Pre-Season 'Friendly'
Caley Thistle club historian Ian Broadfoot reports on the friendly match at Victoria Park in Dingwall against former ICT manager, John Robertson's Ross County side.
Saturday 23rd July 2005
Victoria Park, Dingwall
ROSS COUNTY
2 (McGarry 49, Burke pen80)
TEAM: McCaldon (Garden 46), Cowan, Zadi, Webb, Canning, Tiernan (Cowie 72), Rankin ( Hamilton 82), McCulloch, Higgins (McKinlay 70), McGarry (Burke 77), Winters (Macdonald 82)
No unused subs
INVERNESS CALEDONIAN THISTLE
1 (Brewster 87)
TEAM: Brown, Proctor, Dods, Munro, Hastings, Wilson, Black, Hart (Fox 68), Golabek, Brewster, Bayne (Hislop 70)
Subs – Parratt, Duncan, McBain, Prunty, McAllister, Finnigan & Fraser
Referee
S MacDonald
Attendance
1000
Man of the Match
A friendly in name but played with a passion akin to a cup tie. Caley Thistle dominated the first half and it looked as if they had to score – to the dismay of the visiting fans the superiority was not translated into goals. John Robertson clearly stirred up his new team at the interval and County looked a different side in the second half. Their determination paid off with two goals although a stirring ICT finish almost forced a draw. Ian Black shot wide in eight minutes, a David Proctor effort was smothered then Richard Hastings found space in the County box but could not take full advantage. It was 21 minutes before Mark Brown was troubled – an easy take from Mark McCulloch. The pattern continued for the rest of the first half with the best chance coming in 42 minutes when a Darren Dods header was cleared off the line by John Rankin. County's second half resurgence paid dividends in 49 minutes when a Steve McGarry wonder strike from long range flew into Brown's top corner before he could move. The lead was doubled in 80 minutes when Grant Munro upended Rankin and Alex Burke hammered home the resultant penalty. David Winters nearly made it three a minute later but Brown brilliantly tipped away his shot. With three minutes left a Barry Wilson cross from the right was headed in by Craig Brewster to throw ICT a lifeline. The visitors laid siege to the County goal in the last few minutes – the game ran to three added minutes despite John Robertson's remonstrations with assistant referee John Bicknell. A Brewster shot was blocked, a Proctor header was booted away, a Liam Fox drive was cleared off the line by Martin Canning then there were claims for a penalty amidst chaos in the County box. It remained 2-1 to County and Craig Brewster was left with much food for thought for the SPL campaign. For County it was a satisfying victory which will give them confidence for the new season.
