Kings of Queens

QotS went ahead early through Willie McLaren but a double from Adam Rooney and a goal from Grant Munro seals all three points for ICT 

CaleyD summed up after the game, and a few drams:

COME ON THE CALEY JAGS!!!!

What a fecking day, great company, great result for C*unty, great result for the FAMOUS ICT, and a few drams back in the Innes (maybe slightly more than a few) before finally getting home about 5 minutshh ago. hic!

Not the hottest performance ever, but much like Morton the boys did what needed to be done and the 3 goals were all well taken. I'm not sure I have ever seen a header scored with such ferocity and pace...not only was I surprised it never burst the net, but feck knows how it never burst Munros head!!!! He could well be down a few IQ points after that, but absolutely phenomenal.

Rooney looked knackered after scoring his second, and who could forgive him for a moment of "fer feck sake guys, I've scored two, will someone please blow the full time whistle" as he, yet again, ran himself ragged from start to finish.

Credit to Queens, the set out with a plan to stop us playing football and give us as little time on the ball as possible and it was as effective as anyone has been against us this side of Christmas....but we wanted the win more than them and I believe nothing was going to stop us getting it.

An emosh Johndo told this tale: In some ways I felt very sad as the final whistle blew. The sight of Butcher and all the players swopping appraise with the fans said it all but I simply love Dumfries and I love Palmerston and it is beginning to look as if it will not be on my travel itinerary next season. And strangely enuff I felt quite buoyed by the Tinkerville victory and it felt that the two of us could put Highland football firmly back on the map again.

Pre match it was like a meeting of feckin nations in the wee main Stand bar as Sneckites from Yorkshire, Brum, Coventry, Huddersfield and a newbie from Newcastle ALL bought me wee double voddies.  

As fer the game the nervousness of Tuesday night was clearly evident and led to the Queens nicking a goal early doors. Palmerston has never really been a great hunting ground fer us and some worried frowns were there to be seen. But credit to the boys as the goal actually seemed to wake them up and spur them on and personally I felt that we were the far better side from there on.

It would have been worse if it hadn't been for Rosscoe's goal line clearance just before the goal and Esson's later positional sense. Their keeper Fox made two stunning saves - both from Eric I think - but we kept on plugging away and Foran and Rooney combined to bring us back level just before the break. Another example of the goal finishing prowess of Rooney.

I felt that we dominated the second half. Munro perhaps should have scored although he evidently made up for it later. But Lady Luck was also shining on us yesterday. Craig was taken off injured, it looked like Queens had taken the lead when Kean smashed in a diving header but was ruled offside. Talking to the Queenies afterwards they did concede that he was offside which it didn't look like that from the other end. The ref certainly got a bit cheesed off with the Queenie back chat and started giving most of the decisions to us. Even Russeldhino noticed and was keeping his gob shut !!

I would have to say that Granty's header was as good a headed goal as I have seen in some time - it didn't have smash in to the top corner - and he ran to his family afterwards and the ICT stand erupted. As far as I am concerned there was only one winner after that.

And Lady Luck struck again when the ref handed Harris a straight red for what was quite clearly a yellow card offence - Johnny Hayes was going nowhere when he was albeit cynically chopped down. I though that Harris's attempt to make a meal of an injury to himself may have influenced the decision. I actually thought a few of the Queenies heads went down after that.

The third goal was the relief maker and ecstasy producer. Foran, who had been struggling with a leg injury, fired through a wonderful defence splitting ball and Rooney used up the very last of his energy cells ponced on it and cracked home yet another beauty - comparative with the Morton game.

from BBC Sport

Inverness took a step closer to returning to the Scottish Premier League but they had to fight all the way against 10-man Queen of the South.

Willie McLaren put Queens ahead after 10 minutes when he cut inside to hit the ball past Ryan Esson.

Adam Rooney pulled the visitors level before the break and set up Grant Munro for the Highlanders' second.

Queens defender Bob Harris was red carded for his challenge on Jonny Hayes before Rooney scored again late on.

Terry Butcher's side are now two wins away from claiming the First Division title.

Ross Tokely headed a Paul Burns effort off the line after six minutes as Queens started strongly.

Manager Kenny Brannigan had moved McLaren from the left to the right and, after Rocco Quinn played a great ball through to the winger, he showed he could play on either side as he cut in to fire past Esson at the near post.

Queens keeper Scott Fox pulled off two terrific saves to deny Eric Odhiambo, the first with his feet after 21 minutes and then a great one-handed save two minutes later.

Stewart Kean then had a great chance to extend Queens' lead as he chased down a long ball from Harris but, after holding off his marker, he shot over.

On the half-hour mark, Fox made another one-handed save, this time to turn away a header from Rooney.

Rooney eventually got on the scoresheet four minutes before the break. Richie Foran sprinted away from the Queens defence and cut the ball across from the by-line for Rooney to fire into the net from inside the six-yard box.

video part 1

Queens were up for it again after the restart, Quinn, Kean and McLaren all with chances.

Kean did have the ball in the net on the hour mark but the offside flag went up on the far side.

Munro received Rooney's pass to edge Inverness into the lead on 67 minutes.

With 18 minutes remaining, Harris challenged Hayes in front of the Queens dugout and, after treatment, both players got back to their feet and referee Charlie Richmond showed the defender a straight red card.

Inverness took advantage of the extra man with Rooney adding to his goal tally with two minutes left.

video part 2