Driver delivers the goods

DISCIPLINE WILL be near the top of the agenda for the new manager Inverness are expected to unveil on Tuesday. Just as the visitors were finding some much-needed confidence at Tynecastle they were reduced to 10 men when Roy McBain got himself stupidly sent off.

In a game which started slowly but ignited in the second half, Hearts took the spoils thanks to a late goal from substitute Laryea Kingston.

The result left Inverness two points adrift of the relegation pack, but whoever takes the reins this week will find plenty of spirit to work with.
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Director of football Graeme Bennett revealed two of the four candidates on the club's shortlist had already been interviewed.

"Hopefully by Monday night we will have a result," he said. "I thought we deserved something today."

Bennett was giving nothing away as to the identity of Craig Brewster's successor. "There is definitely no clear favourite," he said. "There are a lot of issues still to be resolved."

Hearts, overall, just about deserved the win but manager Csaba Laszlo felt his players had underestimated the opposition and left it far too late before clicking into top gear. "I told them in the dressing room they would have to fight for a win," he said.

After a featureless opening 20 minutes, the first goalkeeper pressed into serious action was Ryan Esson, who had to act sharply to keep out a Grant Munro deflection. But surprisingly, given their infrequent forays forward, it was Inverness who created the better chances. Dougie Imrie, with a free header from a Don Cowie free kick, and Garry Wood, unmarked in front of goal, should both have done better.

Three minutes after the second chance, Hearts went ahead. Driver's deliveries from the left had been poor, but on this occasion he sent over a high looping ball. It was a straight contest between Esson and David Obua, but the Hearts player got the better of it and bundled the ball into the net at the second attempt.

Predictably, the deficit made for a much better, and more open, second half. Driver set the tone early on when he forced Esson to deflect a left foot volley for a corner. Hearts, playing with more urgency, were looking to tie up the three points but were rudely awakened in the 55th minute.

Cowie sent another set piece into the Hearts box and this time it was met perfectly by Latvian defender Pavels Mihadjuks, whose powerful header levelled the match.

Had the visitors played with the same attacking conviction in the first half as they did after the equaliser the outcome might have been different, but just as their confidence was growing McBain undid all the good work midway through the half. Driver, who had switched to the right, was adjudged to have been brought down by the Inverness defender near the byline and though this was hotly disputed, referee Steve Conroy pointed to the spot. Amid the protests McBain was booked, and when the penalty was eventually taken Esson made a terrific save to his right from Michael Stewart's spot kick.

The reprieve wasn't enough for McBain, though, and when he continued to harass linesman Willie Conquer he was shown red. It was a needless ordering off, and one which turned the tide of the match.

Esson, who apart from his complicity in the opening goal had a fine match, rescued Inverness with a fingertip save from a Christos Karipidis attempt before Obua restored Hearts' lead with a far post header from a Driver cross.That might have been that, but the match was to have a thrilling finale.

Inverness equalised for a second time when Imrie fired a wonderful 25 yard free kick into the net, but the visitors' hopes were almost immediately dashed when substitute Larry Kingston slipped home a low cross from - who else? - Driver.

Hearts substitutes: Glen for Aguiar 63, Kingston for Nade 85. Not used: Kello, Mrowiec, Cesnauskis, Thomson, McGowan. Inverness substitutes: Proctor for Gathuessi 18, McGuire for Vigurs 75, Rooney for Wood 85. Not used: Fraser, McGuire, Black, Barrowman, Gillespie. Booked: Tokely 61, McBain 69, Imrie 74, Wood 81. Sent off: McBain 71.

Referee: S Conroy Att: 13,224

Taken from the Sunday Herald