Edging closer

Billy McKay rescued a point for Inverness with a late header to edge us closer to the top six finish that has eluded us for a few years now.  John Baird scored his fourth goal in the last eight matches to set the ball rolling as Dundee looked to claw back the points towards safety, but neither club could fashion out a winner and the draw was seen as a fair result overall.  Gary Warren came close with a header cleared off the line and Andy Shinnie smacked the bar but there was little hope of another four goals coming our way as we stutter towards the split.

A couple of early pitch inspections were required before this game got the go-ahead, and the reason for that became apparent as the game progressed, the pitch being very heavy and cutting up quickly.

Richie Foran started on the bench as did Nick Ross.  Graeme Shinnie was pushed further forward with Charlie Taylor at full back in his first start.  Dundee, buoyed by their win over St Mirren in midweek had left our Nemesis Colin Nish on the bench with former Raith Rovers striker John Baird the man on form up front.

Inverness started brightest and Shinnie and Doran set up McKay, but the cross was just too high for the wee man and his header went wide.

On form John Baird raised the Dundee expectations with an excellent twenty yard strike as he cracked the ball past Esson on the end of a slick four man move, Ryan Conroy being the final provider.

This goal perked Dundee up and Nicky Riley fired a shot narrowly over from twenty yards.

Centre back come goal scorer Gary Warren almost equalised but his header was desperately cleared off the line twice as the Dee's defence scrambled the ball to safety, ooooohhh.

Birmingham target (allegedly) Andy Shinnie was out of luck as he saw his dipping shot from distance beat Rab Douglas but cannon back off the crossbar, great effort from him though.

Inverness were having the better of the first half in every way apart from the scoreline and frustration was beginning to show on and off the park.  The visitors dugout felt the wrath of Terry as he Butchered the perspex cover after another move stuttered to a halt around the half hour, his displeasure available for all to see.    That was a warning for his own players that the half time chat was going to be colourful.

Baird almost scored his second of the day, but Esson blocked his point-blank effort although I'm not sure he knew much about it after Riley had swung in a strikers dream cross.  Dundee were dangerous on the counter seemingly able to cut open the Inverness defence at times, but it was the visitors who were creating and controlling most of the play without troubling Douglas, and this was riling Terry.

Half Time 1-0

Whatever Butcher said at half time, it never worked unless he asked them to let Dundee control the pace.  Riley was once more causing us problems with his pace and trickery and Doran was trying his best at the other end.

Billy McKay caused some panic in the Dundee defence but he was crowded out and the ball was eventually gouged clear by a mortified defence.

Esson had to be at his best to tip an Iain Davidson back head flick over the bar from a Conroy corner, and at the opposite end, Owain Tudur-Jones bobbled a ball towards Douglas but he might have got a fingertip to it and it went round the post.

However, the goal was coming and when Jones hit a ball long, Foran gathered it and fed Graeme Shinnie who flighted a ball to the far post where Billy McKay made ground to nod past a helpless Douglas.  Good build up, good goal.

Both sides tried to win the game in the last ten minutes but there was no further scoring and a point each was a fair result.

Full Time 1-1

This was never going to be the same outcome as the previous two fixtures this season.  Both sides will see this as a couple of points dropped rather than a point gained.  Probably the result that neither wanted, but for us it's a point closer to the top six finish, but we do seem to be doing this the hard way recently.  Good to see Billy McKay scoring again and he will be crucial in our run in to the split.

David Raven is leading the way in the MotM votes for this one, and Ross Draper gets some good reviews online for his endeavour.

9th Mar 2013	Scottish Premier League	Dens Park, Dundee
Dundee	1 - J Baird 13
	TEAM: Douglas, Irvine, Toshney, Grassi, Easton, Riley, Davidson, McAlister, Conroy, Harkins, Finnigan (85), Baird
	SUBS: A Baird, Benedictus, Gallagher, McBride, Nish, Stewart
	Booked: Easton, Davidson
	Sent Off: none
Inverness C.T.	1 - McKay 83
	TEAM: Esson, Raven, G Shinnie, Warren, Meekings,Jones, Doran, (Foran 72), Draper, McKay, A. Shinnie, Taylor, (Ross 58)
	SUBS: Reguero, Polworth, Gibbons, Devine, Sutherland
	Booked: G Shinnie, Foran
	Sent Off: none
Referee	Craig Thomson
Attendance	4114