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ST MIRREN 1-1 ICT Craig Dargo scores in the first half and John Sutton equalises in the second as the spoils are shared at Love Street. Caley Thistle Club Historian, Ian Broadfoot reports on the game.
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| 28th October 2006 | Love Street, Paisley |
| ST MIRREN | 1 (Sutton 64) |
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Team: Bullock, Millen, McGowne, Broadfoot, van Zanten, Brittain, Murray , Sutton, Lappin, Mehmet (Kean 59), Reid (Burke 59) Subs: Brady, Molloy, Mackay, McKenna & Smith |
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| INVERNESS CALEDONIAN THISTLE FC | 1 (Dargo 34) |
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Team: Brown, Tokely, Dods, Munro, Hastings, Wilson (Hart 70), Duncan, Rankin, McBain, Bayne (McAllister 87), Dargo Subs: McCaffrey, Wyness, Soane, Sutherland & Fraser |
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| Referee | M Tumilty |
| Attendance | 4432 |
| Man of the Match | info not supplied |
It is a sign of the times that Caley Thistle came into this match as favourites and went home disappointed with a draw. Saints had taken all three points in Inverness on the opening day of the season but the visitors were now the form team.
It all started brightly for Caley Thistle, and they took a first half lead through Craig Dargo, but as time went on they were forced onto the back foot. Saints’ pressure led to an equaliser but after that the defence held firm and the 1-1 draw extended the unbeaten SPL run to seven matches.
Ian Black started his two-match suspension and Russell Duncan won the battle to replace him in midfield. Youngster Stuart Soane took a bench spot but otherwise the starting line-up matched the one that beat Falkirk last week.
Graham Bayne nearly gave the visitors a first minute lead with a 20 yard shot but it flew past the far post with ‘keeper Tony Bullock nowhere. John Sutton was a constant threat for the Buddies and in eight minutes Grant Munro did well to block as he shot goalwards.
Veteran Andy Millen should have done better for the home side in 16 minutes when he took a Billy Mehmet cut-back and somehow hit off target from little more than six yards.
In 28 minutes a long Mark Brown kick-out was flicked by Dargo into the path of Barry Wilson - he ran on and lobbed Bullock from the edge of the area but it went wide.
Caley Thistle took the lead in 34 minutes when Duncan took the ball off Hugh Murray in the centre circle and found Wilson on the right - his cross deflected off Millen to Dargo and the striker celebrated his 50th appearance for the club by sending a tremendous shot past Bullock for his fifth SPL goal of the season.
Half Time: 0-1
Caley Thistle had held their lead up to and after half time then a double substitution in 59 minutes gave St Mirren fresh impetus and set up strong pressure on the visitors’ defence. Stewart Kean and Alex Burke replaced Alan Reid and Billy Mehmet with Saints playing three up front.
The pressure paid off in 65 minutes after a free kick was cleared for a corner and Simon Lappin’s curling kick into the box from the right was headed home by Sutton.
While Saints continued to push forward it was not all one-way traffic and in 69 minutes Roy McBain and Dargo combined to set up John Rankin, but his shot deflected off Wilson for a goal kick. Richie Hart came on to replace Wilson and provide fresh legs for the final 20 minutes.
David van Zanten hit wide of Brown’s goal in 77 minutes and the same player shot over the bar with a minute left. Otherwise little troubled the Caley Thistle goal and Brown dealt comfortably with anything that reached him.
In the dying seconds substitute Rory McAllister became the fifth ICT player to be booked in a game that was anything but dirty.
Full Time 1-1
It ended with honours even and Caley Thistle moved back up to fourth place – a spot they held last week for 24 hours.
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