Inverness CT 3-1 Montrose - League 1
The first of three home games on the trot starting with Montrose today followed by Cove next week then a midweek visit from Peterhead before a tough test at form side Alloa. Stenhousemuir joined us at the top of the table after beating Accies 1-0 in midweek. No room for errors now as we enter matchday 28 with the Warriors at Palmerston and Alloa at home to Kelty Hearts.
We made hard work of breaking Montrose down from 25 yards to their keeper. Sharp made two or three really good saves, but we probably should have put four or five past them without needing the late goals. Always on edge until we got the third. Might have been less tense had the fans been playing the game, but it was a bit edgy sitting in the stand. Not sure we should have been conceding a penalty but we got there in the end. Billy Mckay opened the scoring midway through the first half showing good penalty box instincts to nip in and nick the ball into the net. Maybe a rash decision by Munro to concede the penalty from which Sutherland equalised five minutes after the break. Good work down the right set up Alfie Bavidge to knock us ahead and Jordan Alonge sealed the win at the death when Montrose were caught up the park chasing a point, keeper and all, as Jordan stroked into the unguarded net on a quick break down the left flank. The three points were better than the performance, but made even better with the news that Stenhousemuir dropped two points at Queen of the South although Alloa kept their challenge on track with a home win over Kelty Hearts. Happy Days!
Jordan Alonge deserving of his MotM when others around him generally made a meal of things.
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A bright and breezy Caledonian Stadium met the players as they entered the field of play on matchday 28. The hosts made the early running and with only three minutes on the clock, Montrose keeper Harry Sharp pulled off a brilliant diving save to deny Billy Mckay at the back post after the striker lashed a shot goalwards from seven yards when he met a cross into the box from MacIntyre. The keeper guessed right and was on the move before Billy looked certain to score. There followed a massive goalmouth scramble before Sharp dived on the ball to end the siege. Plenty of possession without any real threats until Jordan Alonge had a goalbound header cleared out of a crowded six yard box by Williamson with quarter of an hour gone. A precision ball forward by the impressive Remi Savage set Alfie Bavidge free on the left side of the box but his shot across the keeper missed the target when a cut back might have been more beneficial. The chances were starting to flow and another teasing ball floated forward by Savage was met under challenge by Alonge and a defender. Billy Mckay at this point was still twenty-five yards from goal, but his poachers instinct saw him anticipate his next move when he met the ball as it landed in the space between the Sean Dillon and the keeper. Billy needed no reminder of what to do as he slipped the ball into the net. That woke the visitors up a bit and Taylor Sutherland brought Ross Munro into the game as he turned and shot from the edge of the box, Munro saving comfortably low to his left. Alfie Bavidge was close to adding a second after nicking the ball off a defender in the final third, however his parting shot from the inside left position was well saved by Sharp to his right. Just before the break Sharp denied Alonge as he rifled a low shot towards the bottom corner, the keeper spreading himself along the deck and grabbing the ball at the second attempt.
HALF TIME: 1-0
A booking for Ben Brannan before the interval more than likely ended his game time with Calum MacLeod replacing him at the back. However, within minutes of the restart Montrose were level after Paul Allan lost the ball in an attack on the right side. Montrose swiftly transferred the ball forward with Sutherland beating the offside and he drew a rash foul in the corner of the box as Munro thought he would beat him to the ball but needlessly brought him down. Sutherland sent Munro the wrong way from the spot to restore parity. All a bit needless with Savage getting back into the box and Munro choosing the wrong option to tackle the forward just inside the top corner of the penalty box. We lost our way momentarily but Montrose never troubled us sufficiently and Alonge, leaping like a salmon, bounced a header just wide across the keeper before Sharp then had to save from MacIntyre a minute later as he burst into the box. Billy Mckay was next to be denied as he did everything right until he shot goalwards. He looked favourite to score but shot to the guarded side of the goal allowing the keeper to push away his fierce shot with three quarters of the goal wide open. Alfie Stewart was a bit unfortunate after driving forward through the middle, his shot from the edge of the box curling just over the bar with the keeper beaten. Liam Sole headed over as the pressure built on the visitors defence. Following a number of substitutions from both sides Inverness took the lead and it was a work of art orchestrated by David Wotherspoon with a defence splitting pass. Calum MacLeod was on the same wavelength and met his precise ball at the byeline and cut along it towards the goal where his pass into the box was slightly deflected by the outstretched toe of keeper Sharp right onto Bavidge's boot and he tapped in from five yards. A scare shortly after when Montrose thought they had equalised before spotting the linesman's flag was up for possibly a hand ball before hitting the net. Although ahead, we were still walking a tightrope before one last surge forward clinched the points. It came when Montrose swung a free kick into our box. A number of players tumbled over inside the box, one of those being the Montrose keeper before we played out from the left back position. Liam Sole picked up before the half way line then slipped a great ball forward to Alonge. He still had a lot to do but he remained calm to stroll forward before rolling the ball into the vacant net as keeper and defenders tried in vain to make up the ground whilst all in the North Stand held their breath.
What a finish! Game over and three points finally secured in the ninety-fifth minute!
FULL TIME: 3-1
Pos
Team
Pld
Gd
Pts
1
ICTFC
27
30
52
2
Stenny
28
16
50
3
Alloa
27
18
46
4
QotS
28
4
40
5
P'Head
26
-9
35
6
Monty
28
-14
34
7
E Fife
28
-25
28
8
Cove
28
-5
26
9
Accies
28
14
24
10
Kelty
28
-29
18
How Montrose saw the game>>>
Date: 07/03/2026 Venue: Caledonian Stadium Attendance: 2110 Referee: Sean Murdoch
Inverness CT: 3
Manager: Scott Kellacher
Lineup: Munro; Brannan (MacLeod 46), Devine, Savage, MacIntyre, Allan (Longstaff 73),
Chalmers (Wotherspoon 73), Stewart, Alonge, Bavidge (Zimba 85), B Mckay (Sole 73)
Subs (not used): Ross; Robertson, Willox, MacKinnon
Scorers: B Mckay (6), Bavidge (80), Alonge (90+5)
Booked: Brannan (42), Devine (66)
Sent Off: none
Montrose: 1
Manager: Stewart Petrie
Lineup: Sharp; Williamson (Masson 71), Steeves, Quinn, Dillon, Sutherland (Waddell 83), Sandilands,
Lyons (Loudon 71), Freeman, Stevenson (Brown 71), Gibson (Webster 60)
Subs (not used): Millar; North, Glasgow, Bertie,
Scorers: Sutherland (49 pen)
Booked: Lyons (50), Gibson (54)
Sent Off: none
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