Walker fluffs lines as ICT finally show fight
IT was billed as Big Hearts Day at Tynecastle.
But Jamie Walker’s nerve failed him from 12 yards as Inverness Caley Thistle snatched a battling draw.
Carl Tremarco gave the Premiership basement boys a shock first-half lead before Arnaud Djoum levelled the scores for Hearts after the break.
The Jam Tarts turned the screw in the aftermath, dominating possession and carving out a glut of chances.
But Walker, making his 150th appearance, fluffed their biggest one from the spot after Ross Draper fouled Djoum in the box.
Inverness boss Richie Foran branded his own players “bottlers” during their slump to the bottom of the league.
But after watching his side close out a precious draw, he hailed the return of their never-say-die spirit.
“That was the old fighting Inverness,” said a proud Foran.
“All season we’ve looked good going forward and a goal threat but we were lazy at the back.
“How did we fix it? The players did it. They had meetings.
“We highlighted that they weren’t doing their jobs properly but we kept them positive at the same time. “What a battling performance. “We frustrated Hearts at times which we wanted to do. We looked good on the counter. “All in all it’s a fair result for me.” Getting stuffed 6-0 is embarrassing. There is no way around that. For former Motherwell midfielder Foran, it was also a catalyst for change.
Four of the players who started for the Highlanders in last weekend’s Celtic Park horror show – Gary Warren, Iain Vigurs, Billy King and Brad McKay – were nowhere to be seen at Tynecastle.
Another, Henri Anier, found himself demoted to the bench as the Inverness boss rang the changes. Talk about sending a message. Ian Cathro sent one of his own by bringing Perry Kitchen, Moha Choulay, Bjorn Johnsen and Arnaud Djoum into his starting line-up.
But with a huge Scottish Cup fifth-round replay with Hibs looming on Wednesday, Cathro’s missive was more pragmatic than desperate.
This, after all, was a clash against a Caley Jags side that hasn’t registered a win since October 26.
On paper, it should have been straightforward.
A combination of Inverness’ combativeness, Hearts’ wastefulness, and a truly dreadful Tynecastle playing surface meant it was anything but.
The script was torn up just 24 minutes in when Carl Tremarco rose unmarked in the Jam Tarts box to head Greg Tansey’s floated free-kick past Jack Hamilton. It was a goal as simple as they come. In response, Hearts sought to bamboozle. The home side dominated possession from Tremarco’s opener until after the break, but they could not find a way through the desperate Highland defence.
Bjorn Johnsen struck the bar with a deflected effort, while Andraz Struna’s wellstruck, 25-yard half-volley was tipped over by Owain Fon Williams.
It was frustrating stuff for Hearts – and it wasn’t helped by their visitors’ relentless time-wasting.
Lively Jam Tarts striker Isma Goncalves struck the post just minutes before Djoum, making his first start since returning from the African Cup of Nations, slotted Kitchen’s cross home at the back post.
The Jam Tarts should have won it after Draper’s foul on Djoum resulted in a penalty with 15 minutes to go.
But Walker was foiled by Fon Williams, who dived low to his left to save Inverness’ bacon.
The Highlanders are now two points behind 11th-placed Hamilton Accies in a tight-looking bottom half of the table.
Disappointed Hearts coach Ian Cathro summed it up as pragmatically as ever.
“I think we dominated the game and created enough chances to win a game and a half,” he said.
“But we suffered from the fact that we failed to defend the set piece.”