HITTING THE SKIDDS

IT so happens that when this season reaches its climax in May it will coincide with the 20th anniversary of Hearts' darkest day.

Two decades will have passed since a support who had to endure more bad times than good were only minutes away from seeing their club win the Premier League, a goal they previously thought was beyond the team's capabilities.

For the sake of any Hearts fan's sanity, I won't go into too much detail about what happened, although everyone knows about the events at Dens Park and at Love Street when Celtic won the championship.

Football has a way of kicking you and for any Jambo that awful afternoon was the game's equivalent of a big pair of Doc Martins delivered with force to their nether regions.You never forget the pain.

But why look back 20 years you may ask?

Well, as I watched the frustrations and anger of the Hearts fans in the main stand as the minutes ticked on in this match and their team failed to find a winner, you couldn't help but think that the support, particularly those of a certain age, are beginning to fear history repeating itself.

If Celtic do go on to beat Hearts to the league title, as many expect they will, it would not be in such dramatic or - if you're a Jambo - heartbreaking circumstances.

But there could well bea feeling in Gorgie that once again their team has thrown it away.

Everything was going so well until Vladimir Romanov sacked George Burley. Since then, Hearts have looked a different team. Or to put it bluntly, a worse one.Where was the free-flowing football?Where was the ability to attack from the start?Why is Paul Hartley playing so deep all of a sudden?

And why was the best player at Tynecastle a striker who is not so far away from blowing out 40 candles on his birthday cake?

He is a former Hibee but more about him later.

Hearts boss Graham Rix needed to start well. He hasn't.

Injuries have not helped but the reaction of the fans on Saturday was significant. It's almost as if they could have taken the result if they hadn't been challenging at the top and, indeed, led the rest for most of the season.

If Hearts had been fighting for third spot then two points dropped at home would have been irritating but certainly not a disaster. However, since season 1985-96 this is the best chance Hearts have of winning the league.

Almost 20 years ago they threw it away because the players couldn't hold out for a point with seven minutes of the season remaining.

It would be quite something if at the end of this campaign the baffling decision to sack Burley cost them the title.

At least it would be a new way of inflicting pain on the Jambos. Perhaps Celtic supporters would think of Romanov as fondly as they do Albert Kidd.

That's three draws from four games for Rix and four below-par performances.

Inverness Caley Thistle should have won this one.They had better chances, a decent shout for a penalty, a goal disallowed and the fact that goalkeeper Craig Gordon was Hearts' best player says it all.

A lot of the abuse was directed at Rix from those who sit just behind the dugout. It will be interesting to see the reaction when the same people turn and look towards the Lithuanian businessman in the directors' box.

If Rix is still to prove his worth then so is Romanov because a few more results and displays like this one will hand Celtic the championship with a lot more to spare than seven minutes.

Hearts defender Robbie Neilson said: "It was a frustrating day. It was disappointing to drop two points at home.Celtic are three ahead and we now have to go to Ibrox next week and win.

"We just couldn't break Inverness down.You could feel the crowd getting anxious.

"Over the course of the season we have scored goals and the fans have got behind us because we have played free-flowing football.

"Inverness stifled the game and made life difficult for is. We pushed for the goal at the end but it never came.

"Teams this season will consider a draw from Tynecastle to be a good result. They had a goal disallowed and a penalty shout but the ball did strike my hand so it was the right decision."

Maybe,but there could have been few complains it Inverness had won.

Craig Brewster was immense.When he wasn't clearing with his head in defence, he was giving Scotland defenders Steven Pressley and Andy Webster a hell of a time.

The player-manager remains one of the best players in Scotland and is a credit to himself.

Inverness had so many chances. Brewster should have done better in 35 minutes when he got on the end of a Craig Dargo cutback and blasted the ball over the bar.

Barry Wilson has to have at least one mazy run and shot per game and it came just before half-time but his finishing was off.

In the second-half Ian Black produced the best from Gordon.

The keeper was again on the ball to keep out a left-foot drive from Brewster but both players saved their best for last.

Brewster almost won the game with a wonderful dipping shot which he hit from way out on the right.

It should not have troubled the keeper but on this occasion Gordon had to be at his best to tip the ball wide.

Hearts also had chances. Before half-time Deividas Cesnauskis fluffed his finish following a neat one-two with Hartley and a Pressley header midway through the second-half went close.

Ross Tokely had the ball in the net, although the flag had been up for a while, and the ball did hit Neilson's arm to stop a Wilson effort.

It wasn't a penalty but you've seen them given.

If Inverness finish in the top six then it will be a job well done.You wouldn't put that past Brewster and his players.

If Hearts allow Celtic to disappear over the horizon then it will be down to shoddy workmanship from the man at the top.

Taken from the Daily Record