8th July 2019 Hearts v Inverness Caledonian Thistle 1-1

Tonight was a testimonial for Angus Beith who played for both Hearts and Inverness (ICT). He first joined the Hearts academy at age nine and came through the ranks making a couple of first team appearances. He was however unlucky with injuries and left Hearts for ICT in the summer for 2018 in a swap deal for Jake Mulraney. He never made a first team appearance for ICT and was forced to retire at the end of last season due to a recurring hip problem. Hearts have given him employment as an academy coach and he also assists in their Box Soccer programme. The match between his two former clubs is to raise some funds to assist him in his life after being a player. The picture above taken from the Edinburgh Evening News shows Angus being applauded onto the field by the two teams.

Left the house at 18.40 and met Malcolm in the Tynecastle Arms. We had a drink and then wandered down McLeod Street to get into the stadium. The club website had said that there would be a cash gate on the night but we were met by a queue of fans stretching across the Foundation Plaza queueing for tickets. I spoke to a steward and he said that cash get was in Gorgie Road so we walked round there. There was a queue there also but nothing like that in Mcleod Street as there were only two turnstiles open. We got in for £6 each and headed towards the main stand. No tickets had been issued at the Gorgie turnstiles so we grabbed two seats and hoped that no-one had a ticket, purchased either online or from the ticket office, for these seats. We chose well and had these seats throughout the match which afforded a great view of the match. Both teams had strong sides out on the night. Although the Hearts team was a mixture of first team squad players and youngsters all of those stripped had made at least one first team experience. I could think of at least another eleven players on Hearts books with first team games including close season signings, Craig Halkett( from Livingston), Aidy White (unattached but previously with Leeds and Barnsley), Jamie Walker (returning to Hearts from Wigan) and Conor Washington (formerly with Sheffield United), These numbers show the depth if not the experience in the Hearts squad. ICT fielded four ex-Hearts players in the starting eleven, Marc Rodgers, Brad McKay, James Keatings and Nicolay Todorov.

Hearts started well with Dario Zabatta looking good in a left wing role and linking well with Bobby Burns. However they suffered an early blow when Craig Wighton seemed to suffer an ankle knock after a collision with an Inverness defender. He limped on for a few minutes but when he went down again he was replaced by Euan Henderson. Inverness had the first real chance of the game when a cross from Tom Walsh was headed past the post by Matheus Machado from inside the six yard box. Luckily the assistant referee's flag was raised for offside. Hearts took the lead after twenty minutes from a Bozanic free-kick on the edge of the ‘D’ of the penalty box. He shaped to shoot but instead slipped the ball to Harry Cochrane on the left hand side inside the box. The midfielder chipped a ball into the box for Anthony McDonald to volley home from the edge of the six yard box. Shortly after Christophe Berra who had been upfield for a corner headed the return ball into the ICT box across goal. Henderson rushed in to finish but his effort was blocked by Rodgers. Henderson had another chance when he ran onto a Maclean flick but again Rodgers blocked the shot.

Hearts brought on four substitutes at half-time but continued to provide most of the attacking play. Jamie Brandon, a halftime replacement for Michael Smith, played the ball inside for McDonald. He dummied the ball and it ran to Steven Maclean who curling shot was saved by Rodgers. Hearts were playing good football and another McDonald shot was turned over the bar by Ridgers. In seventy-eight minutes ICT equalised in a rare attack. A corner found its way to Todorov on the edge of the six yard box. His flick towards the far post was forced in from close range by substitute Mitchell Curry. With the game moving into injury time substitute Aidan Keena, on for Henderson, forced Rodgers to turn a fierce shot from just inside the penalty box past the post. The match ended in a ‘diplomatic’ draw and a crowd of nearly 2,000 meant a good sum had been raised for Angus Beith.

Walked home after the game and was back in the house in time to take Rufus out for his last walk of the day.

Teams

Hearts: Doyle, M. Smith, Burns, Cochrane, Dikamona, Berra, Bozanic, Wighton, MacLean, McDonald, Zanatta.

Subs: Henderson, Zlamal, Logan, Brandon, Petrov, C. Smith, Keena.

Inverness Caledonian Thistle: Ridgers, McKay, Donaldson, McCart, Tremarco, Walsh, Carson, Trafford, Machado, Todorov, Keatings. 
Subs: White, Harper, Curry, Hyde, Nicholson, MacGregor.