Hearts 3-2 Inverness CT

Jan 26 2009 Hugh Keevins Reports

KEEPER Ryan Esson reckons Caley's players will be excited by whoever is appointed the club's new boss tomorrow.

Acynic might say they were more enthused by who wasn't in charge of the team at Tynecastle on Saturday.

The side propping up the league hadn't been able to raise a gallop over the course of the seven successive matches they'd lost before they arrived in Edinburgh.

And there they were coming on leaps and bounds against a team who suffered from the double whammy of having taken the opposition for granted on a day when they weren't playing well themselves.

In the end, Esson was a one-man illustration of Thistle's inability to buy themselves a break.

He boobed at Hearts' first goal with aweak response to David Obua's take on a cross from Andrew Driver.

He excelled with a penalty save from Michael Stewart.

And then he lost a winning goal for Hearts that came when the away side looked to have snatched the draw their play deserved while doing better with 10 men than they had with 11 after Roy McBain's red card.

Now it's Celtic on Sunday as Thistle prepare for a new management team - and the players give a mighty good impression of being happy to see the back of Craig Brewster.

But Esson claims the performance at Tynecastle was an example of players reacting to adversity rather then rejoicing in a departure.

He said: "We clicked at the end of a tough week. People take risks when they're in a predicament and we know there's a lot of fight in this side.

"We met after the manager's removal and agreed Caley aren't detached at the foot of the table. The football we played against Hearts was much better than of late and we deserved a draw at least.

"We've heard and read about all the names being touted for the job but, as professional players, our responsibility is to get down to work and let the club sort that out. We're excited by the prospect of a new boss, whoever he might be. It's just nice to learn from somebody else and build up your experience."

So, nothing to do then with being galvanised by the absence of a man who'd lost the dressing room.

Honest, guv.

To be fair, the new man's got plenty of work to do. Caley scored two finely executed goals, missed a sitter and generally passed and moved with the air of a side who know they're better than their league position suggests.

But fate's become a missing person where they're concerned right now. Esson was less than convincing at the first goal but he claimed injustice.

He said: "Any other day the referee gives a free-kick for Obua's challenge on me. He just jumped into me before bundling the ball over the line. It was tough to take."

Even harder to bear for Esson and his team-mates was the loss of a game they dominated while at a numerical disadvantage, drawing level after Dougie Imrie smashed in a free-kick that was worthy of reward.

The clock was then ticking down on afour-goal thriller but Driver found time to put in a cut-back that sub Laryea Kingston turned home to prove even justice takes a day off sometimes. The beleaguered club went for it under the guidance of coach John Docherty with a 4-3-3 system they executed with a flair Hearts didn't have. The difference was they didn't have Driver.

All Hearts' goals were at his instigation - and at just the right time to encourage prospective buyers.

The snap judgment on Caley's day in the capital would have to be they were even better than Hearts and got nothing to show for their efforts other than encouragement for the future.

They've gone from the abject to the optimistic - and a Highland uprising in the relegation dogfight couldn't possibly be discounted.

MAN OF THE MATCH

Andrew Driver(Hearts)

MATCH STATS

POSSESSION %

49 51

SHOTS ON TARGET

9 2

SHOTS OFF TARGET

3 7

CORNERS

8 5

FOULS CONCEDED

13 17

OFFSIDES

0 1

HEARTS

MAN BY MAN

Jamie MacDonald: Well beaten at both Caley goals. 5

Robbie Neilson: Had to stand firm against a strong attack. 6

Eggert Jonsson: Had a hard afternoon as the visitors applied pressure. 6

Christophe Berra: Couldn't afford to let his concentration slip for a second. 6

Lee Wallace: Lucky to escape injury after one reckless challenge. 6

David Obua: Scored twice and looked a constant source of menace. 7

Michael Stewart: Missed a penalty and wasn't at his sharpest. 6

Christos Karipidis: Midfield wasn't as busy as it might have been. 5

Bruno Aguiar: His manager could see he wasn't excelling but he couldn't. 5

Andrew Driver: The provider in chief swung it Hearts' way. 8

Christian Nade: Cumbersome but problematic for defenders at same time. 6

Subs: Laryea Kingston - you can't ask for more than the winner, 6. Gary Glen - on for Aguiar just after the hour, 4.

INVERNESS CT

MAN BY MAN

Ryan Esson: Hero and villain on a day of mixed fortunes. 6

Roy McBain: Let the side down by getting involved and picking up red card. 5

Grant Munro: Nearly scored an own goal but worked tirelessly. 6

Pavels Mihadjuks: Netted with a terrific header from a free-kick. 6

Thierry Gathuessi: Injured early on and had to be replaced. 5

Don Cowie: Helped his team dominate the middle of the park. 6

Russell Duncan: Worked hard to unsettle Hearts in midfield. 6

Ross Tokely: Moved from defence to midfield and stood out. 6

Iain Vigurs: A frustrating afternoon ended in substitution. 5

Dougie Imrie: Free-kick goal a stunner. 7

Garry Wood: Handful up front had no luck. 6

Subs: David Proctor - replaced Gathuessi and did well, 6. Phil McGuire - on to shore up the defence, 3.

MAGIC MOMENT

Imrie's free-kick was goal-of-the-season material and deserved to win a point.

Taken from the Daily Record