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Joy at Jamboland: On Thursday Hearts sought a postponement of this fixture due to a flu epidemic sweeping Tynecastle. With two free Saturdays looming Caley Thistle wanted to avoid another rearranged match so were keen to play. The SPL refused the request and the match went ahead. Craig Brewster came back from injury for ICT with Graham Bayne reverting to the bench. John Robertson's weakened side played some neat passing football, and defended well for most of the game, but never troubled Mark Brown. A rare Hearts first half effort came in eight minutes when former Caley Thistle favourite Dennis Wyness shot high and wide from 22 yards. Juanjo tried an overhead kick at the other end but it went well wide. In 12 minutes Stuart Golabek sent a cross from the left towards the back post and Roy McBain headed powerfully goalwards. Craig Gordon was nowhere and Hearts were only saved by a fine Andy Webster goal-line clearance. Wyness set up Joe Hamill in 24 minutes but his early rising shot cleared the bar. Most of the first half was rather disjointed but things improved after the break. Half Time: 0-0 Wyness headed just over in 53 minutes with the home fans on their feet thinking it was in, but it was Caley Thistle who took the lead two minutes later. Not for the first time Juanjo was fouled on the right and Richie Hart took the free kick. Darren Dods rose high above a static defence to head home his first goal for the club. Hearts nearly equalised a minute later when Ross Tokely's attempted clearance skidded onto the top of the bar and over for a corner. Tokely redeemed himself seconds later with a fine block as Christophe Berra prepared to shoot. It was all over in 72 minutes when Barry Wilson chased a loose ball across the Hearts box and Gordon brought him down. Gordon saw yellow and Wilson hit the resultant penalty past the offending keeper to seal the points. The Hearts fans started to leave and their team spent the rest of the game on the back foot. Caley Thistle were content to play possession football over the final period. Wyness did have a sight of goal in 81 minutes but he hit it straight through to Brown. A Duncan lob into the Hearts box a minute later was taken by Gordon ahead of substitute Bryan Prunty. Full Time: 0-2 In added time Liam Fox made a good run through the middle but hit it too far and Gordon collected. A fine three points, eighth place maintained, seventh place in sight, undefeated in six SPL games, eleven points clear of bottom club Dundee United and all looking good. Celtic up next. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Hearts: 0 Team: Gordon; Hamill, Berra, Webster, Wallace, Cesnauskis (Pereira 64), Thomson, Janczyk (Thorarinsson 69), Miller (Elliot 84), Wyness, Weir Subs not used: Lithgow, Pelosi, Tierney, Moilanen - Booked: Gordon (72) Inverness CT: 2 (Dods 55, Wilson 72 pen) Team: Brown; Tokely, Dods, Munro, Golabek, Wilson (Fox 90), Hart, Duncan, McBain, Juanjo (Prunty 79), Brewster (Bayne 79) Subs not used: Fraser; McCaffrey, Hastings, Fetai - Booked: Golabek(90) Attendance: 9822 - Referee: Craig Thomson

Prunty Shins Gers Another remarkable result in a memorable week. Everyone knew that the team was playing well but few thought Caley Thistle could take anything from the Ibrox cauldron. When Barry Ferguson broke the deadlock in 57 minutes it looked like going according to the script, but Rangers could not kill the visitors off, the home crowd grew restless and Caley Thistle were rewarded for their diligence with a last minute Bryan Prunty equaliser. Prunty's first goal for the club created a sensation nationally and was a severe blow to Rangers title hopes. Caley Thistle made one change from the team that beat Hibs in midweek with the injured Craig Brewster making way for Graham Bayne. Rangers dropped Michael Ball to the bench and brought in Swedish winger Bojan Djordjic. Steven Thompson replaced the suspended Dado Prso. It was Thompson who had the first effort on goal in 13 minutes but he headed wide. This was followed quickly by a Nacho Novo shot that flew wide. Juanjo chipped wide at the other end after turning Marvin Andrews in the box then a Novo drive was beaten away by Mark Brown. Novo hit over in 29 minutes, but little made it past either defence before the interval. With the whistle looming Grant Munro headed wide for ICT. Half Time: 0-0 Rangers pushed forward after the break but Mark Brown saved from Novo, Fernando Ricksen shot over and Novo hit wide before Ferguson gave Rangers the lead in 57 minutes. A pass from Ricksen cleared the Caley Thistle defence and Ferguson neatly sent an angled chip over Mark Brown, his first goal since rejoining Rangers from Blackburn. Richie Hart shot over in 70 minutes then Brown collected from Thomas Buffel. Hart hit wide in 78 minutes and a Novo effort cleared the bar. Waterreus blocked a shot from on loan Ranger Bajram Fetai then a Darren Dods shot was cleared. With four minutes left Novo should have secured a win for Rangers. He was one-on-one with Mark Brown but the former Ibrox keeper saved the day with his legs. Caley Thistle's strong finish earned an equaliser from substitute Bryan Prunty in the dying seconds. A long ball from Grant Munro came off the back of Gregory Vignal and Prunty bundled it home with what appeared to be his shins. Full Time: 1-1 Despite the welcome point, Livingston's win at Dundee reduced the gap between eighth and twelfth to eight points. Livingston share bottom place with Dundee United. On the other hand the optimists will point out that ICT are just two points off seventh spot. Now for Hearts! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Rangers: 1 (Ferguson 57) Team: Waterreus; Ross, Andrews, Kyrgiakos, Vignal, Buffel, Ricksen, Ferguson, Djordjic (Malcolm 53), Novo, Thompson. Subs Not Used: McGregor; Rae, Burke, Ball, Namouchi, McCormack. - Booked: Kyrgiakos (41). Inverness CT: 1 (Prunty 90) Team: Brown; Tokely, Dods, Munro, Golabek, Wilson (Fatai 70), Hart, McBain, Duncan, Juanjo, Bayne (Prunty 74). Subs Not Used: Fraser; McCaffrey, Hastings, Proctor, Black. - Booked: McBain (60), Hart (60). Attendance: 49,345 - Referee: Mike Ritchie

City slickers beaten A thoroughly well-deserved victory for Caley Thistle thanks to a cool finish by Juanjo and converted free kicks from Craig Brewster and Barry Wilson. For high-flying Hibs their first competitive visit to Inverness was a bitter one - bitterly cold and a bitterly disappointing result. In early exchanges Roy McBain shot low and wide in 14 minutes and Ross Tokely blocked an overhead attempt by Derek Riordan in 21 minutes. Just after the half-hour mark a measured pass from Russell Duncan set Stuart Golabek free in the box and one-on-one with Simon Brown. As the ICT captain shot low to the keepers left he made a superb full-length diving save to keep the scoreline blank. The opening goal came in 38 minutes when the Hibs defence failed to clear a Richie Hart corner from the right and Juanjo nipped in, rounded two defenders and hit high into the net from an acute angle. Half Time: 1-0 It stood 1-0 at the break but the visitors should have equalised six minutes into the second half. Riordan seized on a short back-pass and headed for goal. He was forced wide by the diving Mark Brown and his angled shot came off the post. Grant Munro shepherded it away and the danger was past. This proved to be a defining moment as Caley Thistle quickly went two ahead. McBain was brought down by Ian Murray 22 yards out and Brewster's low free kick found the corner of the net. Hibee Garry O'Connor came close in 62 minutes but his 25 yard shot came off the bar. This was a rare effort from the visitors who failed to find the form that had taken them to third in the league. They went three down in 77 minutes after Juanjo had been brought down 19 yards out, left of centre. Barry Wilson's free kick took a deflection of the wall and Simon Brown failed to clear despite the assistance of the post. The referee and his assistant decreed that the ball had crossed the line although many in the stadium were unsure. 3-0 it was and, with a minute left, substitute Graham Bayne nearly made it four. His drive from outside the box hit the post and Simon Brown made a superb save from the strikers follow-up. Full Time: 3-0 A vital and unexpected win in the battle for SPL survival. Livingston beat Kilmarnock so the gap between eighth and twelfth is still ten points. On the other hand ICT are now just three points behind seventh-placed Kilmarnock with two games in hand. Now for Ibrox! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Inverness CT: 3 (Juanjo 38, Brewster 52, Wilson 77) Team: Brown; Tokely, Dods, Munro, Golabek, Wilson, Hart (Proctor 83), Duncan, McBain, Juanjo (Fetai 78), Brewster (Bayne 78) Subs not used: Fraser; McCaffrey, Hastings, Prunty - Booked: None Hibernian: 0 Team: Simon Brown; Whittaker, Caldwell, Smith, I Murray (Shiels 65), Murphy, Orman (Sproule 65), A. Murray (McDonald 46), Scott Brown, O'Connor, Riordan Subs not used: Brown, McCluskey, Morrow, Konte - Booked: None Attendance: 4443 - Referee: John Underhill

Arab draw There was great disappointment when the Celtic match was postponed last Sunday, but in the pursuit of points this was a far more important game. Roy McBain came into the team and Juanjo took a place on the bench. Mark Brown created his own piece of history as this marked his 120th appearance in a row, overtaking Dennis Wyness' record of 119. Former ICT favourite Barry Robson returned from suspension for United but had to be content with a seat on the bench. In the event he played for the whole of the second half. Graham Bayne had two early chances blocked then, in the seventh minute, Brown saved a header from Billy Dodds. Both defences held firm until the half-hour mark when United took the lead in unusual circumstances. Stuart Duff crossed from the left and an attempted headed clearance from Grant Munro ended up in his own net. There was a pregnant pause before the home fans realised a goal had been given, but the referee pointed to the centre spot and it was 1-0. Seven minutes later ICT equalised when a Darren Dods shot was handled by Billy Dodds. Accidental contact was claimed but the referee gave a penalty. Barry Wilson sent Tony Bullock the wrong way for his seventh goal of the season. As the first half neared its conclusion Mark Kerr shot wide for United, as did Roy McBain at the other end, then Brown held a James Grady header. Half Time: 1-1 Caley Thistle looked odds-on to take the lead in 59 minutes when Bayne headed goalwards, but Mark Wilson cleared off the line with Bullock beaten. Uniteds best second half chances came in 72 minutes when Brown made a fine save from a Lee Mair header and also blocked Jim McIntyre's follow-up. United played the last two regulation minutes, and the three added ones, with only ten men - Jim McIntyre was forced to limp off and all three substitutes had already been used. ICT's attempts to take advantage came to nothing and honours were even. Full Time: 1-1 The home fans unkindly booed their team off the park and Caley Thistle headed home with a valuable point. Back-markers Livingston now lie six points behind eleventh-placed Dundee United and ICT are a further four points ahead. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Dundee Utd: 1 (Munro og) Team: Bullock, Duff, Mair, Ritchie, Archibald, Kerr (Brebner 68), Wilson, Dodds (Scotland 57), Grady (Robson 45), Crawford, McIntyre. Subs Not Used: Colgan, Samuel, Cameron, Kenneth. Booked: Archibald, Mair, Ritchie. Inverness CT: 1 (Wilson 37 pen) Team: Brown, Tokely, Dods, Munro, Golabek, Wilson, McBain, Duncan, Hart, Bayne, Brewster. Subs Not Used: Fraser, McCaffrey, Juanjo, Hastings, Proctor, Fox, Black - Booked: Munro (60). Attendance: 6,110 - Referee: Iain Brines

Familiar surroundings but cup of woe. The difference between the sides proved to be former on-loan ICT player Darren Mackie. He returned to Pittodrie at the end of 2003-04, fought his way back into the side and his two goals put Caley Thistle out of the Scottish Cup. With Zander Diamond injured Aberdeen included defender Richie Byrne, newly signed from Dunfermline. Craig Brewster's starting eleven was unchanged but reserve keeper Mike Fraser was injured and his bench place was taken by 17-year old Jonathon Smith, only his second squad appearance. After good early play at both ends it was Caley Thistle who could easily have opened the scoring when a Richie Hart corner was headed onto the post by Brewster. In the event it was Aberdeen who scored first in 15 minutes. A Kevin McNaughton cross from the right was headed home by Mackie despite the presence of two defenders and the advancing Mark Brown. Nine minutes later a Richie Hart free kick into the box was touched in by Brewster from six yards - Russell Anderson and Markus Heikkinen were both in close attendance but Brewster's strength won the battle. Stuart Golabek then hit the bar and Brown saved from Steven Craig before the Dons once more took the lead in 34 minutes. A 22 yard drive from Jamie Winter took a slight deflection but Brown still managed an excellent diving save but Mackie was in like a flash to score from the rebound. Half Time: 1-2 Aberdeen should have sewn the game up in 51 minutes but Noel Whelan missed an open goal from six yards then Craig's follow-up header hit the bar. A good run by Mackie in 77 minutes led to another golden chance for Whelan. Mackie was on a hat-trick but unselfishly chose to pass to his strike partner - Whelan sliced it wide from eight yards. With five minutes left Mackie was again through but Brown took the ball at his feet. Four added minutes stretched to nearly six but Aberdeen did not look like surrendering their lead. In the dying seconds Esson came out of his box to clear upfield and Brown took the ball at the edge of his area with John Stewart chasing. Full Time: 1-2 The whistle went and Caley Thistle were out of the cup. The good news is that they can now concentrate on SPL survival. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Inverness CT: 1 (Brewster 24) Team: Brown; Tokely, Munro, Dods, Golabek, Wilson, Duncan, Hart (McBain 70), Juanjo (Fetai 77), Bayne, Brewster Subs not used: Smith; McCaffrey, Prunty - Booked: Hart (60) Aberdeen: 2 (Mackie 15, 34) Team: Esson; Hart, Heikkinen, Anderson, McNaughton, Byrne, Clark, Winter, Craig (Stewart 69), Mackie (McGuire 88), Whelan (Adams 80) Subs not used: Morrison, Blanchard - Booked: Clark Attendance: 10595 - Referee: Willie Young

SPL Football finally arrives in Inverness This was the day that SPL football came to Inverness. The seemingly impossible task of upgrading Caledonian Stadium to SPL requirements in just two months was achieved thanks to herculean efforts by Tulloch's army of workmen and their sub-contractors. Despite snow, frost and a hurricane the revamped stadium was officially handed back to the club on 27 January by Tulloch chairman David Sutherland. Two days later a packed house was treated to a fine Caley Thistle victory against Dunfermline at the renamed Tulloch Caledonian Stadium. Highland Council convener Alison Magee officially opened the 'new' stadium then it was on with the show. As Thin Lizzy would say: The boys are back in Town. The home side immediately took the game to Dunfermline. The first shot on goal came in the third minute when Graham Bayne headed on a Richie Hart free kick and Juanjo shot over. In five minutes Barry Wilson let fly from 40 yards but it sailed wide then a Lee Makel curling shot at the other end was held by Mark Brown. Not much was on target until 35 minutes when Barry Wilson scored a fantastic goal to give the home side a deserved lead. He headed down the left then cut inside past two defenders and with barely a glance at goal he sent a 25 yard angled shot into the top right corner of the net. Derek Stillie could do little as the ball took a hint of a curl and disappeared behind him. Dunfermline achieved little for the rest of the half apart from a Makel shot over the bar in 39 minutes. Half Time: 1-0 The visitors pushed upfield at the start of the second half and Mark Brown saved an angled shot from the lively Greg Ross. A long ball set Juanjo clear at the other end but he was forced wide and Stillie did well to block his shot. In 50 minutes a Juanjo back-heel set Hart off on a long run towards goal but it ran too far and Stillie came out to collect. Stillie caught a Craig Brewster header two minutes later then, at the other end, Darren Dods blocked a shot from Andy Todd in the box. Caley Thistle again began to dominate and in 71 minutes Barry Wilson tried to repeat his first half goal, but this time his low angled shot went just past. The pressure came off the home side when they went two ahead in 74 minutes. Russell Duncan passed from the left inside to Brewster and, with no break in his stride, the player/manager hit past Stillie from 12 yards. His second goal for the club assured the destination of the points. Brewster's former team did not give up and their best effort came in 78 minutes when a 20 yard shot from Makel bounced off the bar. Three minutes later Darren Young slid the ball just wide of the post. Hart and Prunty combined well at the other end in 83 minutes and set up Dods, but his goal-bound shot was blocked. The final chance came just into added time when Brewster sent the ball to Bajram Fetai beyond the back post and he slid to shoot but it had no power and was cleared. Full Time: 2-0 The historic match ended 2-0 and Caley Thistle maintained eighth place, and more importantly, now a vital nine points above bottom club Livingston. It was tremendous to be back home and a fitting goal from Millenium Man Barry Wilson to Christen the Stadium ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Inverness CT: 2 (Wilson 35, Brewster 74) Team: Brown; Tokely, Dods, Munro, Golabek, Wilson (McBain 88), Hart, Duncan, Juanjo (Fetai 76), Brewster, Bayne (Prunty 82) Subs not used: Fraser; McCaffrey, Hastings, Black - Booked: None Dunfermline: 0 Team: Stillie; Labonte (Ross 34), Skerla, Tod, Thomson, Nicholson, Makel, Mason, Dempsey, Christiansen (Darren Young), Hunt (Mehmet 55) Subs not used: Langfield; Campbell, Dunn, Wilson - Booked: Labonte, Todd Attendance: 5449 - Referee: Steve Conroy

Caley Jags go Nuts at Almondvale A stirring performance and, unlike last week, the efforts were turned into goals. With Ross Tokely still suspended Stuart McCaffrey continued at right back and new loan signing Bajram Fetai took a place on the bench. Livi had the first shot on goal in the second minute but Jim Hamilton hit over. It only took eight minutes for Richie Hart to give ICT the lead. Stuart Lovell fouled Barry Wilson on the left, Hart sent the free kick to Juanjo and he passed to McCaffrey. When the defenders cross came into the box Hart was there to head home. Colin Meldrum saved Graham Bayne's header in 19 minutes then in 28 minutes the keeper saved from Wilson. In between Hamilton headed past at the other end and Attila Kriston shot high. ICT went two ahead in 38 minutes when Juanjo split the Livi defence to find Bayne, his shot was blocked by Meldrum but Russell Duncan ran in to score before the keeper could recover. The home side pulled one back just before the break when Ferenc Horvath latched onto Jamie Hand's deep cross and headed past Mark Brown. Half Time: 1-2 This failed to halt Caley Thistle's dominance and Bayne scored a third just into the second half. Horvath sliced a clearance across his own area and Bayne slid in to chip over Meldrum. Darren Dods headed wide in 53 minutes then Brown easily held a Kriston shot. Brewster shot over and Meldrum held two shots from Wilson before Juanjo capped a fine performance with the fourth goal in 73 minutes. He latched onto a through ball and hit it past the advancing Meldrum to put the result beyond doubt. On-loan Ranger Bajram Fetai came on in 76 minutes for Bayne. There were few chances after that but a touch from Brewster two minutes from time set up Fetai - Meldrum had it covered. Full Time: 4-1 A fine victory, three valuable points and a climb to eighth ahead of next weeks return to Inverness. With the completion of two new stands, and undersoil heating in place, all is set for the visit of Dunfermline. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Livingston: 1 (Horvath 43) Team: Meldrum, Hand, Dorado, Bahoken, Stanic (Snodgrass 45), Kriston, Vincze, Lovell, O'Brien, Hamilton (Lilley 69), Horvath. Subs Not Used: McKenzie, Brittain, Harding, Easton, Adam. - Booked: Bahoken, Vincze. Inverness CT: 4 (Hart 8, Duncan 38, Bayne 50, Juanjo 73) Team: Brown, Golabek, Dods, McCaffrey, Wilson, Bayne (Fatai 76), Hart, Juanjo (Prunty 85), Duncan, Munro, Brewster. Subs Not Used: Fraser, McBain, Hastings, Proctor, Fox - Booked: Dods (60). . Attendance: 4,106 - Referee: Eddie Smith

Bitter disappointment Caley Thistle had 75% of the play but managed only 25% of the goals. Meh! With Ross Tokely suspended Stuart McCaffrey came in, and Craig Brewster started up front with Graham Bayne. Caley Thistle started with a flourish and pressed the Dundee goal for most of the game. From the kick-off Barry Wilson raced down the right and sent in a low dangerous ball which was cleared then McBain shot well over the bar from outside the box. Dundee's Tam McManus ran into the Caley Thistle box in the ninth minute and had space to turn, but Grant Munro stepped in with a timely tackle. Brewster turned and shot over the bar in 15 minutes then a Bayne touch was held by Soutar. ICT dominance continued until the 26th minute when a Neil Barrett snap shot went over the bar. A minute later Dundee took the lead after a solo effort from Steven Robb. He ran down the left, passed two defenders, cut inside and his angled shot beat Mark Brown at the near post. From the kick-off ICT retaliated and a Brewster 25 yard shot was deflected for a corner. From Wilson's flag kick Munro rose high to head over. On the half-hour mark Fabian Caballero made a confident run into the ICT box and it took three defenders to retrieve the situation. A lob goalwards by Barry Smith cleared the bar but much closer than anticipated. The best ICT chance of the half came a minute from the whistle when a 25 yard swerving Brewster shot was touched over by Soutar. Half Time: 1-0 Hopes of a revival faded two minutes into the second half when a Caballero 18 yard shot was pushed upwards by Brown and as the ball came down McManus was there to head in Dundee's second goal, and a debut goal for him. The day went from bad to worse in 55 minutes when McCaffrey handled in the box and the resultant penalty was netted by John Sutton. A Stuart Golabek shot was deflected for a corner in 71 minutes, Bayne headed the corner over, Wilson drove over the bar in 75 minutes and Brewster curled the ball wide three minutes later; all stirring stuff but nothing to show for it. Darren Dods had to race back to rob Steven Robb ten minutes from time, but the play was still mainly in the other direction. As the minutes ticked away it was all about restoring pride as a Dods glancing header went wide and a Juanjo shot was cleared. A much-deserved goal finally came a minute from time when a Richie Hart free kick from the left curled towards the back post and Brewster was there to head his first goal for the club. The goal was welcome but it came an hour too late. With three added minutes there was still time for Wilson to shoot wide and a very good Bayne effort to be held by Soutar. Full Time: 3-1 This game completed the set of home/away matches against all SPL clubs and ICT now lie ninth but only three points off the foot of the table. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Dundee: 3 (Robb 28, McManus 48, Sutton 56 pen). Team: Soutar, McNally, Wilkie, McDonald, Robb, Fotheringham, Barrett (Mann 86), Smith, Sutton, McManus (Robertson 66), Caballero (Larsen 79). Subs Not Used: Jack, Cerdeira, Clark. - Booked: None Inverness CT: 1 (Brewster 90) Team: Brown, Munro, Dods, McCaffrey, Golabek, Wilson, Duncan, Keogh (Juanjo 69), McBain (Hart 58), Brewster, Bayne. Subs Not Used: Fraser, Hastings, Proctor, Prunty, Black. - Booked: Golabek (60), Duncan (60). Attendance: 5,567 - Referee: Alan Freeland

Caley Jags at home in Dingwall Another unusual 'home' match for Caley Thistle and the first playing appearance of the manager. With the Caledonian Stadium being upgraded to SPL requirements the tie was moved to Dingwall. Gales and heavy rain around the country caused many matches to be postponed but the pitch dried out just enough to allow play to go ahead. Victory came via the head of captain Stuart Golabek when a draw looked a strong possibility. The pressure on the Perth Saints started in the fourth minute when a Barry Wilson low 20 yard shot was blocked. Wilson's free kick two minutes later rebounded off the wall and Liam Keogh hit over the bar. In a good Saints spell after 15 minutes Peter MacDonald shot wide then a good Paul Sheerin run was halted by Russell Duncan. The visitors had their best chance of the match after 25 minutes when a curling Sheerin ball from the right fell for Ian Maxwell but his low shot went just wide. Right on the whistle a Duncan drive was deflected onto the Saints post. Half Time: 0-0 Caley Thistle took control in the second half and a spirited Ross Tokely run in 58 minutes nearly came off after he ran from his own half, beat two defenders close to goal then his low shot was held by Cuthbert. A goal looked a racing certainty in 66 minutes when Wilson's pressure forced Cuthbert into an error and the ball broke free. Wilson passed to Brewster 15 yards out but his roll towards the empty goal slid past. The crowd were on their feet but it took another eight minutes before they had something to really shout about. Tokely crossed from the right, the ball flew over Brewster and Golabek was at the back post to head home. A slick move in 83 minutes set up Wilson but he hit high. A minute later Duncan played a 1-2 with substitute Graham Bayne, and Cuthbert did very well to stop Duncan's net-bound shot. A minute into added time a Wilson long-shot was pushed out by Cuthbert to Richie Hart but his angled shot came off the bar. Full Time: 1-0 Not the best performance of the season but a welcome win in difficult conditions. Now it is back along the A96 to the familiar surroundings of Pittodrie for the fourth round. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Inverness CT: 1 (Golabek 74) Team: Brown; Tokely, Dods, Munro, Golabek, Wilson, Duncan, Keogh, McBain (Hart 73), Prunty (Juanjo 65), Brewster (Bayne 78) Subs not used: Fraser; Proctor. - Booked: Tokely (60) St Johnstone: 0 Team: Cuthbert; Baxter, Fotheringham (Forsyth 83), Hannah, Webb, Maxwell, McCann (McAnespie 78), Rutkiewicz (Hay 78), MacDonald, Moore, Sheerin Subs not used: Samson; Forsyth. - Booked: Maxwell Attendance: 2021 - Referee: Dougie McDonald

Inverness is not Invincible The final 'home' game at Pittodrie ended in disappointment. Chances were missed at both ends and ICT had more of the play, but it was Killie who came out on top after Danny Invincible scored a second half double. Craig Brewster kept the same team that drew with Aberdeen as his SPL registration was delayed and he chose not to appear in a trialist role. Both defences mopped up early efforts then in 17 minutes Graeme Smith came out quickly to take the ball at the feet of Graham Bayne. Killie had a golden chance to take the lead a minute later when a cross from Danny Invincible reached the head of Colin Nish in the heart of the box but he headed over with the goal at his mercy. Liam Keogh sent in a 25 yard shot in 22 minutes but, despite a deflection, Smith held it. Keogh had a better sight of goal four minutes later but he shot low and past. A Juanjo run in 28 minutes ended with the close attentions of two defenders meriting a free kick although the referee allowed play to continue as the ball fell for Grant Munro, but he slid the ball past. A strong Juanjo effort was blocked just before the break. Half Time: 0-0 Kilmarnock created more in the second half and headers went over the bar from Simon Ford and Invincible. Mark Brown dived to hold a Kris Boyd shot in 61 minutes then Graham Bayne headed wide of the Killie goal. All this left the crowd with the feeling that it would end goal-less. This changed in 78 minutes when a neat Alan Johnston pass reached Invincible on the right of the box but his low shot seemed to take a slight deflection and it ended up in the corner of the net. A minute later Richard Hastings headed Roy McBain's corner goalwards and it was headed off the line. It was a close call but the referee was satisfied that the ball had not crossed the line. Killie grew in confidence and ICT did not look like coming back. The visitors made it 2-0 with the last kick of the game after the ball eluded Darren Dods and Mark Brown. It landed at the feet of Invincible and he volleyed into the empty goal. Full Time: 0-2 After the final whistle Ross Tokely queried the ICT 'goal' with the referee's assistant and received a red card for his trouble. A bad day all round. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Inverness CT: 0 Team: Brown; Tokely, Dods, Munro Hastings (46), Golabek, Hart (Wilson 60), Duncan, Keogh, McBain(Prunty 86), Juanjo, Bayne. Subs Not Used: Fraser; Proctor, McCaffrey, Fox - Booked: None - Sent off: Tokely (91) Kilmarnock: 2 (Invincible 79, 90) Team: Smith; Locke, Ford, Greer, Hay, McDonald, Leven, Naismith (Wales 73), Invincibile, Nish, (Johnston 66), Boyd (Fowler 86) Subs Not Used: Combe; Murray, Dodds, Wolski - Booked: Hay, Locke. Attendance: 1346 - Referee: John Rowbotham

Away Draw at Home Another first; an away league game at 'home'. Despite the lack of goals this was an exciting end-to-end match, played in a cold, swirling wind. In the early stages it was Aberdeen who looked like scoring but, as the game went on, ICT came very close on several occasions. In the second minute a corner from Aberdeen's Chris Clark was headed goalwards by Zander Diamond, but it came off the post amidst sharp intakes of breath from the large visiting support. Three minutes later, a good move at the other end led to a Roy McBain low ball across goal from the left, but nobody could take advantage. The pressure returned to the Inverness end, and a Scott Severin shot from outside the box was deflected for a corner. There was a major let-off in 16 minutes when Stuart Golabek cleared a shot from Markus Heikkinen off the line. A curling ball into the six-yard area from Grant Munro in 20 minutes was turned goalwards by Graham Bayne's overhead kick, but Esson took it late at the top corner. Esson had to be quick to collect a loose ball four minutes later with Bayne nearly on it - Bayne went down but nothing was given. Liam Keogh sent a curling shot past the post in 29 minutes then Mark Brown took the ball at the feet of John Stewart. The best ICT chance of the half came in 33 minutes when a curling Ross Tokely cross from the right was met by McBain, but his diving header went past. Juanjo was, as usual, a real threat and, as the first half came to an end, he lobbed over then was tackled by Russell Anderson as he closed in on goal. Half Time: 0-0 Straight from the restart there was controversy, as Tokely went down injured in his own box and the referee allowed play to continue around him. The game was only stopped when Richie Hart also took a knock. The pressure on the Aberdeen goal increased and Hart shot over before a glancing header from Tokely forced a fine save from Esson. A bad pass-back on the hour mark allowed Juanjo in, but Esson saved well. Esson was again the hero with 20 minutes left when he blocked shots from Bayne and Juanjo in quick succession and Russell Duncan's follow-up was eventually cleared. Esson held an on-target Bayne header in 76 minutes. In a final Dons flurry, Brown had problems with a Richard Foster corner in the wind, but Duncan cleared the danger. Substitute Scott Muirhead then sent in a low, dangerous ball from the left but it came to nothing. In the end a draw was about right, but both teams regretted their missed chances. Full Time: 0-0 Craig Brewster must clearly be in the frame for the December Manager of the Month award; unbeaten in four games, a win at Motherwell and points taken off Rangers, Hearts and Aberdeen. ICT now turn the year in eighth place, four points above bottom-placed Dundee United. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Aberdeen: 0 Team: Esson, Hart, Anderson, Diamond, McNaughton, Clark (Muirhead 72), Heikkinen, Severin, Foster, Mackie, Stewart (McGuire 79). Subs Not Used: Blanchard, Morrison, Considine, O'Leary - Booked: None Inverness CT: 0 Team: Brown, Tokely, Dods, Munro, Golabek, Hart, Duncan, Keogh, McBain, Juanjo (Prunty 90), Bayne. Subs Not Used: Fraser, McCaffrey, Wilson, Hastings, Proctor, Fox - Booked: Dods (60), Munro (60) Attendance: 18,250 Referee: J Underhill

Brewster's first win A richly-deserved first SPL away win for Caley Thistle and their first victory under Craig Brewster. Motherwell came into the game on a roll of victories, but any chance of continuing the run vanished with David Clarkson's dismissal in 81 minutes for two yellow cards in quick succession. Richie Hart put the visitors ahead in 16 minutes with a carefully-placed angled shot from just inside the box. Roy McBain and Hart both came close before Graham Bayne made it 2-0 just before the break. A Ross Tokely cross led to a mix-up between Motherwell keeper Gordon Marshall and Stephen Craigan. The ball squirmed clear and Bayne reacted quickly to touch it home. Motherwell created little in the first half, apart from Richie Foran's header over the bar in 31 minutes. Half Time: 0-2 Marshall saved from Hart and Scott Leitch hit over the bar before Motherwell pulled one back in 61 minutes. Mark Brown spilled Foran's 25 yard shot and Clarkson was there to take advantage. Marshall denied Hart with a full-length save then Motherwell pushed for an equaliser. In 81 minutes Clarkson went to ground in the box alongside Brown. The home side claimed the keeper had brought him down and claimed a penalty. The referee disagreed and booked Clarkson for diving; continued protests led to a second yellow and an early shower. Full Time: 1-2 A very valuable three points and a climb to a dizzy eighth. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Motherwell: 1 (Clarkson 64) Team: Marshall, Corrigan, Craigan, Leitch, Foran, O'Donnell (Quinn 61), Clarkson, Partridge, McBride, Paterson Fitzpatrick Subs bot used: Burns, Wright, Corr, Cowan, Fagan, Keogh - Booked: Clarkson (81) Inverness CT: 2 (Hart 16, Bayne 41) Team: Brown; Tokely, Dods, Golabek, Munro, Duncan, McBain (Hastings 90), Hart, Keogh, Juanjo, Bayne (Wilson 73) Subs not used: Fraser; McCaffrey, Proctor, Fox, Prunty - Booked: McBain (50), Tokely (60), Wilson (75) Attendance: 4267 - Referee: Kevin Toner

Tale of two Penalties A well-earned point but three would have been amply justified. Craig Brewster stayed with the same team that performed heroics against Rangers. It was a strange afternoon with John Robertson and Donald Park in the away dug-out so soon after leaving Inverness but their knowledge of the ICT players did not pay-off. The 'home' side were in the driving seat for most of the game but the strong Hearts defence yielded little. Craig Gordon held a Richie Hart looping header in the 11th minute then a 15 yard Juanjo shot on the turn was blocked. Play switched ends and there was a dangerous moment when a Robbie Neilson ball across goal was cleared by Ross Tokely with Marc De Vries stretching for it. The big striker was the main Hearts threat all afternoon but he was well contained. It should have been 1-0 in the 15th minute when a Tokely through ball sent Juanjo clean through on Gordon. He had too much time and too many options as he tried to round the keeper but slipped and Gordon grabbed the ball gratefully. Grant Munro then limped off to be replaced by Richard Hastings. Juanjo went down in the box in 20 minutes after a 1-2 with Graham Bayne but nothing was given. Juanjo was tormenting the Hearts defence and he was brought down by Jamie McAllister in 28 minutes. Stuart Golabek's 25 yard free kick was held by Gordon. Tokely headed away a Paul Hartley free kick then another by Richie Hart was taken well by Gordon. The match flared up in 33 minutes when an Andy Webster barge on Graham Bayne ended with the ICT player heading forcibly for the dug-out and chaos ensued. Players clashed and, after order was restored, Webster saw red. Patrick Kisnorbo and Liam Keogh were both booked for their parts in the aftermath. The Inverness side pushed to take advantage of the extra man but nothing came off. The closest was in 39 minutes when Hart sent a low ball in from the right and Juanjo touched it just wide. Just after the break a Tokely cross from the right was met well by Bayne but Gordon saved his header. Half Time: 0-0 Robbie Neilson had a sight of goal in 54 minutes but Hastings popped up at the right moment to block the shot. Five minutes later Graham Weir closed in on Mark Brown but the keeper narrowed the angle and the shot trickled wide. Weir was again through in 62 minutes and he went down after contact with Brown as he tried to find an angle to shoot. The referee hesitated but, on the advice of his assistant, a penalty was awarded. Paul Hartley netted and, against the run of play, Hearts were ahead. It seemed rather a soft penalty but honours were evened up six minutes later when Juanjo went down at the other end and once more it was a penalty. Juanjo took it himself and scored. ICT pushed for a winner and in 69 minutes they came close. A Bayne header was blocked and it fell for Juanjo but it came to him at a difficult height and his shot hit the bar. In 75 minutes the Inverness defence was under pressure from a McAllister free kick but it was eventually cleared. A Tokely low ball across the Hearts goal ten minutes from the end looked good but no one could take advantage. A Tokely header was cleared for a corner in 84 minutes then, at the other end, a Pressley header was cleared off the line. The last chance fell to substitute Barry Wilson but as he raced for the ball, Gordon came out to punch it for a corner. Full Time: 1-1 A good point and tenth place held. ICT now have 15 points, the same as Dundee United and Livingston, with Dundee two points adrift at the foot of the table. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Inverness CT: 1 (Juanjo 68 pen) Team: Brown; Tokely (McCaffrey 89), Dods, Munro (Hastings 16), Golabek, Hart (Wilson 72), Duncan, Keogh, McBain, Juanjo, Bayne Subs not used: Fraser; Proctor, Fox, Prunty - Booked: Keogh (33), Golabek (60), Brown (62) Hearts: 1 (Hartley 62 pen) Team: Gordon; Neilson, Pressley, Webster, Hamill (Berra 84), Wyness (Stewart 46), Hartley, Kisnorbo, McAllister, De Vries, Pereira (Weir 46) Subs not used: Moilanen; McKenna, Janczyk, Sloan - Booked: Kisnorbo (33), Weir (68) - Sent Off: Webster (33) Attendance: 2011 - Referee: Calum Murray

Brewster makes his point This match was live on Setanta TV with a 2 pm kick-off. An excellent performance by every ICT player enabled them to come away from the match with their heads held high as Caley Thistle ensured Craig Brewster's first point as manager of the club. Ross Tokely returned to the side after suspension and Roy McBain came back from injury. The game got off to a sensational start for the home side when they took the lead after three minutes. The Gers had been on the attack and had earned an early corner kick but the ball was cleared up to Juanjo on the right touchline. He quickly touched it back to Richie Hart and from his immaculate cross Graham Bayne touched the ball home from six yards after beating the offside trap. Rangers were stung into action and Dado Prso tested Mark Brown. ICT were playing well and controlling the midfield and midway through the half skipper Stuart Golabek forced a great save from Stefan Klos with a long-range strike. In the closing minutes of the first half the visitors were lucky to get away with a shout for a penalty when Bob Malcolm obstructed Juanjo but the referee said no. Half Time: 1-0 Rangers introduced Bob Davidson into the side at the break for Namouchi and they immediately attacked the ICT goal. The constant pressure was eventually rewarded with an equaliser with Alex Rae playing the ball through for Stephen Hughes and his run and final pass found Prso who slipped the ball into the corner of the net. Prso had another chance but he shot well over the bar after good work by Rae. Liam Keogh then played a one-two with Juanjo but Klos saved well. Rangers' fans were calling for a penalty when Prso went down in the box alongside Darren Dods but their protests came to nothing. Mark Brown was the ICT hero at the end of the match when Nacho Novo turned and shot inside the box but the ICT No1 was up to it and he saved it when the ball nestled between his legs. Full Time: 1-1 At the end of the match the ICT support gave their team a rousing reception for the tremendous performance. The players worked hard for each other and deservedly took a point from a game they were expected to take nothing from. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Inverness CT: 1 (Bayne 3) Team: Brown; Tokely, Dods, Munro, Golabek, Hart (Wilson 81), Keogh, Duncan, McBain (Hastings 64), Bayne, Juanjo (Prunty 90) Subs not used: Fraser, McCaffrey, Proctor, Fox - Booked: Bayne (75), Hart (81) Rangers FC: 1 (Prso 51) Team: Klos, Khizanishvili, Boumsong (Alex Rae 31), Andrews, Steven Smith, Hughes, Ricksen, Malcolm, Namouchi (Davidson 45), Novo, Prso. Subs not used: Graeme Smith, Mladenovic, Ball, Hutton, Fetai. Attendance: 6543 - Referee: Craig Thomson

Brewster loss in first game New manager Craig Brewster took charge of the team for the first time and was immediately dealt a blow when Roy McBain had to be replaced at the warm-up due to a muscle spasm. Liam Keogh took his place. The other change saw Stuart McCaffrey coming into the side for the suspended Ross Tokely. Most of the play in the early stages of the match was in midfield with both sides creating few chances. On the half hour mark Hibs nearly scored when Sam Morrow's 12-yard volley was well blocked by Mark Brown and from the rebound Gary Caldwell blazed the ball high into the stand. Three minutes after that Caley Thistle took the lead with a superb goal from Juanjo. The Spaniard broke down the left and moved into the box before curling an exquisite right foot shoot round the keeper into the net at the far post. The lead, however, was short-lived as the home side equalised five minutes later when the ever dangerous Derek Riordan ran down the left to the line and then cut the ball back for Guillaume Beuzelin to hit the ball home from 12 yards. The Hibees nearly made it two but Riordan drove wide with only Brown to beat. Half Time:1-1 Hibs made a substitution at the start of the second half and two minutes later they took the lead. David Murphy disposed Juanjo and moved the ball quickly through to Samuel Morrow who sent the ball to the right for Alen Orman. Orman drove the ball across the face of the ICT area and Riordan was onto it like a flash to volley past Brown. Richie Hart replied with a terrific header which was tipped over the crossbar by Simon Brown. At the other end Mark Brown was called into action once again to deny McCluskey's snapshot in a packed penalty area and Riordan then had another effort saved by the ICT No1. ICT's best chance for an equaliser came in the dying minutes of the game when Hart's long ball found Fox and the ex-Hearts youngster headed it down for the incoming Graham Bayne but the striker just missed making contact with the ball as he slid in. With the seconds ticking away there was just time for Mark Brown to pull off another fantastic save when he denied Riordan once again after fine work by David Rocastle. Full Time: 2-1 Overall we might have taken a point from the game. Livingston beat Kilmarnock and it is very tight at the bottom once again. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Hibernian: 2 (Beuzelin 39, Riordan 47) Team: Simon Brown; Whittaker, Caldwell, Murray, Murphy, Orman (Glass 83), Beuzelin, Morrow (O'Connor 61), Shiels (McCluskey 45), Rocastle, Riordan Subs not used: Smith; Brown, Dobbie, Fletcher - Booked: Murray (56) Inverness CT: 1 (Juanjo 34) Team: Mark Brown; McCaffrey, Dods, Munro, Golabek, Wilson (Fox 65), Hart, Duncan, Keogh, Juanjo (Prunty 78), Bayne Subs not used: Fraser; Proctor, Hastings, Thomson, Black - Booked: None Attendance: 9728 - Referee: Steve Conroy

Early bath for Rossco... Ross Tokely's 300th game ended prematurely with a second yellow card in the 68th minute and an early shower. Caley Thistle were then forced onto the back foot but held out for a draw. They had earlier looked good value for their lead and victory was a distinct possibility. Stand-in management team John Docherty and Charlie Christie made no changes to that which lost to Celtic. The crowd of 1125 was the lowest for a league match at Pittodrie this season but what they lacked in numbers they certainly made up for in enthusiasm and noise. The burning issue was the vacant managers post but the players just got on with the job in a professional manner. ICT began the game well and Darren Dods had a chance in nine minutes but his effort from five yards went over the bar. At the other end the big defender then fouled Jason Scotland on the edge of the box but Mark Wilson's 20-yard drive sailed over the bar. Caley Thistle should have had a penalty when Mark Wilson handled the ball in the area but the referee waived away the claim. On the half hour Richie Hart had a terrific strike which Paul Jarvie in the United goal did well to parry and defender Alan Archibald was on hand to clear the danger. United's Derek McInnes then had an effort go wide of the mark before Jim McIntyre's left foot strike came back off the far post and fell to Barry Robson but he was well tackled by Stuart Golabek. Half Time: 0-0 Two minutes into the second half and another chance for ICT when Roy McBain's corner kick was swung over and Barry Wilson, at the far post, was unable to get a touch to the ball. It was not long before the opening goal when Russell Duncan played a superb ball through to Roy McBain on the left and the midfielder ran clean through on the United goal only to see Jarvie parry his shot across goal - there on hand to score his second goal of the season was Juanjo who rolled the ball into the net from all of three yards. Minutes later it could have been two when Barry Wilson's superb 25-yard free-kick came back off the woodwork. United were back in the game just after the hour mark when Jim McIntyre struck a tremendous shot which gave Mark Brown no chance. Juanjo's excellent 20-yard drive then struck the post and went for a goal kick. Worse was to follow for Caley Thistle as Ross Tokely, who was booked in the first half, brought down Derek McInnes and his second yellow card was followed by the red and ICT were left to play the final 20 minutes of the match with 10 men. Full Time: 1-1 In the end the team held out for a draw and moved four points clear of bottom-club Livingston. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Inverness CT: 1 (Juanjo 50) Team: Brown; Tokely, Dods, Munro, Golabek, McBain, Duncan, Hart (McCaffrey 90), Wilson (Fox 76), Juanjo, Bayne Subs not used: Fraser; Thomson, Black, Keogh, Prunty Booked: Tokely (30), Duncan (60) - Sent Off: Tokely (75) Dundee United: 1 (McIntyre 63) Team: Jarvie; Ritchie, McCracken, Archibald, Wilson, Brebner, McInnes, Robson (Grady 80), McIntyre, Dodds (Kerkar 58), Scotland (Samuel 76) Subs not used: Hirschfield; Cameron, Gardiner, Innes - Booked: Robson (36) Attendance: 1125 - Referee: Stuart Dougal

Rudderless Caley Jags sunk at Parkhead With a new manager still not in place, John Docherty and Charlie Christie took control of the side and they sent out the same team that took a point the previous Saturday at East End Park. Mark Brown was fit enough to play and Celtic welcomed back Chris Sutton into the side as they eased the pain of their midweek CIS Cup defeat to Rangers with a comfortable win over Inverness. ICT found themselves a goal down after three minutes when Aiden McGeady curled in a cross from the left and Chris Sutton rose high to head into the net. It was not looking good at that stage as the home side pressed to increase their lead but it was ICT who gradually clawed their way back into the game and had a good amount of possession, especially in the midfield area. Graham Bayne was once again a tireless worker and he neatly set up Barry Wilson but a good tackle by Neil Lennon thwarted the danger. The play swung to the other end and Mark Brown pulled off a tremendous save from Henri Camara before Juanjo was fouled and Roy McBain's kick went inches over the bar. Half Time: 1-0 The home side increased their lead in 52 minutes with the first of a double from John Hartson. Jackie McNamara swung over a low cross from the right and Hartson swept the ball into the net. ICT rallied well and Magnus Hedman produced an excellent save from a 30 yard effort by Barry Wilson. Hedman later denied ICT skipper Stuart Golabek by turning his fierce effort round the post. Liam Fox replaced Juanjo and he was immediately involved in some fine passing with Russell Duncan and Roy McBain. ICT were then given a great chance to get back into the game in 73 minutes when Stanislav Varga brought Richie Hart crashing to the ground. A stonewall penalty but Wilson's weak effort was easily saved by Hedman. To rub salt into the wound, Celtic increased their lead five minutes later with another effort from Hartson. McGeady passed to Jackie McNamara who moved in on goal. Mark Brown narrowed the angle but McNamara managed to squeeze the ball goalwards and it was eventually put into the net by Hartson. Full Time: 3-0 A double substitution by both teams was made but by that time the game was lost for Caley Thistle and Celtic ran out easy winners. The goals... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Celtic: 3 (Sutton 3, Hartson 53, 77) Team: Hedman; McNamara, Varga, Balde, Valgaeren, McGeady, Lennon, Sutton (Pearson 80), Thompson, Camara (Juninho 80), Hartson. Subs not used: Marshall, Sylla, Lawson, Quinn - Booked: McNamara (26), Varga (74). Inverness CT: 0 Team: Brown; Tokely, Dods, Golabek, Munro, McBain, Hart (Keogh 80), Duncan, Wilson (Prunty 80) Juanjo (Fox 67), Bayne. Subs not used: Fraser; McCaffrey, Thomson, Black. Referee:- Hugh Dallas. Attendance: 56594

Life after Robbo With John Robertson already off to Tynecastle, Donald Park stayed behind to take charge for one game. It was a gutsy performance which saw Caley Thistle head home with a point. ICT started with the same team that beat Livingston. The main talking point of the day was the referee whose decisions led to much criticism and debate. The early exchanges saw the home side have good attempts from Craig Brewster and Billy Mehmet with Mark Brown having to be on top form to tip the latter's 30 yard shot over the bar. Caley Thistle were still finding their feet on the plastic but Juanjo was doing well running at The Pars defence and giving them a hard time of it. Graham Bayne was also working hard and Barry Wilson was making some fine runs down the right wing. But it was the home side who took the lead just before the half hour. Richie Byrne fed a through ball to Craig Brewster who in turn found Billy Mehmet and the midfielder passed the ball to Darren Young and his shot from 25 yards flew into the corner of the net. ICT should have been level moments later when Richie Hart was left in the clear with only the goalkeeper to beat but the midfielder shot high and wide. Minutes later the referee was embroiled in controversy when Scott Wilson brought down Juanjo it took several minutes to sort things out before the free-kick was taken. Half Time: 1-0 No more incidents or goals so the second half began and this time the controversy was in the Caley Thistle box when Barry Nicholson went down after Mark Brown had gone for the ball. The referee obviously thought that Nicholson had taken a dive so gave nothing - strangely there was no yellow card. ICT continued to look for an equaliser and Russell Duncan's fine run and shot and then Bayne's good effort saw Derek Stillie in the home goal having to look lively and make good saves from both efforts. An equaliser was on the cards and it came in the shape of substitute Liam Fox, a goalscoring hero in the recent Kilmarnock fixture. Roy McBain's corner fell to Fox and his fine shot from the edge of the box took a deflection off Ross Tokely and landed in the back of the net. The goal was no more than Caley Thistle deserved for an excellent second half performance on a pitch that was now really tricky due to the incessant rain. Full Time: 1-1 During the game we had a tale of two goalkeeping incidents. Firstly Mark Brown pulled off a tremendous save from a back header from Stuart Golabek which the ICT captain eventually managed to scramble back and clear before the ball finally went out for a corner kick and more bizarrely we had the sight of Pars keeper Derek Stillie doing a juggling act with the ball as he attempted to make sure that Barry Wilson did not find the back of the net. In the end a fine away point. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Dunfermline: 1 (Darren Young 28) Team: Stillie; Wilson, Skerla (Byrne 19), Shields, Tod (Derek Young 60), Nicholson, Thomson, Darren Young, Mason, Mehmet (Donnelly 75), Brewster Subs Not Used: Langfield; Labonte, Bradley, Butler - Booked: Wilson (39), Young (51), Donnelly (84) Inverness CT: 1 (Fox 79) Team: Brown; Tokely, Dods, Munro, Golabek, Wilson (Keogh 84), Hart (Fox 71), Duncan (Black 77), McBain, Juanjo, Bayne Subs Not Used: Fraser; McCaffrey, Thomson, Prunty - Booked: (Bayne 9) Attendance: 4921 Referee: Iain Brines

Revenge for opening day defeat Another fantastic result for the club on a day that speculation was rife that John Robertson was off to Hearts. Another fine performance by the team made it a week to remember - seven points from three games. Praise in this game must go to a resolute defence who played superbly well in the second half as they protected our young substitute goalkeeper Michael Fraser, who replaced the injured Mark Brown at half-time, to record their second clean sheet of the season. ICT began the match with the same team that played Dundee. Caley Thistle started well and Juanjo saw his shot eventually cleared by MacKenzie in the away goal. ICT continued to press but most of the action was in midfield. Livingston had a couple of efforts from Lilley and Brittain before the home side opened the scoring through Graham Bayne. Barry Wilson's free-kick was headed on by Ross Tokely and Bayne was on hand to fire a superb shot into the net. Just on the half-time break Wilson's free-kick went inches wide of the target after Juanjo was brought down. Half Time: 1-0 In the second half Michael Fraser was introduced into the action due to a recurrence of Mark Brown's ankle injury. Livingston came more into the game and Derek Lilley saw his 25 yard drive come back off the post with Darren Dods blocking his follow-up. Burton O’Brien’s drive bounced off the bar before Fraser produced a superb save to deny Jim Hamilton then Mark Libbra had a goal disallowed for offside. ICT deservedly netted a second goal with three minutes remaining. Oscar Rubio made an error which allowed Wilson to run in on goal. His first attempt was saved by McKenzie but his second effort crossed the line before the goalkeeper scooped the ball away. Wild celebrations by the ICT fans as they could now rest easy knowing that the three points were secure. Full Time: 2-0 The referee eventually blew for the end of the game after four minutes of added time. Three points, a further two goals scored, a clean sheet, and up to ninth in the league. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Inverness CT: 2 (Bayne 39, Wilson 87) Team: Brown (Fraser 45), Tokely, Dods, Munro, Golabek, Wilson, McBain, Hart (Keogh 74), Duncan, Bayne, Juanjo (Thomson 80). Subs Not Used: McCaffrey, Prunty, Fox, Black - Booked: Duncan (60), Tokely (60). Livingston: 0 Team: McKenzie, McNamee, Rubio, Dorado, Stanic, Brittain, Easton, Lovell (Snodgrass 67), O'Brien, Hamilton, Lilley (Libbra 76). Subs Not Used: Boyack, Snowdon, McLaughlin, McMenamin, Meldrum - Booked: Hamilton, Dorado. Attendance: 1,279 Referee: Mike McCurry

Bayne double dumps Dundee A glorious opening period and ICT deservedly went in 1-0 up at half-time. This was followed by a dogged and determined second period which saw them hold off a late Dundee fightback to take all three points. John Robertson made one change in the starting line-up with Darren Dods making his first appearance of the season in place of the suspended Stuart McCaffrey. Right from the whistle ICT pushed forward and created a number of chances. Barry Wilson moved down the right and put over a fine cross into the penalty area which was half-cleared by ex-ICT captain Bobby Mann to Roy McBain but his right foot drive went wide. Minutes later Juanjo had an effort which again went just wide of the right hand upright. Len Atle Larsen then should have given the Dens Park side the lead when he was through one-on-one with Mark Brown but his weak effort was easily saved by the 'keeper. Caley Thistle continued to press and a terrific move involving Juanjo and Richie Hart saw the latter’s final pass go just over the head of Graham Bayne. ICT’s pressure was rewarded with five minutes remaining in the half. Juanjo fed a through ball which split the Dens Park sides defence wide open and Bayne was on it like a flash to coolly and calmly place the ball wide of Soutar to give Caley Thistle the lead and score his first goal for the club. Half Time: 1-0 ICT increased their lead in 58 minutes when Juanjo’s 25 yard shot deflected off Graham Bayne and into the net. The home support by this time were ecstatic and enjoying a thoroughly professional performance. The goal was originally credited to Juanjo but eventually given to Bayne to take his tally up to two. ICT continued to keep control of the game although the wind and rain started to take its toll. Eventually Dundee pulled one back when Steve Lovell found space on the right to drill a shot past Mark Brown into the far corner of the net. With six minutes remaining Brown went down with a recurrence of the injury he sustained at Rugby Park and he was replaced by Michael Fraser for his first ever appearance. He looked confident in everything that he had to do and, when the final whistle went, ICT celebrated their fourth point in two games after a terrific team performance. Full Time: 2-1 After everyone was predicting a low attendance a crowd of 1254 turned up to witness ICT’s best 90 minutes of the season and hopefully this can now be continued into this Saturday's important game against Livingston. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Inverness CT: 2 (Bayne 40, 58) Team: Brown (Fraser 87), Tokely, Dods, Munro, Golabek, Wilson, Hart (Keogh 78), Duncan, McBain, Bayne (Prunty 90), Juanjo. Subs Not Used: Hastings, Thomson, Fox, Black - Booked: Duncan(60) Dundee Fc: 1 (Lovell 72) Team: Soutar, McNally, Mann, Sancho, Robb, Larsen (Caballero 56), Smith, Brady, Barrett (Fotheringham 64), Lovell, Sutton. Subs Not Used: N Jack, McDonald, Anderson, Hernandez Santos, Jablonski - Booked: Lovell (73) Attendance: 1,254 Referee: Mike Ritchie

Fox rescue's a point for 10 man Caley Jags A pulsating 90 minutes of football with four goals, a sending off and much controversy - the main one being Stuart McCaffrey's red card early in the second half. John Robertson re-instated Juanjo Carricondo into the starting line-up at the expense of Bryan Prunty who moved down to the bench. The home side began well and swarmed about the ICT defence. They were rewarded with a goal four minutes into the game. Stevie Murray picked up Craig Dargo’s pass and his left foot shot went into the net at the near post with Mark Brown seeming to get his foot stuck on the wet surface. The home side continued to press but ICT began to push more into the game and their perseverance was rewarded on the quarter of an hour mark when a short corner from Roy McBain found Barry Wilson and he fired home from the edge of the box. A slight deflection gave Alan Combe no chance. Ross Tokely had a drive well saved and Wilson also had an effort but missed the target by a good distance. The home side regained the lead just before the half hour and once again it was a defensive error that cost ICT dear. Grant Munro should have knocked the ball out for a corner kick but he allowed Danny Invincible to cross to Craig Dargo - his shot was cleared but Gordon Greer knocked the ball home from 14 yards. Half Time: 2-1 The second half got off to a sensational start with the ordering off of Stuart McCaffrey . A through ball was fed to Craig Dargo and he went down after minimal contact from McCaffrey. It looked accidental but the referee disagreed. Juanjo was eventually sacrificed as Richard Hastings was brought in to bolster the defence. ICT continued to push for an equaliser and the next substitutions certainly went a long way to making sure that Caley Thistle would take something from this game. The speed of Liam Keogh and the finesse of Liam Fox were introduced into the game with 15 minutes remaining and they made a massive impact. With eight minutes remaining in the game Liam Fox, making his second substitute appearance for the club, scored a tremendous equalising goal. He moved on to a Barry Wilson through pass inside the box and from a very acute angle fired the ball under Alan Combe for a stunning goal. Full Time 2-2 This gave ICT a share of the spoils and a vital away point. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Kilmarnock: 2 (Murray 5, Greer 27) Team: Combe, Greer, Lilley, Leven, Dindeleux, Locke (Joly 63), Invincibile, McDonald, Murray (Hay 76), Dargo (Naismith 82), Boyd. Subs Not Used: Smith, Fowler, Nish, Ford - Booked: None Inverness CT: 2 (Wilson 16, Fox 83) Team: Brown, Tokely, McCaffrey, Munro, Golabek, Wilson, Hart (Fox 75), Duncan, McBain (Keogh 76), Juanjo (Hastings 57), Bayne. Subs Not Used: Fraser, Prunty, Black, Thomson - Booked: None - Sent Off: McCaffrey (51). Attendance: 4,721 Referee: Craig MacKay

Neighbours do Home & Away Aberdeen’s first ever ‘away’ game at Pittodrie. The heavy pitch survived two inspections and the game went ahead. Once again Caley Thistle gave maximum effort but the need for an out-and-out goalscorer is clear. There was a cracking goal from Roy McBain but numerous missed chances. John Robertson made two changes from the side which drew with Motherwell - Juanjo Carricondo and Liam Keogh were relegated to the bench with Bryan Prunty and Roy McBain on from the start. The game got off to a lively start but both teams had difficulty on what was a very wet pitch. Aberdeen had the better of the early chances with Steve Tosh and Scott Severin both having chances but the early highlight was the superb reaction save from Mark Brown when he managed to tip a great effort from Derek Adams over the bar. The deadlock was broken just before the half hour when Adams worked a fine one-two with Chris Clark, cleverly turned Stuart McCaffrey and slotted the ball home from close range. ICT reacted and captain Stuart Golabek moved upfield and saw his fierce drive tipped round the post by David Preece. Minutes later and joy for the home support as their favourites got right back into the game with a brilliant equalising goal from midfielder Roy McBain who hit a superb drive from 25 yards which went in at the post. Half Time: 1-1 Caley Thistle began the second half in fine form and took the game to the visitors. Richie Hart had a fine effort saved by the goalkeeper and Bryan Prunty was unlucky with a header. Midway through the half and disaster struck when Brown was adjudged to have brought down Darren Mackie inside the box. Adams scored his second goal of the afternoon from the penalty spot. ICT made every effort in an attempt to get back into the game as they searched for an equaliser but they were now finding it very difficult on the heavy pitch. In the final minute of the match Caley Thistle lost a third goal. Golabek was dispossessed in the midfield and in his effort to get back to retrieve the situation he impeded Darren Mackie inside the penalty area. It was a clear penalty and Mackie stepped up to send the ball past Brown. Full Time: 1-3 Another game in which ICT matched the opposition for long spells but defensive errors which cost them dearly. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Inverness CT: 1 (McBain 36) Team: Brown; Tokely, McCaffrey (Keogh 86), Munro, Golabek, Wilson, Hart, Duncan (Black 76), McBain, Bayne, Prunty (Juanjo 70). Subs Not Used: Fraser; Thomson, Fox, Dods. - Booked: Golabek (60), McCaffrey (70), Brown (80) Aberdeen: 3 (Adams 28, 64 pen, Mackie 90 pen) Team: Preece; Hart, Severin, McGuire, McNaughton, Clark (Craig 67), Heikkinen, Tosh, Foster (Pasquinelli 79), Mackie, Adams (Stewart 85). Subs Not Used: Esson; Morrison, Considine. - Booked: Tosh Attendance: 9,530 Referee: Iain Brines

Welcome point for Caley Jags After a "pointless" September this draw was very welcome. It came courtesy of a last minute Stuart McCaffrey goal when another narrow defeat seemed inevitable. The goal might have come in the last minute of the match but what a valuable goal it could turn out to be come the end of the season. With the game heading for another 1-0 defeat, ICT once again surged forward throwing everything at the Motherwell defence and it was central defender McCaffrey who had come up for a corner kick who was on hand to stroke the ball home from six yards. Grant Munro was the only change from the side that narrowly lost down at Tynecastle against Hearts the previous Saturday – he returned from suspension and Richard Hastings was relegated to the bench. Motherwell began the game well and Mark Brown gathered the ball from Fagan¹s cross and minutes later he made a great stop from a MacDonald shot which Ross Tokely eventually cleared. Juanjo was a constant threat for ICT and was fouled on numerous occasions. Mark Brown pulled off another tremendous save after David Clarkson rifled in a 25-yard effort which the Scotland U-21 star tipped over the crossbar. Graham Bayne was getting through a power of work and was unfortunate as he was just about to shoot for goal when Gordon Marshall rushed from his line to block his attempt. Scott McDonald got the better of McCaffrey inside the ICT penalty area but he lost his balance just as he was about to shoot allowing the Caley Thistle defence to clear. The visitors took the lead seven minutes before the break when McDonald scrambled home the opener after a melee inside the ICT box. Half Time: 1-0 Into the second half and ICT went in search of an equaliser. Juanjo was replaced by Scotland U-21 star Bryan Prunty six minutes into the half and ICT enjoyed a good spell of attacking. Liam Keogh headed wide of the goal and Bayne also came close with a header. Keogh was replaced on the hour mark by Roy McBain and Marshall then made a great double save from Bryan Prunty and Richie Hart. Hart was then replaced after a midfield collision and onto the field for his first team debut came ex-Hearts youngster Liam Fox. ICT continued to press hoping that they could get back into the game and their persistence paid off as the Motherwell defence finally buckled after intense pressure. Barry Wilson's corner kick was cleared by the 'Well defence but the ball came back to the ICT frontman and his cross was headed on by Tokely for McCaffrey to sweep the ball high into the net for a well deserved equaliser. Full Time: 1-1 The point was needed as the three teams above all took a point during the weekend and it now sets up the first match of the season against Aberdeen in a fortnight's time. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Inverness CT: 1 (McCaffrey 90) Team: Brown; Tokely, McCaffrey, Munro, Golabek, Wilson, Duncan, Hart (Fox 76), Keogh (McBain 60), Juanjo (Prunty 51), Bayne Subs not used: Fraser; Hastings, Thomson, Black - Booked: McCaffrey (90) Motherwell: 1 (McDonald 38) Team: Marshall; Corrigan, Craigan, Partridge, Hammell, McBride, Fagan, Leitch, Foran (Burns 87), Clarkson (Paterson 60), McDonald (Smith 88) Subs not used: Corr; Quinn, Kinniburgh, Fitzpatrick - Booked: Leitch, McDonald Referee: John Underhill Attendance: 1438 Game played @ Pittodrie

Capital Punishment Caley Thistle travelled to Tynecastle in the hope that they could maintain the excellent form they showed in the game against Rangers and though they did produce another fine display, once again a defensive error was punished and the need to net at the other end let them down. Former ICT player Dennis Wyness was in the Hearts starting line-up and former Hearts star Juanjo Carricondo was in the ICT line-up as the teams kicked off on a beautiful afternoon. Caley Thistle immediately attacked the Hearts goal and in the early stages Stuart Golabek, Juanjo and Russell Duncan all had efforts at goal. Hearts took the lead in 15 minutes when Richard Hastings, making his first appearance of the season for the suspended Grant Munro, took too long to control the ball and Paul Hartley was onto the ball in a flash, moved forward and chipped over Mark Brown. The rest of the half was very even and entertaining and the half-time whistle went with the home side leading by the solitary goal. Half Time: 1-0 At the start of the second period Hartley’s corner was powerfully headed goalwards by Steven Pressley but Liam Keogh did an excellent job on the line and cleared the ball. Caley Thistle took the game to Hearts and Ross Tokely had the best chance of the game when he headed over from inside the six yard box from an excellent cross by Barry Wilson. Richie Hart had to come off with a back spasm after getting Patrick Kisnorbo's knee in the lower back and was replaced by Roy McBain and Steve Hislop replaced Juanjo on the hour mark. ICT continued to press for an equaliser and Tokely and Wilson both failed to hit the target. With 10 minutes remaining, substitute Hislop had to be stretchered off with a leg injury and he was replaced by Bryan Prunty. Caley Thistle kept pressing and Golabek shot wide from the edge of the penalty area. The last real chance of the game fell to substitute Prunty but he headed over from close range. Full Time: 1-0 Once again a tireless performance by the lads but nothing to show for it. Four home games in October will be critical for the team to move off the foot of the table. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Hearts: 1 (Hartley 15) Team: Gordon; Neilson, Pressley, Webster, Maybury, Hamill, Kisnorbo, Hartley, McAllister (Janczyk 83), Stamp (Sloan 83), Wyness (Elliot 63). Subs Not Used: Moilanen; MacFarlane, Berra, Stewart - Booked: McAllister (32), Pressley (58). Inverness CT: 0 Team: Brown; Tokely, McCaffrey, Golabek, Hastings, Wilson, Duncan, Keogh, Hart (McBain 53), Bayne, Juanjo (Hislop 60), Hislop (Prunty 82). Subs Not Used: Fraser; Dods, Thomson, Black - Booked: McBain (60) Att: 10,340 Ref: Kenny Clark

Well spoil home visit A rare 2004/05 home match at Caledonian Stadium but, by SFA decree, only the stand was in use. Everyone was hoping to see Caley Thistle record another win in this season's CIS Cup, especially as the game was being played in Inverness, but the loss of two goals early in the second half meant it was another uphill struggle. ICT did manage to get a goal back but a late strike by the visitors meant they ran out 3-1 winners and into a place in the Quarter-Final draw. ICT began the game well and Richie Hart was first to threaten Marshall in the 'Well goal with a cracking free-kick but he clutched the ball very confidently. A minute later and Bryan Prunty looked to have been upended in the box but the appeals for a penalty kick were waived away by the referee. Barry Wilson was next to have a go after great work by Prunty and his 25-yard drive went just over the bar. The tempo of the game was quick and both sides looked to be evenly matched throughout the opening 45 minutes. Chances were created by Hart, Hislop and Wilson for Caley Thistle and McDonald (twice) and Foran had efforts for the visitors but it remained goalless at the half-time whistle. Half Time: 0-0 The home support were in shock at the start of the second half as Motherwell netted twice in seven minutes. Two minutes into the half Richie Foran picked up the ball just inside the box and fired home from 12 yards to give the Steelmen the lead. And worse was to follow when Grant Munro lost possession inside the penalty area and Phil O'Donnell had an easy chance to tuck the ball home from eight yards. The home side were stung into action and swarmed over the 'Well penalty area and were awarded a free-kick in 57 minutes. From Richie Hart’s kick, Gordon Marshall parried the ball out to Ross Tokely who struck it goalwards only to see the keeper block his effort. Tokely was on hand to take the rebound and score from a couple of yards. This brought Caley Thistle right back into the game. Tokely nearly levelled the game five minutes later but his shot from all of 25 yards went just over the crossbar. And if that attempt was close ICT captain Stuart Golabek was even closer when his ferocious 30-yard effort was tipped over by Marshall for a corner kick. At the other end Mark Brown pulled off a tremendous save from Scott McDonald before the tie was settled with seven minutes remaining, McBride tapping home from close range. Full Time: 1-3 A disappointing temporary return to Inverness. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Inverness CT: 1 (Tokely 56) Team: Brown; Tokely, Munro, McCaffrey, Golabek, Wilson, Hart, Keogh (Duncan 70), McBain, Prunty (Juanjo 56), Hislop (Bayne 56) Subs not used: Fraser; Dods - Bookings: McCaffrey (60) Motherwell: 3 (Foran 46, O'Donnell 52, McBride 83) Team: Marshall; Corrigan, Hammell, Kinniburgh, Craigan, McBride (Fagan 76), Leitch, O’Donnell, Foran, Clarkson (Paterson 74), McDonald Subs not used: Corr; Burns, Partridge - Bookings: None Referee: Kevin Toner Attendance: 1464