CALEY JAGS SLIP UP AS HEARTS GO ON A SPREE

Caley Thistle let Hearts off the hook at Tynecastle on Saturday, dropping all three points against an Edinburgh side which was there for the taking.

Do not let the final scoreline fool you, the Highlanders created the better chances and put the Jambos under sustained periods of pressure. But poor defending from Charlie Christie's side ensured the Inverness manager returned north with nothing to show for his team's efforts.

Caley Jags were adventurous and had the Jambos camped in their own half for long spells but when it came to the crucial art of putting the ball in the back of the net, the visitors were second best.

A home defence missing regulars Neilson, Berra and Fyssas, had given Inverness belief this could be their day and the air of confidence in the Caley Jags camp was evident in the manner in which Christie's men started the game, immediately putting a makeshift home defence under pressure.

Roy McBain did well to reach the byeline, but his cross was missed by Dennis Wyness and Graham Bayne, both players slipping on the wet surface as the ball was coming towards them.

Barry Wilson then set up Wyness on the edge of the box but the former Hearts forward, with a clear shot of goal, uncharacteristically dragged his shot wide of Craig Gordon's goal.

The early missed opportunities in the opening 10 minutes proved costly as Valdas Ivanauskas's side started to threaten on their own. Neil McCann whipped in a terrific cross which was met by the head of Jamie Mole, but Caley Thistle goalkeeper Mark Brown was equal to the effort, diving full stretch to turn the header round the post.

Brown's excellent effort to keep the game goalless was in vain, however, as the home side took the lead in the 20th minute. Again McCann was the instigator, with a cross from the left for Mauricio Pinilla, who volleyed the ball low past Brown from 10 yards.

For the home side it was a good goal, but is one the visitors' defence will not want to watch again, with Ross Tokely guilty of standing off McCann to allow him to get the ball into the box and the central defenders appearing to want to take time to admire the delivery. The fact the move started when referee Steve Conroy failed to award Inverness a free kick when Gordon picked up Lee Wallace's back-pass only added to Christie's disappointment.

Frustration at the sloppy defending to concede the goal will have been tempered by the response from his players.

Wilson forced Gordon in to a save with a fine 25-yard strike, but there was nothing the Hearts and Scotland goalkeeper could do just after the half-hour as the visitors deservedly drew level.

It was a carbon copy goal of the first with Lee Wallace, of Hearts, giving Wilson time to cross for Bayne to head past Gordon at the back post.

Having worked so hard to get back on level terms Christie's side then conspired to give the home side the lead again with some more poor defending just before the break.

Paul Hartley's free kick from the right touchline was met by Jamie Mole at the back post, the home forward rising unchallenged to head past the helpless Brown.

The pattern of the second half stayed the same with Inverness putting the Hearts defence under pressure, with Bayne running clear of goal only to screw his shot wide of goal and Ian Black forcing Gordon to turn his shot past the post with the only respite for the home side coming midway through the second half from a McCann shot which rebounded off Brown's crossbar.

The pressure continued on the home goal from Inverness, but their failure to turn their possession into goals was punished with 10 minutes remaining, as Hearts netted an undeserved third to kill off the visitors' hopes.

Salius Mikoliunas showed good determination to drive down the right wing, but his cross should have been cleared, Tokely's attempted headed clearance falling at the feet of substitute Andy Driver, who lashed the ball high into the roof of Brown's net from close range. By the time the Bruno Aguiar added the fourth in stoppage time, the visitors were resigned to their fate.

The third and fourth goals were harsh on Christie's men but a timely reminder of the need for concentration at the back. The Caley Thistle manager will be hoping this was no more than an off day defensively for his side.