Hearts 1 - 0 Inverness CT

League Cup - Group A
Sunday, July 25th, 2021, 5:15 PM at Tynecastle Park, Edinburgh
Attendance: 2,989
Referee: Nick Walsh
Hearts Inverness CT

Goalscorers
Jamie Walker (75) None.

Team Managers
Robbie Neilson Billy Dodds

Starting Eleven
Craig Gordon
Michael Smith
Craig Halkett
Stephen Kingsley
Alex Cochrane
Finlay Pollock
Andy Halliday
Liam Boyce
Josh Ginnelly
Armand Gnanduillet
Gary Mackay-Steven
Mark Ridgers
Kirk Broadfoot
Robbie Deas
Wallace Duffy
Daniel Devine
Roddy MacGregor
Reece McAlear
Tom Walsh
Michael Gardyne
Manny Duku
Shane Sutherland

Bench
Peter Haring
Jamie Walker
Aaron McEneff
Ross Stewart
Euan Henderson
Connor Smith
Mihai Popescu
Leo Watson
Aiden Denholm
Cameron Mackay
Ryan Fyffe
Cameron Harper
Scott Allardice
Harry Hennem
Lewis Hyde
Lewis Jamieson
Ethan Cairns
Anthony McDonald

Substitutions
Jamie Walker -> Finlay Pollock (66)
Peter Haring -> Andy Halliday (66)
Euan Henderson -> Armand Gnanduillet (84)
Scott Allardice for Manny Duku (70)
Ryan Fyffe for Daniel Devine (76)
Cameron Harper for Robbie Deas (76)
Anthony McDonald for Tom Walsh (81)
Lewis Jamieson for Shane Sutherland (81)

Bookings
Josh Ginnelly (6)
Finlay Pollock (56)
None.

Red Cards
None. Michael Gardyne (88)
Appearances & Goals To Date
Mark Ridgers (GK) 159 apps -
Kirk Broadfoot 4 apps -
Robbie Deas 36 apps1 goal
Daniel Devine 115 apps4 goals
Wallace Duffy 18 apps1 goal
Roddy MacGregor 61 apps3 goals
Reece McAlear 4 apps -
Tom Walsh 72 apps13 goals
Michael Gardyne 4 apps -
Shane Sutherland 124 apps10 goals
Manny Duku 4 apps2 goals
Ryan Fyffe (sub) 5 apps -
Cameron Harper (sub) 42 apps -
Scott Allardice (sub) 36 apps3 goals
Anthony McDonald (sub) 1 app (debut) -
Lewis Jamieson (sub) 1 app (debut) -

Starting Lineup
Youngest Player:Reece McAlear (19 years 168 days)
Oldest Player:Kirk Broadfoot (36 years 360 days)
Average Player Age:27 years 86 days
Domestic Players:9 (81.82 % of starting eleven)

Matchday Squad
Youngest Player:Ethan Cairns (16 years 224 days)
Oldest Player:Kirk Broadfoot (36 years 360 days)
Average Player Age:23 years 314 days
Domestic Players:18 (90.00 % of matchday squad)

First Team Debuts
Anthony McDonald(Signed February 8th, 2021)
Lewis Jamieson(Signed July 23rd, 2021)

Milestones

Over and Out

Inverness slumped out of the League Cup in unsurprising fashion after a 1-0 defeat at Tynecastle, Jamie Walker with a second half goal enough for the dominant Jambo's. Michael Gardyne was sent off just before the ninety minutes for a rash scissors tackle on Walker to add to our woes. The League Cup; its not for everyone, meh!

A promising start to the game became more diluted as time passed and Inverness had Mark Ridgers to thank on numerous occasions for keeping the scoreline blank. He saved from Boyce, Pollock twice and Gnanduillet in a more even first half. Craig Gordon was quieter but still had to make vital saves from McAlear, and Walsh. After the break the visitors were rarely seen as an attacking force with Mackay-Steven forcing Ridgers into action and Gnanduillet and Pollock both hitting the same post within the same move. Gnanduillet and Boyce put substitute Jamie Walker through and he won the tie with an excellent drilled finish from the edge of the box. Ridgers denied Walker a second two minutes later parrying the ball away and minutes later he used his legs to thwart the same player. We had time for another Ridgers save from Walker before Gardyne had seen enough of him receiving a straight red for his rash challenge.

Suffice to say Mark Ridgers was our MotM and Jamie Walker's introduction gave Hearts more of a cutting edge.

Match report written by tm4tj