Scotty

Vigurs has last laugh Motherwell proved too strong for Inverness as they went second in the League with a 2-1 victory at the expense of our hopes of climbing higher in the table. Goals from Henri Anier and Iain Vigurs meant that Ryan Christie's first senior goal was not enough to earn a point for Inverness, who took too long to transfer the ball from back to front allowing Motherwell to break up our attacks with ease. Once more, it was too little too late from the home players who sent the fans home disgruntled and frustrated by our lack of urgency until it was too late. Ryan Esson replaced Dean Brill in goal and Liam Polworth started along with Carl Tremarco and Danny Devine with Graeme Shinnie pushed into midfield. Meekings, Doran and Foran missed out and Billy McKay ploughed a lone furrow up front as usual. Another chilled night and stiff breeze welcomed the players onto the park with around 80-100 Motherwell fans making the effort in a crowd of around 2360. Little of note happened in the early exchanges but Motherwell held the ascendency as Inverness frustrated their own fans with a lack of imagination and forward drive, finding it easier to turn across the park or pass back into defence, even from good forward positions and this was not going down well with our own fans. Esson dealt well with a Vigurs free kick from the Well right, punching the ball well clear of trouble and comfortably gathered a long range effort from the same player who was looking to silence the boo boys in the home crowd. Graeme Shinnie is the one player that can't be accused of lingering on the ball and he drove at the Well box before unleashing a powerful shot which was deflected just wide. However, it was the visitors that were dictating the pace of the game and Esson palmed away a vicious swirling shot from Reid. It would not be long before they took the lead. A weak left footed cross from Raven was easily mopped up by the Well defence and three passes later a long ball from Kerr found Henri Anier muscling his way into the box and he clipped his shot in off the post from 18 yards to open the scoring, not against the run of play you have to say. Half Time 0-1 Vigurs ruffled the top of the net with a free kick early in the second half with a curling shot from 25 yards which had Esson scrambling across his line. Watkins introduction gave us more directness along with Christie and the passes became crisper with more purpose, Tremarco finding plenty space on the left wing. Greg Tansey rattled the post high up with a brilliant shot from range with Neilson beaten. Draper was having another solid game for the hosts and when he fed a ball forward to the edge of the Well box, Ryan Christie picked up the loose change and dug the ball out from under his feet brilliantly. His half volley finding the bottom corner of the net from 25 yards, his first goal for the big side, and a beauty it was too. Inverness now looked the likeliest to go on and win the game and a Shinnie cross was almost directed into the Well net, but Neilson was well placed to gather with McKay lurking with intent at the near post. But, the aforementioned Iain Vigurs had the last laugh. Route one seemed to be the order of the day for the Steelmen and when another long ball was launched out of their own box, three one-two's later between Moore and Vigurs saw the latter nonchalantly stroke the ball beyond Esson with he outside of his left peg to nick the points. Harsh on Inverness who had started to take the game to Well in search of their second home league win under Hughes, but caught out twice by the long ball. Full Time 1-2 A win that all but finishes Inverness' season bar the away game on Friday night in Dingwall, but for Motherwell it's second place for now and another top finish for McCall's side in prospect. tm4tj MotM:- Another sterling performance from big Drapes, with one bone shaker of a tackle that could be felt in the main stand. Great introduction for Christie though and cracking goal. Moan of the Match:- Our reluctance to take the ball forward, always looking to go square or backwards was really getting on the fans wick. Yogi needs to address this sharpish and get the fans back onside or it is going to be a long pre-season coming up. Date: 01.04.2014 Venue: Caledonian Stadium Attendance: 2366 Referee: Craig Thomson Inverness CT: 1 Lineup: Esson, Raven (Watkins 66), Shinnie, Vincent, Warren, Mckay, Draper, Devine, Tansey, Tremarco, Polworth (Christie 60) Subs (not used): Brill, Ross, Williams, Evans Scorers: Christie (74) Booked: none Sent Off: none Motherwell: 2 Lineup: Neilson, Reid (Francis-Angol 46), Hammell, Hutchinson, McManus, Sutton, Vigurs, Lasley, Kerr, Anier (Moore 67), Leitch (Cadden 87) Subs (not used): Stewart, Murray, Ainsworth, Thomas Scorers: Anier (40), Vigurs (82) Booked: Vigurs (41), Sutton (56), Hutchinson (75) Sent Off: none

Buddie Hell Inverness and St Mirren played out a 2-2 draw on a brisk Spring afternoon. The visitors took the lead soon after the start and the home fans feared the worst but they went in at half time ahead. It was a lead they could not build on and the Saints equalised with Inverness playing the final twenty five minutes with ten men. It was a bright afternoon, but don't cast yer cloot till May is oot. A biting North East wind and a pitch more suited to playing kerbie killed any hopes of watching a classic encounter. Ryan Christie and Liam Polworth started for Inverness who had Doran and Foran out. St Mirren stunned the home fans after only three minutes when slackness allowed Naismith to rattle the ball home from close range following a driven cross from John McGinn, David Raven seemingly getting the final touch. That hurt the home fans and it was looking grim as St Mirren kept the early pressure around the Inverness area and our defence seemingly never learned the harsh lesson from Tannadice by passing the ball back to Brill on a hard and bumpy surface, not the best option if you ask me. After ten minutes Chris Dilo tipped over a powerful header from Meekings as Inverness looked for a way back into the match. A goal was coming and it came from the head of Ross Draper when Shinnie played a deep cross for the big midfielder to nod home. This one as I thought at the time might go down as an own goal with Draper reluctant to accept the plaudits, rather sheepishly celebrating the fact the defender probably scored it. Oh well! Billy McKay can't buy a goal just now and he passed up a glorious chance to put Inverness ahead. Slack defending on the half way line saw McKay sprint clear with only the keeper to beat. But Billy scores when he wants, unfortunately he didn't want to do it yesterday and the wee striker sclaffed his shot high and wide to put the home fans back in their seats holding their heads in utter dismay. I believe a nasty wee bobble was the reason for the error. McKay bounced back though and he set up Greg Tansey with a header from Polworth's cross for Greg to fire Inverness ahead from ten yards with a low drive. This was a brilliant move involving the boys in blue and set up nicely for Tansey to score. It was a somewhat towsy affair not helped by the pitch and the swirling wind and Inverness went in at the break nursing their lead. Half Time 2-1 The quality in the first half was low, and the second half was probably even poorer with the surface playing havoc, but Shinnie tried his luck just after the break but his shot missed narrowly. Nick Ross replaced Greg Tansey after he went down injured and that seemed to give St Mirren the urge to try and create more with Inverness almost content to hold what we had. The game was opening up now and just after the hour St Mirren equalised after our defenders rode their luck a bit. Sean Kelly headed high past a helpless Brill. Our run of red cards continued. Josh Magennis powered forward and Josh Meekings had little alternative but to bring him down just outside the box as the burly Buddie burst goalwards. Willie Collum saw that as a foul and last man challenge and promptly sent off Meekings. Down to ten men the game looked beyond us now and St Mirren sensed a welcome three points were on offer. Nick Ross almost stole it for us after a scramble in the box, but the ball would just not fall for us. Dean Brill has been the butt of some joke keeping recently but he saved the day late in the game with a tremendous block to keep the game level and that's how it finished. Full Time 2-2 A bitterly cold afternoon with the wind chill and bumpy pitch ensuring that defenders had to be on their toes. A big well done to Brill who got on with the job today despite some edgy back passes early on, maybe that was the plan. Willie Collum is off most peoples Xmas cards list, for reasons I will keep to myself. tm4tj MotM:- Is going to Ross Draper. The big man did plenty of grafting yesterday and popped up to nod a goal into the bargain. Solid display from Ross who held the midfield together in the absence of Foran. Moan of the match for me was Vincent remaining on the pitch when substitutions were being made, I thought he was a prime candidate for being replaced. Note to Yogi; he is not a winger. Date: 29.03.2014 Venue: Caledonian Stadium Attendance: 3032 Referee: Willie Collum Inverness CT: 2 Lineup: Brill, Raven, Shinnie, Vincent, Warren, Meekings, Mckay (Watkins 71), Draper, Tansey (Ross 50), Polworth, Christie (Devine 68) Subs (not used): Esson, Tremarco, Williams, Evans Scorers: Draper (16), Tansey (34) Booked: none Sent Off: Meekings (67) St Mirren: 2 Lineup: Dilo, McGregor, Goodwin, McGinn (McAusland 49), Thomson, McLean, Campbell (Magennis 63), Kelly, Naismith, Newton, Wylde (Teale 63) Subs (not used): Mathers, Van Zanten, Reilly, Djemba-Djemba Scorers: Naismith (3), Kelly (62) Booked: McAusland (73) Sent Off: none