Inverness CT 0-1 Hearts

Nov 17 2008 Euan Mcarthur reports

BRUNO AGUIAR insists Hearts can become the third force again in Scotland - by treating every SPL game like a cup final.

The Portuguese playmaker is convinced Csaba Laszlo's men can regain the best of the rest crown after Saturday's hard-fought win in Inverness moved them into third spot.

Their third straight victory meant they leapfrogged Craig Levein's Dundee United and the Tynecastle fans will always remember the Arabs boss for guiding the Jambos machine to back-to-back top three finishes during his spell at the Gorgie helm.

It would be some achievement for Laszlo to do likewise in his first season in Scotland given the Tynecastle turmoil caused by controversial owner Vladimir Romanov and his obsession with chopping and changing managers in recent seasons.

And Aguiar, the Hearts hero with his winning first-half strike, reckons gearing up for each encounter as though it were a final can help them seal a dream route back into Europe.

He said: "Being third in the SPL right now is very good for the club. Now we must try to stay here and the only way we can do that is by working very hard at ourgame.

"We have to take each match as it comes and I'm already thinking about our next game at home to Falkirk. Every game is like a final. That's how we have to approach things.

"And it's something the manager has also instilled in the team.All the players think similarly."

It was just as well Aguiar was on hand to lighten up a game that was far from the showpiece variety. The visitors, if truth be told, won ugly but the goal itself was far from it.

Aguiar oozed class the way he latched on to a pass from Lee Wallace as Inverness backed off.

The midfielder shuttled the ball from his right to left foot before curling a 25-yard effort low into the corner of Ryan Esson's net Not bad for someone who had been plagued by injury until recently when his free-kick equaliser against city rivals Hibs rubber-stamped his longawaited comeback after 18 months on the sidelines.

The Highland capital, on a wintry day like Saturday, is hardly a foreigner's first-choice venue but Aguiar is simply cherishing every moment back in a maroon jersey.

He said: "When I was out injured all I thought about when I was at home every day was playing football again. Now I'm really enjoying every minute of playing and training.

"I'm feeling so good because this is a great opportunity for me to do something that I love doing in life.

"For the goal I just shot and you could say I had a lucky boot.

But for me the team winning is the main thing and it doesn't matter that we don't always play beautiful football."

The only downside for Hearts is the fact they now face being without the suspended Michael Stewart for their next two games although there problems are positively mild in comparison to those of Caley Thistle.

At this rate they'll struggle to buy a home win in time for Christmas.

That rare feat was last achieved back in September against Kilmarnock and, having done so just once in seven outings, it's no wonder boss Craig Brewster was a man of few words afterwards.

Neither the Caley Thistle boss nor his players had much to shout about, although the lack of vocal backing from the stands perhaps explains part of the problem.

They rose in anticipation when striker Andy Barrowman was through one-on-one with Hearts' Hungarian keeper Janos Balogh and seconds later when there were strong appeals as Wallace appeared to barge Adam Rooney on the stroke of half-time.

But other than that the Caledonian Stadium was eerily quiet. Midfielder Dougie Imrie at least tried to lift the tempo and made an impassioned plea for their followers to pump up the volume.

He said: "Maybe if the fans could get right behind us at the start of games it would give everyone a bit of a lift at home.

"They've been pretty vocal in the second half of the last two games which has helped.

"There are times during games when the atmosphere can go a bit flat and that's what we want to avoid.

"I can't put my finger on the home record but it's certainly not for the lack of trying.

"We were decent at home last season but this time we've been better away from home.

"We just need to keep plugging away for next week's trip to Kilmarnock which is a must-win game.

"We can't afford to lose because we have to start picking up some more points.

"We were on a wee sort of run winning away to Hibs then getting a late point at home to Falkirk but that's now come to an end.

"The only time we've really been turned over away from home was the 5-0 defeat by Rangers at Ibrox not so long ago.

"Apart from that, even at home, we've been quite unlucky and not really got the breaks we deserved in some matches."

Aguiar, meanwhile, is sure Hearts can cope minus midfield maestro Stewart.

He added: "Michael is an important player so, of course, we will miss him. But I've said before that we have a good squad and whoever comes in for him will do well."

It's hard to disagree. On this kind of form, Stewart could find it hard to get back into a team with their sights set firmly on that much-sought after third slot.

MAN OF THE MATCH

Bruno Aguiar (Hearts)

MATCH STATS

POSSESSION %

45 55

SHOTS ON TARGET

1 3

SHOTS OFF TARGET

4 1

CORNERS

1 3

FOULS CONCEDED

11 12

OFFSIDES

2 4

INVERNESS CT

MAN BY MAN

Ryan Esson: Slightly suspect at goal but redeemed himself with second-half saves. 6

Ross Tokely: Became frustrated at not getting forward too much. 6

David Proctor: Didn't put a foot wrong as makeshift centre-back. 7

Grant Munro: Always a threat in the air when he goes up for set-pieces. 6

Richard Hastings: Solid but didn't overlap in his usual style. 6

Dougie Imrie: Got some tough treatment but refused to be knocked off his stride. 6

Ian Black: Off injured after 15 minutes following an accidental collision with ref. 4

Russell Duncan: Did simple things well.6

Barry Wilson: Started brightly but needed more support from team-mates. 6

Adam Rooney: Had a first-half effort cleared off the line. 6

Andy Barrowman: Must rue not shooting first time with goal at his mercy on stroke of half-time. 5

Subs: Roy McBain - early replacement for Black, 6. Iain Vigurs - lacked service, 2. Garry Wood - faced uphill battle, 2.

HEARTS

MAN BY MAN

Janos Balogh: Hardly a save to make. 6

Robbie Neilson: Cleared off the line to deny hosts. 7

Lee Wallace: Used his strength well to out-muscle Rooney in Caley's area with home side's penalty claims waved away 6

Christophe Berra: Didn't give Barrowman a sniff and used the ball well. 7

Christos Karipidis: Kept it simple and broke up Inverness attacks. 6

Bruno Aguiar: Hit sweet left-foot winner and always a threat with ball at his feet. 8

Andrew Driver: Set up Aguiar for the goal and used his pace well at times. 6

Christian Nade: Man mountain's bark is bigger than his bite. 5

Eggert Jonsson: Not slow to put it about - to the annoyance of some Inverness players. 6

Michael Stewart: Neat and tidy. 6

Marius Zaliukas: Walking a tightrope after his first-half booking but survived. 6

Subs: David Obua - on just to run down clock, 1. Juho Makela - only got last few seconds, 1.

MAGIC MOMENT

It has to be Aguiar's sweet strike which fittingly proved decisive in the end.

Taken from the Daily Record