13th April 2019 Hearts v Inverness Caledonian Thistle 3-0
Cup semi-final day for Hearts today and had to be up early as I was catching Megabus through to Glasgow. Only costing £1 return, which was a booking fee, due to my bus concession card. After a breakfast of two bacon rolls and a coffee headed out to walk to St Andrew Square bus station around 8.15. I managed to read the John Robertson interview in the Scotsman sports section before I left. I had a horrible thought that Hearts could go out of the cup to a team managed by Robbo, the top goalscorer in their history. Give Megabus their due as they were on the ball regarding the football today. There were two buses leaving at 8.55 today, one an express bus to Glasgow with no stops which I caught and the second normal service which stops at a number of location in both Edinburgh and Glasgow on the journey. Arrived at Buchanan Street Bus Station and walked down the hill to Central Station. After paying £2.20 for a return ticket caught a train to Mount Florida arriving at about 10.45. Turnstiles were not open and I went for a walk round the stadium where I met an old work colleague, Colin. He is going in to hospital next week for a minor operation but was determined to see Hearts reach another Scottish Cup Final before the surgery takes place. We chatted for about half an hour about operations and Hearts. Our seats were in different parts of the stadium so we went our separate ways and I entered Hampden around 11.15. Had a pie and a coffee before finding my seat which was in the back row of the lower area of the stand and adjacent to an exit. View of the pitch was good from the seat.
Hearts made one change from last weeks match against Hibs. Aidan Keena came in as a support striker for Uche Ikpeazu with Sean Clare dropping to the bench. Inverness (ICT) were on their usual lines with ex-Hearts players Mark Rodgers and Brad McKay in the starting line-up with another ex-Hearts player Kevin McHattie on the bench. The first half was a bit of a non-event with the first shot coming after about twenty minutes when from a corner Christophe Berra tried a shot from just inside the ICT penalty area which was deflected high and wide off a defender. Jake Mulraney was troubling the ICT defence with his pace on the left although each time he took possession the ICT fans started a chorus of boos given he was an ex-ICT player. Ikpeazu was also causing problems. On one run down the left he left Rooney lying on the ground before being crowded out as he attempted to continue in the penalty area. He then tried a run down the right and as he got into the box shot against a defender when Olly Lee was unmarked in a good position for a shot from just outside the penalty box.
The second-half was a different and almost straight from the kick-off Lee had a shot from thirty yards tipped over the bar by Rodgers. Four minutes into the half Lee took a short corner on the right to Mulraney who had run into the box. He tried a cross-shot which was cleared of the line by Liam Polworth straight to Ikpeazu on the edge of the six yard box who shot high into the net. Shortly afterwards Joe Chalmers hit an excellent free-kick from just outside the Hearts penalty area which Bobby Zlamal tipped onto the bar and over. Inverness had the ball in the net after sixty-three minute From where I was sitting it looked clearly offside and the referee agreed although ICT claimed the through ball had come of Mulraney. The second goal came after sixty-five minutes from another Lee corner, this time from the left. The ball deflected of a defender at the near post for the inrushing John Souttar to volley home from about six yards out. Souttar does not score many goals and this one must rank as his most important strike. The third goal came after seventy-four minutes when Ikpeazu chased a Lee through into the penalty area. He was taken down by Rodgers on the right hand side of the six yard box and the referee pointed to the spot. Surprisingly the keeper was not booked as substitute Care grabbed the ball. He took the kick well sending Rodgers the wrong way from the spot. Fellow substitute Oliver Bozanic came close to a fourth goal with a curling effort from eighteen yards as Hearts ran down the clock. The final whistle went to confirm Hearts place in the final against the winners of tomorrows tie between Aberdeen and Celtic.
After the game I headed straight to Mount Florida Station to catch a train back to Glasgow Central. On passing Glasgow Queen Street Station heading for the bus station I saw a train to Edinburgh was departing at 15.00 so rather than wait for the 16.30 Megabus I had booked I caught the train home. Arrived at Haymarket and walked home with a smile on my face as I arrived in the house around 16.00.
Teams
Hearts: Zlamal, Smith, Souttar, Berra, Burns, Lee, Djoum, Haring, Mulraney. Ikpeazu, Keena.
Subs: MacLean, Clare, Bozanic
ICT: Ridgers, Rooney, Tremarco, Chalmers, McCart, Polworth, Doran, Walsh, White, McKay, Trafford.
Subs: McHattie, Austin, McCauley.
Hearts made one change from last weeks match against Hibs. Aidan Keena came in as a support striker for Uche Ikpeazu with Sean Clare dropping to the bench. Inverness (ICT) were on their usual lines with ex-Hearts players Mark Rodgers and Brad McKay in the starting line-up with another ex-Hearts player Kevin McHattie on the bench. The first half was a bit of a non-event with the first shot coming after about twenty minutes when from a corner Christophe Berra tried a shot from just inside the ICT penalty area which was deflected high and wide off a defender. Jake Mulraney was troubling the ICT defence with his pace on the left although each time he took possession the ICT fans started a chorus of boos given he was an ex-ICT player. Ikpeazu was also causing problems. On one run down the left he left Rooney lying on the ground before being crowded out as he attempted to continue in the penalty area. He then tried a run down the right and as he got into the box shot against a defender when Olly Lee was unmarked in a good position for a shot from just outside the penalty box.
The second-half was a different and almost straight from the kick-off Lee had a shot from thirty yards tipped over the bar by Rodgers. Four minutes into the half Lee took a short corner on the right to Mulraney who had run into the box. He tried a cross-shot which was cleared of the line by Liam Polworth straight to Ikpeazu on the edge of the six yard box who shot high into the net. Shortly afterwards Joe Chalmers hit an excellent free-kick from just outside the Hearts penalty area which Bobby Zlamal tipped onto the bar and over. Inverness had the ball in the net after sixty-three minute From where I was sitting it looked clearly offside and the referee agreed although ICT claimed the through ball had come of Mulraney. The second goal came after sixty-five minutes from another Lee corner, this time from the left. The ball deflected of a defender at the near post for the inrushing John Souttar to volley home from about six yards out. Souttar does not score many goals and this one must rank as his most important strike. The third goal came after seventy-four minutes when Ikpeazu chased a Lee through into the penalty area. He was taken down by Rodgers on the right hand side of the six yard box and the referee pointed to the spot. Surprisingly the keeper was not booked as substitute Care grabbed the ball. He took the kick well sending Rodgers the wrong way from the spot. Fellow substitute Oliver Bozanic came close to a fourth goal with a curling effort from eighteen yards as Hearts ran down the clock. The final whistle went to confirm Hearts place in the final against the winners of tomorrows tie between Aberdeen and Celtic.
After the game I headed straight to Mount Florida Station to catch a train back to Glasgow Central. On passing Glasgow Queen Street Station heading for the bus station I saw a train to Edinburgh was departing at 15.00 so rather than wait for the 16.30 Megabus I had booked I caught the train home. Arrived at Haymarket and walked home with a smile on my face as I arrived in the house around 16.00.
Teams
Hearts: Zlamal, Smith, Souttar, Berra, Burns, Lee, Djoum, Haring, Mulraney. Ikpeazu, Keena.
Subs: MacLean, Clare, Bozanic
ICT: Ridgers, Rooney, Tremarco, Chalmers, McCart, Polworth, Doran, Walsh, White, McKay, Trafford.
Subs: McHattie, Austin, McCauley.
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