El Floppo


Not quite El Kessocko, more like El Floppo as both sides bludgeoned out a pretty drab no scoring draw.  One man did his best to keep the score level and that was the clown that officiated this encounter.  A painted face and a pair of oversize shoes were all that was missing from referee Steve McLean as he went about his routine, culminating in the moment he brought the house down with his antics.  Not giving a penalty was hilarious.  But he topped that by booking the spreadeagled Graham Shinnie to the delight of the watching throng.  Graham now misses the next derby in a fortnight at Inverness.

As expected, Richie Foran made the starting eleven with Nick Ross dropping to the bench and Gary Warren returned at centre back, partnered by Josh Meekings with Devine dropping out.  For County, Michael Fraser was a late replacement for Mark Brown in goals.

A packed Global Energy Stadium and a perfect day for football saw the game kick off with the fans in fine fettle and singing voices well lubricated in the pre-match boozers, the Mallard being well full before the Steve McLean show started.

To be honest, I don't have a lot to tell you about.  We seemed to play the better quality football, but once more the cutting edge was blunt, County quite content to hit on the counter, a style which suits them down to a tee.

Villain of the piece Ian Vigurs was first to threaten, taking on Raven but Gary Warren intervened as he tried to shoot. Josh Meekings charged down a Paul Lawson shot with County claiming for hand ball, nothing doing.

Billy McKay was inches away from connecting with a Richie Foran cross as Inverness looked the more likely to make the breakthrough, but defences were on top.

David Raven came to the rescue as he headed a thumping netbound shot from Oikonomou away to safety and Inverness responded when Ross Draper saw his effort cleared off the line.

Enter the clown as he rightly booked Ian Vigurs for unceremoniously upending Raven, then he also booked Raven for being fouled; what the!    This sparked a bit of posturing on the touchline, get back in yer box Derek, as Terry and Derek exchanged niceties, 1-0 to Terry.

Half Time 0-0

The second forty five was similar to the first, once more few clear chances. Andy Shinnie tried his best with a mazy run at the County defence but his lack of pace saw him run out of legs as Munro mopped up the attack and at the other end Kovacevic nearly did a 'Gasgoine' as he flicked the ball up and over Shinnie, but his shot just missed Esson's right hand post.  Good effort by the full back though.  His next effort was wide of the mark as County began to assert themselves more but the Inverness defence held firm and the game had nil nil written all over it long before the end.

Hilarity erupted when Oikonomou felled Graham Shinnie as he burst into the box with the punch line following thereafter; a booking for the prostrate Shinnie, my sides were sore laughing .........NOT!

Tudur-Jones thought he was Messi as he skirted round the County defence.  It turned out he was messy as his attempted curler went high and wide, as did Brittain's effort late in the game.

Full Time 0-0

So, much ado about nothing really.  The game itself was a bit disappointing although at 0-0 it had enough to keep you interested.  That's five blank sheets County have had in a row during their now 10 match unbeaten run. Steve McLean saw to it that they kept their run going but in all honesty both sides could have played for a week and not scored.  Let's hope the game in Inverness has some added value to it.

tm4tj MotM:- Another tough call on this, but it has to go to either Garry Warren or Josh Meekings who were rock solid at the back.  Andy Shinnie showed again he is peerless in terms of quality, just an extra half a yard would see him and us benefit. So, on his return to action it has to be oooooh, Gary Warren.

All to do again on the 16th, and the Highlands are still ours until then, and County remain in our shadow, just.  You can hear the seethe already.

2nd Mar 2013	Scottish Premier League	Global Energy Stadium, Dingwall
Ross County	0 -
	TEAM: Fraser, Kovacevic, Ikonomou, Boyd, Munro, Sproule (Wohlfarth 88), Brittain, Lawson, Quinn, Vigurs, Morrow (Glen 66)
	SUBS: McCarthy, Hainault, Cooper, MacPhee, Ross
	Booked: Vigurs (30)
	Sent Off: none
Inverness C.T.	0 -
	TEAM: Esson, Raven, G Shinnie, Warren, Meekings, Doran (Ross 57), Draper, Tudur Jones, Foran (Taylor 64), A Shinnie, McKay
	SUBS: Reguero, Sutherland, Polworth, Pepper, Devine
	Booked: Raven (30), G.Shinnie (79)
	Sent Off: none
Referee	Steven McLean
Attendance	5959