Inverness CT 1-1 Hamilton - Report
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.
ICTChris: Disappointing not to take all three points - thought we had the most chances but as usual this season we didn't manage to finish things off in the oppositions box. It was a terribly frustrating game, especially towards the end as we didn't manage to deliver a decent final ball or made stupid mistakes. Looking back we really, really should have won that game - they had to take off two of their centre backs, they had a man sent off and we went a goal up!
Foran had a very good game - he is so strong in the air and gives us a real outlet. Along with his workrate he's probably our most effective player up front and I'd keep him in there until the end of the season. Fantastic finish for the goal as well. I thought Brian Kerr did well in the middle, tidying things up well enough. Imrie looked quiet, as he always does against the Accies. At the back, we were reasonably solid but it's poor to lose a goal to a corner. Djebi-Zadi is absolutely abysmal. He is fast erasing the memories of his decent showings against the Old Firm with his terrible performances like today. His showing was summed up when he gave the ball away after a 60 yard run forward, nearly resulting in a goal for Offiong.
In the overall picture of things, we are matching Falkirk's results, which is what we need to do to stay up. However, we had a great opportunity to go six clear with only three matches left and not to take it could prove very costly.
10th May 2009 - 14:00 Tulloch Caledonian Stadium INVERNESS CALEDONIAN THISTLE FC
1 - Foran (47)
Team: Fraser, Proctor, Tokely, Munro, Djebi-Zadi, McBain(Barrowman81), Black, Kerr, Foran⚽, Imrie, Morais(Odhiambo86)
Subs - Esson, Rooney, Mihadjuks, Vigurs, Morrison
HAMILTON ACADEMICAL
1 - Canning (63)
Team: Cerny, Canning⚽, Elebert(Swailes55), McLaughlin(McCarthy31), Mensing, Neil, McArthur, Easton, Asamoah(Gibson70), Offiong, Lyle
Subs - Murdoch, Corcoran, Thomas, McGowan
Referee Charlie Richmond Attendance 3623 Man of the Match Sponsor's: Richie Foran Radio Scotland: Richie Foran 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. Meh!
Final word from tm4tj:
Once again we were the better team but once again we failed to beast our bitches. If we had the points that they do over us, they would be all but relegated just now. Imrie needs to realise it's a team game, he wasted numerous opportunities by choosing the wrong option. Foran worked his socks off again and scored a peach of a volley, unfortunately I couldn't celebrate properly as I was in the middle of my half time coffee. He won 90% of all balls knocked towards him, great leader of the line display. Could Fraser have done better with the looped header leading up to the goal? My initial reaction was he could have held it, thus averting the corner which preceded the goal. Offiong did miss a great chance to steal the points, but Imrie could not force the winner although he did manage to get this one on target, but Cerny was equal to it. Proctor, Zadi, McBain, Imrie will need to think again, as they offered little to trouble the Accies, who seemed to wake up once they were down to ten men.
Mystifying refereeing decisions once again spoil the spectacle, but the real problem is our inability to punish teams when we are in the ascendency. Lionel tried single handedly to throw the game towards Accies, although the wee fellow, Assamoah was a handful. I am convinced he was fouling Lionel by getting underneath and nudging him every challenge and the ref kept penalising Lionel. Overall we should have strolled it after opening the scoring, but Accies are nothing if not stubborn and once again they thwarted us and stole a point which could have been undeservedly all three but for Offiongs miss.
Because of this, we now have two tricky away games followed by what could be a last day decider against a resurgent Falkirk. Squeaky bums at the ready.
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