Debut boys go for goal at Tynecastle

Hearts 4
Inverness CT 1

IT was a day for goal-laced home debuts. Mauricio Pinilla, Jamie Mole and eventually Andy Driver captured moments never to be forgotten against Inverness and in the process dispersed a distressing four-game winless run for their club. And yet, Valdas Ivanauskas still doesn't look entirely satisfied.

That could be down to the demands upon him from above, but at the other end of the emotional spectrum were the weekend's goalscorers. By opening the scoring Pinilla instantly commanded the adulation of the home support, Mole's headed second for Hearts allied to an assured display made it easier to understand the club's willingness to farm Calum Elliot out to Motherwell whilst nursing a minor injury crisis amongst their forwards, and Driver signalled his intent with the decisive third just four minutes after replacing Neil McCann.

That each scorer was playing competitively at Tynecastle for the first time showed an ability within them all to instantly adapt to whatever is asked of them, something rather useful at Hearts these days when demands are being issued on a daily basis. Bruno Aguiar's composed fourth concluded a fully deserved victory that was given a slightly biased reflection by the size of the scoreline margin.

It should be noted that Inverness matched their hosts for the majority of the afternoon but profligate striking, chiefly from the former Hearts forward Dennis Wyness, was ultimately to be their downfall. In contrast, Hearts were lethal inside the 18-yard box. Pinilla and Mole offered a mobility and eye for goal which supporters have been craving for some time.

The Chilean commented afterwards: "I'm glad the fans enjoyed the game as that is a beautiful thing when you make supporters feel like that and do things properly. I want to send the Hearts fans home happy every week. I can bring a lot of results and goals to the team. I want to do that for the rest of the season and not just sit back and relax after scoring my first goal. I was looking for a place to rediscover my appetite and confidence and the decision to come to Hearts was a very good one.

"I'm very happy with the reception I got when I left the field and with my debut overall. Of course I'm delighted to start with a goal. I'm pleased for my team that we got such a good victory after the disappointment of the Champions League defeat in midweek. Felt very comfortable despite it being my first game with new team-mates but I still feel I have a long way to go till I'm 100 per cent.

"It wasn't hard to wait until now to make my debut as I realise I had to work physically hard and it did not make any sense after one week's training to go out on the park and do anything. I realise that this was the proper moment to make my debut. I can't say I enjoyed the physical side of the Scottish game a lot but I expected it to be like that. I think Scottish football will be very tough and very strong but I'm happy to be here."

Changes to the home line-up were aplenty following on from Athens, right-back Tiago Costa and midfielder Marius Zaliukas permitted competitive debuts as a consequence of Robbie Neilson's suspension and Christophe Berra's injury respectively. Greek defender Christos Karipidis also made his first start at Tynecastle.

The stands were alive with pre-match Prague chatter as supporters discussed their various ways and means of travelling to the Czech capital at the end of next month. Buoyed by a reprieve in Europe after exiting the Champions League, head coach Valdas Ivanauskas stated openly throughout the Inverness preparations that this match was of the must-win variety. His players certainly set about proceedings with that thought foremost in their minds.

An early Paul Hartley free-kick complemented Pinilla's industrious opening. For a player whose attitude has been questioned at previous clubs, the Chilean showed himself to be completely in tune with the desires of both Ivanauskas and the occasionally-fickle home support throughout the afternoon. Inverness were always keen to spring a counter-attack, however, and one rampage up their right flank led to Steven Pressley berating his new central defensive partner, Karipidis, for losing Wyness as the cross was delivered. Fortunately for Hearts, Wyness could only prove that the inaccuracy which often afflicted him in maroon had not dispersed simply because he was wearing Inverness' blue and white. But the home side's willingness to take the initiative could not be ignored.

Nor could Mark Brown continue to repel Mole and Pinilla. McCann, criticised in certain quarters for his lack of creativity hitherto this season, retorted by swinging in two perfect crosses from the left flank. The first was glanced goalwards by Mole and expertly saved by Brown low at his left post. The second - almost identical - found the right foot of Pinilla for a precise finish into the corner from seven yards.

The goal brought momentary relief for a team that hadn't scored for five hours and 18 minutes of football, however Barry Wilson's long-range drive served as a timely reminder that Charlie Christie and his Highlanders have their own means of jolting supposedly superior opponents. That threat fully manifested itself on the half hour, Wilson's right-sided cross again eluding Pressley and Karipidis for Graham Bayne to tower above the diminutive Costa and nod the ball home.

Hearts were exposed several times down the right in the first half, a weakness that could be put down to a glaring lack of communication between Costa and Saulius Mikoliunas. Roy McBain and Richard Hastings easily eluded them on the Inverness left and Wyness was once more granted freedom in the centre to meet Hastings' cross but the diving header crept wide. With the home support growing slightly irascible, Mole's first goal for Hearts was the perfect calming measure, the teenager towering to nod Hartley's free-kick beyond Brown.

Lee Wallace had enjoyed a particularly productive first half but if anything his second 45 minutes was even more assured, no bad thing at all with Scotland Under-21 coach Archie Knox looking on from the directors' box. Indeed, Takis Fyssas will no longer be considered a stick-on for left-back if the 19-year-old continues in his present vein of form.

Further up the left flank from Wallace, the criticism of McCann returned periodically during the second half whenever a pass was misplaced, but the Scotland winger did sting Brown's crossbar in the 67th minute after Mole's cross had spun into the air off Darren Dods. Perhaps the irascibility in the stands was born out of nervousness with the hosts striving arduously to better their 2-1 lead whilst remaining mindful that one Inverness break could restore parity.

The unease soon dispersed with the introduction of Driver. The English winger lashed the ball into the roof of the net on 80 minutes after Mikoliunas' cross was only partially cleared by Dods. Looking on from the bench, McCann couldn't fail to take note of the instant impression created by his replacement.

Just to round off a satisfying afternoon for the home side, and himself in particular, Mole perfectly cushioned a Juho Makela flick into the path of the advancing Aguiar to tuck home the fourth minutes from time. As if to emphasise the improvement after five red cards in their last nine outings, Hearts ended the game with not even a single caution. As did Inverness.

Enough, surely, to satisfy everyone? Almost. "I'm happy with the result and how we got the result," said Ivanauskas. "It was a big win but the performance was not great. After such a hard week, losing to Rangers and a hard game in Athens as well as all our injury problems, it was an important game for the future. The result was the most important thing and we got that.

"It was not easy for the players to perform after just two days' preparation and a very long trip to Greece and back. I'm content with the result. Pinilla played well and scored a goal in his first game, which is good for a striker."

Taken from the Scotsman