Ross County 2 Hearts 2: Tapping proves to be a big hit for youthful Hearts

Alasdair Fraser at Victoria Park
Monday 4 February 2013

HIS answers sounded like echoes of his performance.

Callum Tapping was faced with a dozen or so dictaphones after helping Hearts to earn a draw yesterday but the midfielder was unfazed, swivelling deftly to meet the questions being fired in from all angles with a series of neat and confident responses. He made it look easy.

That is an uncommon trait among young players but it seemed typical of the Hearts teenager. After all, Tapping had proved himself to be an assured presence as a midfield anchor on Saturday for a side that were only denied all three points by a last-minute equaliser from Ross County's Iain Vigurs. That result might have been deemed a setback not so long ago but there is logic in treating positively.

Tapping was one of a host of young players fielded against County – a veritable creche comprising Fraser Mullen, Jason Holt, Jamie Walker and Billy King – and each of them impressed. Their emergence owes much to the financial plight at Tynecastle but Tapping, a London-born Scot who joined Hearts' youth set-up from Tottenham Hotspur in 2011, spoke of his elevation to the first team with modesty and praised the role of more experienced players in ensuring he has integrated well with them.

"I've enjoyed it since coming into the team," said the teenager, whose side fell behind to a Rocco Quinn goal before responding through David Ngoo and Walker. "It is always a help playing with boys who you've played alongside in the youth teams, as you know how the lads play, but the experienced lads have been brilliant with us and have helped us along – the likes of Andy Webster, Ryan Stevenson and Marius Zaliukas."

This was a festive fixture originally postponed controversially less than an hour before kick-off. As such it was Hearts' fourth journey to the Highlands this season to play either County or Inverness Caledonian Thistle. Perhaps the miles were getting to John McGlynn, the Hearts manager referring to County as "Caley" three or four times after the game.

The differences between the Highland sides have been pronounced – Inverness are in second place in the Clydesdale Bank Premier League table while County are 10th – but, following a run of five matches unbeaten, with 11 points from a possible 15 in that sequence, County have found themselves just three points outside the top six.

"It is pretty close now. There is really not much between us and the top half," said Vigurs. "The first priority has been to stay in the league and now we're picking up points most weeks so why not the top six?"

Taken from the Herald