Scorers: HEARTS: Karipidis, Elliot (2)

By Alasdair Fraser

CALUM ELLIOT has vowed to recapture the form that made him Hearts’ golden boy a few years ago and plug the hole left by Andrius Velicka.

A fine double from youngster Elliot, above, showed Jambos fans there can be life after 14-goal Velicka, who quit Tynecastle for Viking Stavanger last week.

The Jambos scarcely resembled the disjointed bunch thrashed 4-0 by Rangers only a few days earlier.

Instead, an opener from Christos Karipidis, below, seemed to sweep away the anxieties before Elliot capped a thoroughly professional show. The 20-year-old said: “To get three points is great, especially after Wednesday night.

“The most important thing for me was to get three points, but to score twice is an added bonus. We were absolutely gutted during the week. It was a bad performance.

“But people went overboard by saying it was a crisis. It was one bad performance and I think the run we’ve been on shows that.

“We’ve got five wins out of seven games and hopefully we are ready to climb the table again.”

Kapridis_2

Elliot admits Velicka’s departure is both a blow and an opening. He said: “It’s an opportunity for me and for the rest of the boys. He was a regular starter, so a place has opened up.

“But I’ve just got to take the opportunities when they come and try to stay in the team. Supporters are entitled to their criticism of me and of anybody. It’s up to us to turn in performances.

“Hopefully, this will be the first of many for me this season, it’s good for my confidence and a weight off my shoulders.

“I think I’ve a good partnership forming with Christian Nade, who has so much ability. He is tremendous to play alongside with his runs and the way he holds the ball. I can feed off him.

“Even in my first season, when I did really well, I needed a run of games before I got going. The gaffer has shown great faith in me by giving me the run and hopefully I’m starting to repay him. Hopefully he will get the job here permanently.”

Contrary to expectations, Hearts made only two changes after their midweek mauling at Tynecastle.

Andrew Driver came in for Jose Goncalves — suspended by the club after a bust-up with Stevie Frail — while Salius Mikoliunas stepped in for the injured Deividas Cesnauskis.

Caley were unchanged after their 2-1 defeat at Celtic Park, leaving Marius Niculae as lone striker. A sustained spell of early pressure from the home side ended with a wild Russell Duncan strike over the top.

But a combination of carelessness in the Caley ranks and some strong running from Hearts changed the course of the first half.

Trouble

Markus Paatelainen lost the ball near his own box and Lee Wallace fed Christian Nade, whose low strike was brilliantly turned around post by Michael Fraser. From the corner, Fraser checked his run to collect Driver’s delivery, leaving Karipidis with an easy header from six yards to open the scoring.

Driver burst away at explosive pace to win a corner after 29 minutes to rattle the hosts before Nade began to trouble them.

After 32 minutes, the Frenchman flummoxed Grant Munro and then Duncan before his cross fell perfectly for Elliot to net from eight yards.

Caley Thistle were not without their opportunities, but Cowie’s swirling free-kick flew just wide after 36 minutes, via a deflection off the wall. Cowie broke clear moments later, only to lose his balance when he tried to shoot from the edge of the box.

And Romanian striker Niculae was guilty of two poor misses before the break. He headed over a Doug Imrie cross before sending a Ross Tokely cross skyward with the goal gaping.

The arrival of Dennis Wyness as a half-time substitute for Paatelainen signalled Craig Brewster’s intent. But within 90 seconds things got even worse for the home side. Ian Black’s short passback created panic in the home defence. Tokely lunged to clear but, with Fraser off his line, Elliot executed a delightful chip to claim Hearts’ third.

The striker was chasing a hat-trick and in the 68th minute he struck a 30-yard free-kick into Fraser’s arms.

Niculae did manage one strike that tested Steve Banks 15 minutes from the time, but there was no comeback.

Boss Frail grinned: “That was the perfect response after Wednesday. Criticism was certainly deserved for that performance and the players accepted it. I also held my hand up to one or two things.

“But we reacted well to it and I was particularly delighted for Calum. It’s often the same with young players. They burst onto the scene then taken a dip. Lee Wallace is maybe the same.

“But they’re both back in the team now and looking good.”

Disconsolate Brewster admitted his men didn’t heed pre-match warnings. The Caley boss said: “It’s a really disappointing day. You lose a goal at a set-piece when you should have cleared the lines before that.

“That showed how important it is to score first in this league. I also stressed before the game that Hearts could hurt us on the counter-attack and yet we fell 2-0 down after a rapid break.”

INVERNESS CT: Fraser, Tokely, Munro, McGuire, Hastings, Imrie, Duncan, Cowie (McAllister 84), Black (Proctor 73), Paatelainen (Wyness 46), Niculae. Subs not used: Malkowski, McBain, Kerr, Vigurs.
HEARTS: Banks, Neilson, Karipidis, Berra, Wallace, Mikoliunas (Screpis 73), Palazuelos, Jonsson, Driver (Ivaskevicius 65), Elliot, Nade (Beniusis). Subs not used: Ridgers, Zaliukas, Glen.