Gorgie went goal crazy with Hearts beating Inverness Caledonian Thistle 6-2 in the Premier Sports Cup round of 16 on Sunday afternoon.
An incident packed game saw goals galore, with Hearts taking a first-half lead through Christian Borchgrevink before being pegged back by a second-half quickfire Caley Thistle double courtesy of Ryan Duncan and Alfie Bavidge. Rogers Mato headed home the equaliser, Calvin Miller struck a late penalty, James Wilson headed home, Claudio Braga nearly burst the net before Miller added his second to complete the rout.
Head Coach Wouter Vrancken made five changes from the side that drew with Benfica in midweek. In came Borchgrevink, Tomas Magunsson, Sabah Kerjota, Mato and Amadou Ba-Sy, with Oisin McEntee, Claudio Braga, Josh McPake, Blair Spittal and Jordi Altena moving to the bench.
It looked like the deadlock was broken only five minutes in, courtesy of Alfie Bavidge’s smart finish inside the box but following a VAR review the Caley Thistle man was ruled offside and the goal was disallowed.
13 minutes in, the referee pointed to the spot after Ba-Sy had showed tremendous skill to waltz away from three Caley Thistle players before being fouled by Graeme Shinnie. VAR intervened to bring it back to the edge of the box, however, which then led to the game’s first goal. Kerjota’s free-kick took a big deflection, and with the ball hanging in the area Borchgrevink leapt to loop a header over Ross Munro and into the back of the net.
It should’ve been 2-0 just after the half hour mark. Ba-Sy was in the mix once again, showing fantastic feet to spin away from his man before middling for the oncoming Kerjota, but he could only lift his close range effort onto the crossbar and over.
The visitors had a half chance with minutes of the half remaining when a corner was cleared only as far as Adam MacKinnon on the edge of the box but he blasted over from 18-yards.
Tom Renaud went close to extending the boys in maroon’s lead three minutes into the restart. Miller’s cross was headed clear to the edge of the box but the Frenchman pounced to take a touch before lashing a shot just by Munro’s right-hand post.
Kerjota was proving a nuisance to the visitors and moments later showed his skill, being fed by substitute James Wilson to dance his way into the Caley Thistle box, twisting and turning his way past blue and red shirts before seeing his shot deflected over the bar.
Inverness looked lively on the break and with 54 minutes on the clock they levelled proceedings. Duncan latched on to a long ball into the box, taking it down before firing past Beau Reus to make it 1-1.
Two minutes later it was 2-1 to the visitors. Another devastating breakaway saw Bavidge slipped through the middle and he rounded Reus before slotting home.
At this point the action was relentless and Hearts went straight up the park to equalise. Kerjota got down the right to float a cross into the middle for Mato to rise highest and bullet a header into the net.
Substitutes Braga and McPake combined to nearly put Hearts in front again, with the former sending the latter into the box where he cut inside a drilled a low shot past Munro, but a visiting defender cleared it just in front of the line and back into his own goalkeeper.
The Jam Tarts seemed to move up a gear in search of a third, with Renaud’s rasping volley from distance thundering past Munro’s left-hand post.
Substitute Spittal was next to go close, hitting a first time shot from 25-yards that flew low past the post.
Bavidge was gifted possession in the 78th minute, trying his luck from distance but shooting straight over.
Hearts were awarded another spot kick with nine minutes remaining and this time there was no dubiety with Kerjota getting scythed down inside the box. Miller stepped up and made no mistake from the spot, sending his penalty into the top corner.
There was barely time to breathe before a fourth was added. The sensational Kerjota crossed for Braga to strike, his effort was blocked by the keeper but with the ball hanging in the air Wilson burst through to nod into the back of the net.
McPake had the ball in the back of the net with a minute remaining following a quick break and smart finish, but he was flagged for offside.
There was time for another Hearts goal, however, and it was a cracker. Borchgrevink sent a ball into the middle and with it seemingly behind the Portuguese, he somehow slammed high into the roof of the net.
Incredibly, there was a sixth before full time. Another quick break saw Miller race through the middle before composing himself and slotting past Munto to make it 6-2.
Job done for the Jambos who march into the quarter-finals of the Premier Sports Cup.
Hearts: Reus, Borchgrevink, McCart ©️, Miller, Renaud, Findlay, Guendouz (Braga, 60’), Magnusson (Spittal, 60’), Kerjota (Dhanda, 91'), Mato (McPake, 60’), Ba-Sy (Wilson, 45’)
Subs: Fulton, McEntee, Kabore, Altena
Inverness: Munro, McLeod, Boutin, Shinnie, Savage, Devine ©️, Allan, Mackinnon (Sole, 52’), Duncan (Longstaff, 78’), Stewart, Bavidge
Subs: Ross, Keir, Smith, Chalmers, Bates, Kargbo, MacGregor
