INVERNESS CT 0 HEARTS 0 - THAT WOULD PUT WIND UP BARCA!

INVERNESS CT 0 HEARTS 0

GRAHAM RIX refused to lay into his players for dropping two more crucial points in the chase for the Champions League and claimed BARCELONA could not have coped in such windy conditions.

The Jekyll and Hyde Jambos were lucky to escape with a draw after getting a going over by Inverness for 90 minutes and a blowing over by the brutal wind howling through Caledonian Stadium.

But boss Rix insisted it was a point gained and he's happy taking a six-point cushion into next week's crunch clash with third-placed Rangers.

After watching Scotland No.1 Craig Gordon spare his side a defeat with two magnificent first-half stops from Richie Hart, Rix said: "It was impossible to play football out there - Barcelona wouldn't have been able to play in that.

"It was just a case of kick hard, squeeze up, long throws and look for the second ball.

"That's what I wrote on the board before the game - that it would be an ugly match and we had to win the second ball. We didn't pick up enough though but I'm not going to have a go at the players. They couldn't have given more.

"We want to win every game but I'm not too disconsolate. It was a battling performance and I don't feel under more pressure now.

"Where would you rather be? Six points ahead or six behind? We were missing some big players and hopefully they'll be back as well."

With Rangers looming Rix was never going to get too tough on his men. But he let them off lightly for an abject display that saw them go the entire second half without an effort at goal.

Barca couldn't play in this? Strange that Caley could.

To be fair, Hearts were missing some top names through injury and suspension - Steven Pressley, Rudi Skacel, Edgar Jankauskas and Julien Brellier.

But when you've got a first-team squad of 35 it can't be an excuse.

Especially when they were able to influence the Caley Thistle line up as well, depriving them of loan star Dennis Wyness.

The striker had scored in eight of his previous 10 games and looked like a massive miss - but the home side STILL adapted far better to their losses and the conditions than the Jambos.

The Champions League-chasers had Paul Hartley back from his three-game ban to make their midfield tick but without Brellier to do the spade work they were over-run at times.

And the superb Hart in particular brought the best out of Gordon.

Three times in the space of eight minutes just after the half-hour the 27-year-old tested Scotland's No.1.

First with a 20-yarder down low, then forcing a great stop in a one-on-one after Christophe Berra had blundered to let Alan Morgan play his team-mate in.

And finally the pick of the bunch - a rasping right-foot drive from Craig Dargo's cut-back that forced a fingertip parry just wide.

But even playing with the wind Hearts barely made headway.

Only a Takis Fyssas header in the third minute and a Roman Bednar shot at his near post gave Scotland Future pick Mark Brown any trouble.

Rix obviously thought sending his troops out for a full warm-up at half-time would shake some life into them - he was sadly mistaken.

They were even slower out the blocks than in the first half. So much so they shamefully didn't muster a single effort at goal - on or off target - in the half.

The real goalmouth action was the resumption of Hart's one-man war with Gordon. The midfielder tried his luck with free-kicks from 40 and 25 yards but the keeper was equal to both.

Morgan and Graham Bayne also tested the keeper and there's little doubt the home side did far more to earn their share of the points.

Hearts? It's hard to know where to start. Apart from the outstanding Gordon, right-back Robbie Nielson was probably the only other non-passenger in the side. He earned his pay poke.

The rest? New boys Bruno Aguiar and Chris Hackett - making his first start - were both non-contributors.

But that still made them men of power and influence compared to the anonymous Deividas Cesnauskis.

Hearts now face Rangers with a six-point cushion and if they want to stop it becoming three they'll have to improve.

Gordon insisted though: "It was a decent point on the kind of day it was. You've just got to roll up your sleeves and get on with it.

"The game with Rangers will get hyped as a six pointer now but we also know that a win would give us a comfortable lead."

ref watch

KEVIN TONER enjoyed a comfortable day. Booked three but let Graham Bayne off with the worst foul of the match on Andy Webster. Rating: 6/10.

MATCH STATS

SHOTS ON 10

SHOTS OFF 2

OFFSIDE 6

FOULS 10

CORNERS 4

BOOKINGS 1

INVERNESS CT v HEARTS

SHOTS ON 5

SHOTS OFF 1

OFFSIDE 2

FOULS 10

CORNERS 4

BOOKINGS 2

Taken from the Sunday Mail