More points thrown away

Inverness wasted an opportunity to put pressure on the top of the table after squandering a first half lead through Shane Sutherland. Steven Lawless levelled from the spot in the second half with ten minutes remaining after David Carson was adjudged to have blocked a cross with a flailing arm. Another drab performance after a first half full of promise. No surprise really given recent performances, but frustrating nonetheless.

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Big Changes in the Inverness starting XI today. Injured/ill were Scott Allardice, Aaron Doran, Roddy MacGregor and Billy Mckay. On the bench were new loan faces Sam Pearson and Logan Chalmers with Cammy Harper and Manny Duku returning to the starting line-up. John Hughes had Nikolay Todorov on the bench with Fon Williams in goal and Coll Donaldson in defence. Steven Lawless started up front.

Inverness started the game pressing high and forcing the pace of the game with their hosts struggling to create anything of note.

Despite plenty of possession in the first half, chances were still thin on the ground. With Mckay and Doran missing it was left to goalless striker Manny Duku to try and break his Championship duck.

Easy to see why he hasn't scored this season when after breaking clear on the right, he ran out of puff and tried a shot from a ridiculous angle and distance, the ball trundling goalwards to end the opportunity. 

Five minutes before the break we opened the scoring through a well taken strike from Shane Sutherland. He gambled on a deep cross from Reece McAlear clearing everyone in the box and drilled a first time volley just inside the post from twelve yards. Good goal and just what we needed.

We ended the half on top and stupidly the fans were optimistic ahead of the restart.

HALF TIME: 0-1

It didn't take long for the optimism to dissipate after the break and turn to despair as the Pars realised we had run our race.

It might have been different had Tom Walsh been able to control a volley from the edge of the box, alas it went high over the bar.

But for a point blank save from Mark Ridgers, the Pars should have levelled the game when he blocked an effort by Kevin O'Hara from two yards ten minutes after the break, the keeper getting down early to keep the ball out.

Shane Sutherland might have done better with a header, but it was straight at the keeper and at the other end Coll Donaldson headed just wide as the pressure intensified around the Inverness goal. 

The leveller came from the spot after David Carson blocked a cross with his arm, Steven Lawless rolling in the ball after Ridgers went early. No more than Pars deserved with Inverness going back into their shell.

A tense ending saw Ridgers deny Donaldson as he saved his header but we held on for a point.

FULL TIME 1-1

A very disappointing second half from Inverness after a first half that was full of promise. Maybe Danny Devine going off injured just before the interval decided our tactic for the second half, or maybe Dunfermline just realised they could get something from the game.

That point lifts them off the foot of the table for now, our point puts us in second position when we really should have been knocking on Arbroaths door at the top.

Whatever the reason, the fans are getting somewhat disgruntled as we are without a win in five games now. It does seem like a long time ago that we absolutely thrashed Morton 6-1 on 11th December. Only four points from our last five games, or four points from a possible fifteen. That's not the form of a team going for promotion. Sort it!

The goals

Change the record Billy...

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