Another vital match in the fight for SPL survival.

Caley Thistle missed a chance to take three points but the result did push them up a place to ninth.

Four points still separate them from bottom club Falkirk with three games left.

Hamilton played the final 25 minutes with ten men after James McArthur was shown a straight red card but they managed to hold on for a draw and could even have stolen it in the closing minutes.

Filipe Morais came back from injury into the home side at the expense of Andy Barrowman but injuries cost Richard Hastings and Russell Duncan squad places.

‘Man of the Match’ Richie Foran headed just wide in the second minute and the same player tested Hamilton ‘keeper Tomas Cerny with a bouncing shot in 19 minutes. The home side were well on top and before half time Cerny made excellent saves from Lionel Djebi-Zadi and Morais.

The breakthrough came two minutes after the interval when a long Mike Fraser kick-out was flicked on by Dougie Imrie and Morais before Foran volleyed home from ten yards. Hamilton came back into it and in 62 minutes Fraser pushed a Richard Offiong header for a corner – the kick led to a Martin Canning header which just went over the line despite the best efforts of Ian Black and Foran.

McArthur’s red card came just after the goal for a late tackle on Morais. Barrowman came on to augment the home strike force with ten minutes left as Caley Thistle sought to take advantage of their overall superiority but Offiong had a glorious chance at the other end. He was one-on-one with Fraser but could only hit wide. There was still time for one more chance for the home side when Imrie volleyed for goal but Cerny pushed it round the post.

A welcome point but it should have been three.

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