Point taken

Inverness had to settle for a point as St Johnstone came from behind to share the points in a tousy game at McDiarmid Park. Aaron Doran side-footed the visitors ahead with an excellent finish off the bar from fifteen yards. Perth levelled the game near the end when Brian Graham rose above Josh Meekings to head home Tam Scobbie's cross. Inverness finished the game with ten men as cup hero David Raven was sent packing by card happy referee Andrew Dallas after picking up his second yellow card, one of nine waved around.

Ten league games since we last won is the disappointing statistic that is threatening to undo our season as we stumble towards the finale. John Hughes rested Ryan Christie and Aaron Doran got a rare start. James Vincent also played from the kick off with Ross Draper missing out due to serving his second match ban as Inverness tried to end their drastic league slump and clinch the third Euro slot ahead of St Johnstone and Dundee United.

It was a low key event with little for the fans to get excited about in the freezing conditions. Danny Swanson almost broke the deadlock in the eighth minute when he curled a brilliant shot from outside the box that beat Ryan Esson but crashed back off the bar and James Vincent and Danny Williams hit decent thirty yard efforts that warmed Mannus' palms. Michael O'Halloran burst free in the box but was unable to work the keeper.

Raven picked up his first booking on the stroke of half time after being scythed down by two Perth players. After remonstrating with them referee Dallas intervened and harshly booked Raven, something he would regret later in the game.

Half Time 0-0

St Johnstone should have scored at the start of the second half but O'Halloran scooped a shot over from five yards after the ball would not leave the Inverness box.

They paid for that eight minutes later when a Raven cross rolled out to the edge of the box and Doran met it first time to side foot the ball home off the underside of the bar.

Josh Meeking burst forward past four or five tackles and when the ball eventually reached Doran, he could only direct his long range effort over the bar this time.

Yogi tried to hold what we had and introduced Danny Devine at the expense of Aaron Doran but the move back-fired as St Johnstone snatched the equaliser with nine minutes left. Great work down the left side saw Scobbie curl an inviting cross onto the head of Brian Graham and he flashed a powerful header into the net with Meekings unable to put any pressure on him.

Raven went for the proverbial early bath three minutes later after a rash challenge on the halfway line which saw him collect his second yellow and ultimately red, but Inverness saw out the game to earn their point.

Full Time 1-1

A draw was probably the right result, but it's still frustratingly disappointing to miss another opportunity to seal the third spot and with United beating Aberdeen it is getting a bit congested at the top end of the table below Champios Celtic and runners up Aberdeen.

Doran, bar, goal - Boom!

Date: 02.05.2015 Venue: McDiarmid Park, Perth Attendance: 2986
Referee: Andrew Dallas
 
St Johnstone: 1
Lineup: Mannus, Mackay, Anderson, Scobbie, Miller, Swanson, Davidson (Graham 75), Millar, O'Halloran, Wotherspoon, MacLean (McFadden 72)

Subs (not used): Banks, Lappin, Wright, Caddis, Kane

Scorers: Graham (82)

Booked: MacLean (36), Davidson (61), Anderson (77), Wotherspoon (88), Swanson (91)

Inverness CT: 1

Lineup: Esson, Raven, Warren, Meekings, Shinnie, Doran (Devine 75), Vincent, Tansey, Williams, Ofere, Watkins

Subs (not used): Mackay, Ross, Tremarco, Polworth, Christie, Kink

Scorers: Doran (55)

Booked: Vincent (26), Raven (45), Ofere (52)

Sent Off: Raven (84)