Hearts may have won yesterday’s match with Inverness by three goals to two thanks to a dramatic late winner from Larry Kingston, but the incident that most fans that I spoke to after the game were talking about the most was Dougie Imrie’s incredible equaliser for Caley in the 88th minute.
Seriously, I can’t think of the last time I saw a dead ball struck as sweetly as that to find its mark on the hallowed turf. Obviously I’d need to see it on television again for confirmation of just how good a goal it was (and perhaps whether or not the goalkeeper’s positioning had anything to do with it as some are suggesting), but what a goal it was in real-time. Thankfully from our point of view it didn’t count for a lot in the end, but you have to give credit where it’s due.
Imrie’s goal got me thinking about some of the other crackers we’ve seen over the years from set-pieces. Hearts have rarely had players who could consistently score or come close from direct-free-kicks in the time I’ve been a fan but that’s not to say that we’ve never seen our players being able to do this.
Scott Crabbe was arguably the best we had certainly at curling a ball round a defensive wall (he scored quite a few like that in the late 80s/early 90s), whereas Robbo was always good for the occasional goal from outside the penalty area using sheer brute force more often than not. Most latterly we also had Paul Hartley, who hit a purple patch during the 05/06 season, with possibly the best of his free-kicks being an absolutely crucial strike against Kilmarnock at the Gorgie end as the race for the Champions League spot really hotted up.
For me the ‘Daddy’ of all Tynecastle free-kicks will probably always be Iain Ferguson’s stunning strike against Bayern Munich during our remarkable UEFA Cup run in 1989. I doubt if I’ll ever see another goal from a Hearts player quite as spectacular as this in a match of such profile and importance, although obviously we live in hope!
Anyone got their own particular favourites? Imrie’s is definitely the best in quite a while…
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Yes – it looked to be well above your average scoring free-kick yesterday. Ferguson’s was a cracker, certainly – nipping in at the near post. Talking of near-posts though, I’d have to give my vote to Mr Hartley in the Cup Semi. The sheer cheek and precision, allied to the occasion and opponents do it for me. Everytime I watch the video, its amazing to see just how wide out at the touchline it is !!
Heres a vid of hartleys free kick against hibs int he semi final http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7gIfl6m8df4
thanks for that hoopymo! I still think the keeper is weak there though – the likes of Fergie’s strike and some others by Hartley were pretty much unstoppable….I don’t think this one falls into the same category, even if the satisfaction levels were every bit their equal!