Inverness manager Butcher glad to beat weather and Hearts

Butcher (top right) helped get the pitch ready for the clash with Hearts

Inverness manager Terry Butcher was "ecstatic" after his side overcame the weather and Hearts to claim a second straight Scottish Premier League win.

Weather threatened to postpone the match in the Highlands but a collective effort to clear the pitch ensured it went ahead and Butcher's side won 1-0.

"The boys were absolutely terrific," Butcher told BBC Scotland.

"We wanted the game on. I could have said, 'let's try and get this called off' because we've so many injuries."

A much-changed Inverness team triumphed against Hearts with Shane Sutherland netting the only goal, as Butcher's men built on last weekend's league win at Motherwell and the midweek Scottish Cup replay victory at Dunfermline.

"We changed the side around, seven changes," said Butcher. "The more the game went on, the more the understanding came.

"Their attitude was spot on. They rallied for each other, helped each other. The crowd were brilliant to us as well.

"For me, there was only one team that wanted to win the game and that was us.

"Thanks to the volunteers, the ground staff, photographers and everyone who was jumping in, the chairman and (director of football) Graham Bennett to get the covers off and just to get the game ahead.

"We've obviously been rewarded with three points, a clean sheet and three wins in a week.

"It's been a fantastic January for us.

"We're not where we should be. We're not where we feel we have to be but we're going to get there. We will climb this table.

"We're already starting to climb now and there's a long way to go but we'll get there."