No goals at Pasta place. 

In John Robertson's 100th game in charge, Inverness made it six clean sheets in a row as they played out a 0-0 draw against Livingston at the Tony Macaroni Stadium.

It was no surprise that John Robertson made no changes to the starting XI from the one that beat Dunfermline Athletic last week. That meant that John Baird was deemed fit enough to continue up front. Gary Warren remained on the bench with Coll Donaldson in his place once more and Alex Cooper returned to the squad after injury.

David Hopkin made three changes to the starting line-up that beat Brechin City last week. Onto the bench went Nikolay Todorov, Rafa De-Vita and Jack McMillan. In came Jackson Longridge, Keaghan Jacobs and Danny Mullen.

1262 paid to witness this encounter with 267 in the away end making themselves heard.

Livi came flying out of the blocks and had two attempts in the first couple of minutes, Josh Mullin testing Mark Ridgers and Craig Halkett heading over from a corner.

Connor Bell had the ball in the net after six minutes from a John Baird cross, but the linesman flagged him for offside.

Coll Donaldson was booked after twenty minutes as Livi looked to threaten and at the other end Jake Mulraney was close to connecting with a Joe Chalmers cross. Five minutes later and Mulraney was fed through on goal by Liam Polworth but Neil Alexander denied the pacey wide player saving low to his left.

Ten minutes before the break Longridge went close after he found some space in the box from a Danny Mullen lay off.

Mulraney turned on the after burners but Alexander foiled him as he lost control having done the difficult bit. 

Danny Mullen was yellow carded five minutes before the interval and Carl Tremarco followed him into the book a couple of minutes later after a late tackle. However, we made it to the interval without conceding and still had eleven players on the park. Inverness possibly shaded the first half with Mulraney looking dangerous.

Half Time 0-0

As in the first half, Livi looked intent on breaching our defence and pressed hard without actually creating anything. Brad Mckay is next to have his name taken as the home side threatened to break forward.

Around the hour mark, George Oakley replaced Baird who was reportedly struggling to make this one. Tremarco almost latched on to a Mulraney cross as the visitors made some progress. 

Livi subbed Penrice for Cadden. Shortly after, Tremarco was replaced by Riccardo Calder.

Polworth tried his luck from outside the box but his shot ran out of steam and Alexander saved comfortably and at the opposite end Ridgers dealt easily with a cracker from Jacobs with twenty minutes left.

Longridge upended Mulraney and was booked for his troubles. Jake dragged a shot wide moments later.

Hopkin made his final changes and Danny Mullen and Josh Mullin went off, Nikolay Todorov and Dylan Mackin came on.

Chalmers won a corner with ten minutes left but it came to nothing as Polworth fired well over. Moments later Polly fed Bell in on goal but Alexander came out on top once more, managing to get a toe on the ball to divert it from goal.
Todorov and Cadden shot over as Livi tried to nick a winner but we made it six clean sheets in a row to take a hard earned point back up the A9.

Full Time 0-0

Immortal Howden Ender will have the full version of the days events for us in due course......... and here it is.

RETURN TO THE TOEKNEE MACARONI - NO GOALS BUT PLENTY OF POSITIVES

First game I have been to since Dumbarton and it was like watching a brand new team – a much improved and organised outfit – and I was advised that this was below the standards set at Tannadice and against Dumbfarmlife. Well dropped the missus off at the Travelodge, a swift pint in the Hungry Horse at the top of the Hill and down to the petite Stadium Bar and a few swift voddie and cokes with Top Six. And then we were all paraded into the Main Stand. It was packed and we must have had close to 50% of the attendance – and we certainly made ourselves heard.

A 0-0 always conjures up the idea of boredom and a lack of entertainment. Apart from the first 2-3 minutes - when Livi flew out of the blocks and had fashioned two chances – I felt that we were always in control, if anyone deserved to win it was us but most of the play was confined to the middle sections of the pitch. On show were two very well drilled defences but two teams clearly lacking in the necessary firepower to clinch all three points. In many ways we cancelled each other out as Livi’s style and system was almost identical to ours.

We had two good chances to steal three points in both halves. Mulraney had the first half chance after a great through ball from (?) Vigurs, he outpaced the defence but brought out a good save from the veteran Alexander. IMHO Connor Bell had the better chance and really should have tucked it away. And what a through ball from Polworth. So we looked very solid and confident at the back. We won the midfield battle but I felt that we were lacking up front and the two “wee man attack” against the likes of Livi will not work.

But we are getting better and better – fitter and fitter – and all of a sudden a play-off place is very much back on the cards. Only negative was our discipline (again) and picking up three cheap yellow cards – Mckay, Donaldson and Tremarco. And we picked up praise from both coaches.

Inverness manager John Robertson: "That's six clean sheets and something the players should be immensely proud of because they're working their socks off. We had to match a really honest, intense, direct Livingston team and we managed to create a few opportunities. Livingston manager David Hopkin: "Inverness have really picked up defensively and Neil Alexander's pulled off a couple of great saves to keep us in it as well. Before the game I'd have taken a point. We were playing against an experienced and well-drilled side.

SMILEYMOMETER

RIDGERS    Nowt to do with fitness, all to do with confidence and a much improved back four.

RAVEN    May not have many more opportunities so I will give him the MotM Award. More like the old Rave, kept going and overlapping for 90 minutes.

MCKAY   Not pretty but dogged and efficient.

DONALDSON   Mighty close in my MotM choice. Can't believe the difference in him in comparison with Dumbarton.

TREMARCO   Probably a real influence on the improvement defensively but I suspect he will be missing in action for another few weeks.

MULRANEY   Appears to have been given some “play for the shirt” medication but also played wide right and offensive which is undoubtedly where he is at his best.

POLWORTH   Another 110% display. If only we had a Brewster or Dargo to feed to.

VIGURS   Showed the usual class touches but I suspect that he was singled out for the “don’t let him play” attention by Livi.

CHALMERS   I really (always) liked him in midfield. A real battler and a great foil for Vigurs, Polworth and Mulraney.

BAIRD   Needs a goal. Plus he is the target man and I don’t think that he is comfortable with that. Better player running off the front man.

BELL   Well I would simply pick him in front of Baird – as the runner – at the present time. Great run on to a greater pass which led to him missing the 1:1 opportunity of the game.

CALDER   Looked a bit dodgy and not the ideal cover for Tremarco at full back/wing back

OAKLEY  WTF –   what an action packed half hour put in. Probably boosted by the fan chants and evidently clapping enthusiastically at the final whistle.

ROBBO   Continues to improve. Will be interesting who he plays at left back and surely Oakley has booked a start as the Number 9.

Here's the action from the Tony Macaroni.........

Robbo was a bit disappointed not to take all three points, but he was very happy with the Caley Jags Away fans. 

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