It's Glen again as Hearts beat Caley

His U19 colleague Scott Robinson made history in stoppage time, when he became the youngest ever player to turn out for Hearts in competitive football, and he even managed to get a touch of the ball. But the really pleasing thing was to see what could be a Hearts team of the future starting to gel.

For the second week in a row, and for possibly only the second time in the last few seasons, there were visible gaps in the Tynecastle crowd for a league game. Those present witnessed a good start from the home side, forcing several corners in quick succession, as Elliot and Glen threatened to break behind the defence.

There was a scare after almost ten minutes when Jonsson decided to let a cross pass him by, meaning that Jason Thomson had to intervene and put Niculae off his header. This he did successfully and there was no further danger. Karipidis tested Fraser just afterwards, with a firm but central header from a Palazuelos corner.

Jonsson fights for the ball

The unprecedentedly young Hearts squad, in particular the five home grown players who started, had put Inverness under impressive pressure from the first seconds. However, a more experienced Caley side would seek to exploit any naive play, such as when Russell Duncan found himself with plenty of space in the box and fired well.

Karipidis was getting plenty of joy from corner kicks, just as he had back in March at the Tulloch stadium. He hit the bar with a fierce header and watched from the halfway line as Glen expertly chested down a Thomson cross before firing narrowly over just moments later.

Glen was central to proceedings as he burnt Tokeley for pace down the left channel and submitted an excellent low ball for Cesnauskis to sweep home. Well, that's what should have happened, but somehow Chesney contrived to fresh air kick from four yards out. It was a massive opportunity missed.

More pressured followed from Hearts, without any end product, a situation they might have paid for when Cowie forced a good parry from Banks with his low free kick, taken from just outside the box. Elliot had been shy going forward in a previous attack, going wide when he could have run through the middle and had a dig at goal, but he made up for that with a surging run that teed up Miko for a decent effort at goal, albeit one straight at Fraser.

Banks looked as if he had been surprised by Proctor's header and had to get past the man on the line to tip it away. If you looked at clear cut chances the two teams were probably, in all honesty, about even. However, much of the creativity and possession play had come from Hearts. Wyness tested Banks with a powerful low drive, which was well saved.

Eggert Jonsson battles with Don Cowie

The second half began at more of a canter, with Inverness asserting themselves more. Michael Fraser saved brilliantly at point blank range from Lee Wallace, following a great move involving Glen, Elliot and Thomson, although had either of the latter two shot, we might have taken the lead. Berra also went close with a header that flashed narrowly wide.

Wallace then fluffed a golden opportunity when he picked up Jonsson's cross ball as practically the only player in the box. Rather than shoot he elected to play it to Glen, whose effort was quickly crowded out by the defenders. A whole host of chances had now gone missing. Palazuelos then tested the Caley keeper with a fierce low drive, which Fraser gathered at the second attempt.

Banks did well to punch the ball away from the onrushing Bayne, who had been well picked out by Paatelainen's delivery.There then followed some consternation from the stands, as Elliot made way for Zaliukas, in an exact positional swap. It would be wrong to say that the switch generated universal approval amongst the home support.

However, it worked. Zaliukas had been on the pitch for about two minutes, and had made a calm, composed contribution, when Hearts took the lead. Good work out wide from the Lithuanian played in Glen, who executed a superb one-two with Palazuelos. Zaliukas was closing in behind Glen but wasn't needed as the young striker took a touch and bulleted home. 1-0 Hearts.

There was time to hold off Inverness and welcome young Scott Robinson to the fray, the youngest player in Hearts' competitive history. He registered a touch in the build-up to the move that saw a comedy effort at goal from Lee Wallace. However, it was the last action of a game that had thoroughly entertained, without ever really boiling over. into something special.

Hearts: Banks; Thomson, Karipidis, Berra, Goncalves; Cesnauskis (Wallace, 52), Jonsson, Palazuelos, Mikoliunas; Elliot (Zaliukas, 76), Glen (Robinson, 90). Booked: Jonsson, Mikoliunas. Subs not used: Ridgers, Screpis, Ivaskevicius, Rapnik.

Inverness: Fraser; McBain, Tokeley, Wilson (Paatelainen, 72), Imrie, Duncan, Cowie, Hastings, Niculae (McAllister, 83), Wyness (Bayne, 64), Proctor. Booked: McBain. Subs not used: Malkowski, Black, Kerr, Vigurs.

Referee: Dougie McDonald

Top man: Gary Glen