Golly opens our SPL account in Pars win

Another historic day for the club – the first ‘home’ match at Pittodrie, the first SPL goal (from Stuart Golabek) and, most important of all, the first SPL win. 

The players were stung by the negative press coverage of last week’s defeat and they reacted in style to earn a well-deserved victory against the Pars. 

John Robertson made changes with Barry Wilson and Russell Duncan dropping to the bench and Richie Hart and Juanjo starting. In the event Barry Wilson came on in the 23rd minute to replace the injured Steve Hislop. 

Dunfermline had travelled to Iceland in midweek on UEFA Cup business but fatigue was never an excuse – Caley Thistle could, of course, have been the Icelandic travellers if last season’s Scottish Cup semi-final had gone the other way. 

Early shots from Juanjo put pressure on the Pars then Golabek scored a captain’s goal in the 12th minute. His fourth goal for the club came after a run from nearly the halfway line and an angled 20 yard shot – Derek Stillie could only push it onto the far post and watch it bounce into the net. 

Minutes later a Roy McBain curling ball gave Graham Bayne a chance but it came to nothing. Dunfermline began to press and Noel Hunt hit over Mark Brown and the bar. Brown made a number of good stops before the break but in the second half ICT ran the show. 

Half Time: 1-0

The all-important second goal came from Juanjo in 70 minutes. Barry Wilson ran down the right then cut the ball back into the box – it went beyond Juanjo but the Spaniard stretched to hit it past two defenders and Stillie from just outside the six-yard area. 

Full Time: 2-0

The long trip back from the far east was a happy one for the ICT fans.

Inverness CT: 2

Team: Brown, Tokely, McCaffrey, McBain, Golabek, Keogh, Hart, Munro, Juanjo (Prunty 88), Bayne, Hislop (Wilson 23).

Subs Not Used: Fraser, Dods, Duncan, Proctor, Black.

Goals: Golabek (12), Juanjo (70).

Dunfermline: 0 

Team: Stillie, Shields, Scott Wilson, Skerla, Byrne (Darren Young 45), Dempsey, Nicholson, Mason, Scott Thomson, Hunt (Donnelly 71), Brewster (Mehmet 75).

Subs Not Used: Langfield, Lyle, Labonte, McKeown.

Booked: Scott Wilson.

Att: 1,972

Ref: T Brown