Hearts manager Robbie Neilson lamented the Covid rules after his team landed Celtic in the last-16 of the Premier Sports Cup.

The Tynecastle side missed out on a seeded post in the knock-out stages by just one goal after overcoming Inverness 1-0 yesterday to make it four wins from four in Group A.

St Mirren and Dundee were two of the the teams that pipped Hearts to a place in the pot with the heavyweights. 
Neilson was well aware that those clubs benefitted from 3-0 victories in games that were forfeited as a result of Covid outbreaks affecting Dumbarton and Ross County.

It was a flawless campaign from the Gorgie outfit after winning all their games, scoring eight and conceding none.

Neilson said: “We didn't get seeded but we won four out of four. 

“The nature of this season, teams will get 3-0 victories for games getting postponed which is always going to make it difficult.

"We knew before what it was going to be like. It would have been better if the game had been cancelled today! 

“We won all our games and haven't conceded a goal. 

"I don't know how they look at it and what else they could do. If it was a 1-0 victory then teams might say they could have won the game three or four nil. It's just part and parcel and we need to deal with it.

“I can't really ask any more of the players. We created loads of chances and were sound defensively. We just didn't have that final moment.”

Hearts host Celtic in Saturday’s Premiership opener and will then travel to Parkhead for the cup clash after facing St Mirren in the league.

Neilson added: “All eyes now are on Saturday. It's a huge start to the season for us and one we're really looking forward to.

“We have three massive games now with St Mirren in between the two Celtic matches." 

With Hearts needing to score two goals to seal a seeded spot, Neilson decided to name a strong line-up for the visit of Billy Dodds side.

This was no more than a dead rubber for Caley following disappointing results to Stirling Albion and Cove Rangers.

It was no surprise that the hosts started the brighter of the two teams at a sun-drenched Tynecastle.

Liam Boyce had a thunderous strike beaten away by Ridgers before the goalkeeper got down to a Finlay Pollock drive.

At the other end, Hearts goalkeeper Craig Gordon was called into action when he punched away a Reece MacLear free-kick.

A slack pass by Caley defender Wallace Duffy was pounced on by Armand Gnanduillet in the 32nd minute and after charging into the box the Frenchman’s low drive was kept out by the legs of Ridgers.

Hearts defender Alex Cochrane then prevented what would have been a certain goal when he threw himself in the way of a Tom Walsh half-volley from close range following a Shane Sutherland cross.

Ridgers was at it again in first half injury time when he produced a stunning low save to keep out a first time Pollock shot from 12 yards from a Josh Ginnelly cut back.

The second period started in a similar pattern. Ridgers saved a Gary Mackay-Steven half volley and from Cochrane’s corner Gnaduillet struck a shot off the post before Pollock hit the same upright on the rebound.

Hearts brought Walker off the bench and the move paid off when he broke the deadlock in the 75th minute.

Michael Smith’s long punt up the park was picked up by Boyce and the Northern Ireland marksman played in Walker, who drilled a low left-footed drive past Ridgers from 20 yards.

Hearts went in search of another and Walker was denied three more times by Ridgers before being the victim of a scissors tackle from Michael Gardyne that earned the Inverness midfielder a straight red card in the dying stages.

Caley boss Dodds, who is considering an appeal against Gardyne’s dismissal, said: “There is a lot I feel we can take from it. Our performance was great; organisation, work rate. 

“We will not come up against teams of that quality and I know if my team gives me that performance we’ll do well.”