Inverness Caledonian Thistle 0 Heart of Midlothian 0

SPFL, Saturday 15 February 2014, Caledonian Stadium

They say a week is a long time in politics. It’s also a long time in football, particularly if your team is on the wrong end of a gut-wrenching cup semi-final defeat by a team with just nine players.  A week is bad enough; two weeks seems like an eternity.

Hearts headed north on Saturday to the home of the opponents who inflicted such misery at Easter Road in that ill-fated League Cup semi-final a fortnight ago. This time it was on league business and with Caley Thistle riding high in the league, the Highlanders were firm favourites to take all three points.

Hearts manager Gary Locke was forced into making a couple of changes from the side that broke many hearts two weeks ago. The injured David Smith was replaced by Ryan Stevenson while the suspended Kevin McHattie’s place was taken by Jordan McGhee.

As expected, the home side dominated the first half although it was Hearts Ryan Stevenson who had the game’s first real chance with a shot from 20 yards which went just over the bar. Thereafter, it was Caley Thistle who dictated the game with Watkins, Raven and the always-dangerous McKay all coming close to opening the scoring.

It seemed at times that Hearts captain Danny Wilson and goalkeeper Jamie MacDonald were playing Caley Thistle on their own, the Hearts custodian pulling off a superb save from McKay. Seconds later, Watkins effort beat MacDonald but Hearts teenage defender Jordan McGhee scooped the ball off the line.

Hearts were defending desperately at times but the aim of preventing the home side from scoring had worked as the first half ended goalless.

Curiously, it was Hearts who had the first chance of the second half when Jamie Hamill, who scored twice in the semi-final, almost opened the scoring with a powerful effort from 20 yards which whistled wide. Thereafter, the home side resumed their ascendency with Tansey and substitute Foran coming closest to breaking the deadlock. As the final whistle approached, Hearts almost nicked all three points when new boy Paul McCallum headed for goal only to see his effort blocked by Shinnie.

Locke was keen to point out the improvement in his side when he faced the press afterwards. “Overall, it’s a difficult place to come” said the Gorgie boss. “When we came here earlier in the season we were totally outplayed so I think you can see a definite improvement. That’s four games in a row in the league we’re unbeaten and I think there’s now a bit of belief among the boys.”

Hearts are now unbeaten in four league games although the gap at the bottom of the league table is 16 points. Next up for the Maroons is the visit of Celtic to Tynecastle next Saturday. Given the result the last time Neil Lennon’s side came to Gorgie, next week’s encounter may be deemed unsuitable for those under the age of 16…

Inverness Caledonian Thistle: Brill, Raven, Shinnie, Draper, Warren, Meekings, Watkins, Tansey, McKay, Vincent, Doran.

Hearts: MacDonald, McGowan, McGhee, Robinson, McKay, Wilson, Carrick, Hamill, McCallum, Stevenson, Nicholson.

Referee: Craig Thomson

Att: 3,392

Top man: Jamie MacDonald – Caley Thistle’s goalkeeper may be called Brill but this was another brilliant performance from the Hearts keeper.

 

 

Inverness Caledonian Thistle 2 Heart of Midlothian 2 (ICT win 4-2 on pens)

Scottish League Cup Semi-Final, Sunday 2 February 2014, Easter Road

Hearts had an all too brief respite from their travails of league business with a League Cup semi-final against Inverness Caledonian Thistle at Easter Road on Sunday. It was a re-match of the same stage of the competition a year and a week ago. Sadly, the outcome was different; whereas in 2013, Hearts were the victors after a penalty shoot-out, this year it was the Highlanders, who were reduced to nine men, who emerged victorious after another penalty shoot-out.

Hearts had re-arranged their midweek SPFL fixture against St. Mirren in order than Ryan Stevenson could complete his two match suspension following a red card at Perth a couple of weeks ago. Ironically, with Hearts winning the two games in which the former Ayr United man was missing, Stevenson didn’t start the semi-final, taking his place on the substitutes bench alongside Hearts new on-loan signing from West Ham, Paul McCallum.

Hearts boss Gary Locke began the game with the same side that defeated St. Mirren on Wednesday but they were almost behind after just three minutes when a mistake by skipper Danny Wilson allowed Caley Thistle’s McKay to set up Draper but his effort went over the bar.

John Hughes’ men looked the livelier of the sides in the early stages but Hearts eventually pulled themselves into the game. Sam Nicholson’s pace and trickery was causing the Jags defence problems and his effort from 20 yards produced a decent save from Brill in the Caley Thistle goal. Dale Carrick then headed over when he really ought to have found the target as play raged from end to end. The best chance of a goalless first half, however, fell to Caley Thistle’s McKay on the stroke of half-time. The striker got ahead of his Hearts namesake Brad before firing in a shot which Hearts keeper Jamie MacDonald did brilliantly to save.  

As happened in last year’s semi-final, Inverness took the lead early in the second half. From 20 yards out Tansey fired in blistering shot which whistled past MacDonald to put the Highlanders a goal up.

This seemed to ignite Hearts and Callum Paterson produced a superb save from Brill before Caley Thistle were reduced to ten men when Warren was shown a second yellow card of the afternoon when he fouled Sam Nicholson. From the free-kick, Ryan Stevenson rolled the ball to Jamie Hamill whose shot took a deflection before nestling in the net to level the scores at 1-1. The Hearts fans celebrated and they were ecstatic two minutes later when Hamill scored again, this time with a magnificent 20 yard free-kick.

Jamie MacDonald then produced a wonder save from Meekings but this was the Caley Thistle defender’s last involvement before being sent off for a late challenge on Scott Robinson. Hearts were 2-1 up against nine men as the regulation 90 minutes drew to a close and a third cup final appearance in less than two years seemed on the cards. However, calamity struck when shoddy defending from Hearts allowed substitute Ross to squeeze the ball past MacDonald in the final minute to take the tie to extra time.

Caley Thistle defended resolutely during the extra half an hour and Hearts, despite their numerical advantage, just could not break them down. Newcomer Paul McCallum, on as a substitute, had the best chance at the end but couldn’t direct his header on target.

So the tie was decided by a penalty shoot-out. After Shinnie missed his kick for Thistle, Paul McCallum had the opportunity to make an immediate name for himself – but he also missed his spot kick. Danny Wilson and Dale Carrick scored for Hearts but Jamie Hamill, so often hero from the penalty spot missed his kick. Caley Thistle converted their remaining penalties and so progressed to the League Cup Final with Aberdeen on 16 March.

It was a bitterly disappointing end to the game for the Hearts supporters in the crowd of 12,762. Their team’s failure to see out a game against opponents who had just nine players was quite frankly an embarrassment and some fans weren’t slow in making their feelings known as the Maroon Army trudged out of Easter Road.

Afterwards, Gary Locke struggled to contain his anguish. “We only have ourselves to blame. It was a great opportunity to get to a final. Defending in the last minute, we had chances to get rid of the ball before we did. But there’s nothing we can do about it now.”

Inverness Caledonian Thistle: Brill, Raven, Shinnie, Vincent, Warren, Meekings, Watkins, Tansey, McKay, Draper, Doran.

Hearts: MacDonald, McKay, McHattie, Hamill, McGowan, Wilson, Smith, Robinson, Carrick, Paterson, Nicholson.

Referee: John Beaton

Att: 12,762

Top man: Jamie Hamill.

 

Heart of Midlothian 1 Inverness Caledonian Thistle 1

Clydesdale Bank SPL, Saturday 18 December 2010 - Ice Station Tynecastle

Something had to give. Prior to this game Hearts had won six SPL games in a row; Caley Thistle were unbeaten away from home in league football for more than  a year. Somewhat inevitably the game ended in a  draw although, in my naturally unbiased opinion, Hearts did everything but win the game. Apart from a strangely lethargic opening spell when the visitors capitalised by taking the lead in the 17th minute through a Grant Munro header, the maroons dominated the game but proceeded to miss chance after chance.

Shortly after Caley Thistle's opener, Hearts equalised when visiting goalkeeper Ryan Esson felled Stephen Elliott in the penalty box. Penalty said referee Brian Winter - which was about the only decision he gave the home side all afternoon - but only a yellow card for Esson. Kevin Kyle duly tucked away the penalty kick - his first league goal at Tynecastle since signing from Kilmarnock in the summer.

Thereafter Hearts dominated proceedings and there was a sublime piece of skill from gifted youngster David Templeton when he rattled the post with a 25 yard effort. I haven't been as excited about a Hearts player since the days of Neil McCann - Temps even drew plaudits from ICT boss Terry Butcher.

Templeton, Rudi Skacel, Kyle and Ryan Stevenson all had chances to win the game for Hearts - but they didn't take them. The game ended 1-1, a result that undoubtedly delighted the visitors given that was what they came to Scotland's capital city for. After winning six games in a row Hearts fans had perhaps become greedy but given neither Celtic or Rangers have managed to defeat the Highlanders at home this season, this disappointment can be overcome. Certainly Caley Thistle offered far more resistance than Aberdeen did a week earlier and Terry Butcher has done a fine job in reshaping the team.

Hearts are now two points behind Celtic - having played two games more. Perhaps talk of splitting the Old Firm was a tad premature

Donald Park

Hearts may have struggled for much of the 1970s but one player still fondly remembered by older Jambos is Donald Park. The Invernesian signed for Hearts in the summer of 1972 and made his debut three months later, scoring in a 3-0 win over Arbroath at Tynecastle. Although just nineteen years old, Park was to make twenty other appearances in maroon that season as Hearts finished tenth in the First Division.

Parkie, as he was affectionately known, spent six years at Tynecastle during a difficult time for the club, a period when Hearts suffered relegation for the first time in their history. Hearts won promotion in 1978 after their first season downstairs and many saw Parkie’s experience as an important factor in Hearts chances of avoiding further demotion. However, in September 1978 manager Willie Ormond swapped the undoubted skills of Park for two Partick Thistle fringe players, Denis McQuade and John Craig, a move that angered many Hearts fans. Unsurprisingly, Park made an impact at Firhill and Thistle avoided relegation that season - at Hearts expense.
When Hearts finally stabilised under Chairman Wallace Mercer and won promotion to the Premier Division in 1983 - ending a six-year yo-yo syndrome - manager Alex MacDonald looked to experience to help Hearts remain in the top division and he wasted little time in bring Donald Park back to Tynecastle for the Highlander’s second stint in Gorgie. The wee man’s most memorable moment that season was when he scored Hearts equaliser against Hibernian in the New Year derby in torrential rain at Tynecastle.

Thanks to the experience of Park, MacDonald and others, Hearts established themselves as Premier Division club and began replacing the older players of the squad with youngsters. Park moved to Brechin City in the summer of 1985 before taking on a coaching role at Meadowbank Thistle. After a brief spell managing Arbroath, Parkie took on a coaching role at Hibernian before being appointed Assistant Manager to Franck Sauzee in 2001. However, the Frenchman’s reign as Hibs boss was short-lived and both he and Park left Easter Road in 2002.

Park joined his former Hearts team-mate John Robertson as part of the managerial team at Inverness Caledonian Thistle towards the end of 2002 and their partnership helped Caley Thistle to promotion to the SPL for the first time in 2004. It was inevitable that such success would link the pair to Hearts and they returned home to Tynecastle when Craig Levein left Hearts in November 2004. Sadly, things didn’t work out as hoped and Robbo and Parkie left Tynecastle at the end of the season.

Park was to return to Caley Thistle as assistant to Charlie Christie in January 2006 before returning to Edinburgh two years later as assistant to Mixu Paatelainen at Hibernian.

Last summer, Donald Park left Easter Road to take up the position of Head of Coach Education with the SFA in Glasgow.