Pantomime villain Eduardas Kurskis sees red as Hearts flop

In the season of pantomime, there has to be a villain and Eduardas Kurskis, the Heart of Midlothian goalkeeper, fits the bill better than anyone. After last week’s catastrophic mistake at Ibrox when he spilt a harmless Lee McCulloch shot over his head and into the net, his shambolic performance at Tynecastle was indicative of everything that is wrong with the Vladimir Romanov regime at Hearts.

While Romanov himself was busy perfecting his tango as he prepared for the final of the Lithuianian version of Celebrity Strictly Come Dancing, Hearts were finding themselves sucked into a relegation battle. Hearts? Relegation? Well, nothing can be put past the unbelievable state this once proud club find themselves in now. No doubt the ones who were chanting, “Are you watching Romanov?” were the same people who were actively acclaiming the arrival of the tycoon to Scotland’s laughably self-proclaimed third club.

Continuing to pick Kurskis was an act of folly which was mocked by the home fans. Every time he picked up the ball, an ironic cheer went up. Twice, in the second half, he allowed meat-and-drink long-range efforts to bounce up over his body only to save on the goalline. His sending off was an act of mercy. But that only half begins to tell the story of an incredible game.

Caley cruised to a deserved two-goal lead thanks to Russell Duncan and a John Rankin penalty, in which Kurskis was booked. But to Hearts’ credit they fought back thanks to substitute Callum Elliot (who was in true Hearts style then immediately substituted himself) and a disputed penalty from Andrius Velicka. In between goals, Kurskis got himself needlessly sent off after raising his hands after a tussle with Duncan. With Hearts having used all their subs, Lee Wallace, the defender, had to go in goal. Not that he would have done a worse job than the hapless Lithuianian.

Caley broke up the park, another Lithuianian, Marius Zaukilias, made a terrible error and Graham Bayne netted the winner for Inverness. “We were a bit surprised when we saw their keeper on the team sheet,” Richard Hastings said. “We knew that if we could get ahead the crowd might turn, but fair play, Hearts kept coming at us though in the end it was a fair result.”

The predictable sight of a devastated Steve Frail, the assistant coach, after the game is almost taken as read now, but even he could hardly bring himself to offer any words of support, encouragement or sympathy for a goalkeeper who is doubtless forced upon him by orders of the Tango Tyrant. “We saw how distraught and gutted he was after his mistake at Ibrox last week and we all genuinely felt for the lad,” Frail said. “I can’t say that today. He was 100 per cent wrong. If you raise your hands, you know the consequences.”

Heart of Midlothian (4-4-2): E Kurskis 2 – R Nielson 5, C Berra 7, M Zaliukas 3, L Wallace 6 – A Ivaskevicius 5 (sub: M Pospisil, 63min 6), E Jonsson 6, R Palazuelos 6, A Driver 5 – A Velicka 7, A Ksanavicius 7 (sub: C Elliot, 34 4; sub: S Mikoliunas, 63, 3). Substitutes not used: A Basso, J Goncalves, D Cesnauskis, R McGowan. Booked: Kurskis, Jonsson. Sent off: Kurskis.

Inverness Caledonian Thistle: (4-5-1): M Fraser 7 – R Tokely 7, P McGuire 8, G Munro 7, R Hastings 7 – D Cowie 7, I Black 7 (sub; B Wilson, 81), J Rankin 7, R McBain 6 (sub: G Bayne, 69, 3), R Duncan 6 – M Niculae 7.Substitutes not used: Z Malkowski, S McCaffrey, R McAllister, G Kerr, D Gillespie. Booked: Bayne, Duncan, McGuire

Referee W Collum
Attendance 16,202

Taken from timesonline.co.uk