Hearts hammer Inverness to knock them out of Betfred Cup

Posted Monday, July 30, 2018 by PA

Hearts inflicted a miserable Tynecastle return on record goalscorer John Robertson as a 5-0 home win sent his Inverness side crashing out of the Betfred Cup.

Uche Ikpeazu and Steven Naismith hit doubles and Ben Garuccio netted a brilliant free-kick as Hearts secured the victory they needed to top Group C and render their two-point deduction for fielding an ineligible player against Cove Rangers an irrelevant footnote.

Caley Thistle would have qualified if they had limited their defeat to three goals but they conceded that amount in just four first-half minutes and ultimately saw Partick Thistle edge them out of the tournament as one of the four best runners-up.

Ikpeazu had a header saved as Hearts piled a number of crosses into the Inverness box in the early stages but the visitors looked dangerous on the break and Joe Chalmers came close.

However, the floodgates opened in the 29th minute when Ikpeazu volleyed home Olly Lee’s corner. Left-back Garuccio then netted with a dipping free-kick from 25 yards before getting to the byline and crossing for Ikpeazu to head into the top corner.

Inverness tried to fight back and Hearts goalkeeper Zdenek Zlamal made two decent stops from Tom Walsh before tipping over Charlie Trafford’s header. But Hearts came closer before the break when Lee hit the post from 30 yards.

The visitors threatened through Liam Polworth and Chalmers but an unlikely exit became an odds-on prospect in the 64th minute when Naismith headed home Callumn Morrison’s cross.

Rangers target Kyle Lafferty hit the post with his first touch after coming off the bench but the fifth soon came when Naismith headed home Lee’s free-kick in the 81st minute.