Inverness 1 Hearts 1 (aet, Hearts win 5-4 on penalties)

From ROBERT GRIEVE at Easter Road
Published: 26th January 2013
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HEARTS feared their fans would tear Easter Road apart.

But it was Inverness Caley Thistle left in bits.

John McGlynn’s ten-man Jambos reached the League Cup final after winning on penalties.

Caley Jags fall-guy Philip Roberts missed the decisive tenth spot-kick to have the Gorgie faithful in dreamland.

‘Hearts, Hearts Glorious Hearts’ boomed out from the sound system of their biggest rivals as they headed off into the night.

They’ll now march to Hampden on March 17 just ten months after their historic Scottish Cup victory.

But Terry Butcher will feel his side will never get a better chance.

Andrew Shinnie fired them ahead in 48 minutes before Michael Ngoo levelled in 66 minutes.

But, when Scott Robinson was sent off in 76 minutes, the game was there for Butcher’s men to win.

This was a hard game to call before kick-off and by half-time it wasn’t any clearer.

Both teams put so much into the first 45 minutes either could have been ahead.

In terms of clear-cut chances it was Caley Thistle who created the best.

Billy McKay has been lethal in front of goal this season with 20 strikes to his name. But he headed into the home dressing room at the interval having passed up two massive moments.

He was put through one-one-one with Jamie MacDonald in 14 minutes but didn’t catch his shot well enough to beat the goalkeeper.

Later in the half McKay was picked out by a Graeme Shinnie free-kick but glanced a header wide.

Those were the biggest scares which had the large Hearts support heaving a heavy sigh of relief.

At the other end the far-travelled Caley Jags punters also knew their team could have fallen behind.

On-loan Liverpool hitman Ngoo was inches away from a dream debut in 25 minutes.

Anfield team-mate Danny Wilson floated in a superb cross from the left which 6ft 5in Ngoo attacked.

But, after holding off centre-half Gary Warren, the hitman’s header came back off the post.

It was a no holds barred tussle between Warren and Ngoo throughout the game with both players giving their all.

But Caley Thistle boss Butcher was furious with one off-the-ball clash between the pair. Big Tel jabbed a finger in the direction of the Hearts star after he appeared to catch Warren with a kick.

Referee Euan Norris dealt with the situation by dishing out yellow cards to both players.

But Butcher clearly felt Ngoo was fortune not to be sent off.

The same could be said of his skipper Richie Foran, though, who had Hearts fans enraged before the break. The Irishman was probably unfortunate to be booked for a challenge on youngster Fraser Mullen in 19 minutes.

With the caution to his name he had to watch every step.

But with only seconds to go before before the end of the half Foran caught Jamie Walker in a crunching tackle.

The Hearts fans closest to the incident jumped out of their seats demanding a red card.

But whistler Norris had a different version of events with Foran escaping punishment. It meant the tie was still on a knife-edge with the second 45 minutes as hard to call as the first.

But just three minutes after the restart there was the game’s first real decisive moment.

Caley Thistle took the lead.

Andrew Shinnie looked for a moment like he wouldn’t be able to get a shot away when the ball came to him on the edge of the Hearts box.

It got stuck under his feet on the sticky surface.

But he quickly sorted out his footing and dug out a superb shot which flew past keeper MacDonald to find the bottom corner of the net.

Shinnie put so much into the effort his momentum saw him go head over heels with a celebration he didn’t even need to think about. His team-mates then piled on top of him in a priceless moment right in front of the 2,000 Caley fans.

Hearts, though, soon piled on the pressure.

They screamed for a penalty for handball on the hour mark but ref Norris ruled Ross Draper was innocent.

Keeper Antonio Reguero then had to sprint from his line to stop a Jambos break.

It was backs the wall stuff for Butcher’s side and simply too much for them to withstand.

In 66 minutes they couldn’t clear the ball from their crowded box with Ngoo, left, pouncing to score. The big lanky targetman looked raw and inexperienced at times but his finish was top drawer.

Suddenly the pendulum had swung completely and it was now Hearts who looked the more likely to go through to the final.

But in 76 minutes it was back with Caley Thistle as the Edinburgh side were reduced to ten men.

Robinson went in hard in a 50/50 ball with David Raven but his challenge was deemed to be two-footed.

Norris had no hesitation in reaching for his pocket and lifting out his red card.

Robinson was distraught and tried to plead his innocence but trudged off the pitch with his head in his hands.

With 14 minutes left to play the game was there for Caley Thistle to win but they couldn’t make their extra man count before extra-time — or during it. They survived when Hearts sub Arvydas Novikovas poked the ball just past the post on the break.

But seconds before the end of the first period of extra time striker McKay wasted his third chance of the game to score after a dodgy offside call went his way.

He was virtually faced with an open goal after sub Shane Sutherland had set him up, but controlled the ball instead of shooting with keeper McDonald given time to make a save.

Shinnie almost nicked it in 113 minutes but his effort on goal looped over the bar.

A shoot-out soon looked inevitable and, after nine perfect pens, luckless Roberts blasted over the bar.