Heartbroken Caley Thistle crash out of Betfred Cup

Hearts 5 Inverness Caledonian Thistle 0

Ikpeazu (27, 35) Garuccio (30) Naismith (63, 81)

INVERNESS Caledonian Thistle crashed out of the Betfred Cup as they were blown away by five star Hearts at Tynecastle.

The game was finished as contest when the hosts scored three goals in the space of seven minutes midway through the first half.

But it was Steven Naismith who killed off ICT's dreams of reaching the last 16 scoring twice in the second half.

After being put under heavy pressure in the opening stages Inverness could have taken the lead in the 15 minute when Liam Polworth charged down the right wing to find Tom Walsh 18 yards from goal.

He laid it off to his left to find an unchallenged Joe Chalmers in the box who from 15 yards hit wide of the post.

Hearts' opener came from a corner kick after Carl Tremarco blocked Callum Morrison’s cross. Olly Lee’s corner was unchallenged to find English striker Uche Ikpeazu who powered the ball home with a low volley from eight yards.

The Jambos doubled their advantage two minutes later after Coll Donaldson fouled Naismith at the edge of the box. Australian full back Ben Garuccio then fired a thunderbolt of a free kick straight into the top left corner leaving Mark Ridgers no chance.

Garuccio then created Hearts third when his cross from the left wing was once again unchallenged as Ikpaezu powered a header from eight yards straight into the net.

Hearts found the killer fourth goal midway through the second half as the defence failed to clear another cross, this time from Morrison on the right wing, as Naismith was left alone to nod into the net from eight yards.

Naismith found his second nine minutes from time when he nodded Lee's cross into the box out of the reach of Ridgers into the top left corner of the net.

ICT 's five goal defeat means Partick Thistle have qualified for the last 16.

Hearts: Zlamal, Souttar, Haring, Berra, Lee, Naismith, Hughes, Garuccio (Macdonald 81), Maclean (Lafferty 66), Ikpeazu (Burns 79), Morrison.

Substitutes: Doyle, Bozanic, McDonald, Mulraney,

Inverness: Ridgers, Rooney, Tremarco (Calder 57), Chalmers, Donaldson, Polworth, Doran (Austin 61), Walsh (Mackay 71), White, McKay, Trafford.

Substitutes: Hoban, McCart, Oakley, Elbouzedi.

Referee Willie Collum