Reports 2004-05

Arabs avoid relegation   The south stand at Tulloch Caledonian Stadium was a sea of orange as 2400 Dundee United fans tried to sing and shout their team to SPL survival. Livingston, Dundee and Dundee United were all in the relegation frame and the permutations were discussed at length around the country. Hold-ups on the A9 delayed the Inverness kick-off by ten minutes.  For Caley Thistle it was a strange afternoon. Seventh place was looking unlikely but it was still possible if Du

Fox in the box earns Dens draw   For the third time in his short Caley Thistle career Liam Fox came off the bench and snatched an equalising goal. The Dundee fans were stunned as they thought that three precious points were in the bag.  Dundee certainly had the chances and were twice denied by the woodwork. ICT played excellent flowing football but lacked the killer touch. The atmosphere was very tense as the Dundee fans faced relegation.  Derek Soutar held a Stuart Golabek e

Livi hanging on...   Another frustrating afternoon for the home fans as Caley Thistle played well in spells but failed to convert their chances. Relegation-threatened Livingston fought hard and scored the one goal that took the points.  ICT started brightly and Roy McBain shot over the bar in just 13 seconds. In the first four minutes Wilson took two free kicks from outside the box - the first was held high by Roddy McKenzie and the second went low and just wide. Stuart Golabek sh

End of season fare   A frustrating afternoon all round and some strange decisions. The game was dominated by a soft penalty award for each side. With the rest of the SPL battling for top spot, UEFA places or against relegation there was little to play for here - the only issue was to see who would finish seventh.  Killie captain Gary Locke chipped over the bar in eight minutes then a low off-target Stuart Golabek shot was deflected for a corner at the other end. Alan Combe pushed

Below Par   Just under six months ago Caley Thistle came here with Donald Park in temporary charge and faced a Dunfermline side which featured Craig Brewster. The visitors had just climbed to ninth and would continue to climb to SPL safety with more than a little help from their player/manager who remains the Pars second top goalscorer despite having left for the north in late November.  Brewster returned to East End Park for the first time to play against his old team with Dunfer

Almost Mission Accomplished   So near yet so far - so near to the top six yet it is hard to credit how far the team has come this season. Caley Thistle needed to win well and hope that Kilmarnock would beat Motherwell. A four-goal difference had to be overcome but in the event, Motherwell scraped a last minute equaliser against Killie and it was all academic. The three points gained here were however enough to mathematically secure SPL football for next season.  Richard Hastings c

200 up for Roy   This was billed as a top six showdown and it was Caley Thistle who took the points. The victory was a narrow one but the margin could easily have been greater.  For Motherwell it was a disaster; defeat, a red card and two key players injured. Heavy rain left the pitch soggy but referee Brian Cassidy, on his first and last SPL appearance in the middle before retirement, deemed it playable.  Craig Brewster rotated the squad and brought in Bryan Prunty instead o