Dream debut seals ‘great show of togetherness’

YOUNG Conor Pepper will be telling tales of his dramatic Tynecastle debut for years to come.

Coming on with less than 10 minutes to play, his side were trailing by two goals to one and down to 10 men, seemingly with no hope of leaving the capital with anything.

Yet, with the last kick of the game, the 18-year-old found himself in front of a gaping goal and proceeded to lash the ball into the roof of the net — hazardously close to clearing the crossbar.

However, when asked to describe his fairytale moment, the teenager said: ‘I can barely speak. I’m really just trying to take it all in.

‘To come on late and then score at Tynecastle — at the right end, too, in front of the Caley fans — was incredible.

‘To be 2-0 down, with 10 men — and we have a small squad anyway — then come back was a great show of togetherness. I can’t believe it went down to the last second of the game. I didn’t even see the ball go in. But it ended up in the roof of the net, that’s all that matters.’

Inverness boss Terry Butcher, typically candid, was less calm about Pepper’s finish. The former England captain feared the youngster had fired his shot over the bar — a prospect which would have driven him to drink.

‘If the goal had been another two yards further back, then I think he would have put it over the bar,’ Butcher smiled. ‘That would have sent me on a pub crawl through all the Fringe bars in Edinburgh.

‘I’m sure he thought he was playing Gaelic football, trying to hit his effort over the bar. Conor has just joined the club, he is on absolute buttons, but his heart is as big as a bucket.’

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Hearts boss John McGlynn urged his side to tighten up ahead of the daunting visit of Liverpool on Europa League duty on Thursday.

‘If we lose goals against Inverness, then you are liable to lose goals against Liverpool,’ he conceded.

‘We have to make life much more difficult for Liverpool and try to go to Anfield with a lead, although that will of course be difficult.’

Hearts could be without skipper Marius Zaliukas, the Lithuanian having limped off at half-time with a dead leg.