Hero to Zero

Tulloch Caledonian Stadium played hosts for the top of the league clash between Caley Thistle and Hamilton Accies.  After witnessing Hamilton's confident win over Dundee Utd at the start of the week Craig Brewster would have been only too aware of the threat posed by the new boys, but it was a series of small errors culminating in a sclaffed ball by young defender Duff which set up Offiong for the opening goal on the stroke of Half Time.

Despite throwing an extra forward on at half time and sacrificing a defender to go three up front in the final 10 minutes ICT couldn't find an equaliser and the game finished with Hamilton 1-0 victors. 

16th August 2008 - 3.00pm	Tulloch Caledonian Stadium
INVERNESS CALEDONIAN THISTLE FC	0 -
Team: Fraser, Tokely, McGuire, Duff (McAllister, 81), Hastings, Imrie, Duncan (Rooney, 45), Cowie (Wilson,70) , Black, McBain, Barrowman Subs:  Esson, Djebi-Zadi, Gillespie, Wood
HAMILTON ACADEMICAL FC	1 - (Offiong, 45)
Team: Cerny, Stevenson, Swales, McLaughlin, Easton. Graham (Corcoran, 57), McCarthy (Lyle, 91), Neil, McArthur, Mensing, Offiong (Atkins, 57) Subs:  Murdoch, Elebert, Thomas, Sorsa
Referee	S O'Reilly
Attendance	3595
Man of the Match

FROM HERO TO ZERO

Yes, what a difference a week makes. Fighting hard for every ball, telling crosses into the box, great defending and cracking goals. Unfortunately that was last week at Pittodrie. Lets hope our season has not peaked since ending our run of losses against the Dons, for this was poor fare. Hamilton just about deserved to sneak this tight affair, and it took a fresh air swipe by the unfortunate debutant Jamie Duff to ensure that they went down the A9 with all three points.

A tentative opening by both sides resulted in a disappointing scrappy affair. Both teams seemed to settle for a 4-5-1 formation and effectively cancelled each other out. With Grant Munro missing this game through injury, Ross Tokely took the captains armband and Duff played in central defence.

After the highs of last week we are brought crashing back down to earth by a VERY poor display - Kencar

Chances were at a premium for both sides, McBain hit a volley which was easily saved by Tomas Cerny. Hamilton then took the initiative and had a couple of headers that they could have done better with, McGlaughlin and Offiong notably, but the latter was not to be denied right on the stroke of half time when a ball landing near the halfway line out on the touchline should have been cleared by Jamie Duff. Much to the disdain of the home support, the ball sat up and Duff missed it under challenge from Offiong, who then made a beeline for the goals and slotted the ball past Fraser with ease. A well taken goal which sent the 120 or so Hamilton fans into raptures. The same could not be said of the home fans who were stunned into silence and headed for their pies in disbelief. Good to see McGuire consoling a distraught Jamie Duff, but this one hurt and ultimately proved to be the difference between the teams.

We really lacked creativity today and worryingly there wasn't much options on the bench to try and change things! Wilson, when he came on, looked sharper and hungrier than anyone else on the park - RednBlackCameback 

Brewster immediately changed the side, removing Duncan who may be carrying an injury and handing new signing Adam Rooney his first competitive game for ICT. He looks to be a promising player and showed some nice touches but there were no takers for any of his balls into the box. Inverness huffed and puffed, but could not blow the well organised Accies house down. Alex Neil was booked for crunching a strangely subdued Dougie Imrie and it would have been no surprise if he would have been the one to be replaced by Bazza, but the equally ineffective Cowie was the one to come off in 71 minutes.

In truth Inverness could not muster any real attempts on the Hamilton goals and Tokely headed weakly over. Barrowman had one chance he should have done better with, but he could not control the ball in the box and the opportunity was gone. Mike Fraser pulled off a good double save as Hamilton tried to rub further salt into the wounds, although the second attempt was already flagged for offside.

It seems like an eternity ago that we watched our heroes actually having a go, playing attractive attacking flowing football. Come back Pele, all is forgiven!! - Bronson 

Right at the end, Rory who replaced Duff on 81 minutes, had a half chance when he sneaked in unnoticed behind the Accies defence but he maybe never expected the ball to reach him and he headed tamely wide from three yards at the back post. Cerny, and not before time, was booked for wasting time. He infuriated the home fans with his antics of strolling to the opposite side of the box to take every goal kick, however, we are clutching at straws if that was going to save us from defeat for we looked as though we would never score if the ref had added on twenty minutes.

Well done to Accies for continuing their good start to life in the SPL, and hopefully a wee wake up call to last weeks heroes.

Best for Inverness, difficult to see anyone rising above mediocrity, but Tokely certainly put the effort in and is my MotM.