St Johnstone -V- Inverness CT - Report

Gary is the head man

Gary Warren nodded home his third goal of the season, and it proved to be the winner at the end of the first half to give Inverness all three points against a side that have held the Indian sign over Inverness recently. Nigel Hasselbaink ensured we would take the points North with an astonishing miss in the second half after Brill had saved a Wotherspoon effort.

Richie Foran continued his recovery on the park and Doran and Watkins started this game with Vincent and Ross on the bench. Inverness had not scored in Perth in their last four visits and generally tend to find goals hard to come by against St Johnstone.

Inverness started the game on the front foot and Warren almost opened the scoring after he stole in behind the Perth defence to send a diving header narrowly past the post from a long Tansey through ball with Mannus struggling to cope.

Billy McKay was his usual darting self and his twists and turns almost reaped rewards but there was always another defender to beat and Billy was often crowded out. Billy was first to test the keeper as he typically got ahead of the defenders to turn and fire a shot on target after great build up play from Draper and Watkins, Mannus blocking the shot. When the ball eventually broke to Tansey he fired a low daisy cutter just past Manus' right hand post from thirty yards, the keeper struggling to make up ground as the ball fizzed wide.

Inverness were in command, but they had Dean Brill to thank for keeping them level as he pulled off a superb diving save from Nigel Hasselbaink as the wee Nigel tried to curl an effort in from eighteen yards. The wee man could hardly believe his eyes as Brill saved the day for the visitors, turning the ball round the post for a corner.

St Johnstone were beginning to get into the game now Nigel was once more denied as he cut into the box, Brill blocking his angled drive well.

Raven joined the attack and had a volley charged down inside the box as the game opened out. Doran and Watkins combined to set McKay through on goal but Mannus stood tall to block Billy's attempt on the six yard line.

However, with three minutes of the half left, Inverness took the lead. St Johnstone were somewhat calamitous in their attempts to clear their lines and when Mackay sliced a Foran knock down across the face of the goal, Gary Warren rose to nod the ball home with Mannus stranded.

Half Time 0-1

Chris Iwelumo entered the fray at half time and he was on hand to witness the aforementioned miss, one of Iwelumo proportion. Wotherspoon hit an angled drive across Brill and as he pushed it away, the ball flashed onto Nigel's head, but he missed the gaping goal to his disbelief once more.

Nigel's day was complete when he fired high over from a good position inside the visitors box and Inverness held firm for their first win in Perth at the fifth attempt.

Full Time 0-1



Great to end our dismal run of games in the Fair City and the result was merited. This puts St Johnstone nine points behind us and with Aberdeen and Motherwell losing this weekend there is still the faint hope of getting into the Euro positions by the end of the season.

Inverness were best served by Graeme Shinnie, Greg Tansey and goal scorer and stopper Gary Warren. Dean Brill pulled off some great saves when called upon and the one to deny Hasselbaink was unbelievable.

Ross County game coming up in midweek and this promises to be a cracker with County now looking much stronger than they were at the start of the season, and Inverness starting to regroup and consolidate in the top-six.
 

Date: 22.02.2014 Venue: McDiarmid Park, Perth Attendance: 2415
Referee: Euan Norris
 
St Johnstone: 0
Lineup: Mannus, Mackay, Anderson, Wright (Scobbie 37), Easton, Wotherspoon, Millar (Croft 71), Hasselbaink, Cregg (Iwelumo 46), McDonald, May
Subs (not used): Banks, Dunne, Miller, O'Halloran
Scorers: none
Booked: Hasselbaink (31), Millar (32), Wotherspoon (33)
Sent Off: none

Inverness CT: 1
Lineup: Brill, Raven, Warren, Meekings, Shinnie, Doran, Draper, Tansey, Watkins (Ross 74), Foran, McKay (Vincent 78)
Subs (not used): Esson, Devine, Tremarco, Polworth, Pepper
Scorers: Warren (42)
Booked: Watkins (32), Draper (67)
Sent Off: none