Hearts recovered from going a goal down in the Highland capital to win 3-1 against an Inverness side still searching for their first Clydesdale Bank Premier League win of the season at home.
- Inverness CT v Hearts: As it happened.
A Chris Innes own goal on the stroke of half-time was added to by Ryan Stevenson and Calum Elliott in the second half as Hearts picked up the three points.
Yet it could all have been so different had Caley Thistle held on to the lead that was given to them by Eric Odhiambo in the 37th minute.
Inverness had struggled to get out their own half in the early stages, but a foul by Ruben Palazuelos on Jonny Hayes, for which the Hearts player was booked, presented the home side with a free-kick in a dangerous position. Hayes took the set-piece and found the head of Adam Rooney, but his effort was easily held by Marian Kello.
Caley were posing an increasing threat and they took the lead in the 37th minute. Nick Ross won possession of the ball on the halfway line and played it to Stuart Duff, who quickly found Odhiambo running through on goal. The forward took a touch to deceive Kello before sliding home the ball from close range.
Hearts, however, equalised right on the half-time whistle. Hayes brought down David Templeton and was booked for his troubles. Templeton took the subsequent free-kick and delivered a dangerous ball that seemed to find the back of the net off Innes, although Kevin Kyle was in close attention.
Both sides pushed forward in search of goals at the start of the second half and only a timely intervention by Ismael Bouzid inside the six-yard box prevented Odhiambo from converting Rooney's cut-back.
That missed opportunity was to prove costly for the hosts as Hearts went in front from a corner in the 55th minute. Kyle headed the ball into the path of Stevenson, who despite the close attentions of Ross Tokely managed to get in a volley that bounced over Ryan Esson and into the corner of the net.
Caley Thistle responded with a curling effort from Ross drifting narrowly wide of Kello's upright, before Rooney had an effort deflected past the post. From the resultant corner, Palazuelos had to clear Tokely's flick off the line.
After Rooney had passed up a decent chance to equalise when he blazed over, Hearts stretched their lead to two goals in the 69th minute. Suso Santana's trickery got him past Tokely and he picked out the unmarked Elliot who had little trouble in finishing from six yards to score his fourth goal of the season.
Source: PA
