The Seethe, Episode Five, Series one


Poor Derek.  Everybody is against him.  Even Richard Brittain has had enough and Neil Lennon is now a Saint judging by Derek Adams' gait.  According to Derek we will be disappointed to win the game like that.  Aye Derek, we are absolutely gutted!  

Not content with stating his displeasure about this derby day, he is still harking on about the last one.  In fact, he is still seething from the cup game.  Derek Derek, get over it man, the Highlands are ours, and by virtue of completing three wins over your team this season, then it's official that we now get to keep County.  Try this number 08457 909090

This game was settled on the hour by a Billy McKay penalty.  No question about the decision, but Derek saw it differently.  Andy Shinnie had opened the scoring as early as the fifth minute and Paul Lawson replied after thirty-five minutes with a superb strike which saw an unsighted Esson clutching at thin air.

It was always going to be a tight affair and a draw looked the best bet, but we just shaded it, especially in the second half when County were found wanting and in truth we could have picked them off but for some counter attacks breaking down all too easily.

Billy McKay looked lively early on and his impeccable twists and turns almost paid dividends but Fraser was equal to the first one, beating away the ball as McKay turned Munro, the next ones his efforts were misdirected.

Not too much to get over excited about really as the game, like the last one, turned a bit scrappy with defences on top.  None of the three keepers had much to do.  Reguero replacing Esson before half time after Ryan pulled up with a recurring niggle.

My MotM was Richie Foran, and yes, he does make County look *****

Guest reporter I M Seething from Shadowlands has a tidy report for us.

Well there you are. The last scheduled derby of the season and Ross County have yet to win one. They might feel hard done by, they might feel as if the fates were against them, but Inverness deserved this.

The missing Shinnie (G) was replaced by Charlie Taylor as Inverness opened with a pace that threatened to flatten County. 5 minutes in and a Taylor corner was knocked on by Foran. Whilst Fraser and his defence dithered, Andrew Shinnie slotted the goal from less than a yard out. Not bonny, but the Inverness support cared not a jot, at least until later in the half.

Billy McKay looked in the mood as he could have made it two, twisting and turning in the box before shooting narrowly wide. Doran could have added to the total but things stayed the same for half an hour until a free kick from Vigurs was knocked to Lawson. Whilst we looked at him, he dispatched a curling effort past Esson to equalise. Ryan must have been well hacked off at this point, because the next thing was that he was well, carted off. He seemed to pull a muscle and after a quick “hola!” Antonio Reguero appeared for a somewhat unexpected day at work.

Half Time 1-1

The second half started well for Inverness, mainly due to the withdrawal of the pestilential Sproule, replaced by the altogether more lumbering Wolfarth. Iain Brines began to struggle a bit in maintaining control as the usual derby tackles began to fly in, but his main and enduring contribution to this game came in 58 minutes as Taylor cut in from the left and drove into the county penalty box. A sliding challenge by Kovacevic contacted Taylor first and he collapsed faster than Lehman’s bank. Dramatic? Yes. Penalty? Yes. Once the ball was handed to Billy McKay and the referee had sorted out the earnest discussion on the merits of the award, the outcome was never in doubt.

County huffed and puffed, substituting Munro for Glen to give them perhaps the most immobile front line in the SPL, but they could do nothing. Bookings arrived for Kettlewell, Lawson (who was lucky it wasn’t red) and Vigurs for one girn too many.

Of course no Highland derby would be complete without the now customary ill grace that Derek Adams shows.   Give it up Derek, your club’s better than that.

Full Time 2-1

Thanks for that Mr Seething, much appreciated.

And by 2:00pm on Sunday, we had cemented out Top-Six place after Dundee and Dundee United played out a 1-1 draw which ensured United could not displace us at the split.

Congratulations to all at ICT