Ach well, It was good while it lasted....


Inverness got the obligatory bums rush from St Johnstone, but this time with goals aplenty. Not having scored at Perth in the last four games, we kept that dismal record going, but unfortunately, St Johnstone read the wrong script and battered us stupid scoring twice in each half.

I suppose this has been coming for a week or two, our last few away games being somewhat fortuitous, but it's still hard to take. It was more than sufficient to knock us off our lofty perch and put us back in our box, but with Motherwell and Aberdeen both losing, we still cling on to second spot.

As Kirishima alluded to in the preview, hot property Stevie May was one to watch and he didn't disappoint, scoring the opener and having a hand in all four goals. Inverness suffered further disappointment prior to kick off with the news that David Raven would miss out along with James Vincent, but take
nothing away from a rampant Perth side who scored further goals through Dave Mackay and a Steve Maclean double.

Not a happy hunting ground for Inverness and so it turned out to be. Danny Devine went in at right back and youngster Liam Polworth got a start ahead of Toby Agdestein. If we think our club struggles to get fans through the door, then McDiarmid Park is even worse with a meagre 3020 turning up to witness St Johnstone at their best.

Aaron Doran had the first attempt firing an angled ball across the face of the goal after a long throw-in bounced across the box, but there were no takers and at the other end Dean Brill was just that as he clawed away a close range effort from MacDonald right on the line with Saints players claiming for a goal, tremendous save.

A relatively even first fifteen minutes was ended as Stevie May showed his potential sliding home a MacDonald cross to open the scoring, not sure about his goal celebration though.

Number two followed nine minutes later as St Johnstone began to dominate the game. Neat interplay in the final third saw Dave Mackay running onto a May feed and he knocked the ball calmly behind Brill; 2-0 and counting.

Wotherspoon made Brill work from a free kick before half-time but he saved comfortably and the sides changed ends with Inverness trailing for the first time this season.

Half Time 2-0

One would have expected a few changes at the break as Inverness' tactics were simply ineffective with Polworth being left exposed by his more experienced team mates and the dreaded long ball was getting even longer by the second, poor Billy chasing shadows all afternoon. One team certainly needed to up their game and that is what happened.

Unfortunately it was the home side that went through the gears and it was now Brill against the rest, the big stopper doing his best to keep the score down. Hasselbaink fired one towards the top corner which Brill did well to save and Doran did bring out the best in Mannus as he equalled some of Brills brilliance pushing the Inverness man's thirty yard drive over the bar.

However, Stevie May was now the greater influence on events and he was ripping Inverness apart with his pace and power bringing out even more saves and close shaves at the visitors end. He was unlucky with a curling effort that went just wide after he cut inside the defender and Deano also kept out a couple of other attempts.

May drove forward and played a great ball into the feet of Steve Maclean on the edge of the box. He was maybe fortunate that Brills' vision was blocked by two defenders, but he rifled a low drive beyond the keeper to ensure that Inverness were not getting back into this game, 3-0 and coasting.

With ten minutes to go the hammering was complete. May made a mockery of suggestions that Graeme Shinnie is due a Scotland cap as he teased and danced round him out wide and when his ball came into the box Maclean had the simplest of tasks to prod the ball home.

There endeth the scoring but Inverness had to endure a long ten minutes before being relieved of their embarrassment.

Full Time 4-0

Oh dear, where do you start. It appears that Butcher's tactics away from home have been brought to task by some disgruntled fans and over the last few away games maybe there is a case to answer. You can't argue with our tremendous start to the season, but there is a lot of points still to be played for. It would be a shame if our season ended here in Perth once more as bogey boys St Johnstone once more hold the Indian sign over Inverness, and on this display they look like keeping that record for another season.

Dean Brill was a standout as he battled bravely to stem the tide and was undoubtedly our best player. He had to be. However, you can't take it away from St Johnstone and in Stevie May they had the outstanding player on the park and would have been my MotM.

With results going better elsewhere, Inverness drop to second place and let's hope that this was just a shocking day at the office and not the onset of a burst bubble.
 

Scorers: May (18), McKay (27), MacLean (73, 82)
Booked: MacLean (76)
Sent Off: none
 
Inverness CT: 0
Lineup: Brill, Devine, Shinnie, Warren, Meekings, Doran, Draper, Polworth (Agdestein 75), Foran (Williams 89), Ross (Watkins 70), McKay
Subs (not used): Esson, Greenhalgh, Tremarco, Cooper
Scorers: none
Booked: Foran (56), Doran (62)
Sent Off: none