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One down three to go After the disappointment of Saturday's game at Ochilview, we had another opportunity to top the table going into the final three games in League1. After tonight, it's a three game sprint for the title. Could the Caley Jags keep their destiny within their own grasp? Chanka Zimba was available after suspension and he led the line with Calum MacLeod retaining his starting place from the weekend and Billy Mckay missing out again. League1 Player of the Month for March, 17 goal Kieran Shanks will lead the line for Peterhead and Flynn Duffy was back in the starting XI. Inverness were the more prominent around the opposition box with Newman making one tremendous save from an Alonge free kick but he had no chance when Alfie Stewart stepped up thirty yards from goal to whip his free kick right into the top corner to open the scoring. The next best effort was an Alfie Bavidge run into the right side of the box but Newman stood tall to block the ball away. In a great attacking display in the second half we hit the woodwork twice through Robertson and Alonge before Chanka Zimba swept home a Bavidge cross to secure the points. Magnificent result considering what was at stake. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The hosts got the game underway and Inverness went onto the front foot. In the third minute a twenty-five yard free kick from Jordan Alonge was spectacularly pushed out for a corner by Jack Newman. Nothing from the corner but moments later Alfie Bavidge headed goalwards but it lacked power and was easily gathered by Newman. Inverness were dictating the early pace of the game and after ten minutes Calum MacLeod looped a header over when Newman was caught in no mans land. Peterhead's first effort was a shot from Seb Ross that was dragged wide a minute later after some neat footwork around the box. Midway through the half the play had evened out and Munro saved comfortably on the angle from Kieran Shanks. Play was turning a bit scrappy on the fiery surface with the ball bouncing high making control awkward. Newman smothered a dangerous cross into the box in the twenty-fifth minute as it remained goalless and a stabbed passback to Newman went unpunished before Zimba clumsily tried to get a couple of shots away. Munro flopped on a snapshot from Jason Brown as the game moved back to the other end. Munro needlessly gave away a throw in. Why??? Lots of petty fouls littering the game now, but with half an hour gone Bavidge raced clear on a great ball forward by Stewart after he broke down an attack, but Bav went a step or two wide allowing Newman to block his effort from fifteen yards on the right side of the box. We were swarming all round the home box but nobody had the required skill to unlock the defence. Until now. Wow!!! A stunning thirty yard left footer curling free kick from Alfie Stewart opened the scoring five minutes before the break. Pawlett had been pulled back after a late lunging tackle missed his intended target. Wee Alfie only scores screamers, he couldn't have placed it in the net any better had he taken some step ladders and dropped the ball into the net from on the goalline. The visitors were now being flagged offside a few times as the interval approached and it remained the narrowest of advantages at the break thanks to Alfie Stewart's stunning free kick. HALF TIME: 0-1 The Caley Jags should have gone two up in the first minute when Newman palmed the ball to Zimba and on the rebound Bavidge saw his shot blocked in the six yard box before being cleared. Moments later Calum MacLeod saw his shot grabbed by Newman after MacLeod's shot deflected over the keeper but was headed off the line by a defender. We had the ball in the net again but it was flagged by the linesman to deny a second. Fast start to this half from the Highlanders looking to increase their advantage. Jordan Alonge burrowed his way into the box past a number of players but his shot cracked back of the post to deny him a brilliant solo. Great pressure from the visitors and only eight minutes into the half. Bavidge could have scored after latching onto a ball into the box but his low shot rifled across the face of the goal from eight yards on the right. Mitchell Robertson curled a beauty onto the crossbar from twenty-five yards with Newman rooted to the spot and he followed up on his own rebound but his shot swerved a yard wide of the target. How we have not scored at least four goals this half is a mystery. Fear not, it paid off on sixty-seven minutes when Bavidge used his pace wide right to drill a low ball into the box for Zimba to sweep the ball into the net from inside the six yard box. It was another tremendous ball by MotM Alfie Stewart that had set Bavidge on his way. Five subs stemmed the flow of the game and we saw out the last fifteen comfortably in control to go back on top of the table with three games left. FULL TIME: 0-2 Alfie Stewart was TV MotM and no complaints from me after that stunning free kick. He was also part of the assist for the second goal as we played out from the back. Great all round performance that offered little for Peterhead to work with and a result that could have ended up at five or six to the visitors. Top of the league with only three games left for everyone. HAPPY DAYS Goals from BBC ALBA Pos Team Pld Gd Pts 1 ICTFC 33 34 62 2 Stenny 33 22 61 3 Alloa 33 14 50 4 QotS 33 8 49 Inverness CT 62pts THE RUN IN Stenhousemuir 61pts P'Head 0-2 ICTFC 14th April @19:45 STENNY - No ⛔ Game ICTFC v Kelty Hearts 18th April @15:00 Cove v STENNY East Fife v ICTFC 25th April @15:00 STENNY v Alloa ICTFC v Accies 2nd May @15:00 Montrose v STENNY Date: 14/04/2026 Venue: Balmoor Stadium Attendance: 0780 Referee: Joel Kennedy Peterhead: 0 Manager: Jordon Brown & Ryan Strachan Lineup: Newman, Steele, Jason Brown, Kerr (Jack Brown 65), Carnwath (D Strachan 60), Pawlett (M Ross 75), Forrest, Duffy, McGuffie (McGinn 75), Kerr, S Ross, Shanks Subs (not used): McKelvie; Jordan Brown, R Strachan, Jones, James Scorers: none Booked: Steele (36), Jason Brown (70) Sent Off: none Inverness CT: 2 Manager: Scott Kellacher Lineup: Munro: Millen, Devine, Savage, Robertson, Allan, MacLeod (Chalmers 83), Alonge (Sole 76), Stewart (MacKinnon 83), Bavidge (Longstaff 76), Zimba (McIntyre 87) Subs (not used): Ross; Brannan, Wotherspoon, Willox Scorers: Stewart (39), Zimba (67) Booked: Stewart (28), MacLeod (77), Zimba (80) Sent Off: none