Inverness CT 0-0 Hearts

Inverness midfielder Richie Hart was twice denied by excellent saves from Hearts 'keeper Craig Gordon in a first half that saw little good football.

The home side enjoyed the best of the second half and were camped in and around the Hearts penalty area.

However, Inverness failed to fashion any clear chances as the visitors held on thanks to some sound defending.

With Rangers winning at home to Kilmarnock, Hearts are now six points clear of the third-placed Ibrox side, while Inverness remain in sixth spot.

Inverness posed an early threat when striker Craig Dargo was beaten to a long ball out of defence by Hearts goalkeeper Craig Gordon, who had to race from the penalty area.

Gordon's clearance only reached Bayne though and Russell Duncan seized on the loose ball before attempting to lift a shot over the keeper from 30 yards, which the Hearts number one recovered in time to save.

Inverness keeper Mark Brown then struggled to deal with the powerful breeze when a Hartley corner eluded him and was headed goalwards by Takis Fyssas.

Brown was able to parry the attempt and Calum Elliot was thwarted by a group of defenders as he tried to force the ball over the line.

A slip from Inverness defender Richard Hastings presented Bednar with an opportunity to fire a shot at goal, but, from an acute angle, his powerful drive was blocked by Brown.

Bednar later tried his luck from 18 yards with a low drive which was comfortably smothered by Brown.

Eight minutes before the interval, a wonderful through ball from Morgan sent Hart racing though on the Hearts goal, but Gordon dropped to make a magnificent stop as the midfielder tried to slip the ball past him.

A minute later, a Dargo cut-back allowed Hart to shoot at goal from 12 yards and this time Gordon showed great agility to beat the ball away.

Inverness began the second half with the advantage of having the wind in their favour and a Hart free-kick caused problems for Gordon, who gathered at the second attempt.

Caley Thistle were throwing balls into the Hearts penalty area and Ross Tokely was let down by a poor touch when given a glimpse of goal.

Gordon had little to do until a Morgan free-kick from 25 yards in the 75th minute produced a controlled catch.

Graham Bayne then tested Gordon with a diving header from Tokely's cross, but the striker failed to get any purchase on his effort which Gordon saved low at his post.

Inverness CT: Brown, Tokely, Dods, Munro, Hastings, Hart, Duncan, Black, Morgan, Bayne, Dargo. Subs Not Used: Fraser, Golabek, McCaffrey, McBain, Keogh, Fox, Jackson.

Booked: Hart.

Hearts: Gordon, Neilson, Webster, Berra, Fyssas, Hackett (McAllister 67), Hartley, Aguiar, Cesnauskis, Elliot, Bednar, McAllister (Goncalves 85). Subs Not Used: Banks, Johnson, Mikoliunas, Pospisil, Petras.

Booked: Aguiar, Fyssas.

Att: 5,027

Ref: K Toner

Taken from the BBC