Inverness labour to make a point at Dunfermline.

Inverness came from behind twice and then eventually let the lead slip from their grasp to earn their first point of the season in a six goal thriller at East End Park.

Andy Kirk opened the scoring for the Pars in the first half but Greg Tansey levelled immediately after the break.  Kirk again put the Pars ahead only for Hayes to equalise and then Tansey nodded the visitors in front, but a scorching free kick from Martin Hardie gave the Pars a share of the points in the 90th minute. 

Gregory Tade showed his eagerness to score by knocking Richie Foran's header into the net, unfortunately for Gregory, because he got the last touch on the ball this ruled him offside and the goal was chalked off.  This endeared the big striker more to the Dunfermline fans as he was a target for the boo boys having played for local rivals Raith Rovers last season.

At the end of the day a draw was probably a fair result as the more the game wore on the more Inverness looked to be taking control of the game, but it was Dunfermline that looked the likeliest in the first half and deservedly went in ahead at the interval.  On the plus side for both teams, they both scored goals today and for Inverness it's the first point on the board.

As expected, Aaron Doran took over from Nick Ross and Chris Hogg would start ahead of Tom Aldred at the back pairing up with Ross Tokely.  Tade was again tasked with the job of scoring the goals alongside captain Richie Foran.  Piermayr and Gillet were the wing backs with Hayes, Tudur-Jones, Tansey and Doran the midfielders.  Utility player David Proctor had an unlucky day. He had replaced the injured Kenny Gillet before half time but he was himself replaced by Aldred after taking a knock with an hour played.

Our roving reporter Proctor will have a full match report ready for you when he has time to draw breath after this high scoring tussle.............

6th Aug 2011	East End Park, Dunfermline
Dunfermline	3 - Kirk (26,52), Hardie (90)
	TEAM: Gallacher, Thomson, McCann, Keddie, Potter, Mason (Graham 84), Cardle, Hardie, Burns, Barrowman, Kirk (McDougall 75)
	SUBS: Smith, Dowie, Willis, Thomson, Young
	Booked: Thomson (30), Barrowman (79)
	Sent Off: none
I.C.T.	3 - Tansey (46,83), Hayes (76)
	TEAM: Esson, Tokely, Hogg, Gillet (Proctor 39 (Aldred 60)),  Piermayr, Tudur-Jones, Hayes, Tansey, Foran, Tade, Doran (Ross 74)
	SUBS: Tuffey, A.Shinnie, Morrison, Sutherland
	Booked: Tokely (13), Piermayr (49), Tansey (90)
	Sent Off: none
Referee	Stephen Finnie
Attendance	3378

 Inverness Caledonian Thistle secured their first point in the SPL this season with a six goal thriller against Dunfermline.

The Caley Jags may however be frustrated at their defence, having conceded another last minute goal.

It only took three minutes for Ryan Esson to be tested. The goalkeeper saved a powerful point-blank Andy Barrowman shot following a corner. It was perhaps a sign of things to come.

Esson was kept busy as Cardle slipped a ball wide to Thomson who stung the keepers palms as he beat away the powerful drive from the right side of the box.  Cardle was causing problems and he was denied a scoring touch as Chris Hogg magnificently blocked his attempt from 10 yards with Dunfermline firmly in the driving seat.

Caley Thistle had started slowly. A weak Greg Tansey shot from inside the box was all that challenged Paul Gallacher in the first ten minutes.

It would take until the 25th minute for the Dunfermline keeper to be properly tested. As Gallacher saved a brilliant Greg Tansey free kick, palming away the curling effort; Martin Hardie would show him how to do it properly in the 90th minute.

It wouldn’t be long before the ball was at the other end of the park. Andy Kirk received a pass into the box from former Inverness player Andy Barrowman and slipped it past Ryan Esson to make it one nil.  The Inverness defence badly exposed as weak challenges by Tokely and Hogg let the Pars in on goal.

ICT were forced to make a change 40 minutes in as Kenny Gillet was stretchered off the park. David Proctor came on to replace him. As the half time whistle went The Caley Jags were losing and it looked like it might stay that way.

Half Time 1-0

Inverness equalised just after half time. Quick feet by new signing Greg Tansey saw his shot deflected off Alex Keddie as he turned his back on the shot and the ball looped high into the net. The Scouser’s first competitive goal for the club, thankfully not his last of the game.

The level score was not to last. Several minutes later Andy Kirk headed in a Cardle cross to regain the lead, again the visitors defence were all at sea as Kirk was left isolated when he  nodded home unchallenged from six yards.

Gregory Tade was ruled offside when attempting to tap in a Richie Foran headed chip that was destined for goal in the 67th minute - much to the delight of the Dunfermline fans who mocked Tade all game.  Foran was not best pleased.

Thankfully Jonny Hayes was in the box to score a real poachers effort after the keeper spilled a Tudur-Jones 25 yard effort. Hayes was first to react to slip it past Paul Gallacher.

Nick Ross, who disappointed last week entered the contest and he was unfortunate to see his drifted shot narrowly miss the Pars goal as Inverness were now beginning to turn the screw.

It wouldn’t be long before the visitors would take the lead. In the 82nd minute Greg Tansey scored his second by crashing into the net after Foran had headed the ball back across goal. Tansey was unable to celebrate his goal as he was lying motionless in the Pars net. All it took was a hard slap from Captain Richie Foran to wake him up.

Eight minutes later Martin Hardie was fouled by Chris Hogg about thirty yards out. Hardie took a blistering free kick that Ryan Esson had no chance of saving. For the second week in a row ICT conceded a last minute goal for the Pars to secure a point.

Full Time 3-3

Inverness boss Terry Butcher was delighted to get a point, but he admitted they were lucky to get a point, “I will need a couple of drinks to have a look at that one again, that's for sure. We have been very lucky.” He said.

“We've been nowhere near the standards that we set before, but have got a point out of the game and scored three goals” said Butcher.

Caley Thistle secured their first point and score their first goals, however due to goal difference they still remain bottom of the league. Could they surprise Rangers next week for their first win of the season?

Questions are being asked of the defence, it would appear that Terry Butcher will need to find his full time back four as that is six goals in two away games already, and with Gillet and Proctor struggling for fitness, more changes will be likely for next weeks early kick off against Rangers.