Well Beaten

Inverness stretched their unbeaten home run to nine games as they swept Motherwell aside in a stirring second half rout. In fact, Motherwell were the last team to win at Inverness back in April. Billy McKay opened the scoring only for Henrik Ojamma to reply almost immediately. After the break Inverness upped the pace and Well had no answer to the waves of attacks on their goal. No surprise that Inverness took control of the game and goals from Marley Watkins and Josh Meekings sealed the win on a mild November afternoon.

James Vincent dropped deeper in midfield in place of the suspended Ross Draper which saw Ryan Christie start in an advanced role as Hughes men looked to keep the pressure on Celtic at the head of the table.

Motherwell had little options with a few players out injured and were set up to stifle us and try and hit on the break, something they achieved in a low key first half.

Inverness were dominant in the first half and appeared to be playing well within themselves as Motherwell were content to sit deep and hold out as long as possible. Best chances that came our way fell to Tansey with a curling free kick thirty yards out that whistled just wide and a left footed strike from twenty yards that missed the other post by inches.

The deadlock was broken on the half hour after a fabulous threaded pass from Raven put McKay through on goal and he slid the ball past Twardzik as the keeper came out to narrow the angle.

The deserved lead lasted barely two minutes. The home support were still texting their glee to their stay at home mates when a long ball down the left was neatly chested forward by Reid. His cross looked to be covered by Warren and Meekings but they made a hash of attempting to cut it out and Sutton forced the ball back into the path of Ojamma who hammered it high past a stranded Brill.

That would be the last we would see of Motherwell as an offensive force.

Ryan Christie almost scored with a curling shot from the edge of the box after being set up by Shinnie and McKay, but Twardzik brilliantly dived to his right to deny Christie what would have been a superb goal.

Half Time 1-1

The second half has just begun when Warren almost stabbed home after being teed up in the box. McKay then showed us that he is not quite bang on form as he missed a sitter. He did the hard work, flicking on a through ball, rounding the keeper and creating room to score into an empty net, then he sliced his shot high and wide with his left peg from the corner of the six yard box.

Twardzik then pulled off a couple of TV saves, denying Watkins as Inverness took the game by the scruff of the neck. Christie then crossed well for Watkins to produce a diving header, but the keeper grabbed it just in time with Vincent lurking with intent on the goal line.

A goal was coming though and after Christie had an effort charged down, the ball broke to the left. Graeme Shinnie swung over an inviting cross and Watkins nipped in between the Motherwell defenders to glance the ball low into the bottom corner. Great goal and no more than we deserved.

Seven minutes later and Meekings sealed the win as he drifted in at the back post to poke a Tansey cross into the net to complete the scoring. This goal seemed to completely deflate the visitors who had struggled to get out of their own half after the break.

It could and should have been even more as Watkins twice hit the frame of the goals. Aaron Doran had come on and the extra width was paying dividends. He set up Watkins with a darting run down the left but Marley crashed the ball off the bar from six yards.

Another darting run and turn from Doran once more saw him tee up Watkins who met his cross at the front post, unfortunately the ball smacked the post with the keeper clutching thin air, but that was how it finished with Inverness well on top and Motherwell staring at the bottom end of the table.

Full Time 3-1



Another great win for Inverness who dominated throughout and looked to be the only team trying to win the game. Great effort from all the home players particularly Graeme Shinnie who put the signing-gate affair on the back burner and showed great attacking qualities. Watkins could have had a hat-trick and his strength and pace is causing all sorts of problems for defenders week in week out. Greg Tansey held the midfield firm and his passing and crossing were excellent today, but no better pass than the one from Raven that set McKay through on goal for the opener as Well held a high line. Great wee cameo from Doran as well when he came on.

tm4tj MotM:- Marley Watkins is revelling in his role just now and just gets better every week. He could have scored three or four today, but his single goal was important. All this after writing his car off this week in an altercation with a deer allegedly

Date: 22/11/14 Venue: Caledonian Stadium    Attendance: 3037
Referee: Bobby Madden
 
Inverness CT: 3
Lineup: Brill, Raven, Meekings, Warren, Shinnie, Christie (Ross 76), Tansey, Williams, Vincent (Doran 66), Watkins, McKay (Sekajja 85)

Booked: Doran (80), Watkins (82)
Sent Off: none
 
Motherwell: 1

Lineup: Twardzik, Kerr, McManus, O'Brien, Reid (Law 57), Ainsworth, Ramsden (Erwin 73), Lasley, Vigurs, Ojamaa, Sutton

Booked: Reid (49), Vigurs (81)
Sent Off: none