Inverness CT 3-3 Hearts- Match Report


Hearts fight back to hold Inverness in six-goal game

Inverness and Hearts shared the spoils after a 3-3 thriller in the Highland capital.

Surprise scorer David Raven gave Inverness the lead on 15 minutes and Lonsana Doumbouya doubled the advantage.

Bjorn Johnsen gave Hearts a foothold before half-time and six minutes after the break a cross-shot from Faycal Rherras drifted in for an equaliser

Doran put the hosts back in front with 35 minutes to go but Arnaud Djoum drilled through a crowd of players to level up again.

Caley Thistle were unchanged from the side that beat Motherwell 3-0 in midweek, with Brad McKay passed fit after fracturing a finger

Hearts replaced Tony Watt and Conor Sammon with Johnsen and Jamie Walker.

Hearts had not won in six previous meetings at the Caledonian Stadium, dating back to September 2010

Their cause was improved by an injury to Inverness' in-form goalkeeper Owain Fon Williams, who pulled up in the warm-up and was replaced by 19-year-old Cammy Mackay.

The first chance came at the Hearts end though, with Carl Tremarco standing a ball up for Doumbouya at the back post

The striker, searching for his third consecutive game with a goal, nodded his header on to the crossbar.

Further injury woes struck Inverness when Tremarco was left hobbling after playing in the cross, forcing him off.

Raven, who replaced Tremarco, came up with a piece of magic to open the scoring

Liam Polworth lofted a delightful ball over the Hearts defence for Ross Draper, who steered a header into Raven's path

From just inside the area, the makeshift left-back smashed the ball on the volley into the top corner.

Polworth was heavily involved when Caley Thistle doubled the lead after 32 minutes, sliding a pass through to Doumbouya, who finished calmly beyond Jack Hamilton.

Against the run of play Hearts pulled themselves back into the game before the break, as Johnsen latched on to a Perry Kitchen pass to smash past Mackay.

They were fortuitously level on 51 minutes as Rherras, from about 40 yards, floated in a cross from the left that evaded everyone and crept in at the far post.

Goals continued to flow and Caley Thistle were ahead again before the hour, Doran latching on to Iain Vigurs' long ball, beating Don Cowie and slotting under Hamilton.

Johnson came close again with a shot that flashed across the face of goal before Djoum scored the game's sixth goal.

There was late concern for Hearts as Gary Warren appeared to glance Vigurs' ball over Hamilton and against the post, although referee Craig Thomson blew for a foul.


Source : PA

Source: PA