Robbo's return marred by the lack of reward

PAUL KIDDIE

HEARTS legend John Robertson relished his return to Tynecastle as a manager for the first time - but admitted he'd have enjoyed the experience much more had Inverness Caley Thistle returned north with something to show for their sterling efforts.

The SPL strugglers pushed their hosts all the way with Paul Hartley’s well-taken 15th-minute goal enough to keep the points in the Capital.

The Highlanders had their chances to cause an upset in the second half, most noticeably when Ross Tokely found himself unmarked at the back post but sent his header over the bar.

Robertson’s men took plenty of credit from the clash, as they had done a week previously when they went down to a similar scoreline against Rangers at Ibrox.

But once again, the inability to make the most of their opportunities in front of goal proved their downfall.

"It was fantastic to be back at Tynecastle and the place has some tremendous memories for me but the most important thing was to try to get something for Inverness and to that end it was disappointing," said Robertson.

"I had been looking forward to this fixture since the start of the season but I’d have enjoyed it more had we won. Unfortunately we didn’t and I have to reluctantly admit that now it looks as if our championship challenge is over!"

Joking apart, the former Hearts striker knows he will have to solve his side’s lack of potency up front if he is to achieve the objective of top-flight survival. "It was a game which, once again, we should have - and could have - taken something from," he said.

"The difference was Hearts took their chance when we made a mistake but when we had chances behind them we missed them. But looking on the positive side, that’s two tough away matches we have had now and been in the games until the very last seconds.

"We are a good, honest team, organised, fit and play some nice football. But we have to find an end product and that was patently obvious again on Saturday. That is all that is lacking in our game. We made one mistake against Hearts and it cost us a goal, as we did last week at Ibrox.

"But when other teams make mistakes it doesn’t fall for us. We need a break, there is no doubt about that.

"There is still a lot of belief in the dressing-room and we have 31 games to finish a point above any of the teams above us and that is how we are looking at it."

Taken from the Scotsman