :crazy07:

:rotflmao: :rotflmao:

[kencar]

It was Munro who gave away the penalty not McGuire - I think. Setanta's camera from the moon isn't the best  :029:

[Caley Mad In Berks]

Niculae should NOT play away from home - is he still being played fer contractual reasons ?? He is a protected species - Black must be feckin fizzing.

I didn't see today's game.  But I did see last week's on Setanta and the week before's (Hibs) live. Niculae was good, or better, in both. I've only seen him once away from home this season, and thought he did an OK job.  I'm not trying to wind you up, so can you explain to me, as someone who sees ICT more than I, why it is you think Nickulae is cr*p away from home. I've not seen him enough to make that judgement, but it seems stange that any player, let alone a foeigner, should only seem to perform at his best at home.  I get the impression from the many posts you've written on him, that you've always seen him as an expensive luxury.  

[Harry Chibber]

another weekend passes as an ICT supporter and another tremendous game... I backed Christie all the way and in all honesty was not delighted when Brew walked into the job again but what a difference he's made to the team, we look like a solid unit now and everyone wants the ball from back to front. I really hope we can keep a hold of McGuire he's been a revelation since coming to us on loan.

First goal was well worked and Duncan drived it home giving the 'keeper' no chance. We had the better of the first half but Hearts always looked dangerous going forward with whoever No. 44 was in the centre of the park. Great start to the second half Duncan played an inch perfect pass to Niculae but have to say thought he blatently dived (not even sure if there was contact), but the keeper (carded) was stupid enough to leave himself stranded so far from his goal line giving the ref a decision to make. Rankin netted well and looked absolutely delighted, he's proved in the last few games he still has plenty to offer ICT.

As said already we then sat deep and looked very ackward with the 2 goal lead, toying between going for a third or sitting back for the win. Hearts pilled on the pressure and a goal was ominous, Berra netted well from a corner.

We started to get a grip again and Niculae tested the 'keeper' from long range both occasions he fumbled but just managed to stop the ball crossing the line. He then had a moment of madness and pushed Duncan from a nothing incident to collect his second card and leaving them without a natural keeper after making all 3 subs. Credit to hearts for getting back into it, didn't see how they got the penalty but took it well.

The late show from Graham Bayne when every ICT fan screamed shooooooot he stuck away a low drive in the 90 somethingth minute.

Cracking game

[tm4tj]

Thank you thank you thankou, and a big thank you ICT.

Great entertainment, good noise, outsinging sixteen thousand Jambos (shall we sing a song for you), yes it's all gone quiet over there. We started well, Marius fell when running in on goal trailed by Berra, well thats what the ref thought anyway.  Incensed the away fans and we rode our luck when a great curling 25 yarder smacked off the crossbar in Mikes favourite corner, wonder if he got a touch to it. We broke forward, ball laid back into Duncans pass and he hit a curling daisy cutter into the keepers left hand corner, goal as soon as it left the outside of his foot from 25 yards, superb.  Fraser continued his impressive form and made a good diving save when Heartrs next threatened and he looked comfortable all afternoon.  We saw it out till half time then Marius did his dying swan brilliantly and Rankin finished the job from the spot, suuuuperb.  We let Hearts back into it and they forced the play for a bit and from a series of corners again winning the deep ball Berra knocked it goalwards and it ended up in the net, Late penalty had us all shaking our heads but one last flourish ended with Bayne slamming the ball low and hard past Lee Wallace in the Hearts goal.  Unbelievable stuff, the stuff that Roy of the Rovers or Alf Tupper would have been proud of.  Their keeper was a calamity he also allowed two innocuous looking efforts to squirm through him a la Zibi, then retaliates to Duncan after he slides in and accidently I thought tripped him, what a clown, offski.  Mike had a super game and one punched clearance late on would have had Henry Cooper smiling.  Black subbed???? not sure why, as he was bossing the middle and taking the mick with wee nutmegs and jinks.  All in all, fantastic.

Well cone everyone.

[Yngwie]

then retaliates to Duncan after he slides in and accidently I thought tripped him

Looked pretty deliberate to me, clear :32:

Stupid thing to do but it ultimately won us the game!