Glen is the monarch of Tynecastle with late winner

By Barry Anderson
at Tynecastle
HEARTS 1
Glen 80

INVERNESS CT 0
FOLLOWING 80 frustrating minutes of play, the teenage Gary Glen emerged as Hearts' saviour with a beautifully executed winner to sink a spirited Inverness side. It was the striker's second goal in as many games following his strike against St Mirren the previous week, and fully justified Stephen Frail's faith in his club's academy product.

The game was largely played out in a low-key fashion but Glen evinced his potential as the outstanding player afield at the end of a week in which he also signed a new four-year contract at Tynecastle. That move by the Hearts hierarchy is looking extremely astute.

Whenever the 18-year-old ventured forward Inverness toiled to contain him but the visitors, had they a potent forward of their own, might have troubled Hearts more. As it was, the greater majority of chances fell to the hosts, who were guilty of profligacy until Glen's late and timely intervention. He played a one-two with Ruben Palazuelos to finish convincingly past goalkeeper Michael Fraser.

Hearts started enterprisingly by forcing four early corners but also had to be mindful of an industrious Inverness attack. From another corner on 19 minutes, Christos Karipidis struck woodwork with a header from Palazuelos' delivery. Glen's surging left-sided run moments later provided Deividas Cesnauskis, restored to the starting 11, with a glaring chance six yards from goal. However, the Lithuanian could only effect a fresh-air attempt with the goal gaping.

With Anthony Basso dropped from the squad completely due to a contractual dispute, Steve Banks appears to have recovered his first-choice status for the remainder of the season. He was inactive until the 34th minute when Jason Thomson fouled Dennis Wyness following quick movement from the Inverness striker. Don Cowie angled the resultant free-kick round the wall before Banks beat it away with his fists.

The Englishman displayed even greater reflexes four minutes later. With David Proctor's header from Dougie Imrie's corner looping goalwards, Banks sprung low to his right to ensure his goal remained intact.

The interval arrived with Inverness resembling more of a creative threat compared with their hosts, prompting Hearts to re-assert themselves. Glen, this time from the right, rolled the ball across the six-yard box but substitute Lee Wallace's close-range shot was smothered by visiting goalkeeper Fraser. Wallace then opted to supply Glen rather than shoot from a favourable position in behind the Inverness defence. As Proctor blocked Glen's attempt, the Tynecastle natives became detectably restless for the first time.

Fraser collected Palazuelos' strike from distance on 62 minutes but thereafter the game stagnated towards its closing stages, bereft of genuine craft and creativity. Inverness played second fiddle for most of the second half but Hearts, whilst enjoying the lion's share of possession, suffered from a lack of invention with Larry Kingston absent.

The home bench contained three teenagers as Frail continued his policy of exposing youth to first-team football. Goalkeeper Mark Ridgers, Slovenian Under-17 captain Matej Rapnik and 16-year-old striker Scott Robinson were all promoted from the increasingly productive academy at Riccarton. Indeed, Hearts' 18-man matchday squad contained no fewer than nine players who had passed through their own system.

It wasn't difficult to understand supporters' frustration, then, when defender Marius Zaliukas replaced Calum Elliot after 77 minutes and took up an advanced role alongside Glen. Jeering reverberated around Tynecastle, but moments later Hearts were in front. Glen exchanged passes with Palazuelos to break into the penalty area and calmly dispatch the ball beyond Fraser, a finish that belied his tender 18 years.

Hearts resisted Inverness' attempts at an equaliser and Frail made a point of introducing Scott Robinson with only seconds remaining. At 16 years, one month and 14 days, the striker is the youngest player ever to appear competitively for the club. However, the afternoon belonged to one of his more senior academy products.

Hearts (4-4-2): Banks; Thomson, Karipidis, Berra, Goncalves; Cesnauskis, Jonsson, Palazuelos, Mikoliunas; Elliot, Glen. Subs: Ridgers, Zaliukas 77 (for Elliot), Wallace 53 (for Cesnauskis), Robinson 90 (for Glen), Ivaskevicius, Screpis, Rapnik.

Inverness (4-4-2): Fraser; Tokely, Proctor, Hastings, McBain; Wilson, Cowie, Duncan, Imrie; Wyness, Niculae. Subs: Malkowski, Black, Bayne 65 (for Wyness), McAllister 84 (for Niculae), Paatelainen 72 (for Wilson), Kerr, Vigurs.

Referee: Dougie McDonald

Taken from the Scotsman