Hearts 1 Inverness CT 3

First Division Inverness took another famous Premier League scalp as they defeated Hearts 3-1 at Tynecastle.

Ross Tokely opened the scoring for Caley before Gary Wales scored a late first half equaliser.

But goals from Dennis Wyness and David Bagan saw the Highland side complete another memorable cup win - two years after the famous win at Celtic by the same scoreline.

Hearts had no answer to the performances put in by the Inverness players who clearly treated the game like the Scottish Cup Final itself.

At the final whistle, the Inverness players went over to salute and receive great acclaim from the support which came down from the Highland capital.

Hearts defender Stephane Mahe was in the Celtic side which lost to Inverness and the Frenchman was first to threaten the visitors' goal - shooting wide from 20 yards in the fifth minute.

The Jambos again looked like going in front in the 10th minute when Ricardo Fuller held the ball up for Austin McCann whose cross from the left was headed over by Thomas Flogel.

The visitors were denied an opener in the 17th minute when Russell Duncan crossed from the left and Paul Ritchie's downward header brought a great save from Antti Niemi.

Hearts responded and Fuller beat two defenders on a positive run before letting fly with a wicked strike from the right of the penalty area which forced Nicky Walker into a great save.

But it was the visitors who went in front on 26 minutes after a cross by Ritchie somehow found its way right across the penalty box to defender Tokely who fired a left-foot shot into the top corner of the net.

Hearts had encountered difficulty in disposing of Ross County in the last round and were being given a terrible time by another Highland side in the shape of Caley.

The visitors continued to cause alarm with Barry Robson's clever lob over the home side defence just out of reach of Ritchie to finish.

However, Hearts grabbed the equaliser in the 45th minute.

Steve Fulton sent over a corner which fod Tommi Gronlund hot from 18 yards deflected off a defendnd found its way to Wales who fired home from close range.

But 13 minutes after the break, striker Wyness gave the First Division side the lead again with his 15th goal of the season in his 100th game for the club.

Keeper Walker punted a long free-kick from deep inside his own half.

He found Wyness, who turned Mahe, before sending an unstoppable left-foot shot from the edge of the box into the left corner past the helpless Niemi.

Hearts brought on another striker Andy Kirk as they tried desperately to force their way back into the tie.

Fuller was denied by a superb goal-saving tackle from the excellent Stuart McCaffrey inside the six-yard box on 64 minutes

In the 73rd minute, Fulton put Stephen Simmons clear but former Hearts keeper Walker dived bravely at the youngster's feet to save.

Hearts were to regret that miss badly within 60 seconds as they went 3-1 down.

Substitute Bagan had much to do but managed to show great control before holding off Gronlund.

The ex-Kilmarnock man then side-stepped to the left before crashing the ball past the keeper into the net.

The dangerous Fuller was still being very tightly marked and Inverness boss Steve Paterson and assistant Duncan Shearer deserved much credit for their tactics.

Hearts' last chance came in the 86th minute but Kirk missed a glaring opportunity.

Teams:

Hearts: Niemi, Webster (Kirk 62), Severin, Mahe, Maybury, Flogel, Gronlund, Fulton, McCann (Simmons 46), Fuller, Wales (Adam 82).

Subs Not Used: McKenzie, Kaczan.

Goals: Wales 45.

Inverness CT: Walker, Tokely, Mann, McCaffray, McBain, Munro, Duncan, Christie (Bagan 49), Robson, Ritchie, Wyness.

Subs Not Used: Calder, Bavidge, Golabek, Stewart.

Booked: Duncan, Robson.

Goals: Tokely 26, Wyness 57, Bagan 73.

Att: 12,016

Ref: A Freeland (Scotland).


Taken from sportinglife.com