Stenhousemuir 1-1 Inverness CT - League 1

Late drama scuppers us

With both sides still having plenty to play for, points were the priority today as the season inched towards a climax. Inverness would have to do it without their talismanic keeper Musa Dibaga with a young Bhoy in goal, Marcus Gill. The last time the sides met, Inverness produced their finest ninety minutes of the season to roast the Warriors 4-1 in the Highlands only half a dozen games ago. However, we have now reached the business end of the season where experience could be crucial to the outcome. The hosts went heavy with their early season attack force and had Yates and Aitken up front with O'Donnell and Alston on the bench. Scott Kellacher was limited in choices and had Gill in goal. There was a welcome return to the bench for Luis Longstaff although it remains to be seen how fit he is after missing the last eight games with a hamstring injury. 

It was goalless at the break with Inverness dominating proceedings but Gill being more involved than Jamieson. News filtered through that Annan were ahead 2-1 against Arbroath reserves which has closed the gap to just one point at the break. He hadn't scored for yonks, but Billy Mckay broke the deadlock with a tremendous strike and threatened on another two or three occasions thereafter. Extra late drama as Stenhousemuir equalised in a scramble with either a Gilmour own goal or a Fisher bundle over the line. Meh!

The result was a blow for ICT who are going to be without first-choice goalkeeper Musa Dibaga for the rest of the season.

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Marcus Gill got his hands on the ball early as he had to stop a Kyle Banner header in the second minute. Charlie Gilmour  took an early knock but continued after treatment fifteen minutes in. However, it was a cagey start from both although the visitors were having the better of the possession and forced a handful of corners without reward. The home keeper cleared a goalbound header from the line after twenty minutes and Adam MacKinnon fired just wide midway through the half before Matty Yates brought Gill back into action when the keeper held his shot comfortably from outside the box. Despite dominating possession, the home keeper had seen little action fifteen minutes before the break with little more of note before the interval.

HALF TIME: 0-0

Luis Longstaff replaced Adam MacKinnon after the interval for his first bit of action since March 1st but it was Kelsey Ewen that had the first effort on target with Gill able to save. Early second half pressure from the Warriors gained them a couple of corners as they looked to put the young Bhoy under pressure. Gilmour was in the wars once more and again received treatment but was able to continue. Well I never! 'He scores when we want' Billy Mckay opened the scoring with a superb strike following an assist from Alfie Stewart as he fired high into the net from the right side, his first goal for three months. Five minutes later Mckay had another effort brilliantly saved in the bottom corner by Jamieson. Mathew Aitken responded bringing out another save from Gill as he parried away the shot superbly and Ross Meechan headed wide as Stenhousemuir's play off position came under threat. Mckay saw Jamieson save again from the reborn striker with twenty minutes left. Meechan was again denied by Gill, saving in the bottom corner as the Warriors upped the pace. Danny Devine headed over from a set piece as we entered the final ten with the game on a knife edge. Stenny threw their whole squad at us in a final fling to try and salvage a point, and it worked. Charlie Gilmour got the obligatory yellow card before a dramatic own goal levelled the game after 90+ minutes with Fisher claiming it although it might go down as an own goal by Gilmour. And that's how it feckin ended. From 8th to 7th and back to 8th as late drama scuppered us.

FULL TIME: 1-1

That was Billy's first goal since January 18th at Annan. With Arbroath fielding a weakened side today against Annan and being humped 5-1, we are now only one point above the play off place although we do have a superior goal difference with Arbroath up here next week and a final game against Montrose incoming.

Embarrassing stuff from the Champions. I wonder if there will be a stewards enquiry. 

The Goals>>>

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