Hearts 3-0 Inverness CT: Highlanders' play-off hopes ended as champions win
- Published
Hearts lift the Scottish Championship trophy in a subdued fashion after beating Inverness.
Inverness Caledonian Thistle's play-off hopes ended as Hearts comfortably won their final home game of the season.
Gary Mackay-Steven scored twice in the first half, sandwiching a deflected Aaron McEneff strike, as the second tier winners dominated.
With fourth-placed Dunfermline winning, Inverness are four points below the final play-off spot with one game left.
Hearts captain Steven Naismith lifted the Championship trophy and the players received their medals after the match.
The club announced on Friday there would be a low-key "act of respect" but no "fanfare" with some fans wanting the prize shunned after last season's controversial relegation. Hearts were demoted at the end of a Premiership campaign that was curtailed because of Covid-19.
Mackay-Steven received Peter Haring's pass on the right before cutting in and beating Mark Ridgers for the sixth-minute opener. Three minutes later, the winger's reverse pass set Liam Boyce free and he pulled back for McEneff to take a touch and score despite a defender getting in the way.
And, just after the half-hour, Mackay-Steven capitalised on indecision by Ridgers and Robbie Deas, nipping in between goalkeeper and defender to flick home after Armand Gnanduillet headed on goalkeeper Craig Gordon's long ball.
Mackay-Steven pounced on slack Inverness defending to score Hearts' third
Mackay-Steven almost added an assist when his low ball was turned on to the post by Boyce during the second period.
Inverness looked shell shocked by the loss of the goals and never got to grips with the task of reeling their hosts back in, Miles Story heading against the crossbar from an offside position in one attack.
And, to compound their misery, interim manager Neil McCann was sent to the stand for dissent in the second half.
Hearts manager Robbie Neilson: "Delighted, delighted. It's been a tough season for everyone. I'm delighted for the players.
"I thought we were great. I'm really pleased with the performance. The game really suited Gary. It was a bit more open and expansive and you see the real Gary Mackay-Steven."
Inverness CT interim manager Neil McCann: "We were much better in the second half. That's to be expected because we were so unlike ourselves. I lost my cool. Frustration boiled over. I shouldn't have done that.
"Sore one. I feel really sorry for everybody connected to the club. We've just come up short."