Inverness CT 0-3 Hearts

Mar 3 2008 By Gary Ralston

IF Prince Harry thinks his public image has been rehabilitated by his actions on the frontline in recent weeks he should have a word with Calum Elliot.

Good old Harry used to spend his leisure time staggering out the boozer while Elliot has tried desperately to prevent his career from lurching into the gutter of obscurity.

The Scotland Under-21 striker may finally have found his road to redemption along the windswept shores of the Moray Firth in the eyes of fans who had previously despaired.

It may not be Helmand Province but Elliot has been forced to confront the barren landscape of his lack of progress in the last 12 months to battle for the career anyone who has worked with him knows he is capable of achieving.

The manner of the Jambos' victory, as much as the wild, biting wind that found every corner of the Tulloch Stadium, also cooled the fevered brow of Hearts supporters who worked themselves into a frenzy following Wednesday's 4-0 defeat to Rangers.

Suddenly, with Elliot and Christian Nade on form, Hearts look as if they have a striking partnership of promise and a sense of normalcy - or what passes for it at Gorgie - returned to a club where defeats are treated more disproportionately than anywhere outside the Old Firm.

Elliot's two goals were richly deserved rewards for a display where his intelligence, touch, distribution and workrate shone more brightly than the red lights twinkling on top of the buoys under the Kessock Bridge.

Not surprisingly, his hunger was also overlooked in the thumping by Rangers but with Andrius Velicka now plying his trade with Viking Stavanger, Elliot is ready to seize his chance after netting his first SPL goals in a year.

His performance was also a far cry from two months ago when he came on as a sub and was subbed again, coincidentally against Inverness, and the boo boys had a field day.

Elliot said: "It has been difficult with some of the criticism I've received recently, but I've got to accept it, brush it off and become stronger because it's part and parcel of football.

"People are entitled to an opinion although some of the criticism has been a bit unfair.I might have shut some of them up but I know some people will like me as a player and others won't.

"I've just got to keep trying to prove them wrong and get them on my side again. The only way I'll do that is by scoring goals in a Hearts team that's playing well.

"I've always had faith in my ability and I'm sure everyone else on the coaching staff shares it. Steve Frail has been at the club since I started and has always shown great faith in me.

"In the last game we played against Inverness I was taken off after coming on as a sub. But it was done for the best reasons and it helps build character.

"Now I've got to stay focused for the benefit of the team."

This has been far from a vintage season for Hearts, although the writing was surely on the wall as soon as Vladimir Romanov allowed Eduard Malofeev within a kilometre of the team's pre-season training camp in Austria and Germany.

He cut a ridiculous figure as he barked like a seal from the sidelines in Russian while wearing a wool-knit sweater - in temperatures of 80 degrees - tucked into shell suit bottoms and rounded off with a pair of black dress shoes.

Romanov's failure to appoint a long-term manager, his decision to sell his most potent striker and refusal to reveal his long-term vision for the club to fans has served to work the faithful into a tizzy of worry in recent weeks.

Frail's hands have gripped so firmly to the tiller his knuckles are now as white as the surrender flag hoisted by Inverness as soon as Elliot lofted in his side's third just two minutes into the second half.

Frail's own performance has been overlooked since he was given full control of the team in January, but it's worth pointing out Hearts have lost only two of their last eight in the SPL and won five.

He has been a strong and articulate frontman in difficult times and Jose Goncalves will confirm he is not a boss whose affable nature should be taken as a sign he'll bottle making tough decisions.

Frail is no one's yes man and has made it clear that while a top-six place remains his goal, it does not represent success for a squad bankrolled more lavishly than any outside Glasgow.

Hearts certainly showed glimpses of their potential against a Caley Thistle side who could not cope with the physical presence of Nade and the clever running and pace of players such as Elliot, Saul Mikoliunas and Andrew Driver.

The first goal after 22 minutes was simplicity itself as Christos Karipidis rose unmarked to bullet a header from aDriver corner past the helpless Michael Fraser.

Hearts' second was a peach with Mikoliunas picking out Nade, who shrugged off alleged challenges from Grant Munro and Phil McGuire as if he was slipping an overcoat from his broad shoulders. He cut it back for Elliot to finish with a crisp drive.

If Marius Niculae had shown the same eye for goal Caley Thistle might have made a game of it before the break but the Romanian twice fired efforts over from close range.

Hearts killed the game stone dead two minutes after the restart when Elliot showed terrific vision to chip a shot from 20 yards over Fraser, who had been left exposed by a short backpass from Ian Black.

The goal summed up the day for Craig Brewster's side, who worryingly have won only one of their last nine SPL fixtures and their hopes of making the top six for the first time now hang in the balance.

Inverness impressed before Christmas with crisp, pacy and energetic performances but too many passes are going astray these days and they're losing too many early goals, suggesting a lack of concentration in their planning.

Brewster put on a brave face afterwards, something Frail has become accustomed to doing after being quizzed time and again in recent months about events relating to Romanov rather than the performances of his team.

The Hearts boss wore a grin on Saturday night matched only by Elliot's - and, quite probably, Prince Harry as he anticipated his first night out on the town in weeks.

MAN OF THE MATCH

Calum Elliot (Hearts)

Taken from the Daily Record