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  1. ST MIRREN 1-1 ICT Craig Dargo scores in the first half and John Sutton equalises in the second as the spoils are shared at Love Street. Caley Thistle Club Historian, Ian Broadfoot reports on the game. 28th October 2006 Love Street, Paisley ST MIRREN 1 (Sutton 64) Team: Bullock, Millen, McGowne, Broadfoot, van Zanten, Brittain, Murray , Sutton, Lappin, Mehmet (Kean 59), Reid (Burke 59) Subs: Brady, Molloy, Mackay, McKenna & Smith INVERNESS CALEDONIAN THISTLE FC 1 (Dargo 34) Team: Brown, Tokely, Dods, Munro, Hastings, Wilson (Hart 70), Duncan, Rankin, McBain, Bayne (McAllister 87), Dargo Subs: McCaffrey, Wyness, Soane, Sutherland & Fraser Referee M Tumilty Attendance 4432 Man of the Match info not supplied It is a sign of the times that Caley Thistle came into this match as favourites and went home disappointed with a draw. Saints had taken all three points in Inverness on the opening day of the season but the visitors were now the form team. It all started brightly for Caley Thistle, and they took a first half lead through Craig Dargo, but as time went on they were forced onto the back foot. Saints’ pressure led to an equaliser but after that the defence held firm and the 1-1 draw extended the unbeaten SPL run to seven matches. Ian Black started his two-match suspension and Russell Duncan won the battle to replace him in midfield. Youngster Stuart Soane took a bench spot but otherwise the starting line-up matched the one that beat Falkirk last week. Graham Bayne nearly gave the visitors a first minute lead with a 20 yard shot but it flew past the far post with ‘keeper Tony Bullock nowhere. John Sutton was a constant threat for the Buddies and in eight minutes Grant Munro did well to block as he shot goalwards. Veteran Andy Millen should have done better for the home side in 16 minutes when he took a Billy Mehmet cut-back and somehow hit off target from little more than six yards. In 28 minutes a long Mark Brown kick-out was flicked by Dargo into the path of Barry Wilson - he ran on and lobbed Bullock from the edge of the area but it went wide. Caley Thistle took the lead in 34 minutes when Duncan took the ball off Hugh Murray in the centre circle and found Wilson on the right - his cross deflected off Millen to Dargo and the striker celebrated his 50th appearance for the club by sending a tremendous shot past Bullock for his fifth SPL goal of the season. Half Time: 0-1 Caley Thistle had held their lead up to and after half time then a double substitution in 59 minutes gave St Mirren fresh impetus and set up strong pressure on the visitors’ defence. Stewart Kean and Alex Burke replaced Alan Reid and Billy Mehmet with Saints playing three up front. The pressure paid off in 65 minutes after a free kick was cleared for a corner and Simon Lappin’s curling kick into the box from the right was headed home by Sutton. While Saints continued to push forward it was not all one-way traffic and in 69 minutes Roy McBain and Dargo combined to set up John Rankin, but his shot deflected off Wilson for a goal kick. Richie Hart came on to replace Wilson and provide fresh legs for the final 20 minutes. David van Zanten hit wide of Brown’s goal in 77 minutes and the same player shot over the bar with a minute left. Otherwise little troubled the Caley Thistle goal and Brown dealt comfortably with anything that reached him. In the dying seconds substitute Rory McAllister became the fifth ICT player to be booked in a game that was anything but dirty. Full Time 1-1 It ended with honours even and Caley Thistle moved back up to fourth place – a spot they held last week for 24 hours.
  2. Inverness CT 3-2 Falkirk Caley Thistle looked down and out after Anthony Stokes had scored either side of half-time but a second half goal from Craig Dargo and a two excellent free kicks from John Rankin meant it was Caley Thistle who snatched all three points. ICT Club historian Ian Broadfoot reports from the Tulloch Caledonian Stadium 21st October 2006 Tulloch Caledonian Stadium Inverness Caledonian Thistle 3 (Dargo 70, Rankin 81, 85) Team: Brown, Tokely, Dods, Munro, Hastings (Wyness 56), Wilson, Black, McBain (Hart 56), Rankin, Dargo (Duncan 88), Bayne Subs: McCaffrey, Sutherland, McAllister & Fraser Falkirk 2 (Stokes 40, 51) Team: Higgins, Ross, Barr, Milne, Twaddle, Cregg, Thomson, O'Donnell (Stewart 90), Dodd (Gow 90), Stokes, Latapy Subs: Lambers, Scobbie, Lima, Craig & Mountinho Referee Stuart Dougal Attendance 3749 Man of the Match Craig Dargo (ICT) John Rankin’s first senior goals for Caley Thistle proved decisive as they helped turn a 2-0 deficit into a 3-2 win. Not surprisingly Charlie Christie stood by the same side that beat Rangers but things did not go right until major personnel and formation changes in 56 minutes. With three at the back and three strikers it was all-out attack and this paid off. Not much happened in the first half but Falkirk, with Russell Latapy’s electric pace, looked more likely to score. Latapy hit over from 22 yards in eleven minutes then in 18 minutes he drove a 30 yard free kick just wide left. At the other end Ian Black shot over the bar in the early minutes, Graham Bayne did the same and Craig Dargo headed high in 33 minutes. Falkirk’s Anthony Stokes looked to have put Falkirk in a winning position with goals either side of the break. In 40 minutes he raced in on goal from the right, Grant Munro slipped and he hit the ball under the advancing Mark Brown. Half Time: 0-1 In 51 minutes Stokes did it again after a great Latapy build-up – Latapy ran across the box leaving defenders helpless then slipped it to Stokes who scored easily at the left post. Five minutes later came the decisive changes. Richard Hastings was sacrificed for Dennis Wyness, making his 200th appearance, and Richie Hart provided fresh legs to replace Roy McBain. The new formation settled down and ICT started to make inroads on the Falkirk defence. It all paid off in 70 minutes when Scott Higgins scrambled a Grant Munro shot for a corner on the right. John Rankin’s kick led to an almighty scramble and a Graham Bayne shot which Craig Dargo headed onto the bar. It bounced down over the line, the goal was given and Darren Dods hammered the loose ball into the net to make sure. The crowd were now treated to one of the best 20 minutes of home action seen in a long time. With nine minutes left Dennis Wyness was brought down a yard outside the box and John Rankin took the free kick. He curled it low to the left, round the wall and in for 2-2. This was the midfielder’s first goal for the club and his second was only four minutes away. Ross Tokely was brought down on the right some 30 yards out and this time Rankin sent the free kick high and left into the net for 3-2. There was no way back for Falkirk but they did throw on two substitutes for the two minutes added time. Full Time: 3-2 Stuart Dougal blew the final whistle and the home team was cheered off the pitch. Three wins in a row and up to a heady fourth.
  3. Recently, we challenged our users to volunteer as match reporters so that we could relaunch the 'fan report' section. Div1309 was the first to take up the challenge and reports from today's match at Ibrox. 14th October 2006 Ibrox Stadium, Glasgow RANGERS 0 Team: Letizi, Bardsley, Rodriguez (Novo 73), Papac, Smith, Hemdani, Ferguson, Adam, Buffel, Prso (Boyd 59), Sebo Subs – N'Diaye, Rae, Hutton, Svensson & McGregor INVERNESS CALEDONIAN THISTLE FC 1 (Bayne 71) Team: Brown, Tokely, Dods, Munro, Hastings, Wilson (Hart 87), Black, Rankin, McBain, Dargo (Duncan 83), Bayne Subs – McCaffrey, Duncan, Wyness, Sutherland & Fraser Referee Ian Brines Attendance Man of the Match UNOFFICIAL REPORT - Supplied by DIV1309 Until October 14th 2006, Rangers were one of only two teams in the current SPL that ICT had not beaten in a competitive match (league or cup). [editors note: we have still to beat Aberdeen too !] Leading up to the match Rangers were expected to win quite easily, but some amongst the away support suggested that an upset would be on the cards. What a result that would be on my first game of the season (I live in Glasgow so hard to get to games, plus some work commitments prevent me as well) The starting line up was announced with only Richie Hart making way for Ian Black in an otherwise unchanged line up. The match started out with Rangers content to knock ball the ball around putting the away defence under some pressure although never enough to trouble Brown. Sebo had a chance but lashed it across the front of goal. The first piece of action at the other end saw Rankin's shot spilled by the fumbling Letizi and Mcbain unlucky to see his follow up effort go just over the bar. Rangers were unable to make any inroads to the ICT defence and were reduced to Bardsley shooting from around 35 yards although Brown was behind it all the way. The best chance of the half then came when Adam played in Buffel who looked destined to score but once again Brown stood up and produced a brilliant save to stop them. Rangers enjoyed some possession towards the end of the half but nothing came of it. The only downside to the half was Black picking up a yellow card that means a suspension for the youngster for a tackle on Smith, who twenty seconds prior to the incident was rolling around in agony on the ground (dig a hole, dig a hole, dig a hole, dig a hole, dig a hole). Half Time Rangers 0-0 ICT Second half started the same as the first with Rangers knocking the ball around, although ICT seemed more intent on getting the ball up the pitch this half, main target being Bayne with Dargo and the midfielders running off the knock down balls. A chance came to Buffel but Hastings threw himself in the path to block it. Rangers had some more chances but they came to nothing. ICT came more into the game with Black having a chance after beating a player although his shot took a deflection and was cleaned up by Letizi. Then the moment came that we took the lead. The ball was played into Dargo who turned in acres of space and struck a left foot shot - which Brown would have mopped up easily - that Letizi fumbled and Bayne, having continued on into the box, slid in to squeeze the ball into the net before running over to the corner to celebrate. The away support tucked away in the corner went crazy, as the Rangers fans were in disbelief. Rangers started to pile on the pressure after this with Smith lashing a shot wide. ICT tried a couple of break away moves that lead to Bayne collecting the ball and looking for runners off him but came to no avail. Christie changed things with less than 10mins to go taking Dargo off for Duncan to shore up the midfield and Wilson off for Hart, who had ran all day. Rangers sub Novo had a chance late on that could have gone in but went past Brown's right hand post. A couple of penalty shouts for Rangers came and went and the last three mins seemed to take forever until we managed to keep the ball in the corner for a while until the referee blew the whistle to start the bedlam in the away support. FULL TIME Rangers 0-1 ICT Man of the Match – Graham Bayne- isolated at times but contested every high ball, chased lost causes, ran himself into the ground and scored that all important goal. No wonder he is a favourite amongst the ICT fans. Ratings Brown – 7 – never really had much to do although when called upon produced the goods. Tokely – 7 – Solid as usual, never under any pressure from who ever Rangers put on the left. Munro – 8 – solid as ever, cleaned up any long balls that came his way. Good to hear CC thinks he is progressing to Scotland squad material. Dods – 7 – never let the Rangers strikers have a chance. Hastings – 8 – solid again and brilliant last ditch tackle after his mistake nearly lead to a goal. Wilson – 8 – ran all day for the team. Excellent performance. Black – 8 – brilliant today. Proving he is a match for the best in the league. Battled for everything and never let Ferguson control for a minute. Rankin – 7 – good performance. Decent effort in the first half. McBain – 7 – good effort, had a chance to run onto a Bayne through ball in the 2nd half but stopped. Apart from that good distribution and tried to support Bayne whenever possible. Dargo – 7 – one of his quieter days, although did hit the shot that led to the goal. Bayne – 9 – brilliant. Challenged everything, fought for every ball, ran after everything and scored. Highlights of the Day – Rangers fans booing Letizi when he touched the ball after the goal, one ICT fan holding up his bookie form to the home support and kissing it (obviously had 1-0 win or Bayne to score or both) and the way the away support never stopped singing all day and went absolutely nuts when we scored.
  4. RANGERS 0-1 ICT A Graham Bayne goal in the 71st minute was enough to earn Caley Thistle all three points against Rangers. This was Caley Thistle's first win against the Glasgow side in eight attempts. Caley Thistle Historian Ian Broadfoot supplies the official report from Ibrox. 14th October 2006 Ibrox Stadium, Glasgow RANGERS 0 Team: Letizi, Bardsley, Rodriguez (Novo 73), Papac, Smith, Hemdani, Ferguson, Adam, Buffel, Prso (Boyd 59), Sebo Subs – Rae, Svensson, Hutton, N'Diaye & McGregor INVERNESS CALEDONIAN THISTLE FC 1 (Bayne 71) Team: Brown, Tokely, Dods, Munro, Hastings, Wilson (Hart 87), Black, McBain, Rankin, Dargo (Duncan 83), Bayne Subs – McCaffrey, Wyness, Sutherland, McAllister & Fraser Referee Ian Brines Attendance 49494 Man of the Match Grant Munro (ICT) A dramatic first ever win over Rangers for Caley Thistle after a tremendous defensive performance and a Graham Bayne goal on the counter attack. The Scottish Cup victories over Celtic and Hearts may be the pick of the club’s history but this is right up there with the best – most certainly the club’s best SPL result. The final whistle was greeted with loud cheers from the small away support and boos from those Rangers’ fans who had not left early. Rangers’ stand-in goalkeeper Allan McGregor was the SPL ‘Player of the Month’ for September but he was still dropped in favour of fit-again Lionel Letizi. The media criticised this change in advance and Rangers’ manager Paul Le Guen must have regretted the decision when Letizi gave away the goal that cost them the points. For Caley Thistle Ian Black came back into the side at the expense of Richie Hart and Liam Keogh missed out through suspension. With Dennis Wyness now fully recovered from his shoulder injury he took a bench spot. Rangers started at pace and in the first five minutes they had three corners. They rarely found the route to Mark Brown thanks mainly to sterling defending by the back four. Grant Munro in particular was praised by all the media for his fine performance. Caley Thistle did press towards the Rangers’ goal but mainly on the break. On the half hour mark Caley Thistle were awarded a free kick when Dado Prso fouled Barry Wilson on the right. Wilson played it short to John Rankin and he forced a punch save from Letizi – it fell to Roy McBain’s ‘wrong’ foot and he hit over the bar. With three minutes of the first half remaining Rangers finally found a way through to Brown but he kept the Inverness side in the game when Thomas Buffel turned, shot on target and Brown saved it with his legs on the six yard line. A minute later Ian Black was shown a rather soft yellow card which means he has earned a one game suspension. Half Time: 0-0 The second half was much like the first with the Caley Thistle defence repelling all that Rangers could throw at them. In 58 minutes Buffel nearly managed a shot from a Prso pass but Richard Hastings managed to block it. Buffel hit over the bar in 62 minutes then in 71 minutes came the defining moment of the game. A break from defence led to Craig Dargo racing through the middle and shooting from 20 yards. It looked a safe catch for Letizi but the reinstated ‘keeper spilled it and Graham Bayne was there to knock it in. Rangers were shocked but continued to press. Steven Smith hit wide in 79 minutes then captain Barry Ferguson shot over. The home crowd started to leave as they saw no way back for their side. Rangers had a strong penalty claim when Nacho Novo was seemingly fouled with a minute of normal time left – he regained his balance, shot wide and nothing came out of it. Full Time: 0-1 The final whistle went and Caley Thistle had once more ‘Gone Ballistic’. The fantastic result led to a three-place climb to fifth in the league. A day to savour and another chapter in the remarkable history of the club.
  5. Inverness CT 1-0 Dunfermline Caley Thistle have never lost to Dunfermline in the SPL and thanks to Ross Tokely that record remains intact. In a game that looked destined to finish as a no-score draw the big man popped up in the last minute to grab all three points. 30th September 2006 Tulloch Caledonian Stadium Inverness Caledonian Thistle 1 (Tokely 90) Team: Brown, Tokely, Dods, Munro, Hastings, Wilson, Rankin, McBain (Keogh 81), Hart (Sutherland 75), Dargo (McAllister 70), Bayne. Subs: McCaffrey, Black, Duncan & Fraser. Dunfermline (Jim Leishman) 0 Team: De Vries, Shields, S. Wilson, Young, Mason, Morrison (Muirhead 58), Hamilton (Tod 73), Woods, Ross (Daquin 65), Bamba, Crawford Subs: McCunnie, Labonte, C.Wilson, & McKenzie Referee Calum Murray Attendance 3517 Man of the Match Barry Wilson (ICT) Caley Thistle’s fine SPL record against Dunfermline continued with this 1-0 victory but it took a 90th minute Ross Tokely goal to secure the points. Tokely has a remarkable talent for popping up with goals at vital moments and this 28th career goal was as well timed as it gets. It may have been late September but nobody told the weather gods and the Moray Firth could have easily passed for the French Riviera. The football was not quite as good as the weather. Charlie Christie made one well-publicised change from last week’s side with the relegation of Ian Black to the bench. Richie Hart came in and had a fine game. Dennis Wyness was not quite fit so Graham Bayne and Craig Dargo continued up front. Dunfermline manager Jim Leishman was almost unrecognisable without his trademark moustache – he was happy with the £2000 raised for charity by shaving it off, but he was clearly disappointed that his side did not go back south with a point. Caley Thistle had the best of the match but the Pars held out until they were finally broken down by intense late pressure. Dunfermline had a fast start and in just 15 seconds Greg Ross sent over a dangerous cross from the right and Darren Dods had to head it for a corner. Roy McBain was the architect of a good move in six minutes when he broke down the right and into the Dunfermline box. His shot was blocked, as was Craig Dargo’s follow-up, then a Richie Hart effort was sent for a corner. Steve Crawford hit an angled ball over the bar at the other end then Darus De Vries held a Dargo low shot. Chances were rare until just before the break when Bayne latched onto a Hart cross and headed just past. Half Time: 0-0 Mark Brown held a Jim Hamilton header just into the second half then Crawford once more hit over the bar. As time wore on it looked like a stalemate but the fresh legs of ICT substitutes Zander Sutherland, Rory McAllister and Liam Keogh helped to up the tempo and the home side pressed hard They were all over the Dunfermline defence for the last 15 minutes but the best chances came in the final five minutes. First a McAllister flick and a Bayne lob set John Rankin on a race for goal with a defender at his shoulder and De Vries advancing – in the end his shot disappointingly trundled past for a goal kick. With two minutes left Bayne shot on the turn from 12 yards but De Vries produced the save of the match to touch the ball for a corner. Then came the final drama with Caley Thistle once more attacking in numbers and the Dunfermline box crowded. The ball broke to Tokely just outside the area and, after a neat turn, he hit a low ball goalwards and it ended up in the corner of the net. De Vries was deceived by a slight deflection but it was most definitely Tokely’s goal. There was still time for a final fast run down the left by the impressive Sutherland but he was brought down by Freddy Daquin – his yellow card allowed time to run out and the points were secure. Full Time: 1-0 Despite wins by Motherwell (am amazing 5-0 against Kilmarnock) and St Mirren, ICT moved up to joint seventh but eighth on goal difference.
  6. KILMARNOCK 1-1 ICT Last season there were 3 entertaining draws between the sides and it has started in a familiar fashion this season. Colin Nish scored for Kilmarnock in 7 minutes and Craig Dargo levelled it in the 19th. Although Dominating the second half, Caley Thistle had Mark Brown to thank for a world class save in the final minute that would have undeservedly won it for Killie. 23rd September 2006 Rugby Park, Kilmarnock KILMARNOCK 1 (Nish 7) Team: Smith, Fowler, Lilley, Hay, G Murray, F Wright, Invincible (S Murray 75), Nish, Johnston, Wales, Fernandez (Di Giacomo 83) Subs – O’Leary, Leven, I Campbell, Adams & Harpur INVERNESS CALEDONIAN THISTLE FC 1 (Dargo 19) Team: Brown, Tokely, Dods, Munro, Hastings, Wilson, Black (Hart 46), Rankin, McBain, Dargo (McAllister 90), Bayne Subs – McCaffrey, Duncan, Keogh, Sutherland & Fraser Referee Mike McCurry Attendance 4809 Man of the Match Colin Nish (Kilmarnock) With three league draws last season between these sides those of a betting persuasion could justifiably have put money on a share of the points – and they would have been right. After the midweek cup defeat to Falkirk Charlie Christie reinstated John Rankin and Ian Black to the starting line-up although Black was substituted at half time to avoid a possible second yellow card. Craig Dargo returned to haunt his old club with the equaliser and he came very close to scoring a winner. He was initially castigated for a bad miss 20 minutes from time but his claim of a fine Graeme Smith save was upheld by TV pictures. In the opening minutes Black hit just over the Killie bar then a Gary Wales strike at the other end was deflected for a corner. Killie took a seventh minute lead when Colin Nish pushed through a packed defence to head in a David Fernandez corner. Dargo’s goal came in nineteen minutes when a long throw from Grant Munro on the right was headed on by Darren Dods and Dargo netted from a difficult angle beyond the far post. In 37 minutes Graham Bayne appeared to be sandwiched in the Killie box but referee Mike McCurry did not agree. Half Time 1-0 Richie Hart replaced Black in the second half and the visitors pressed hard. Graham Bayne headed wide from 12 yards then Dargo headed over and hit the post. The Inverness side’s best chance of a winner came in 70 minutes when a low Richie Hart drive was spilled by Smith and Dargo nipped in to hopefully touch in the rebound – somehow Smith recovered enough to push the ball onto the post and the danger was averted. Hart then had a 12 yard shot deflected for a corner. The save of the season came in the final minute when Frazer Wright took an Alan Johnston cross and his downwards header seemed destined to bring the winner – Mark Brown dived to save with an impressed BBC radio commentator comparing it to Gordon Banks at his best. Full Time: 1-1 A good point on the road but a minor slip to ninth spot.
  7. Inverness CT 0-0 Dundee Utd After a summer of transfer trauma between the clubs this was billed by the media as a Christie versus Brewster grudge match. It was nothing like that and the only heat generated was from the strong sun. Apart from a few boos it was just another SPL match between two lively teams but it could have done with some goals. Club Historian Ian Broadfoot reports from the Tulloch Caledonian Stadium... 16th September 2006 Tulloch Caledonian Stadium Inverness Caledonian Thistle 0 Team: Brown, Tokely, Dods, Munro, Hastings, Wilson (Keogh 71), Black (Morgan 78), Rankin, McBain, Dargo (McAllister 84), Bayne. Subs: McCaffrey, Duncan, Sutherland & Fraser. Dundee Utd 0 Team: Stillie, Proctor, Kenneth, Archibald, Kalvenes, Robson, Kerr (Brewster 53), Duff (Robb 71), Cameron, Conway, Samuel (Hunt 46) Subs: Mair, Easton, Robertson & McLean. Referee Kenny Clark Attendance 3586 Man of the Match Roy McBain (ICT) After a summer of transfer trauma between the clubs this was billed by the media as a Christie versus Brewster grudge match. It was nothing like that and the only heat generated was from the strong sun. Apart from a few boos it was just another SPL match between two lively teams but it could have done with some goals. United’s new captain Barry Robson returned from suspension and received his share of heckling from his former fans and the visitors also included recent signing David Proctor, returning for the first time to his former home. Caley Thistle retained the same team as last week with Dennis Wyness still on the sidelines. Caley Thistle had most of the play in the first half but Craig Conway came closest to a goal at the other end when he rattled the crossbar in the ninth minute. Before that Derek Stillie saved a Craig Dargo header and a first-time shot on the turn by Graham Bayne. Stillie dived to save from Bayne in the twelfth minute then two minutes later Bayne headed wide. A John Rankin bouncing shot from 20 yards went wide in 31 minutes then Bayne had his best chance of the game in 37 minutes. He was set up by a Rankin interception but his on-target effort was blocked by Stillie. Seconds later a strong Ross Tokely run set up another chance. Tokely’s shot was off target but Dargo latched onto it and scored from six yards – the offside flag was up however before the ball hit the back of the net. Half Time: 0-0 Another Rankin effort from just outside the box went wide just after the break and United then began to push forward. Lone striker Collin Samuel was replaced at the interval by Noel Hunt and he was joined up front in 53 minutes by Craig Brewster. This added some spice to the game – particularly as he was in direct opposition to his signing target Darren Dods. Dods came out on top most of the time and Brewster had few sights of goal. He was close to a shot in 61 minutes but Grant Munro stepped in with a trademark timely tackle. Brewster did net in 67 minutes but he was well offside. In 73 minutes he latched onto a Robson bouncing ball but his flick was easily taken by Brown. Brewster robbed Dods seven minutes from time then found Hunt in the box – Hunt went down claiming a penalty but Kenny Clark did not agree. The defining moment of the match came with five minutes left when Steven Robb crossed and Barry Robson dived to head goalwards. It looked net bound but Mark Brown dived to produce the save of the match and push the ball away. It would have been a bitter blow to the home side. An Alan Morgan free kick flew just over Stillie’s bar as time ran out and it ended zero-zero. Full Time: 0-0 The two teams are now level on seven points but Caley Thistle edged up to eighth spot on goal difference.
  8. Motherwell 1-4 ICT Barry wilson has a great day as he sets up all 4 of Caley Thistle's goals against Motherwell. Ross Tokely opened the scoring in a tight first half but second half goals from Craig Dargo, Grant Munro and Rory McAllister's first league goal - which was also ICT's 100th goal in the SPL - sealed the match in style. 9th September 2006 Fir Park, Motherwell MOTHERWELL 1 (McDonald 71) Team: Smith, Quinn, Craigan, Reynolds, Paterson (MacLean 18), McBride (McGarry 53), Kerr, Lasley, Foran, Elliot (Coakley 65), McDonald Subs – Fitzpatrick, Connolly, McCormack & Meldrum INVERNESS CALEDONIAN THISTLE FC 4 (Tokely 25, Dargo 48, Munro 78, McAllister 88) Team: Brown, Tokely, Dods, Munro, Hastings, Wilson, Black (Morgan 81), Rankin (Keogh 80), McBain, Dargo (McAllister 83), Bayne Subs – McCaffrey, Duncan, Sutherland & Fraser Referee William Collum Attendance 4091 Man of the Match Barry Wilson (ICT) The Hearts’ result at Tynecastle equalled ICT’s worst defeat in the SPL but a fortnight is a long time in football – this fine win at Motherwell equalled the club’s best SPL score. Motherwell manager Maurice Malpas may not have been happy with his strikers or his defence but Charlie Christie was delighted to gain the first SPL victory of the season. With Dennis Wyness still sidelined Craig Dargo came back from injury to partner Graham Bayne up front. Otherwise the team from Tynecastle remained intact. Ian Black, fresh from signing an extended contract, made his 50th appearance. His name may not have appeared on the score sheet but the Highland hero of the day was Barry Wilson who set up all four goals and was always a threat with his pinpoint crosses. After exchanges at both ends Motherwell should have taken the lead in 20 minutes when Kevin McBride failed to connect with a Scott MacDonald cross in a good position. The first goal came five minutes later at the other end when a Wilson free kick was punched away by Graeme Smith but only as far as Ross Tokely. The big defender scored with a looping header to open his account for the season. In 36 minutes the Steelmen came close when a Brian Kerr 20 yard free kick rebounded off the bar. With the break looming Smith parried a Wilson drive and Bayne was robbed of the ball by Brian McLean as he seemed certain to score. Half Time: 0-1 The second goal came just three minutes into the second half when Wilson robbed Paul Quinn and squared the ball to give Dargo a close-range chance which he did not turn down. The Motherwell camp began to realise this was not their day when in 54 minutes Richie Foran missed the easiest of chances from just two yards out. They did pull one back in 71 minutes when Scott McDonald headed home a Keith Lasley free kick. Smith made an excellent save from Dargo in 78 minutes but the resultant corner from Wilson proved fatal. Bayne flicked it on and Grant Munro was in the right place to hammer home his second goal of the season. It was now all over for Motherwell and their fans started to head for home. Youngster Rory McAllister finished the scoring two minutes from time when he headed in another Wilson corner. Full Time: 1-4 A good day’s work, three valuable points and a small but significant climb from tenth to ninth.
  9. Hearts 4 - 1 ICT "Mother said their would be days like this" - Hearts ran out 4-1 winners in todays encounter at Tynecastle. Unfortunately the score doesn't reflect the game in which ICT battled hard, played well and created the chances... 26th August 2006 Tynecastle Stadium, Edinburgh HEARTS 4 (Pinilla 20, Mole 42, Driver 80, Aguiar 91) Team: Gordon, Costa, Pressley, Karipidis, Zaliukas, Wallace, Mikoliunas, Hartley (Aguiar 79), McCann (Driver 76), Pinilla (Makella 86), Mole Subs: Beslija, Lithgow, Fyssas, Banks INVERNESS CALEDONIAN THISTLE FC 1 (Bayne 31) Team: Brown, Tokely (Duncan 82), Dods, Munro, Hastings, Wilson, Black, Rankin, McBain (Keogh 82), Wyness (McAllister 44), Bayne Subs: Sutherland, Keogh, Morgan, McCaffery, Fraser Referee Steve Conroy Attendance 15912 Man of the Match Jamie Mole (Hearts) While ICT were beating Dumbarton in midweek, a nine –man Hearts team was crashing out of the Champions League in Athens. It was hard to predict whether they would be tired, and therefore ripe for the taking, or would be determined to bounce back quickly. In the event five personnel changes resolved the tiredness problem and they won this match convincingly. It was not quite as one sided as the scoreline suggests and ICT had chances to take something from the game – at 2-1 there was always the possibility of ICT taking a point but two Hearts goals in the last ten minutes sealed the victory. Caley Thistle reverted to the regular line-up, but with Craig Dargo not quite recovered from injury, Graham Bayne partnered Dennis Wyness up front. This changed just before half time when Wyness left the field injured and Rory McAllister replaced him. The first real challenge on the ICT goal came from an unlikely source in seven minutes. A long Craig Gordon clearance bounced awkwardly and Mark Brown was forced to tip it over. From Paul Hartley’s corner Saulius Mikoliunas hit over the bar. A Hearts breakthrough looked like coming in 11 minutes when Jamie Mole latched onto a Neil McCann cross and headed low towards the bottom corner. The large home support began to salute a goal but Brown dived to expertly push it behind for a corner. Nineteen proved an unlucky number for Caley Thistle when number 19 Mauricio Pinilla opened the scoring in the nineteenth minute. After a period of Hearts pressure McCann sent a cross from the left and Pinilla sidefooted it low past Brown from a few yards out. The visitors pressed for an equaliser and Barry Wilson came close in 27 minutes – he cleverly twisted past Mikoliunas and shot but Gordon punched it for a corner. On the half hour mark the small travelling support had something to cheer about when Graham Bayne made it 1-1. Wilson crossed from the right and Bayne lost his marker before heading the ball past Gordon from a couple of yards out. Dennis Wyness, making his 199th appearance for the club, came very close to scoring against his old team in 39 minutes when he dived to head a Richard Hastings cross from the left. It went wide and Wyness dislocated his shoulder in the process. He left the field a few minutes later and McAllister replaced him. Half Time: 2-1 Four minutes in to the second half Bayne raced through the centre with two defenders in close formation but he could only send the final ball wide. Hearts regained control and it was nearly 3-1 in 66 minutes when McCann hit the bar with Brown beaten. At the other end in 75 minutes Barry Wilson dived to head a Ross Tokely cross but he failed to connect six yards out. Any hopes of an ICT revival died in 80 minutes when Mikoliunas crossed from the right to the back post and Ross Tokely’s attempted headed clearance fell for Hearts substitute Andrew Driver – he sent an angled ball past Brown for 3-1. In the final minute another substitute Bruno Aguiar slid onto a low ball from the left and scored to make the final result 4-1. Full Time: 4-1 Disappointment for ICT after a good performance and they remain in tenth place.
  10. Grant Munro scores a late equaliser at the Tulloch Caledonian Stadium to cancel out Stephen Pearson's first half strike. Club Historian Ian Broadfoot supplies the official report. Inverness CT 1-1 Celtic 16th September 2006 Tulloch Caledonian Stadium Inverness Caledonian Thistle 1 Munro (80) Team: Brown, Tokely, Dods, Munro, Hastings, Keogh, Black, Rankin (Duncan 90), McBain (Hart 79), Dargo, Wyness (Bayne 69). Subs: Fraser, McCaffrey, Sutherland, McAllister. Celtic 1 (Pearson 26) Team: Boruc (Marshall 45), Wilson, Caldwell, McManus, Wallace, Nakamura, Jarosik (Zurawski 60), Lennon, Pearson (Beattie 85), Miller, McGeady. Subs: Telfer, Sno, Varga, Cuthbert. Referee Craig Thomson Attendance 7332 Man of the Match Grant Munro’s fourth club goal, ten minutes from time, earned Caley Thistle a well deserved draw – particularly on their excellent second half performance. The match was live on Setanta TV and Celtic manager Gordon Strachan was forced to watch it from the stand as he started a two-match banishment. Charlie Christie made one enforced change with Liam Keogh making his 100th appearance in place of the injured Barry Wilson. As usual the visit of either of the Old Firm leads to a capacity crowd and this was no different. 50 freeloaders also enjoyed the match from the A9 embankment. Celtic had the better of the first half but could not make their superiority really count. The first serious chance of the game came in 15 minutes when Celtic’s Jiri Jarosik turned and shot from 20 yards. Mark Brown was equal to the task and made a good save. In 23 minutes a John Rankin 30 yard free kick rebounded off Neil Lennon and safely back to Artur Boruc. The opening goal came three minutes later from a long clearance following an ICT attack. Shunsuke Nakamura found Kenny Miller and, with the defence short handed, he flicked the ball low from the right of the box past Darren Dods and Stephen Pearson slid in to put the ball behind Mark Brown. Celtic looked well in control for the rest of the half but Rankin did have two good strikes as the half time whistle loomed. His first was a 25 yard rising effort which Boruc dived to touch over the bar. He then tried a low shot from the same distance but this time it went just wide. Half Time: 0-1 David Marshall replaced the injured Boruc at half time and he had to face a rejuvenated Caley Thistle. Kenny Miller did have the space and time to put Celtic two up in 58 minutes but he shot early from the left side of the box and Brown collected easily. A Dennis Wyness lob from 18 yards just cleared the Celtic bar in 64 minutes and this was the striker’s last touch before Graham Bayne took his place. Bayne was immediately put through by Rankin, after good build up play from Craig Dargo, but his angled shot was held by the diving Marshall. In 68 minutes a Bayne flick set up a Dargo chip which went over the advancing Marshall but just wide. Celtic substitute ‘Magic’ Zurawski took a Gary Caldwell pass on the right of the home box in 71 minutes but shot over the bar. A McGeady low shot was held by Brown in 77 minutes then the equaliser came three minutes later. Substitute Richie Hart’s first touch was a corner from the left which came off the head of Darren Dods and seemed destined to run for a goal kick. Bayne had other ideas and did well to keep it in play before crossing into the box. It deflected into the path of Grant Munro 18 yards out and he powered it past the helpless Marshall to set the home section of the stadium alight. The Celtic backlash was inevitable and it nearly paid off two minutes later – Miller stretched for a cross from the right just a couple of yards out but he was off balance and it went wide. Brown held a McGeady chip then into added time Pearson blasted wide from 20 yards. The home side could just have sneaked it in the final two minutes. Dargo and Hart combined to give Bayne a sight of goal but he hit wide. Then, with seconds left, a long ball out of the Caley Thistle defence was chased by Bayne and Marshall. Bayne stretched to get a touch 30 yards out but it had no power and the defence recovered to clear. Full Time: 1-1 Disappointment for Celtic, a fine point for the home side and tenth place retained.
  11. ABERDEEN 1:1 INVERNESS CT Caley Thistle made another journey along the very familiar A96 to play former landlords Aberdeen and came back with a well deserved point. Ian Broadfoot provides the official report from Pittodrie Stadium 5th August 2006 Pittodrie Stadium, Aberdeen ABERDEEN 1 (Crawford 28) Team: Langfield, Hart, Byrne, Anderson, Foster, Clark, Smith, Nicholson (Dempsey 48), Touzani, Lovell (Mackie 57), Crawford (Severin 78) Subs – Stewart, Winter, MacAulay & Soutar INVERNESS CALEDONIAN THISTLE 1 (Wilson 88) Team: Brown, Tokely, Dods, Munro, Hastings, Wilson, Black, Rankin, McBain (McAllister 84), Wyness (Bain 72), Dargo (Keogh 90) Subs – McCaffrey, Duncan, Sutherland & Fraser Referee Calum Murray Attendance 11955 Man of the Match Stephen Crawford (Aberdeen) Caley Thistle made another journey along the very familiar A96 to play former landlords Aberdeen and came back with a well deserved point. Two well-matched sides duelled in the sun with Aberdeen having the edge in the first half and ICT fighting back in the second before scoring a very late (and bizarre) equaliser. Charlie Christie made three changes to his starting eleven with a fit-again Ross Tokely replacing Stuart McCaffrey at right back, Richard Hastings returning to the left back slot at the expense of Stuart Golabek and Roy McBain coming into midfield in place of Russell Duncan. Christie’s assistant Donald Park reached the milestone of 100 club games in the assistant manager role, including his time alongside John Robertson. Aberdeen started well and Grant Munro showed his mettle in the sixth minute with an excellent tackle on Stevie Crawford as he headed for goal. Two minutes later Tokely sent Barry Wilson clear down the right but his dangerous cross was cleared. Dennis Wyness then had a glimpse of goal but his angled shot from the right went wide. This good ICT spell continued and in ten minutes a Craig Dargo cross from the right reached Wyness and he went down in the box as he turned to shoot. The referee was right on the spot and he waved play on but the ICT camp felt it was a penalty. Aberdeen gradually began to exert pressure on the ICT defence but it held firm until the 28th minute when a Ricky Foster through ball reached Crawford seemingly offside. As Mark Brown narrowed the angle Crawford stretched to slide the ball home. The offside protests were waved away and the goal stood. A minute later Barry Wilson took a very quick free kick from 35 yards out as Langfield positioned himself but it flew just wide. Aberdeen pressed for a second goal with Jamie Smith prominent – he hit off target twice then a fierce drive rebounded off the back of Ian Black. In 36 minutes a low Barry Nicholson free kick from 25 yards was punched clear expertly by the diving Mark Brown. The half ended with flurries at both ends but no more scoring. Half Time: 1-0 The Aberdeen defence was put under pressure from the start of the second half and in 53 minutes Wilson was unlucky to see his on-target shot blocked by one of his own players in a crowded box. Dargo set up McBain in 64 minutes but his angled shot from the left was deflected for a corner. At the other end Brown did well to take a bouncing ball at the feet of Darren Mackie in 72 minutes. With ten minutes left a neat cut inside from Tokely found Dargo on the right of the Aberdeen box and in space – his rising shot went over the bar. Time was running out and it looked as if all the efforts had been in vain - that changed two minutes from the end of the regulation 90. The architect was Hastings as he robbed Gary Dempsey on the left and slipped it to Dargo on the edge of the box. His lob goalwards looked an easy catch for Langfield but he somehow dropped it under pressure (mainly from his own players) and it fell for Barry Wilson facing an open goal and just three yards out. Unable to believe his good fortune he calmly rolled the ball in for the equaliser. The five added minutes produced only frustration as the game degenerated into a series of fouls and bad tempered exchanges. Full Time: 1-1 A point apiece was fair and Caley Thistle move up a notch to tenth.
  12. Caley Thistle fans could be excused for feeling confident that they would get a result, especially after going 5 games unbeaten at the end of last season, having had no major squad rebuilding issues in the close season, and facing the prospect of playing a side they hadn't lost to in 12 games. Unfortunately however, someone forgot to tell Gus McPherson and most of the ICT players that an ICT victory was expected as the Buddies deservedly won this match. Club Historian Ian Broadfoot reports from Tulloch Caledonian Stadium 29th July 2006 Tulloch Caledonian Stadium, Inverness Inverness Caledonian Thistle 1 (Dargo 48) Team: Brown, McCaffrey, Dods, Munro, Golabek (Bayne 78), Wilson, Duncan (Keogh 65), Black, Rankin, Dargo, Wyness Subs – Hart, Morgan, Soane, Sutherland & Fraser St Mirren 2 (Kean 55, Sutton 75) Team: Smith, Van Zanten, Broadfoot, McGowne, Potter, Murray, Lappin, Sutton, Kean, Brady (Brittain 69), Molloy Subs – Burke, Corcoran, Maxwell, McCay, McKenna & Bullock Referee Alan Freeland Attendance 4267 Man of the Match John Rankin A very disappointing start to the season for Caley Thistle but SPL newcomers St Mirren were understandably delighted. Two goals from John Sutton (but with Stewart Kean still claiming the first) saw them come from behind to take the points in a match that only came to life in the second half. With Ross Tokely sidelined Stuart McCaffrey occupied the right back spot in the home side and new signing John Rankin started in left midfield. The Saints defence was under pressure for the first 15 minutes but nothing quite came off. Barry Wilson took a quick free kick from long distance in six minutes with ‘keeper Chris Smith out of position but he struck it over the bar. A high ball from Rankin in 15 minutes reached Dennis Wyness but he shot wide from 20 yards. Sutton almost broke through for Saints in 20 minutes but McCaffrey saved the day with a fine tackle. Wilson then cleared from David Van Zanten as he headed for goal before Craig Dargo went down 19 yards out at the other end. It was too theatrical for Alan Freeland and play was waved on. Play was generally scrappy with few moments of interest. One of these came in 37 minutes when Wilson did well to set Dargo on track – he crossed from the right for Ian Black but the defence cleared. An angled shot from Dargo just before the break was cleared for a corner by Kirk Broadfoot but otherwise the half petered out. Half Time: 0-0 The second half was much better and a minute after the restart a Russell Duncan sidefoot shot was diverted for a corner. Smith failed to hold Rankin’s flag kick and the ball broke back to him – he found Wilson but his chip went wide. The opening goal came in 48 minutes when an inch-perfect Rankin cross from the left was met by a fine Dargo header from close range. It was now looking good for ICT but that changed in 55 minutes. A ball sent left to right just eluded Stuart Golabek and Craig Molloy had a clear shot on goal from just inside the box. Mark Brown did well to push it away but Sutton and Kean between them scored from the rebound. An Ian Black acrobatic shot in 61 minutes was held by Smith then in 70 minutes Broadfoot headed over a Simon Lappin free kick. Saints’ winner came out of nothing. A long bouncing clearance from Smith looked harmless as it headed towards the ICT goal but with the central defenders hesitating Sutton stepped in to touch it past Brown. Caley Thistle fought hard to equalise after this blow but failed - Wilson hit a 20 yard shot at Smith, Wyness sent an angled ball over after a good Wilson/Dargo move then Smith held a Black chip. Into added time and Saints were content to hold the ball in the corner and count down the seconds. The final move was a Graham Bayne attempt to intercept a Smith clearance but it flew to safety. Full Time: 1-2
  13. Guest

    Motherwell 0-1 - SPL

    Club historian Ian Broadfoot reports from Fir Park, Motherwell as Craig Dargo scores his 15th league goal of the season in the 27th minute of this match to take all three points back up the A9. Alexander Sutherland was promoted from the reserves into the first team pool during the week and was on the bench. 15th April 2006 Fir Park, Motherwell Motherwell 0 Team: Smith, Corrigan, Craigan, McLean, Hammell, Paterson (Kinniburgh 64), McCormack, O'Donnell, Foran (Clarkson 70), Hamilton (Kerr 59), McDonald Subs: Meldrum, Leitch, McGarry, McBride Inverness Caledonian Thistle 1 (Dargo 27) Team: Brown, Tokely, Dods, Munro, Golabek, Wilson (Hart 79), Duncan, Morgan (McBain 71), Keogh, Dargo, Bayne (McAllister 81) Subs: Fraser, McCaffrey, Fox, Sutherland Referee D McDonald Attendance 3438 Man of the Match Not Supplied Sent Off McCormack (Motherwell) A boring end-of-season encounter this most certainly was not. In December Craig Dargo scored twice at Fir Park to take the points and this time his 27th minute strike was enough to see off a determined Motherwell side. The Inverness side was shaken up a little with Liam Keogh, Graham Bayne and Stuart Golabek coming into the starting eleven. There was also a first bench appearance for eighteen year old Zander Sutherland. Motherwell had the first crack at goal in five minutes when Scott McDonald threaded the ball through for Phil O’Donnell but Mark Brown turned his shot past for a corner. The home side continued to press and a dipping Steve Hammell free kick in 22 minutes just cleared Brown’s bar. It was the visitors who took a decisive lead in 27 minutes when a high Grant Munro ball out of defence was aimed for Dargo and he outpaced two defenders to set up a one-on-one with Graeme Smith. Dargo neatly sent a low ball into the net for the game’s only goal. Three minutes later an Alan Morgan ball in from the left wing rebounded off Dargo’s back into the path of Russell Duncan – his 25 yard blast was well saved by Smith. A Jim Hamilton close-range shot was deflected for a corner by Darren Dods in 35 minutes then, close to half time, Dargo ran half the length of the park then set up Barry Wilson. Wilson’s shot was saved by Smith but it came back out to give Wilson another chance – once more Smith was equal to the task. Half Time: 0-1 Six minutes after the break the match flared up when Richie Foran fouled Duncan on the left. Alan McCormick waded in as Duncan expressed his displeasure and yellow cards were shown to both Duncan and McCormick. Inexplicably a minute later McCormick raced over to the right and clattered Ross Tokely. The rest was inevitable – a second yellow and a walk to the dressing room. ICT never managed to take real advantage of the extra man and it was the Steelmen who next came close. In 64 minutes a quick Brian Kerr free kick was sent into the box by McDonald and it came off both Kerr and Brian McLean – it could have gone anywhere but it went over for a goal kick. Brown dived to collect an O’Donnell header in 76 minutes then, with seven minutes left, ICT substitute Rory McAllister won the ball off William Kinniburgh to set up a couple of chances – McAllister’s shot was blocked then Keogh’s follow-up was well saved by Smith. Three minutes from time a dangerous curling Richie Hart effort from 20 yards was pushed away by Smith. FullTime: 0-1 A hectic three minutes of added time came to nothing and the points pushed Caley Thistle above Motherwell into seventh place. With 46 points on the board, and four games left, last season’s total of 44 has also been overtaken.
  14. Caley Thistle make it three wins out of three against Hibs this season with a fine 0-2 victory at Easter Road. Goals from Darren Dods and a Barry Wilson penalty secured all three points. Saturday 25th March 2006 Easter Road, Edinburgh HIBERNIAN 0 Team: Malkowski, Whittaker, Caldwell, G Smith, Murphy, Sproule, Stewart (Dalglish 59), Thomson, Glass, Killen (Fletcher 56), Riordan Subs – Hogg, McCluskey, Shields, D Smith & S Brown INVERNESS CALEDONIAN THISTLE 2 (Dods 58, Wilson 78pen) Team: Brown, McCaffrey, Dods, Munro (Golabek 69), Hastings, Wilson, Black, Duncan, Morgan (Bayne 72), Hart, Wyness (Keogh 86) Subs – Parratt, Fox, McAllister & Fraser Referee M Ritchie Attendance 12745 Man of the Match Info not supplied A fine away win and a clean sweep over Hibs this season. Charlie Christie made one change from the team that narrowly lost 2-1 to Celtic in midweek. Barry Wilson came into the starting eleven and Graham Bayne reverted to the bench. Craig Dargo remained sidelined and with Ross Tokely still suspended Stuart McCaffrey continued at right back. Hibs looked the better side in the opening exchanges but Caley Thistle’s Richie Hart was first to have a realistic sight of goal. He tested Zbigniew Malkowski in the Hibs goal with a low 25 yard free kick in 12 minutes. Derek Riordan then attacked the visitors’ goal but he shot wide and another 12-yard effort from Riordan was blocked by McCaffrey. With seven minutes of the first half remaining Ivan Sproule was denied by the feet of Mark Brown then Brown tipped over a Chris Killen header. A long Alan Morgan pass set Dennis Wyness on a run but he shot at Malkowski from 18 yards. Half Time: 0-0 The visitors started the second half well and within a minute Malkowski pushed an Ian Black long-range shot for a corner. The pressure was rewarded in 58 minutes with the opening goal. Grant Munro was the architect when a trademark long throw from the left came back to him and he headed the ball into the heart of the box. It fell for Darren Dods and he drove it low into the net from 12 yards. This was the unified club’s 900th competitive goal. Almost immediately Hibs came close when a Riordan corner was missed by substitute Paul Dalglish then the other substitute Steven Fletcher hit it wide. A Riordan free kick from 30 yards in 67 minutes came close but Brown tipped it over as it headed for the top corner. Malkowski saved from Wilson then, with twelve minutes left, Wilson was tripped by Gary Caldwell in the box and Mike Ritchie pointed to the penalty spot. Wilson rose to his feet, took the penalty himself and scored goal number 901. Many Hibs fans decided it was all over and started to leave. Their team tried to salvage something but Riordan hit wide, Gary Smith went down and failed to win a penalty then a Steven Whittaker shot was pushed for a corner by Brown. In the four minutes added time Fletcher sent in a poor shot and it trundled over for a goal kick. There was still time for a Hibs corner which was headed off target by Caldwell – it fell for Riordan then Fletcher headed over the bar. Full Time 0-2 The afternoon was made even better for the Caley Thistle camp when the score from Pittodrie came through – Aberdeen 2 Motherwell 2. Caley Thistle thus moved back into sixth place. With two games left before the split, next week’s home game against Aberdeen will be vital.
  15. A goal-less draw against second placed Hearts keeps Caley Thistle in 6th place but Aberdeen and Motherwell are still in the three-way battle for the top 6 spot. Club Historian, Ian Broadfoot reports from this match at the Tulloch Caledonian Stadium Saturday 11th March 2006 Tulloch Caledonian Stadium INVERNESS CALEDONIAN THISTLE 0 Team: Brown, Tokely, Dods, Munro, Hastings, Hart, Black, Duncan, Morgan, Bayne, Dargo Subs – Golabek, McCaffrey, McBain, Keogh, Fox, Jackson & Fraser HEARTS 0 Team: Gordon, Neilson, Fyssas, Webster, Hartley, Hackett (McAllister 66; Goncalves 85), Cesnauskis, Berra, Bednar, Elliot, Aguiar Subs – Johnson, Mikoliunas, Pospisil, Petras & Banks Referee K Toner Attendance 5027 Man of the Match Richie Hart (ICT) A fine performance by Caley Thistle and they could easily have taken all three points. Hearts were always on the back foot and Mark Brown had a quiet afternoon. Richie Hart starred for the home side and brought out two tremendous saves from Craig Gordon late in the first half. Both sides were missing key players for a variety of reasons. The Dennis Wyness loan agreement with Hearts specified that he should not play against his parent club so the Dargo/Wyness strike partnership was severed. David Proctor was injured and Alan Morgan started. With Rory McAllister suspended, and the absence of Wyness, Caley Thistle were short on front players. Graham Bayne started with Craig Dargo and new signing Ben Jackson took a seat on the bench. Hearts were without Rudi Skacel, Stephen Pressley, Edgaras Jankauskas and Julien Brellier – but with a squad the size of a small nation this was not a major problem. It was a bitterly cold afternoon and Caley Thistle played into the wind in the first half. The excitement started in the first minute when Dargo chased a high ball from Hart and Gordon came well out of his area to clear – it reached Russell Duncan but Gordon got back just in time to take his on-target lob. A minute later a Paul Hartley corner was headed goalwards by Takis Fyssas and Mark Brown pushed it away. A second corner to Hearts created some confusion but the whistle went for a free kick to the home side and the danger was over. Two Alan Morgan shots were blocked in the seventh minute then Hearts danger man Roman Bednar closed in on Brown and he pushed his angled shot for a corner. A fine Grant Munro curling cross/shot from the left whistled past Gordon’s post in 25 minutes. Gordon saved a 25 yard low shot from Richie Hart on the half hour mark after good set up play by Morgan and Dargo. Gordon earned his appearance money in 36 and 37 minutes when he denied Hart twice. The first came when Morgan set Hart on course for goal through the centre – he drew Gordon from his line but the keeper saved his rising shot from point blank range. Hart tried again when a neat Dargo pass gave him a sight of goal from wide right – his shot was heading for the far top corner but the keeper reached it. Half Time: 0-0 With the wind behind them Caley Thistle spent the second half camped in the Hearts half. A long range free kick from Hart in 49 minutes proved awkward for Gordon as it carried in the wind but he caught it at the second attempt. In 55 minutes an Ian Black through ball for Bayne was taken by Gordon at the striker’s feet. Gordon held a header from Bayne in 77 minutes then a very good move ended with Bayne heading just over. Hearts were dealt a blow with five minutes left when substitute Jamie McAllister was stretchered off and had to be replaced. When play resumed the home side continued to press for a deserved winner. Gordon held a 25 yard low shot from Morgan then in added time Gordon came out of his box to clear a Duncan lob. There was still time for Gordon to hold a bouncing shot from Hart and for a Morgan 20 yard drive to be blocked after excellent set up play by Black. Full Time: 0-0 Hearts breathed a sigh of relief as the whistle went and it ended goalless. The point gained, and Livingston’s defeat, guaranteed SPL football in Inverness next season. Sixth place was retained and Aberdeen’s defeat moves them back to eighth. Motherwell moved up to seventh, a point behind ICT.
  16. ICT staff and supporters worked hard to make sure the pitch was playable, but it was Motherwell who took full advantage and all three points. A Richie Foran penalty was all that separated the sides. Club Historian Ian Broadfoot reports from the Tulloch Caledonian Stadium... Saturday 4th March 2006 Tulloch Caledonian Stadium Inverness Caledonian Thistle FC 0 Team: Brown, Tokely, Dods, Munro, Hastings (Bayne 80), Proctor (Morgan 24), Black, Duncan (Keogh 70), Hart, Wyness, Dargo Subs - Golabek, McCaffrey, Fox & Fraser Motherwell FC 1 (Foran 51pen) Team: Meldrum, Corrigan, Hammell, Kerr, Craigan, McCormack, McDonald (McGarry 83), Foran (Paterson 86), McBride (O'Donnell 80), Clarkson, McLean Subs - Hamilton, Fagan, Kinniburgh & Alexiou Referee S Conroy Attendance 3183 Man of the Match Ross Tokely (ICT) A poor game overall, very few accurate shots and just one goal. Sadly for the home support it was scored by Motherwell's Richie Foran from the penalty spot. Barry Wilson was missing from the Caley Thistle line-up following keyhole surgery on his knee but he was also suspended. David Proctor replaced Wilson but his match ended after 24 minutes when he was taken to hospital with a dislocated shoulder. Heavy snow over the preceding two days had led to a major clearance operation but it was successful and the match went ahead. The pitch was however heavy and mistakes were plentiful. There was barely a minute gone when a Ross Tokely cross from the right reached Ian Black via Richie Hart and Craig Dargo and it was nearly 1-0. Black sent a looping header over ‘keeper Colin Meldrum which looked in but was cleared off the line. A botched pass-back to Meldrum in the fifth minute was intercepted by Dargo on the left and he tried to curl the ball over the ‘keeper and into the net - he came close but it was wide. These two chances were to prove amongst the home side's best of the match. The frantic first five minutes also included two blocked shots from Motherwell's Brian Kerr and a dangerous cross from Kevin McBride which was headed for a corner by Darren Dods. Play began to verge on the reckless but referee Steve Conroy chose not to flourish the yellow card. This tough spell culminated in a 24th minute hefty challenge on David Proctor which led to his departure from the field en route to Raigmore Hospital. Alan Morgan came on to play on the left with Hart moving to the right. Dennis Wyness curled the ball just wide in 27 minutes from 25 yards then seven minutes later Meldrum brought out the save of the match when Hart crossed from the right and Dargo's on-target shot was blocked. The save was also significant because it was the only real test of either ‘keeper all afternoon. With five minutes of the first half remaining Alan McCormack went down in the Caley Thistle box alongside Grant Munro but play was waved on and the referee ignored any suggestion of a dive. Half Time: 0-0 Two minutes into the second half Alan Morgan similarly went down in the Motherwell box and was booked. The home crowd became restless as they could see no difference between the incidents. There was no real protest however in the 50th minute when Tokely tripped McCormack and a penalty was awarded. Tokely was perhaps fortunate to only receive a yellow card but he was deemed not to be the last defender. Richie Foran stepped up to net the spot kick and received a yellow card for an over exuberant celebration. On the hour mark the home crowd was once more left puzzled when Scott McDonald claimed Mark Brown had tripped him in the box but a penalty was refused and again referee Steve Conroy ruled that no card was appropriate. As the second half wore on the home side searched for an equaliser and even replaced defender Richard Hastings with striker Graham Bayne. This left some exposure at the back and a Motherwell breakaway with nine minutes left was only ended by an excellent Grant Munro interception. David Clarkson broke away a minute later but Steve McGarry was offside when the final pass came. With a minute left of the statutory 90 Motherwell substitute James Paterson headed over the bar then into added time Wyness came close at the other end. A classic double shuffle on the left of the box took him past two defenders but his angled shot hit the side netting. There was still time for McCormack to send a long range shot just wide and Motherwell managed to see out the three added minutes safely to earn all three points. Full Time: 0-1 Despite this set back Caley Thistle remain sixth but Aberdeen and Motherwell are in hot pursuit.
  17. Dargo and Wyness score again as ICT and Killie battle to a draw. For Dargo it was at least one goal in 7 consecutive SPL games, For Wyness it was 5 in 5 but it was a late equaliser from David Proctor that secured the point. Club Historian Ian Broadfoot reports from the Tulloch Caledonian Stadium. Saturday 11th February 2006 Tulloch Caledonian Stadium INVERNESS CALEDONIAN THISTLE 3 (Wyness 34, Dargo 68, Proctor 86) Team: Brown, Proctor, Dods, McCaffrey, Hastings, Wilson, Duncan, Hart (Keogh 79), Golabek (Morgan 76), Dargo, Wyness Subs – Bayne, Parratt, Fox, McAllister & Fraser KILMARNOCK 3 (Naismith 27, Wales 69, Wales 85) Team: Smith, Fowler, Hay, Ford, Wales, Invincible, Johnston, Naismith (Locke 81), Nish, Wright, Wilson (Lilley 89) Subs – Skora, Di Giacomo, Campbell, Loy & Bell Referee K Clark Attendance 3618 Man of the Match C. Dargo (ICT) A cracking match which could easily have gone either way. It was the third draw between these teams this season with fourteen goals shared. Injuries forced a number of changes on Charlie Christie and Stuart McCaffrey continued in central defence in the absence of Grant Munro. Stuart Golabek played in left midfield in place of the injured Roy McBain and, with Ross Tokely also unfit, David Proctor came in and scored a vital goal. Richie Hart was in the starting eleven as was Dennis Wyness. Liam Keogh’s return from long-term injury gave him a bench place and he came on in the 79th minute for his first appearance of the season. It all started at great speed with two early chances. In four minutes Mark Brown saved from Danny Invincible and Steven Naismith touched in the rebound – two Kilmarnock players were however offside and the goal did not count. A minute later it was the visitors turn for a let-off when Graeme Smith saved a close-range effort from Craig Dargo. A Darren Dods header had fooled Smith initially but he recovered when it looked as if Dargo had to score. Kilmarnock took the lead in 27 minutes when Invincible sent the ball in from the right and Naismith swept it first time past Brown from 10 yards. Caley Thistle equalised in 34 minutes when a Stuart Golabek lob into the box should have been cleared by Simon Ford but Dargo nipped in and passed to Dennis Wyness. Wyness neatly sidestepped a defender and hammered it past Smith. This spurred the home side on and they looked the better bet to score again. Three minutes from the break Barry Wilson turned at the edge of the Killie box then hit a great shot just over the bar. The whistle was looming when Killie’s Ford nearly scored an own goal. Wyness crossed from the right and Ford knocked it high over Smith but just wide of the goal. Half Time: 1-1 In 49 minutes Killie’s Lindsay Wilson crossed from the right but Brown took it with three visiting players hovering. A Wilson flick then set Dargo one-on-one with Smith but the keeper saved well. Smith then held a Dargo volley. In 59 minutes Naismith forced a Gary Hay free kick over the line but Brown had been fouled. There was a moment of high controversy in 65 minutes when Brown pushed a Naismith shot high in the air and Nish’s follow-up header was deemed not to be over the line – Jim Jeffries strongly disagreed but the goal did not stand. Three minutes Dargo’s persistence paid off and he made it 2-1. A Richard Hastings cross from the left was touched towards Dargo in the box and he slid in to knock it past Smith. This extended Dargo’s record of scoring in consecutive games to seven. The lead only lasted one minute as an Invincible interception set up a run down the right, a cross into the box and a Wales 12 yard shot which made it 2-2. It was a bad goal to lose after a good ICT period. The last ten minutes were frantic with chances at both ends and two goals. An Alan Morgan shot was blocked with eight minutes left then a Naismith effort was deflected off Dods for a Killie corner. Caley Thistle were stunned with five minutes left when Wales hit a curling shot from the edge of the box to beat Brown and give Killie the lead. Within less than a minute Gary Hay conceded a corner at the other end and Morgan’s inswinger from the right was headed in at the back post by David Proctor. Both keepers made good saves in the dying minutes. Smith saved from Dargo in 87 minutes then in added time Brown dived to save and prevent Wales from completing his hat trick. Full Time: 3-3 The whistle went to end this great advert for the SPL and honours were even. Aberdeen unexpectedly defeated Hearts to gain some ground but ICT remain sixth by one point.
  18. In a game best described as "The Great Escape", Craig Dargo and Dennis Wyness both got on the scoresheet in the closing period to rescue a point for Caley Thistle in a 2-2 draw. With eleven minutes gone Caley Thistle were 2-0 down and when Darren Young hit the post it was nearly 3-0. Amazingly the last ten minutes produced a penalty goal from Craig Dargo and a strike from Dennis Wyness to gain a point. Wednesday 8th February 2006 East End Park - Dunfermline DUNFERMLINE ATHLETIC FC (Dick Campbell) 2 (Hunt 8, Burchill 11) Team: Halliwell, McCunnie, Shields, S Wilson, Zambernardi, Donnelly (Simmons 59), Mason, Darren Young, Muirhead (Campbell 35), Hunt, Burchill (Thomson 84) Subs - Phinn, C Wilson & Paterson INVERNESS CALEDONIAN THISTLE FC 2 (Dargo pen 81, Wyness 88) Team: Brown, Tokely, Dods, McCaffrey, Hastings (Hart 64), Wilson, Duncan, McBain (Fox 27), Golabek, Dargo, Bayne (Wyness 64) Subs - Proctor, Morgan, McAllister & Fraser Referee B Winter Attendance 3355 Man of the Match Info Not Provided Radio Scotland reporter Charles Bannerman described this as ‘The Great Escape’ and he was spot on. Charlie Christie made three changes from Saturday’s draw with Partick. Injuries to Ian Black and Grant Munro led to starts for Stuart McCaffrey and Stuart Golabek. Graham Bayne also came in for Dennis Wyness. Dunfermline made one enforced change with Bryn Halliwell taking over in goal from the injured Allan McGregor. Caley Thistle started brightly and had an early chance, but Dunfermline quickly took control. In eight minutes Noel Hunt made it 1-0 with a low header past Mark Brown following a Scott Muirhead corner from the right. Three minutes later Mark Burchill took a headed pass from Noel Hunt and sent a left foot shot into the top corner to make it 2-0. The Pars surged forward to sew the game up and there was let-off when Darren Young hit the post and Hunt netted from the rebound – thankfully for ICT he was judged to be offside. In 25 minutes Barry Wilson came close to pulling one back when his 20 yard free kick hit the bar and went over for a goal kick. Both sides were forced into first half substitutions through injury with Liam Fox replacing Roy McBain and Andy Campbell on for Scott Muirhead who departed the field on a stretcher. Half Time: 2-0 Six minutes after the break Dunfermline thought it was 3-0 when a Donnelly corner was headed goalwards by Burchill but Fox hooked it off the line. Christie sent on Richie Hart and Dennis Wyness in 64 minutes and the latter started the fightback when he earned a penalty with nine minutes left. He went down with Scott Wilson and Yannick Zambernardi in attendance and a spot kick was awarded – despite the vocal Dunfermline protests that the decision was harsh. Craig Dargo sent Halliwell the wrong way and it was game on. Caley Thistle drove forward confidently and with two minutes on the clock Wyness acrobatically volleyed over Halliwell to make it 2-2. The Pars tried hard to regain the advantage but were denied in the dying seconds by a brilliant save from Brown as he pushed a Hunt ball onto the post then caught the rebound. Full Time: 2-2 Last Saturday’s 2-2 draw with Partick felt like a loss – in the light of the bad start this 2-2 draw felt like a win!
  19. A defeat in Charlie Christie's first official game in charge but a battling performance against Rangers with Craig Dargo and Dennis Wyness on the score sheet yet again Sunday 29th January 2006 Tulloch Caledonian Stadium INVERNESS CALEDONIAN THISTLE FC 2 (Dargo 13, Wyness 72) Team: Brown, Tokely, Dods, Munro, Hastings (Bayne 87), Wilson, Fox (Hart 71) , Duncan (Golabek 46), McBain, Dargo, Wyness Subs – McCaffrey, Proctor, McAllister & Fraser RANGERS FC 3 (Boyd 6, 58pen , Andrews 27) Team: Waterreus, Hutton, Andrews, Kyrgiakos, Murray, Burke (Prso 39), Malcolm, Ricksen, Buffel, Boyd (Novo 75), Lovenkrands Subs – A Rae, G Rae, Smith, Carcary & Klos Referee A Freeland Attendance 7380 Man of the Match Mark Brown (ICT) A baptism of fire for the new management team of Charlie Christie & Donald Park. Caley Thistle’s 11 game unbeaten SPL run ended at home to Rangers with the game live on Sky TV. TV pictures showed that Caley Thistle were desperately unlucky on two occasions – one Rangers goal was illegal and a penalty should have been awarded to the home side late in the game. They were however rescued on several occasions by fine saves from Mark Brown. Ian Black missed the game through suspension and was replaced by Liam Fox. For Rangers, Barry Ferguson was absent due to a broken nose sustained in a training collision with Marvin Andrews. Rangers put the Caley Thistle defence under pressure from the off and were rewarded in just six minutes. Chris Burke made a strong run and his defence-splitting pass reached Thomas Buffel on the left of the box. Buffel sent a square ball into the centre and Kris Boyd scored from six yards. Craig Dargo set the home stands alight when he equalised in 13 minutes. A Ross Tokely long ball through the centre ran kindly for Dargo and he hit low past Ronald Waterreus from 12 yards. A curling corner by Peter Lovenkrands from the right and a diving “header” from Marvin Andrews made it 2-1 in 27 minutes but TV evidence later showed that the ball actually came off Andrews’ arm. The goal stood and Rangers pressed to kill off the game. A great save by Mark Brown from Buffel just before the break kept the score at 2-1. Half Time 1-2 The game seemed to go beyond the home side in 58 minutes when Peter Lovenkrands came into the box from the left and was sandwiched – the referee pointed to the penalty spot and Boyd made no mistake. Home heads went down for a while then a Dennis Wyness goal in 72 minutes set up a lively last period. Barry Wilson hit goalwards from 18 yards and Waterreus dived to his right in the direction of the shot – Dennis Wyness reacted quickly and headed the ball into the unattended part of the goal from six yards. A minute later there was controversy when a Wilson ball across goal was nearly turned into his own goal by the arm of Ian Murray but Waterreus made a tremendous save. Penalty claims were turned down but once more TV pictures showed this to be a harsh decision. Alan Hutton blocked a Wyness header from 12 yards in 74 minutes. Three Lovenkrands corners in a row, with eight minutes left, put pressure on the home defence but all were cleared. Full Time 2-3 Despite a strong finish Caley Thistle could not manage an equaliser and Rangers took the points. Caley Thistle remain sixth.
  20. Barry Wilson turns in a superb performance with a role in all 4 Caley Thistle goals. The veteran scored one and set up or provided the ball for the other three. An emphatic win against struggling Falkirk and three-in-a-row for caretaker managers John Docherty and Charlie Christie. It was also eleven SPL games undefeated since Falkirk came to Inverness in October and won 3-0 against the odds. Saturday 21st January 2006 Falkirk Stadium FALKIRK FC 1 (Ireland 10) Team: Ferguson, Lawrie, Milne, Rodrigues, Ireland (Moutinho 64), Lima (Cregg 69), Thomson, O’Donnell (Craig 62), Latapy, McBreen, Gow Subs – Ross, Barr, McPherson & Glennon INVERNESS CALEDONIAN THISTLE FC 4 (Wilson 2, Wyness 18, Dargo 38 (pen), Tokely 56) Team: Brown, Tokely (Proctor 79), Dods, Munro, Hastings, Wilson (Hart 85), Black (Golabek 66), Duncan, McBain, Dargo, Wyness Subs – McCaffrey, Fox, McAllister & Fraser Referee J Underhill Attendance 4772 Man of the Match Liam Craig (Falkirk) Barry Wilson was the hero of the day with one goal and three assists. Falkirk manager John Hughes acknowledged the fans boos and agreed they had been well beaten. Christie thought his side was ‘fabulous’. Russell Latapy shot over the Caley Thistle bar in the first minute but it was the visitors who took the lead in just two minutes after Craig Dargo collected the ball in midfield and found Wilson on the right. The winger headed goalwards and shot low past Allan Ferguson from 18 yards for his third goal of the season. Alan Gow should have equalised two minutes later but Mark Brown blocked his effort with his legs. In the eighth minute Craig Dargo hit straight at Allan Ferguson from point blank range and two minutes after that Falkirk equalised. Gow’s free kick was not cleared by the ICT defence and Craig Ireland rose to head home. The Inverness side regained the lead in 18 minutes when Dennis Wyness was set up by Wilson and he carefully slid the ball past Ferguson from 12 yards. Falkirk pushed for another equaliser and Brown brilliantly turned away a Russell Latapy free kick in 31 minutes. The points began to look safe in 38 minutes when a Wilson cross was handled by Tiago Rodrigues and Dargo slotted home the penalty – his third penalty goal in three matches. Half Time: 1-3 Into the second half and the visitors were clearly in control. In 51 minutes Dargo hit the bar from 18 yards then Ian Black hit wide with just Ferguson to beat. Goal number four came in 56 minutes when a Wilson corner was headed home by Ross Tokely at the near post – his second goal of the season’s SPL campaign. Falkirk now had a mountain to climb. The team did not give up but many of their fans decided to head for home. The closest Falkirk came was when substitute Liam Craig hit the bar in the closing stages. Full Time: 1-4 For Caley Thistle the job was done and they fully deserved the three points. Sixth place was retained and minds now turned to the visit of Rangers on the 29th.
  21. The pain of the departure of Craig Brewster, Malky Thomson and a couple of the coaching staff fades as the players prove that its business as usual with a 3-0 win over Paul Lambert's Livingston side. What a week !! Caley Thistle lose a player, manager and 4 coaches in one fell swoop when Craig Brewster and his backroom team agree terms with Dundee United but in typical ICT style, the players proved it was business as usual as they rose above all the turmoil and turned in a winning performance. Saturday 14th January 2006 Tulloch Caledonian Stadium INVERNESS CALEDONIAN THISTLE FC 3 (Dargo 26, 57pen), Wyness (59) Team: Brown, Tokely, Dods, Munro, Hastings, Wilson (Proctor 82), Duncan, Black (Hart 73), McBain, Dargo, Wyness (McAllister 69) Subs – Golabek, McCaffrey, Fox & Fraser LIVINGSTON FC 0 Team: McKenzie, MacKay, Pinxten, Strong, McNamee (Walker 68), Dair, Brittain, Lambert (Vincze 46), Hoolahan, Dalglish, Hislop (Dorado 75) Subs – Snodgrass, Dorrans, Tesevic & Roy Referee C Thomson Attendance 3604 Man of the Match Craig Dargo (ICT) There was one piece of important business before the game could begin – a minute’s silence to honour team coach driver Tony Fraser who died last Wednesday. Tony was a long-serving and valued member of the organisation and much more than just a driver. He was there on day one when the club played its first competitive match and he followed the fortunes of the team avidly. His enthusiasm and friendship will be sorely missed by all. With Craig Brewster gone, the management duties were shared, as they were just 14 months ago, by Charlie Christie and John Docherty. The line-up for last week’s cup match was amended to bring back Grant Munro, Richard Hastings, Ian Black and Roy McBain with fit-again Craig Dargo partnering Dennis Wyness up front. Livingston included former Caley Thistle favourite Steve Hislop for his debut after arriving from Gillingham. On with the football and a rather drab first period. The first realistic chance fell to Livi’s David McNamee in 13 minutes when he hit over from 18 yards then McBain hit wide at the other end two minutes later. Mark Brown produced the save of the match in 20 minutes from McNamee. A Paul Lambert free kick from long range was sent goalwards by Wesley Hoolahan and McNamee’s six-yard header looked certain to open the scoring. Brown’s reactions were superb and he touched the ball over the bar. Four minutes later referee Craig Thomson somehow denied the home side a penalty when Dargo was dispatched into the net by McNamee from a few yards out as the striker attempted to latch onto Barry Wilson’s cross. Dargo gained some revenge within two minutes when he rose to head home an excellent Ian Black cross from the right – a rare headed goal from the striker. A 36th minute header from Hislop was blocked in the box then Darren Dods stepped in as Hislop was about to turn a Lambert free kick goalwards. The home side were in control for the rest of the match and it was only a matter of time before their lead was extended. Half Time: 1-0 In 52 minutes a Hastings cross from the right reached Wyness at the back post but a little too high for an accurate header – it went over the bar. Three minutes later Wilson raced into the Livi box and went down under a tackle from Dave MacKay and, after a moment’s hesitation, referee Thomson pointed to the spot. There was delay while the referee attended to protests and, two Livi bookings later, Dargo took the kick and hit low past McKenzie for 2-0. This was Dargo's 9th goal in as many games. In 59 minutes Wyness scored a magnificent goal to seal the victory. McBain passed inside from the left and Wyness turned a defender beautifully before sending a rising angled shot into the roof of the net. Substitute Rory McAllister took on the Livi defence in 76 minutes before setting up Dargo with a hat-trick chance. Dargo made it past McKenzie but stumbled and the ball went over for a goal kick. There were half-hearted claims that McKenzie had impeded him but this was of no interest to the referee. Livi had few second half chances – the best fell to Paul Dalglish in 77 minutes but he headed wide from close range. McAllister hit a low shot just wide in 81 minutes then Livi’s Jason Dair sent a rising ball over the bar from 25 yards. Richard Brittain was stretchered off with five minutes left and the visitors had to see out the remaining minutes with 10 men. Dalglish headed for goal in added time but tripped at the vital moment. The final action was a McAllister effort in the Livi box – he created space on the right of the box but it was intercepted as he was about to shoot. Full Time: 3-0 With Motherwell not playing until Sunday Caley Thistle moved back into the top six and have now gone 10 games undefeated.
  22. Caley Thistle take all three points against Hibs at the Tulloch Caledonian Stadium in this boxing day encounter. Craig Dargo scored both goals and is now ICT top scorer for the season so far after a slow start. Caley Thistle’s fine form against the top teams continued with this well deserved 2-0 win over Hibs. This was the club’s 500th senior game since amalgamation and they celebrated in style. Monday 26th December 2005 Tulloch Caledonian Stadium INVERNESS CALEDONIAN THISTLE FC 2 (Dargo 8, 11) Team; Brown, Tokely, Dods, Munro, Hastings, Wilson (Hart 76), Duncan, Black, McBain, Dargo (McAllister 70), Brewster (Bayne 58) Subs – Golabek, McCaffrey, Fox & Fraser HIBERNIAN FC 0 Team: Malkowski, Beuzelin, Scott Brown (Konte 74), Caldwell, Fletcher (O’Connor 54), Glass, Riordan, Smith, Sproule, Thomson (Stewart 58), Whittaker Subs – Hogg, McCluskey, McDonald & Simon Brown Referee A Freeland Attendance 7017 Man of the Match Craig Dargo (ICT) Craig Dargo scored both goals although Barry Wilson had a strong claim on the first. With twenty minutes left, Dargo departed the scene with concussion and, at the end, he remembered very little of the game. The home side totally dominated the first half and played some fine football. The second half was more of a battle and the crime count continued to rise – in the end there were a total of nine bookings with Hibs by far the greater sinners. Grant Munro made his 150th appearance in an unchanged team. The opening goal came in eight minutes when Ian Black fed an excellent pass to Barry Wilson on the right and, with Ross Tokely causing a diversion on the overlap, Wilson cut inside. He sent a low angled ball goalwards from long range and Hibs’ keeper Malkowski dived in an effort to save - a touch from Dargo left him helpless. The goal was credited by the press corps to Wilson until Dargo’s vital contribution came to light. Three minutes later a poor goal kick from Malkowski was collected by Dargo 40 yards out and he raced in on goal. Malkowski narrowed the angle but Dargo neatly side-stepped him and hit into the net for 2-0. In 18 minutes Craig Brewster sent Dargo off goalwards and Derek Riordan earned the first yellow card by bringing him down. Just after the half hour mark Brewster once more provided Dargo with a fine pass and he headed towards Malkowski – the keeper came out to face the striker and this time he hit the ball early but just wide. There was very little to report at the other end and in first half added time it could have been 3-0. Dargo was on another strong run when Stephen Glass brought him down – he was lucky to escape with a yellow card. Brewster took the free kick from wide right and it was deflected for a corner. Half Time: 2-0 Hibs were expected to come out fighting after the break and they did spend more time in the ICT half – all to no avail. Mark Brown made a rare save in 55 minutes when he dived low to stop a Scott Brown effort. On 63 minutes Guillaume Beuzelin went down in the box alongside Darren Dods and was promptly booked for diving. Rory McAllister was presented with a chance seconds after coming on in the 70th minute – Wilson sent him on track for goal but he hit early and over. Hibs were reduced to shooting from long range and typically substitute Michael Stewart hit well over from 25 yards in 76 minutes. They should have pulled one back in 79 minutes when Riordan for once got the better of Ross Tokely down the left – Riordan’s low ball into the centre reached Garry O’Connor but from a few yards out he stretched and hit wide. Stewart limped off in 85 minutes leaving Hibs to complete the game a man down. Mark Brown rose high to collect a Riordan free kick a minute later then the same player hit a fine shot from the left – it cleared the bar with perhaps a little help from Brown. A goal kick was given and play headed back towards Malkowski. Graham Bayne touched on a Richie Hart cross but it was deflected for a corner. Into added time and McAllister came up against Steven Whittaker as last man – Bayne was clear on his left but the pass came a fraction late and Bayne was offside. Full Time: 2-0 The whistle went and ICT ended the day still in sixth place but a mere four points behind fifth placed Rangers.
  23. Official report from the League match against Celtic at the Tulloch Caledonian Stadium. An almost capacity crowd watches Caley Thistle score in less than a minute but John Hartson grabs a point for Celtic in this entertaining match Sunday 18th December 2005 Tulloch Caledonian Stadium INVERNESS CALEDONIAN THISTLE FC 1 (Dargo 31 secs) Team: Brown, Tokely, Dods, Munro, Hastings, Wilson (Hart 90), Duncan, Black, McBain, Dargo (Wyness 88), Brewster Subs – Golabek, McCaffrey, Fox, McAllister & Fraser CELTIC FC 1 (Hartson 21 min) Team: Boruc, Telfer, Wallace, Balde, McManus, Petrov, Lennon, Nakamura, McGeady (Sutton 71), Hartson, Maloney Subs – Lawson, Thompson, Virgo, Pearson, Wei & Marshall Referee S Dougal Attendance 7382 Man of the Match Ian Black (ICT) Gordon Strachan called this a ‘cracking game of football’ and he was absolutely right. A packed stadium watched an enthralling encounter which could have gone either way. Both ‘keepers had great saves, ICT missed a penalty and there were golden chances at both ends. The cold snap necessitated use of the undersoil heating but it did its job well and the pitch was perfect. The week’s press had been dominated by Roy Keane’s arrival at Celtic but he was not eligible for this game. For Caley Thistle David Proctor was ruled unfit and his place was taken by Roy McBain on his return from injury. Darren Dods came back from suspension to make his 50th appearance – at the expense of Stuart McCaffrey who returned to the bench. Club captain Stuart Golabek was on the bench following a lengthy spell on the sidelines through injury. There was dramatic start when Craig Dargo created a new club record with a goal in only 31 seconds. Barry Wilson forced a throw on the right and Ross Tokely found Craig Brewster at the near post – he headed on and Dargo flicked the ball home from six yards. The home stands erupted and another upset was on the cards. Play raged from end to end and the next chance fell to Celtic in 15 minutes. Shaun Maloney centred the ball from the right and Mark Brown made a magnificent save from a John Hartson 10 yard-shot. Maloney should have scored three minutes later when Hartson set him up a few yards out – Hartson could have shot himself from the right but he thought his strike partner was better placed. In the end Maloney did not fully connect and Brown blocked it. The Celtic pressure paid off in 21 minutes when Hartson was given too much room in the box and he volleyed home from 12 yards to equalise. On the half hour mark Brewster sent Dargo through into the box and he was brought down by Stephen McManus – a clear penalty and the referee agreed. Dargo took it himself but there was no real power in the shot and Artur Borac dived to his left and pushed it away. It was 1-1 at half time but could easily have been 2-2. The pace never slackened in the second half and Ross Tokely took the ball off the feet of Aiden McGeady in the box with seconds on the clock. Caley Thistle immediately moved play to the Celtic end and Boruc had to be quick out of his box to clear ahead of Dargo. In 54 minutes Boruc did well to beat away an angled shot from Brewster. Three minutes later McGeady was well placed in the box and all waited for an offside flag. The flag never came but McGeady hit wide. Play was still end to end and in 76 minutes McManus brought down Brewster 25 yards out. Brewster took the kick himself and Boruc dived to his left to push it away – a great shot and a great save. Five minutes from time a Wilson cross from the right reached Russell Duncan at the back of the box - he chose to hit it first time but it cleared the bar. With time running out Brown made two vital saves – he beat down a shot from Maloney then he punched away a 25 yard drive from Stilian Petrov. As the clock moved past the 90 minute mark Hartson went down in the box but a free kick was given to the home side. Maloney then did the same and he was booked for his trouble. Boruc held a Duncan lob two minutes over time and the whistle went. Full Time: 1-1 Brewster was delighted with his team’s performance and he particularly saluted the work rate of Barry Wilson. A fine eight days for ICT – a point earned from each of the top two teams. Next it is third placed Hibs on Boxing Day. Caley Thistle remain sixth and sit a point above Aberdeen.
  24. Craig Dargo scores a second half double to grab all three points for the Caley Jags in this match at Fir Park, Motherwell. The result takes Caley Thistle into the top 6 of the SPL. Saturday 3rd December 2005 Fir Park, Motherwell MOTHERWELL FC 0 Team: G Smith, Corrigan, Craigan (Kinniburgh 70), McLean, Hammell, McCormack, Kerr, Fagan (McBride 74), Foran, S McDonald, Hamilton (Clarkson 33) Subs – D Smith, Quinn, Coakley & Meldrum INVERNESS CALEDONIAN THISTLE FC 2 (Dargo 63, 88) Team: Brown, Tokely, Dods, Munro, Hastings, Wilson (Fox 89), Duncan, Black, Morgan (Hart 61), Brewster, Dargo Subs – McCaffrey, Bayne, Wyness, McAllister & Frase Referee S Conroy Attendance 4103 Man of the Match Info Not Provided A smash and grab raid at Motherwell took the three points and hoisted Caley Thistle up into the magic top six. Motherwell should have turned at half time in the lead but they squandered several chances and were denied by their former ‘keeper Mark Brown. Craig Brewster brought himself back into the starting eleven in place of Graham Bayne and Alan Morgan came in for David Proctor. The Steelmen started well and in less than a minute Alan McCormack sliced wide from just inside the box. Four minutes later Shaun Fagan hit wide from 12 yards with only Brown to beat. Brian Kerr hit past the post in 12 minutes then in 22 minutes Brown tipped over an 18 yard drive from Fagan. David Clarkson was the next sinner as he hit wide from 12 yards. A minute before the whistle McCormack shot straight at Brown then Darren Dods cleared off the line from Scott McDonald. Caley Thistle created very little in the first half and Motherwell ‘keeper Graeme Smith had an easy time – Barry Wilson shot wide, Dods struck the side netting and Ian Black hit off target. Half Time: 0-0 Into the second half and Motherwell were unlucky when a Brian Mclean goal-bound shot was deflected onto the post by Ross Tokely. The home side were stunned in 63 minutes when Caley Thistle took the lead. Brewster sent a ball through for Craig Dargo who stayed onside and hit it through Smith’s legs. Smith saved well from Black in 74 minutes then Clarkson nearly equalised with a header that came off the post. The game was over in 88 minutes when Dargo scored his second – Richie Hart sent a square pass from the right and Dargo hit the ball between Smith and the post. Full Time: 0-2 A fine afternoon’s work and revenge for September’s 2-1 home defeat.
  25. Official report from the league match at the Tulloch Caledonian Stadium against Dundee Utd. Ross Tokely doesn't score many goals... but the equaliser in this 1-1 draw was an absolute cracker !!! Saturday 25th November 2005 Tulloch Caledonian Stadium INVERNESS CALEDONIAN THISTLE FC 1 (Tokely 19) Team: Brown, Tokely, Dods, Munro, Hastings, Proctor (Morgan 35), Black, Duncan, Wilson (Hart 87), Dargo (Juanjo 83), Bayne Subs – Wyness, Fox, Brewster & Fraser DUNDEE UTD FC 1 (Miller 6 pen) Team: Stillie, Wilson, McCracken, Archibald, Duff, Samuel, Kerr, Fernandez, Robson, Miller, McIntyre Subs – McInnes, Dodds, Kenneth, Robertson, Cameron, Goodwillie & Samson Referee C Murray Attendance 3239 Man of the Match Ross Tokely (ICT) It was another one of these days when nothing went quite right – except for Ross Tokely’s spectacular equaliser. The defender’s first SPL goal from open play brought Caley Thistle right back into the game after they had conceded an early penalty goal. The winter arrived with a vengeance earlier in the week but by match day the snow had cleared and all that was left was a bitterly cold wind. The proceedings were delayed for a minute’s silence to acknowledge the death of the genius that was George Best. Those of us lucky enough to have seen him in action will long remember his skill and be saddened by both his early retiral from the game and his passing. It was on with the football but there was little to excite in the early stages. The game came alive in the seventh minute when Mark Wilson chipped the ball from the left into the box for Lee Miller. Miller found space ahead of Grant Munro and the Caley Thistle defender brought him down before he could shoot from a good position. Miller dusted himself down and made no mistake from the penalty spot. In 14 minutes a Russell Duncan ball from 25 yards spun over the bar then a Barry Wilson cross caused some chaos in the United box before it was cleared. Tokely’s moment of genius came in 20 minutes when a Wilson corner from the right was headed into the box by Ian Black – Tokely chested it down then sent an overhead kick past Derek Stillie before the ‘keeper even saw it coming. Alan Morgan came on for the injured David Proctor in 35 minutes. In the closing stages of the first half there were a few chances but nothing to really trouble either ‘keeper. Black hit well over in 36 minutes, a Craig Dargo 22 yard shot on the turn was straight at Stillie then Morgan hit low towards goal from the left but it skidded wide. At the other end a Barry Robson free kick in 38 minutes reached the lively Collin Samuel then Mark Wilson but the danger was eventually cleared. Seconds before the whistle for half time Stillie did well to hold an angled 25 yard shot from Dargo. Half Time: 1-1 The second half was not much better than the first with few chances. Stillie held a Graham Bayne flick in 59 minutes then Brown made the save of the day in 66 minutes when he pushed a net-bound Miller header onto the bar. Something special was needed to add sparkle to the proceedings and the home fans chanted Juanjo’s name. He duly came off the bench with seven minutes left but had little time to produce any magic. Barry Wilson was brought down by his former Livingston team-mate David Fernandez just outside the box on the left with five minutes to go and Stillie made a spectacular diving save from Wilson’s curling free kick. The good ICT spell continued when Black made an amazing run into and around the box searching for a space to shoot – he finally crossed and Bayne sent a glancing header past the post. Two minutes over time a cross from Richie Hart on the left was missed by Stillie and amidst the resulting chaos Bayne headed just wide – the assistant referee’s flag was up in any case. Full Time: 1-1 The draw kept ICT in eighth place but Dunfermline’s 1-0 win over Celtic was the result of the day and closed the gap at the foot of the table.
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