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Tale of two penalties This game was decided by two penalties and a sending off as the sides had to settle for a point apiece in a 1-1 draw at the Caledonian Stadium. Rory Loy slotted Dundee's penalty home to take the lead after David Raven was sent packing, but Greg Tansey returned the favour just after the hour. That ended the scoring but not the chances, with Liam Polworth left pounding the turf after dragging a glorious opportunity wide late in the game. As expected, our injury situation dictated how we approached this game and the addition of Miles Storey to the casualty list saw Iain Vigurs start wide left with the versatile Danny Williams helping out up front. Gary Warren was a welcome addition to the bench, even if he might still be on crutches. Dundee began with the side that ended the Kilmarnock game. That meant there was no starts for Gary Harkins, Kane Hemmings or Darryll Meggatt. They made way for Thomas Konrad, Paul McGowan and Nicky Low. Heavy overnight wind and rain gave way to a pleasant Saturday afternoon and just under 3000 turned up to see if our fortunes could change. As is traditional, we started brightly without threatening and the game soon settled into a midfield tussle with neither keeper being troubled. There were a few half snippets, but everything would fizzle out before the keepers were made to work. We did find the net once our wide players worked out how to get the ball beyond the first defender, but unfortunately Josh Meekings was flagged for offside as he headed smartly into the net. I suppose the best chance of the half fell to Ryan Christie, but he elected to chest down a long cross rather than use his head, in doing so he was closed down before shooting. What were Dundee doing while we plugged away? Well, virtually nothing, that'll be why Hartley had them warming up on the pitch five minutes before the second half started. Half Time 0-0 Well, it seemed to work as Dundee raced to the opposition box right from the restart. Only five minutes into the second period David Raven tackled Greg Stewart as he was about to shoot and referee Brian Colvin who was handily placed had no doubt it was a spot kick and to make things worse, he sent Raven for an early bath for his troubles . Rory Loy converted from twelve yards as Fon-Williams tried to cover the opposite side of the goal frame. Things looked bleak for Inverness and we expected the worst. The sending off left acres of space for Dundee to exploit and we were now under the cosh. Nicky Low had a shot deflected for a corner and from he resultant ball into the box, Healey headed wide from a good position. Despite Dundee's dominance since Raven walked, Inverness drew level after 65 minutes. A decent break forward saw Polworth hitting the turf out wide in the box as he tried to cut back inside. It looked like a penalty, but play raged on and Ryan Christie spotted his chance. He burst onto the loose ball trying to head towards the corner flag, and before you could say for fecks sake ref, Colvin pointed to the spot as Christie was upended. Fair enough, one penalty from two shouts and when the dust settled, Greg Tansey tucked the ball into the bottom corner. That sparked Dundee into more activity around our box but again most moves were breaking down without Fon-Williams being pestered. Ricardo Calder and Kane Hemmings upped the pace when they were introduced and we did well to prevent Dundee from getting ahead. Healey and Hemmings had forced Fon-Williams into making tremendous stops but it was at the other end where the points should have been won. Josh Meekings saw the headlines in the Courier as he burst into the box wide on the right side, but he blazed his shot high and not very handsomely into the North Stand. Well at least that's where I thought it ended up. We received a boost when Gary Warren made a surprise return to action after his leg break and that locked the back door. We ventured forward, and after some neat interplay the ball looked to sit up nicely for Liam Polworth, but the midfielder dragged his shot across the goal from around twelve yards and that endeth the opportunities for the home side. Dundee would still pressure our defence, but with Warren in there we looked impenetrable and held on for a welcome point, much to Dundee's frustration, especially with us being reduced to 10 men for most of the second half. Full Time 1-1 It was a game of two penalties, simple as that. Neither side looked capable of carving out their own chances and it was probably fitting that the outcome was decided on penalties. Dundee will feel disappointed that they could not get the better of the ten men, but in all honesty they were atrocious in the first half and they could not take full advantage of a side reduced in numbers. Sounds familiar. A point each was probably a fair reflection on the overall play and neither side looked as if they were worth more than that. For us, it's a step in the right direction, even with more injuries to contend with and a sending off for Raven, but the biggest cheer of the day was reserved for ooooohhh Gary Warren. MotM could be nobody else but Ryan Christie, who at times looked like the only home player tying to achieve something. His work rate was simply tremendous and some of his touches were sublime, fitting that he won the penalty that gave us a point. He was well backed up by Owain Fon-Williams in goal and Josh Meekings at the back. One or two others need to up their work rate though and Iain Vigurs will need to know that his honeymoon period is over and he must knuckle down to some serious hard graft. We have no room for luxury players at the moment. James Vincent's goal in the cup final seems like a lifetime away now as he struggles to create anything. I'll put it down to a shortage of players and some guys having to play unaccustomed roles. Welcome back Gary. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lm8oRPZjnwo&t=11s Date: 31/10/15 Venue: Caledonian Stadium Attendance: 2940 Referee: Brian Colvin Inverness CT: 1 Lineup: Fon Williams, Raven, Tremarco, Vincent, Meekings, Devine, Tansey, Williams (Warren 79) , Polworth, Christie, Vigurs (Sutherland 66) Subs (not used): Esson, Wedderburn, Horner, MacRae Scorers: Tansey (pen.64) Booked: none Sent Off: Raven (50) Dundee: 1 Lineup: Bain, Holt, Konrad, Stewart, Low (Calder 70), Loy (Hemmings 71), Ross, McGowan, McGinn, Healey, Gadzgalov Subs (not used): Mitchell, Irvine, Meggatt, Harkins, Skelly Scorers: Loy (50) Booked: none Sent Off: none

Ultimate Anti Football Inverness and St Johnstone served up an utter borefest of a game as anti-football took over the Tulloch Caledonian Stadium. The Perth side took all three points in a 0-1 win over a punchless Inverness who had not a clue how to break down the 10 men of St Johnstone. Both sides should be ashamed of themselves as misplaced passes, poor tackles and miscontrol was the order of the day. Both keepers could have stayed in the dressing room and the score would have remained the same as a 90th minute Liam Craig penalty won the match for the visitors. It turned out to be a decent day for a game of football after overnight rain, the pitch left moist but it great condition. It should have led to an entertaining afternoon's sport. How wrong can you be. Inverness were still unable to field a full strength squad and it showed. Carl Tremarco played at left back, but there is still no sign of Jordan Roberts, Tobi Sho-Silva, Gary Warren, Aron Doran, Richie Foran, and Andrea Mutombo was also out. Iain Vigurs made the bench and James Vincent got a start along with Liam Polworth. St Johnstone had Liam Craig on the bench, but he would be instrumental in our downfall late in the game. Fon-Williams was fortunate a couple of times as he replicated some of Dean Brills twitchy moment from clearances, having to dive full length to save the first one from rebounding in. That was as close as anyone came to breaking sweat in a dire first half. Our only half chance came when Tremarco was well blocked by O'Halloran as he broke into the left side of the box, just before he was able to offload. What a tedious first forty-five, surely the second half would be better? Half Time. 0-0 Well, we didn't know it at the time, but the second half was equally poor, in fact even worse if anything. Dave Mackay was sent off after catching Tremarco on the halfway line. That would maybe give us the upper hand. No. Despite the numerical advantage, and oceans of possession, we hadn't a clue how to get behind the Perth bus and were unable to make Mannus work for his bonus. Fon-Williams was equally idle as the Saints looked to hold on for a point. Little did they know how inept we were about to become and in Michael O'Halloran, they had the only player on the park worthy of his wages. The boredom was now reaching world championship level and it was about to turn into utter chaos as Devine was adjudged to have impeded substitute Liam Craig after ninety minutes had passed. Craig himself took the kick and our misery was complete. Full Time 0-1 Oh dear, what can you say about that. There was lots of head shaking as disgruntled fans left the stadium, muttering the words, shambles, disgraceful, punchless, wet paper bag, useless, no strikers, headless chickens etc. To be honest, that is probably doing a disservice to headless chickens who I'm sure would have shown more aptitude and attitude than those on the park. I would have liked to tell you more about our efforts during the game, but to be honest, there were none, absolutely zilch, zero, nothing. Worst game of football I have ever witnessed. In truth, St Johnstone were no better and we would maybe have done better if they had eleven players on the park. As soon as Mackay went off, they retreated further into their already defensive shell and the writing was on the wall. Yogi needs to turn this around pretty quick or this week will be a complete disaster for us. League Cup action on Tuesday night and the fans might be voting with their feet after this one. MotM. Well, there were none in blue worthy of a mention. They all underperformed. Best on the park was a lively Michael O'Halloran who led the line well. Take note Yogi, we need someone to do this for us. Full match report to follow..............

Disappointment at Rugby Park Inverness went down 2-1 at Rugby Park as Kilmarnock scored in each half to continue their resurgence and halt Inverness in their tracks. Greg Kiltie scored right on half time and Josh Magennis added a second as Inverness wilted, with Killie running out deserved winners in the end. Johndo will have a full report for us in due course...........and here it is Well that was my first venture since the trip to Romania. Have to admit that Kilmarnock ain't Bucharest and the Portmann ain't the Old City but at least I remembered the game this time. Another enjoyable Juanjo Awayday, only spoilt by a tepid performance and a very disappointing scoreline. It wasn't that we actually played that badly but it was a case of looking good but with no end product. That was Killie's first clean sheet of the season and no wonder Jamie McDonald had a wry smile at the final whistle as he applauded the away support who had been goading him most of the afternoon. "You won us the cup" ditty evidently fell on deaf ears. The possession stats were 50/50 and only eight shots with five on target throughout the game pretty much sums it up. But it really could have been so different if we had pressed home our domination of the first 20-25 minutes. There was a lot of possession but of the tippy-tappy, Ray Wilkins variety. Killie threw seven men across the pitch and limited us to chances from crosses or dead ball situations. Perhaps it might have been different if either Devine, Draper or Meekings had placed their headers in the back of the net - but as was the case throughout the game - our final touch or attempted pass was atrocious. I haven't really criticised Yogi too much but I felt that he was at fault this time. Why he allowed Draper to stay on the pitch until half-time baffles me. Sure Draper is determined and did not want to go off but he was a passenger for the last 20 minutes and all that was probably accomplished was to make his injury worst. Yogi should have hooked him and took Vigurs on earlier. And then Mutombo for Williams was a strange decision. I thought Williams was having a good day and his pace was worrying Killie. Mutombo to me is a forward version of Djebi-Zadi. And the introduction of Sutherland was also too late. To me the difference in the sides was Magennis. I have never really been impressed by him but his mere physical presence appeared to upset Devine and Meekings. The second half felt far longer than 45 minutes and we appeared to rely on big punts looking to capitalise on the pace of Storey who had little if any support. So perhaps it was just a bad day at the office. Perhaps the Tannadice farce left its mark. At least ours wasn't the only surprise scoreline. And I ended my time in Kilmarnock visiting a hostelry whose name resembled some of the players on show earlier. Fon Williams 6/10 - Never really had that much to do. Thought that he could have done better with the first goal, sadly in added on time. Raven 4/10 - Thought that he had a shocker - was he fit ? Watching trying to chase a ball down the wing in the second half reminded me of Marius Niculae at Motherwell. Tremarco 4/10 - He was fit so he has no excuse. Sooner we get Williams ensconsed in that position the better. Devine 6/10 - Actually looked the best of the defence which sadly was not too difficult to achieve. Meekings 5/10 - Bad day at the office. I always feel that he is not as good without Warren beside him. Polworth 6/10 - Didn't really do anything particularly wrong but did little to impress either. Draper 4/10 - Well you simply cannot perform with an injury but you can come off when you have one. Tansey 4/10 - Again 2-3 lovely touches but otherwise anonymous. Played far too deep Christie 7/10 - The only one who actually looked like changing the game. Williams 6/10 - Not sure why he was hooked as he was beginning to look like a danger, especially if we had pushed him forward. Storey 7/10 - Full of running and determination but he is simply not a target man or a centre forward. Let him play off somebody and we have a real winner. Vigurs 8/10 - My MOM for his 45 minute contribution. He may look lazy and he may not be all action but he has a head for the game and some of his passing was one touch and inspirational. Motombo 3/10 - Headless chicken impersonation Sutherland 4/10 - No time to make any type of impact Yogi 4/10 - Tactically his poorest selection and poorest tactics - 4-5-1 with what looked like 3 holding midfielders played right into Killie's hands. Date: 17/10/15 Venue: Rugby Park, Kilmarnock Attendance: 3234 Referee: Stephen Finnie Kilmarnock: 2 Lineup: MacDonald, O'Hara, Balatoni, Findlay, Smith, Slater, McHattie, McKenzie, Kiltie, Higginbotham, Magennis Subs (not used): Ridgers, Hamill, Connolly, Boyd, Obadeyi, Ashcroft, Frizzell Scorers: Kiltie (45), Magennis (66) Booked: none Sent Off: none Inverness CT: 0 Lineup: Fon Williams, Raven (Sutherland 81), Devine, Meekings, Tremarco, Draper (Vigurs 46), Williams (Mbuyi-Mutombo 53), Polworth, Christie, Tansey, Storey Subs (not used): Esson, Wedderburn, Horner, Sutherland Scorers: none Booked: Miles Storey (69) Sent Off: none

Point Taken Inverness and Dundee United shared the points in a hard fought 1-1 draw at Tannadice. It was inevitable that Billy Mckay would score against his old club, but Josh Meekings powered home a header just after the break to level the score. It was a glorious day in Tayside as Inverness visited struggling Dundee United at Tannadice. The shirt sleeve weather made it a tremendous day for a game of football and the pitch looked in magnificent condition as the sides took to the park. A decent away support saw Inverness start with a similar side that took to the field against Hearts. News that Tobi Sho-Silva was out injured was a bit of a downer but we were looking to build on our excellent win against the Jambos. Iain Vigurs also missed out but James Vincent and Josh Meekings continued their comeback. United had Billy Mckay in the main strikers role and Darko Bodul and Scott Fraser were the men providing the ammunition. The opening exchanges were fairly even but Ross Draper picked up a booking inside a minute for hand ball. Ryan McGowan fired one just wide after five minutes as United looked for an early opening, and they got the breakthrough after seven minutes. Inverness will feel they could have averted the goal which had a bit of fortune about it and who else but Billy Mckay scored from less than a couple of yards. Familiar territory for Billy who got the break of the ball after a John Rankin close range effort was blocked on the line. Unfortunately for Inverness Billy did what Billy does best and he knocked the loose ball into the net. It looked bleak for Inverness five minutes later when Rankin met a Morris cross about ten yards out bang in the centre of goal. This time we got the break as Owain Fon-Williams spread himself and blocked the ball with his legs. A let off for the visitors and it really should have been two nil for United. Mckay was looking lively early on as we afforded him the freedom of the park, allowing him to link and run directly at the heart of our box. A couple of frantic tackles kept him at bay and he turned and volleyed one just wide. A good effort that could have caught the keeper out, but Fon-Williams soon had to dive smartly to divert a vicious shot from the edge of the box as United and Mckay threatened to run away with the game. We needed half time to arrive sooner rather than later and we reached the break without further damage. Half Time 1-0 Harsh words must have been said over the half time cuppa as straight from the kick off, Ryan Christie drifted goalwards before sliding in Williams who was upended on the edge of the box. Nothing given though and that stung Inverness into determined mode. Following a couple of corners, Josh Meekings rose majestically at the far side of the six-yard box and powered a Christie corner into the roof of the net. Game on! Carl Tremarco was linking well going forward and had a shot savedthe angle before Danny Williams and Greg Tansey lashed shots close to the goals, but just wide. The tide had turned and Inverness looked the most likely to go on and win the game with United reduced to chasing shadows for long spells. Miles Storey was running the lone strikers roll and it was taking it's toll on the lad who gave his all before being substituted near the end, but he looked knackered long before that. Richie Foran replaced Williams with ten minutes left. Scare for Inverness with four minutes of normal time left as United broke out of defence, but despite a swift break the 'goal' was chalked off for offside. Sit down shut up! The game fizzled out thereafter and a point apiece it was in the Autumn sunshine. Full Time 1-1 Maybe not the best of games, but always something happening to keep you interested. At the end of the day, a point each was probably fair enough. United were on top in the first forty five but failed to extend their lead and were rightly hauled level by Inverness who upped their game after the break, no doubt having been ear bashed by Yogi. Billy Mckay was prominent in the first half but faded as we came out stronger in the second period. Spoke to a couple of United fans after the game and we all agreed it was the right result. We were also unanimous in our praise of Scott Fraser who showed quick feet on numerous occasions when in a tight spot. Ryan Christie once more shone for Inverness and Carl Tremarco looked good going forward in the second half. Tremendous header from Meekings to level the game, but Owain Fon-Williams kept us in touch in the first half and he gets my vote as our MotM. Date: 19/09/15 Venue: Tannadice Stadium, Dundee Attendance: 6235Referee: Kevin Clancy Dundee Utd: 1 Lineup: Zwick, McGowan, Morris, Durnan, Dillon, Dow (Spittal 65), Kuhl, Fraser, Rankin, McKay, Bodul (Murray 82) Subs (not used): McCallum, Telfer, Connolly, Taggart, Donaldson Scorers: Mckay (7) Booked: Rankin (28), Bodul (68) Sent Off: none Inverness CT: 1 Lineup: Fon Williams, Raven, Meekings, Devine, Tremarco, Draper, Tansey, Vincent, Christie, Williams (Foran 83), Storey (Polworth 90) Subs (not used): Esson, Lopez, Wedderburn, Horner Scorers: Meekings (56) Booked: Draper (1), Tremarco (10) Sent Off: none

Late Drama Inverness started with Carl Tremarco partnering Danny Devine at the heart of the defence, leaving Danny Williams as the makeshift left back with David Raven in his usual position at right back. Ross Draper was moved further forward alongside Greg Tansey in the engine room and Iain Vigurs started on the left side. Celtic target Ryan Christie was once again on show with Mutombo and Lopez hoping to start the scoring. Dundee were without Rory Loy once again, but Nicky Low and Kevin Thomson were fit enough to start. David Raven provided the first opportunity of the game but Mutombo could not get enough power or direction on the ball and the headed chance went wide. Inverness continued to press forward and Dani Lopez knocked a Tansey corner wide at the near post, but it was a positive start for the visitors. Mind you, we started positively last week against Hamilton. Tansey picked up a yellow card for tangling with McGowan after twenty minutes as Dundee began to see a bit more of the ball, but it was Inverness that should have opened the scoring as Raven set Vigurs up after a tidy one-two, but he made a hash of his attempt and shot wide when he should have made the keeper work. Draper followed Tansey into the refs jotter ten minutes later. That's the engine room both on yellows with just half an hour gone. A game void of goalmouth incident grinds it's way towards the break as Draper hits an effort from distance and Bain puts it behind for a fruitless corner. Half Time 0-0 The home side came out in the second period and pressed the game looking for the equaliser, but it was Inverness that took the lead fifteen minutes after the interval through Raven when he curled a left footer low behind the keeper from the edge of the box. He doesn't score many, but when he does, they are usually vital counters. The game was getting more frenetic as Dundee charged forward and Fon Williams saved a shot from McGowan before Irvine sent one wide. Ryan Christie did similar at the other end. Hemmings had a shot saved as well as the game went into the final quarter. It looked as though Dundee were running out of ideas, until Danny Devine gifted them an opportunity to get level when he punched the ball in the box, but Owain Fon Williams saved his second penalty in a row to deny Greg Stewart, diving low to his right to keep the visitors ahead. Paul McGowan should have scored from a couple of feet out but somehow the ball did not find the net. That was a let off for Inverness, but Dundee were knocking on the door. However, there was a very late equaliser for the Dark Blues when they went route one and Kane Hemmings knocked the ball home with Tremarco looking as though he may have been impeded. There was more late drama that Inverness could do without as Mutombo was dismissed for a rash challenge on Nick Ross in time added on. Sadly, that was the last action and the late goal leaves Inverness still without a win. Full Time 1-1 I suppose many fans would have been reasonably satisfied with a point before kick off, but it is disappointing to throw away a lead so late in the game once again. Another game where the lack of a proven striker cost us all three points. Great strike from Raven for the goal, but we were poor defensively at the equaliser. Mutombo compounded a poor performance by hacking Ross in an assault. I hope Yogi has a word with him. So that's another player out for our next game. Ryan Christie was one positive from a gritty display, and another penalty save from Owain Fon Williams, but we are a long way off our best. International break coming up, can't come soon enough for us. Date: 29/08/15 Venue: Dens Park, Dundee Attendance: 4767 Referee: Andrew Dallas Dundee: 1 Lineup: Bain, McGinn, Konrad (Meggatt 66), McPake, Irvine (Carreiro 74), McGowan, Thomson, Ross, Low, Stewart, Hemmings Subs (not used): Mitchell, Holt, Ferry, Gadzhalov, Curran Scorers: Hemmings (91) Booked: Meggatt (70) Sent Off: Inverness CT: 1 Lineup: Fon Williams, Raven, Draper, Devine, Tremarco, Williams, Christie, Tansey, Mbuyi-Mutombo, Lopez, Vigurs (Wedderburn 81) Subs (not used): Esson, Foran, Horner, Polworth, Ferguson, Brown Scorers: Raven (60) Booked: Tansey (18), Draper (25), Vigurs (50), Devine (82) Sent Off: Mutombo (93)

3 league games, and two Europa League games into the season and it is clear that Caley Thistle are certainly not firing on all cylinders up top ! After 270 league minutes and 180 European ones its a tally of only a single goal from Ryan Christie. This time last year we had amassed a solid 7 points from 3 games scoring 4 times in the process and conceding none. Its going to be a long hard season ...... @ICTRoughi provides the report from this game ..... Inverness shared the points with Partick Thistle which again like last Saturday could have been all three. Caley Thistle added to the squad before the game in the shape of former ICT player Iain Vigurs. Caley Thistle started the game well with a quick surge of attack but like most of the first half it didn’t really mount to much and we unfortunately had no end product in the final third. In the first 15 minutes Mathias Pogba was forced off due to an injury in which they replaced him with Kris Doolan who can be quite a handful up front but Ross Draper and Danny Devine like the St Johnstone game combined for a good defensive pairing. Since Gary Warren and Josh Meekings have been out of the side since their injuries, I have been particularly pleased with the performance that Devine has been giving - very intelligent defending. After Pogba went off, the game seemed to open up and the two teams looked evenly matched. Kris Doolan nearly made it a perfect start for him after found space to drill the ball however Owain Fon Williams was quick to react and pushed past the post. Where I was positioned in the north stand, it looked like an outstanding save. Half Time: 0-0 Caley Thistle again started the half in frantic fashion and then gaining a corner but unfortunately it never mounted to much. The two teams continued to battle in the middle of the park and Dani Lopez nearly got his first goal for the club with a shot outside the box but unfortunately went to the right of the goal. Partick Thistle nearly got the opener when Steven Lawless’s powerful shot forced Owain Fon Williams into another top notch save which bounced off the crossbar. On the hour mark, John Hughes made the substitution of bringing on Iain Vigurs replacing Lewis Horner. After 30 seconds of Vigurs being on the pitch, he received a booking for pretty much annihilating Abdul Osman - good start. Around about 10 minutes later, Inverness got a free kick in dangerous territory. Caley Thistle fans had previously stated that his free kicks will become an asset to the club and they were nearly proven right when his free kick was drilled low and fizzled past the post. For the final 20 minutes of the game Inverness started to bombard Partick Thistle with attack after after attack in which Danny Williams was the starting point of the attack. You would actually be forgiven if you thought that Graeme Shinnie was playing left back tonight because Williams was that good. Unfortunately like the game itself, chances were being wasted. Andrea Mbuyi-Mutombo done really well in the dying minutes of the game to get the past the Thistle defenders but unfortunately Tomas Cerny got the better of him, it just wasn’t going to be our night. Full Time: 0-0 I suppose it will only get better for us unless you have to go to Celtic Park after they themselves dropped points - gulp! Date: 12/08/15 Venue: Caledonian Stadium Attendance: 3141 Referee: Stephen Finnie Inverness CT: 0 Lineup: Fon Williams, Raven, Draper, Devine, Tansey, Horner (Vigurs 64), Williams, Polworth, Christie, Mbuyi-Mutombo, Lopez Subs (not used): Esson, Tremarco, Brown, Sutherland Scorers: none Booked: Tansey (63), Vigurs (66) Sent Off: none Partick Th: 0 Lineup: Cerny, Miller, Welsh, Booth, Osman, Amoo (Wilson 75), Bannigan, Lawless, Frans, Lindsay, Pogba (Doolan 18) Subs (not used): Scully, Seabourne, Stevenson, Hendry, Fraser Scorers: none Booked: Osman (34), Bannigan (48) Sent Off: none

Graham Cummins spoiled the party for Inverness right at the end after a 9th minute Ryan Christie goal had looked like securing all three points for Caley Thistle. We hope to have a full match report up later. From BBC Sport: Substitute Graham Cummins salvaged a point for St Johnstone with a last-minute goal against Inverness Caledonian Thistle. Ryan Christie's drilled shot gave the visitors an early lead. Christie came close to adding to Caley Thistle's advantage and Michael O'Halloran had an effort saved for Saints. And, with time running out, Cummins headed in Joe Shaughnessy's delivery to restore parity. A draw gives both sides a first Scottish Premiership point this season. But for Inverness the result may well feel like two points dropped having dominated for much of the match and led for so long. They took the initiative when a mix-up at the back for St Johnstone was picked up by Dani Lopez, who played in Christie. The attacking midfielder cut into the box on the left-hand side and, from 15 yards, fired across goalkeeper Alan Mannus into the net. Christie continued to be the danger man for Inverness and almost doubled their lead. He made a surging run from the right only for the Saints defence to block midway inside the penalty box. O'Halloran found space with some intelligent play and forced a decent save from Owain Fon Williams. Inverness threatened again on the stoke of half-time, Andrea Mutombo flashing across the face of goal with no takers. The visitors started the second half as brightly as the first and had a great chance following a corner from Ross Draper. The ball was headed down by Danny Devine and a scramble ensued before the ball was eventually cleared by the hosts. Christie came close again when he spotted Mannus off his line and tried a shot but the keeper made an excellent one-handed save. Cummins replaced Simon Lappin and his contribution proved crucial for St Johnstone as he connected with Shaughnessy's cross from the right to level the match. Date: 08/08/15 Venue: McDiarmid Park, Perth Attendance: 2959 Referee: Willie Collum St Johnstone: 1 Lineup: Mannus, Shaughnessy, Scobbie, Wright, Easton, Wotherspoon, Davidson, Lappin (Cummins 61), Craig, Sutton (MacLean 60), O'Halloran Subs (not used): Clark, McKay, Caddis, Brown, Kane Scorers: Cummins (90) Booked: none Sent Off: none Inverness CT: 1 Lineup: Fon Williams, Raven, Draper, Devine, Williams, Horner, Polworth, Christie, Tansey, Mbuyi-Mutombo, Lopez (Sutherland 83) Subs (not used): Esson, Wedderburn, Ferguson, Brown Scorers: Christie (9) Booked: Christie (93) Sent Off: none

Toothless A disastrous opening fixture for injury hit Inverness. Adding insult to injury, (no pun intended), Gary Warren took a nasty challenge from Stephen Pearson and it would appear that the club have confirmed he has broken a bone in his leg. With Meekings also taken off injured and Tremarco, Vincent, Doran, Roberts, Brill, Foran and Ferguson all requiring treatment things look pretty bleak at this moment in time. I doubt Motherwell will be winning any fair play awards after trying to catch Inverness on the hop. The tried to sneak a goal after play restarted following Warren's injury. Thankfully they guided the shot just wide. Unsavoury incident though. Rig has a report that is too good to waste, and here it is.......... A truly honking performance from ICT with the tone set early on when Warren hacked down Skippy after only a few minutes of the game gone with our fragmented side struggling to settle into anything approaching a rhythm. As was so often the case with Inverness when Hughes first arrived we were architects of our own downfall and helped Well score the first goal. A slack pass by Tansey was eagerly seized upon by Well and it looked like Fletcher and McDonald linked well to create a chance which was well saved by Fon Williams however he couldn't collect the ball and Fletcher followed in from close range to put Well ahead. As anyone who has seen an ICT game this season will know we have a lot of the ball but do absolutely nothing with it. As Motherwell sat back and defended in numbers ICT stroked the ball about with no real creative spark to open up the Steelmen. Even on the odd occasion when a break could have been on we seemed content to advance slowly out of defence and keep the ball rather than go for the jugular and try and get right at Well. At one point, collecting the ball from a wasted Motherwell corner we had all of our players within about 10 - 15 yards of the ball in a couple of big lines with no one further ahead of the player with the ball and no one seemingly trying to get into space to try and stretch the remaining defenders. We were exceptionally sluggish whereas Motherwell were much more direct and aggressive with and without the ball chasing it down and snapping into tackles making it hard for us to settle things down. McDonald missed a penalty after Johnson showed great skill to roll his marker and sprinted into the box only to fall over under what looked like minimal contact from Devine. Regardless, Allan gave a penalty and Fon Williams did well to block McDonalds spot kick which was a nice height for the keeper to get to and keep out. Wedderburn, who was struggling with the quickness of Motherwell players closing him down, was subbed for Mutombo who injected a bit more creativity and pace into a lackadaisical ICT side. This was pretty much how the first half played out with the only other notable talking point being what looked like a horrendous challenge by Pearson on Warren which resulted in the ICT defender having to be subbed off. Pearson looked like he launched himself hard into a challenge going well over the ball with studs showing. It seemed a clear red card but fortunately for Pearson Allan only showed him a yellow. Pearson himself went off later on as he seemed to injure himself in the tackle as well. Will be interesting to see it again on the highlights if it's covered. Half Time 0-1 Motherwell started the second half on top and ICT again were in a mess at the back. Some good work down the Well right led to a good chance to extend their lead but fortunately an effort by Fletcher (I think) hit the post / was saved by Fon Williams. Not long after that Chalmers (I think) who was still up from a corner looked certain to score as he waited to tuck away a loose ball from only inches out but somehow Draper came in to clear the ball away. The second half largely replicated the first with Well starting strongly and ICT struggling to create anything. A half hearted penalty claim from Tansey who looked like he may have been clipped in the box and a free kick late on from the same player which was headed wide were as close as ICT came to threatening anything close to a goal in a match that was not high on thrills. Full Time 0-1 A good win for Motherwell who looked comfortable throughout but a concerning defeat ICT who, despite missing a lot of first team players, struggled again to create any really good scoring chances. With Meekings and Warren both coming off injured our back four is completely unrecognisable from that of last season. If we aren't going to score then we could at least have looked to a relatively resolute defence to keep the opposition out. It will be interesting to see how a potentially patchwork backline deals with the upcoming games against St Johnstone and Partick. Date: 01/08/15 Venue: Caledonian Stadium Attendance: 3307 Referee: Crawford Allan Inverness CT: 0 Lineup: Fon Williams, Raven, Warren (Polworth 43), Meekings (Horner 46), Devine, Wedderburn (Mbuyi-Mutombo 33), Tansey, Draper, Williams, Lopez, Christie Subs (not used): Esson, Brown Scorers: none Booked: Warren (1) Sent Off: none Motherwell: 1 Lineup: Ripley, Chalmers, Laing, McManus, Hammell, Law, Lasley, Pearson (Leitch 61), Johnson, Fletcher (Moult 66), McDonald Subs (not used): Twardzik, Kennedy, Clarkson, Thomas, Ferguson Scorers: Fletcher (4) Booked: Pearson (37) Sent Off: none

Astra scrape through It was Blue Danube for the Caley Jags fans as Inverness Caledonian Thistle bowed out of Europe after a goalless draw in Romania, by the banks of the majestic river, was not enough to get them through to an all British clash with West Ham United. Constantin Budescu's first leg goal was all that separated the sides as Inverness tried to draw the tie level, but despite an excellent performance, the lack of a proven goal scorer would haunt Inverness in Giurgiu in front of an amazing 550 touring fans who gave the club tremendous backing throughout. The fans made magnificent sacrifices to get over to Romania to back the Scottish Cup winners and the journey was enjoyed by everyone in the old city of Bucharest as red and blue took over the side streets of the Romanian capital, kilts aplenty. Most fans made it back in one piece and they were all a credit to Inverness and the club. The temperature at kick off had dropped slightly, but sufficient to say it was much hotter than Inverness on a good day. Astra were in a bit of turmoil, a 5-1 thrashing by ASA Targu Mures last weekend and a couple of their top players being poached by Steaua Bucharest gave Inverness hope that they could add further misery to the Romanian camp. David Raven replaced Ross Draper in the starting eleven, playing at left back. It was another cagey opening to the tie as expected, Inverness not wanting to give anything away and Astra content to sit on their first leg lead. The only notable attempt in the first half was a tremendous shot from Ryan Christie just before the interval that Silviu Lung Jr in the Astra goal brilliantly kept out of the top corner. Half Time 0-0 The first leg villain Owain Fon Williams had nothing to deal with in a low key first half but gathered a low shot from danger man Budescu almost ten minutes into the second period. Moments later Williams made an excellent save beating out a Budescu shot from 25 yards as the Romanian side came forward. A Junior Morais attempt was tipped over by Fon Williams as Astra looked to kill the tie and a header from Geraldo Alves went wide as the game came to life. The lack of a main striker was proving difficult for Inverness to overcome, Lopez dropping deeper to try and get on the ball and Inverness struggling to make headway in the final third. With fifteen minutes remaining, Aaron Doran spurned a great chance for the Highlanders when he hit a shot into the turf and that took the sting out of it as Lung gathered easily. With Inverness now probing for a leveller, Budescu should have done better as we were caught chasing the game but passed up two glorious chances to ensure victory. Foran and Draper made late entrances, but for Inverness it was not quite enough, but it wasn't for a lack of effort or class as Astra saw out the game, Lung booked for taking the proverbial eternity. It might have been different earlier in the game if Christie had been given the penalty his assault deserved, but alas the referee never looked interested. Full Time 0-0 Aggregate 1-0. Astra through to meet West Ham United, good luck to them. Ryan Christie shone bright over both legs and was our star player, with Budescu being the prominent driver for Astra. Ach well, great while it lasted and I'm sure everybody that went along will be looking for a repeat next year. Domestic business as usual starts again on 1st August with a home game against Motherwell. This team deserves a massive welcome home, so let's turn out in force. Full match video Fans footage from youTube from Ross Lyall Fan Footage from beatonio FC Astra:- Lung; Queiros, G. Alves, Gaman, Morais, Boldrin (Dandea, 84), Seto, Teixeira, Amorim, Enache (Florea, 80), Budescu (Lovin, 89). Subs unused:- Gavrilas, Oros, R. Alves, Stan. Booked:- Lung. Inverness CT:- Fon Williams; Meekings, Warren, Devine, Raven, Wedderburn (Draper, 79), Christie, Williams (Foran, 78), Doran, Tansey, Lopez. Subs unused:- Esson, Horner, Polworth, Brown. Booked:- Raven, Williams, Lopez. Venue:- Stadium Marin Anastasovici, Giurgiu. Attendance:- 3067 Referee:- A Kuchin.

Keeper saves the points for visitors ICT club historian Ian Broadfoot reports from the Tulloch Caledonian stadium on the league match against the reigning SPL champions Rangers. Saturday 6th August 2005 Tulloch Caledonian Stadium, Inverness INVERNESS CALEDONIAN THISTLE 0 {mosimage}Brown, Tokely, Dods, Munro, Hastings, Wilson (Fox 86), Black, McBain (Hart 82), Golabek, Dargo (Hislop 75), Brewster Subs – Duncan, Proctor, Parratt & Fraser RANGERS (Alec McLeish) 1 (Ferguson 69) {mosimage}Waterreus, Ricksen, Buffel, Andrews, Ferguson, Rae (Malcolm 84), Prso (Thompson 72), Novo, FanFan, Murray, Lovenkrands Subs – Rodriguez, Smith, Adam, McCormack & Klos Referee C Murray Attendance 7512 Man of the Match Darren Dods (ICT) Rangers took all three points on their first competitive visit to Inverness but it took two top-class saves from ‘keeper Ronald Waterreus to deny Caley Thistle at least a point. A record crowd of 7512 (plus over 100 freeloaders on the A9 embankment) watched a pulsating game which really could have gone either way. A Dado Prso long shot was blocked by the home defence in four minutes then Peter Lovenkrands hit the first of a number of shots off target. Roy McBain hit high over the Rangers goal in ten minutes then Craig Dargo created a fine opening for Craig Brewster four minutes later - Dargo sent a measured pass to the player/manager 18 yards out but he hit it first time over the bar. Just after the half hour mark a Grant Munro long throw into the Rangers box led to a sequence of headers then a blocked Brewster shot. The clearance fell to Barry Wilson on the right and his cross was headed goalwards by Darren Dods from close range. Somehow Waterreus reached it to deny what looked like a certain goal. Ross Tokely went down in the Rangers box just before the break but play was waved on. Right on the whistle a Barry Ferguson free kick from the left flashed just wide of Mark Brown's post. Half Time: 0-0 A Lovenkrands shot was blocked by Tokely just into the second half then Nacho Novo went down in the box alongside Dods – the vocal Rangers support screamed for a penalty but nothing was given. Rangers continued to press and a Ferguson shot was deflected for a corner just on the hour mark. A Novo angled shot was punched clear by Brown then Waterreus dived to collect a long shot from Stuart Golabek. The winning goal came from a fast break upfield and good work by Prso on the right of the ICT box. He took on two defenders but managed to cut the ball back from the goal-line to Ferguson in support. The Rangers skipper neatly hit it past Brown from a couple of yards out. His celebrations with the crowd behind the goal earned him a yellow card. Novo looked odds-on to score in 74 minutes but he mishit from a good position. The home crowd were livid when Alex Rae took Wilson out of the play in 78 minutes and the referee saw nothing wrong. Lovenkrands shot over with five minutes left then Caley Thistle laid siege to the Rangers box in the last few minutes. A Liam Fox shot was blocked, Golabek shot over from 18 yards then a throw into the box from Munro was cleared amidst chaos. With two minutes of added time gone Ian Black headed down the left, found Fox infield then the ball reached Richie Hart just outside the box – he hammered the ball goalwards but Waterreus produced his second international quality save of the day to deny the equaliser. Hart held his head in despair and the Rangers camp breathed a sigh of relief as the final whistle sounded. Full Time: 0-1 Caley Thistle were beaten and disappointed but they could be proud of a good performance.

Arabs avoid relegation The south stand at Tulloch Caledonian Stadium was a sea of orange as 2400 Dundee United fans tried to sing and shout their team to SPL survival. Livingston, Dundee and Dundee United were all in the relegation frame and the permutations were discussed at length around the country. Hold-ups on the A9 delayed the Inverness kick-off by ten minutes. For Caley Thistle it was a strange afternoon. Seventh place was looking unlikely but it was still possible if Dunfermline beat Kilmarnock. In the end Killie won 4-0. This was never going to be a football classic but there was plenty of effort. United's Grant Brebner headed over in two minutes and in nine minutes former Caley Thistle favourite Barry Robson ran down the left and set up Mark Kerr but his low shot was pushed away by Mark Brown. At the United end last weeks goal hero Liam Fox took a Bryan Prunty pass and tried a 20 yard volley in the 18th minute, it dipped goalwards but went just over. A Robson free kick in 24 minutes seemed to go over for a goal kick but Alan Archibald headed it back across goal and Brown was forced to tip it over for a corner and the corner stood despite protests. Just before the break a Mark Wilson ball from the right crossed the ICT area and reached Robson - his first time goal-bound shot was held by Brown. Half Time: 0-0 Richie Hart low shot was blocked in 49 minutes then a Hart 30 yard free kick went straight through to Tony Bullock. A good move in 53 minutes ended when a Brewster chip across goal was headed clear by Garry Kenneth. Brewster came close in 65 minutes when Bullock missed an Ian Black corner from the right but the player/managers header crept past the empty goal. A goal-less draw looked on the cards until the 82nd minute when Robson went down in the box after a brush with Ross Tokely. There seemed nothing in it but Alan Freeland gave a penalty. Robson scored and the stewards were helpless to prevent an orange pitch invasion. When order was restored United fans started a celebratory conga in the stand as their side held on to win. In added time Robson went down alongside Darren Dods but it was clearly a dive. Robson had been booked for dissent in the first half so a second yellow led inevitably to the long walk. The whistle went, United were safe and a second pitch invasion began. Full Time: 0-1 The Caley Thistle fans were disappointed to take so little from the five matches since the split but the job had been completed. SPL football would be back in Inverness next season and the players could head off for a well deserved holiday in Magaluf. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Inverness CT: 0 Team: Brown; Tokely, Dods, Munro, Hastings, Hart (McAllister 73), Black, Fox, Golabek, Prunty (Wilson 60), Bayne (Brewster 33). Subs Not Used: Fraser; McBain, Duncan, Proctor - Booked: Black (90) Dundee Utd: 1 (Robson 82 pen) Team: Bullock; Kenneth, McCracken, Archibald, Wilson, McInnes, Kerr, Brebner (Duff 63), Robson, McIntyre (Grady 86), Crawford (Scotland 57). Subs Not Used: Colgan; Samuel, Dodds, Cameron. Booked: Brebner (30), Robson (37) - Sent off: Robson 90 Attendance: 5,479 - Referee: Alan Freeland

Fox in the box earns Dens draw For the third time in his short Caley Thistle career Liam Fox came off the bench and snatched an equalising goal. The Dundee fans were stunned as they thought that three precious points were in the bag. Dundee certainly had the chances and were twice denied by the woodwork. ICT played excellent flowing football but lacked the killer touch. The atmosphere was very tense as the Dundee fans faced relegation. Derek Soutar held a Stuart Golabek effort in the opening seconds but the best early chance fell to Dundee in the eighth minute. A Tam McManus corner landed in a crowded box and, after penalty claims, Mark Brown dived to save a close-range shot from Callum MacDonald. Two minutes later Graham Bayne latched onto a Richie Hart corner but his clever near-post header crept over. Brown blocked a McManus angled shot in 16 minutes then the keeper watched helplessly as a McManus free kick from the left raced low across goal and came off the far post. An Iain Anderson low free kick in 35 minutes headed goalwards but Brown turned it for a corner. Half Time: 0-0 Fabian Caballero came on at half-time for Dundee and within a minute he headed wide. Dundee finally made a breakthrough in 49 minutes when Sancho headed in a McManus corner. The home fans saw light at the end of the SPL tunnel but Caley Thistle began to dominate the match. Dundee defended in depth but did come very close on the break in 64 minutes. Steve Lovell ran onto a through ball but his shot came off the bar. ICT substitute Rory McAllister tested Soutar in 73 minutes with a header to the top corner. Lovell tried again in 77 minutes when he chased a pass down the right. Brown came out to narrow the angle and slipped. Lovell failed to take advantage as his lob crossed the face of the goal and was cleared. With two minutes left Grant Munro sent a trademark long throw from the left and it fell for Golabek. His shot was blocked by Sancho but Fox was well positioned to collect the rebound and hit home the equaliser. As the clock ticked into overtime Dundee were awarded a free kick 25 yards out. Mann stepped up to take it; reminiscent of his Inverness days, but his high shot was held by Brown. Russell Duncan quickly led a breakaway and set up Craig Brewster on the left. The player/manager bore down on Soutar but shot wide. Full Time: 1-1 The relegation battle now goes to the last day. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Dundee: 1 (Sancho 49) Team: Soutar; Robertson (McNally 37), Mann, Sancho, Robb, McDonald, Brady (Caballero 45), Smith, Anderson, McManus, Lovell (Barrett 82). Subs Not Used: Dubourdeau; Larsen, Fotheringham, Sutton - Booked: Sancho (50). Inverness CT: 1 (Fox 88) Team: Brown; Tokely, Dods, Munro, Golabek, Hastings, Duncan, Hart, McBain (Fox 71), Prunty (Brewster 63), Bayne (McAllister 71). Subs Not Used: Fraser; Proctor, Black - Booked: None Attendance: 6,691 - Referee: Craig Thomson

Livi hanging on... Another frustrating afternoon for the home fans as Caley Thistle played well in spells but failed to convert their chances. Relegation-threatened Livingston fought hard and scored the one goal that took the points. ICT started brightly and Roy McBain shot over the bar in just 13 seconds. In the first four minutes Wilson took two free kicks from outside the box - the first was held high by Roddy McKenzie and the second went low and just wide. Stuart Golabek shot wide then a bouncing effort from Bryan Prunty was taken by McKenzie. Livi came close in 21 minutes when a Derek Lilley attempt was headed off the line by Ian Black. Five minutes later Prunty was through and one-on-one with McKenzie but, as the keeper came out, the striker chipped over the bar. Livingston's goal in 29 minutes was deceptively simple. A neat Hassan Kachloul flick over the defence reached the unmarked Jason Dair and he headed home from six yards. Two minutes later Prunty again hit over the bar. Livi captain Burton O'Brien sent a hard shot on target in 42 minutes but Mark Brown held it comfortably. On the whistle Hart found space wide left of the goal but his cross back into the box went over Graham Bayne as he fell to the ground. Half Time: 0-1 Two minutes into a wet and windy second half Livingston nearly doubled their lead when Lilley hit the bar after an O'Brien cross. Russell Duncan then let fly from 25 yards but the rising ball was beaten away by McKenzie. Ross Tokely connected with the resultant corner but it was cleared off the line. Livingston were fighting for their SPL lives and they held firm against all that Caley Thistle could throw at them. The chance of the half fell to Graham Bayne in 70 minutes. Tokely raced down the right and his cross found Bayne faced with an empty goal. Bayne's shot looked a certain goal but somehow McKenzie scrambled back and saved the day. Shots from Hart and Bayne in 78 minutes both seemed to hit Livi hands but the referee ignored protests. The closing stages were dominated by ICT but nothing came off. Substitute Rory McAllister chased a long ball from Stuart Golabek in added time but, despite appearing to be held back, nothing was given. It was the same story seconds later when McAllister headed on for Golabek and the Caley Thistle captain went down under pressure but to no avail. Full Time: 0-1 Livingston took the points and gained a vital step up the league. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Inverness CT: 0 Team: Brown; Tokely, Dods, Munro, Golabek, Wilson (Hart 37), Duncan, Black, McBain (Hastings 64), Bayne, Prunty (McAllister 64) Subs not used: Fraser; Proctor, Fox, Fetai - Booked: Wilson (30) Livingston: 1 (Jason Dair 29) Team: McKenzie; McNamee, Dorado, Deloumeaux, Dair (Easton 61), Bahoken, Vincze, O'Brien, McMenamin, Lilley, Kachloul (Strong 73) Subs not used: Meldrum; Horvath, Brittain, Snodgrass, Dorrans - Booked: Bahoken, Kachloul Attendance: 3021 Referee: Brian Winter

End of season fare A frustrating afternoon all round and some strange decisions. The game was dominated by a soft penalty award for each side. With the rest of the SPL battling for top spot, UEFA places or against relegation there was little to play for here - the only issue was to see who would finish seventh. Killie captain Gary Locke chipped over the bar in eight minutes then a low off-target Stuart Golabek shot was deflected for a corner at the other end. Alan Combe pushed away a Craig Brewster volley in 14 minutes then a 19th minute header from Bryan Prunty hit the net but he was offside. A minute later the visitors took an unexpected lead when Gary Wales sent James Fowler away down the right and his cross was knocked in at the back post by Gary McDonald. In 27 minutes a Barry Wilson corner from the left curled into the area and a penalty was awarded - apparently Darren Dods's shirt was being pulled. Ross Tokely hit the spot kick low past Combe for 1-1. With five minutes of the first half left Brewster drew two defenders and left space for a Golabek shot from 20 yards but it sailed over. Half Time: 1-1 Mark Brown's first real save of the match came in 63 minutes when he held an angled shot from Wales. Seconds later Colin Nish closed in on a through ball and Brown raced to clear. Brown's busy spell continued as he caught a 20 yard Peter Leven shot through a ruck of players. The second bizarre penalty award of the day came in 72 minutes following a free kick from Wales. Another crowded goalmouth, the usual chaos and a penalty awarded for an apparent push by a Caley Thistle player. Leven made no mistake and it was 2-1 to Kilmarnock. Brown prevented what seemed a certain Killie goal in 74 minutes when Wales put Fowler through but the keeper blocked his shot. In 79 minutes Brewster turned neatly in the box and shot from an angle. It looked as if it would creep in but the post came to Combe's rescue. In the ensuing confusion Graham Bayne and Bryan Prunty both hit the bar and a relieved Killie defence cleared. Teenager Rory McAllister came on for the last five minutes in his first appearance after good performances with the reserve side. The youngster was quickly into the thick of the action but nothing quite came off. With a minute left McAllister just managed to keep his feet and pass to Wilson who set up Black but the Man of the Match only managed to hit it well over from long range. Freddy Dindeleux then failed to clear a Dods lob into the box from long range but McAllister could not reach the loose ball. Full Time: 1-2 The three added minutes produced nothing of note and Killie took the points. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Inverness CT: 1 (Tokely 28 pen) Team: Brown; Tokely, Dods, Hastings, Golabek, Proctor (Bayne 62), Black, McBain, Wilson, Brewster, Prunty (McAllister 85). Subs Not Used: Fraser; Duncan, Fox, Fetai - Booked: Tokely (60), McBain (70). Kilmarnock: 2 (McDonald 21, Leven 72 pen) Team: Combe; Fowler, Lilley, Dindeleux, Hay, Invincibile (Greer 60), Locke, McDonald, Leven (Johnston 86), Dargo (Nish 54), Wales. Subs Not Used: Smith; Murray, Dodds, Naismith - Booked: Locke, Hay. Attendance: 3,108 - Referee: Eddie Smith

Below Par Just under six months ago Caley Thistle came here with Donald Park in temporary charge and faced a Dunfermline side which featured Craig Brewster. The visitors had just climbed to ninth and would continue to climb to SPL safety with more than a little help from their player/manager who remains the Pars second top goalscorer despite having left for the north in late November. Brewster returned to East End Park for the first time to play against his old team with Dunfermline joint bottom of the league, on a downward spiral and fighting for their SPL lives. Caley Thistle made just one change from last week , Stuart Golabek came back from suspension and Richard Hastings reverted to the bench. The home side dominated the first half but failed to find a way past the strong Caley Thistle defence. Simon Donnelly was through in the seventh minute but shot straight at Mark Brown then the same player shot over in 15 minutes. Brown tipped over Noel Hunt's deflected cross three minutes later then Andrius Skerla headed wide from the resultant corner. Brown saved Campbell's curling free kick in 23 minutes then Darren Young hit wide. Hunt found the net in 27 minutes but he was offside. There was little action at the other end until close to half time when a strong Barry Wilson run ended with Derek Stillie tipping his shot over the bar. Half Time 0-0 Just after the break a Derek Young header was deflected past the post but nerves began to tell and Dunfermline faded. Caley Thistle came more into it and in 59 minutes Darren Dods latched onto Wilson's free kick but headed wide. Derek Young shot over in 64 minutes and Scott Wilson did the same in the 77th minute, but these were rare second half chances from the home side. ICT substitute Bajram Fetai tried to take advantage of Wilson's deep cross in 70 minutes but missed the ball at the back post. As time ran out Andy Tod shot over Brown's bar and Brewster did the same at the other end. Full Time: 0-0 Honours even but Dunfermline remain firmly in the relegation dog-fight. The head-to-head match next week against Livingston will go a long way to deciding who goes down. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Dunfermline: 0 Team: Stillie; Skerla, Wilson, Thomson, Campbell, Donnelly (Tod 79), Dar Young, Mason, Der Young, Hunt (Mehmet 59), Hristov (Christiansen 59) Subs not used: Langfield; Makel, Labonte, Ross - Booked: Hristov (58) Inverness CT: 0 Team: Brown; Tokely, Dods, Munro, Golabek, Wilson, Hart (Fetai 66), Black, McBain, Brewster, Prunty (Bayne 73) Subs not used: Fraser; Hastings, Proctor, Duncan, Fox - Booked: None Attendance: 4481 - Referee: Calum Murray

Almost Mission Accomplished So near yet so far - so near to the top six yet it is hard to credit how far the team has come this season. Caley Thistle needed to win well and hope that Kilmarnock would beat Motherwell. A four-goal difference had to be overcome but in the event, Motherwell scraped a last minute equaliser against Killie and it was all academic. The three points gained here were however enough to mathematically secure SPL football for next season. Richard Hastings came in for the suspended Stuart Golabek, Darren Dods took over the captaincy, Craig Brewster came back into the starting eleven and teenager Rory McAllister was rewarded for excellent reserve performances by gaining a bench place. Caley Thistle started briskly but Dundee could have taken the lead in six minutes when a Callum McDonald stab came off the post and into the arms of a relieved Mark Brown. It was all one-way traffic in the other direction from then apart from a 10-minute spell near the end. After ten minutes a Brewster flick set up Barry Wilson but he shot over. The opening goal came in 17 minutes and it was a three-man effort. Brewster set Ross Tokely on a run down the right, he rounded a defender and found Roy McBain in the box and from 10 yards the midfielder lofted it into the net. A minute later a Brewster turn and shot came off the post. It continued in the same vein until the 37th minute when Neil Barrett brought Wilson down and a penalty was awarded. Wilson's spot-kick was pushed away by Derek Soutar then he parried Wilson's follow-up shot. Bryan Prunty saved Wilson's blushes when he headed home the loose ball for 2-0. Seconds before the break Richie Hart's 100th appearance ended prematurely when he suffered a dead-leg and was replaced by David Proctor. Half Time: 2-0 Another penalty was awarded early in the second half when Prunty was brought down but Soutar guessed correctly and pushed away Wilson's kick. A rare Dundee effort came in 53 minutes when Brown touched over an Iain Anderson shot from all of 35 yards. Brewster hit just wide in 61 minutes but he had more luck three minutes later when he headed in a Wilson free kick to make it 3-0. Then came a Dundee revival. Bobby Mann hit a 25 yard free kick just wide in 70 minutes, much to the relief of the home fans who had watched him score many goals for ICT from set pieces. In 74 minutes a free kick from Dundee's Anderson beat Brown but hit the post but Tam McManus was well-placed to touch it in for 3-1. It was 3-2 with 10 minutes left when a low cross from Anderson was neatly flicked in by John Sutton via the post. The attacks on Soutar's goal then resumed but nothing came off; McBain hit over, Russell Duncan did the same, Soutar held two shots from Graham Bayne and the whistle went for full time. Full Time: 3-2 The pressure is now off and the five remaining games will give the management team the chance to plan for next season. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Inverness CT: 3 (McBain 17, Prunty 38, Brewster 65) Team: Brown; Tokely, Dods, Munro, Hastings, Black (Duncan 66), Wilson, Hart (Proctor 45),McBain, Prunty, Brewster (Bayne 73). Subs Not Used: Fraser; Fox, Fetai, McAllister - Booked: Munro (70), Dods (88), Duncan (89) Dundee: 2 (McManus 74, Sutton 80.) Team: Soutar; Kitamirike, Mann, Sancho, McDonald, Fotheringham (Robertson 63), Barrett (Sutton 76), Caballero, Robb, Lovell (Anderson 36), McManus. Subs Not Used: Dubourdeau; Larsen, Conway - Booked: Barrett. Attendance: 4,786 - Referee: Dougie McDonald

200 up for Roy This was billed as a top six showdown and it was Caley Thistle who took the points. The victory was a narrow one but the margin could easily have been greater. For Motherwell it was a disaster; defeat, a red card and two key players injured. Heavy rain left the pitch soggy but referee Brian Cassidy, on his first and last SPL appearance in the middle before retirement, deemed it playable. Craig Brewster rotated the squad and brought in Bryan Prunty instead of himself. Roy McBain made his 200th appearance. For Gordon Marshall it was a night to forget although it did start well when he turned a curling Barry Wilson shot for a corner in 13 minutes. Four minutes later he spilled a seemingly easy ball and it was booted clear by a defender. In 22 minutes Stuart Golabek slid a measured pass to Prunty down the left and Marshall came well out of his goal to block the strikers path. Prunty rolled the ball past the keeper to Graham Bayne six yards out and he touched it home for his seventh and easiest goal of the season. Two minutes later Prunty was through on Marshall and he chipped it past the keeper with the intention of racing on and netting. The goal was virtually certain but Marshall chose to take Prunty out of play just outside the box. The inevitable red card was brandished and Terry Butcher was forced to sacrifice Shaun Fagan for reserve keeper Barry-John Corr. Injuries to Scott McDonald and Kevin McBride meant that Butcher had used all three substitutes by the 37th minute. The ten men dug in and Caley Thistle failed to add to their tally. Half Time: 1-0 Just after the break a poor clearance fell to Wilson but his angled shot sailed wide. The pattern of ICT pressure continued for most of the match and Motherwell never threatened until the closing stages. In 71 minutes Bayne hit low and wide then six minutes later another chance fell to Wilson. He sent in a shot from just outside the area and the home crowd rose to salute goal number two; in the end it grazed the post and went harmlessly wide. In the last ten minutes Motherwell could easily have equalised. In 84 minutes Mark Brown had to be alert when an awkward ball came into his area bound for David Clarkson. Brown caught it well then, in the final minute, a free kick from Steve Hammell dipped wickedly and Brown tipped it over. The final action saw a Jim Paterson shot blocked by the home defence. Full Time: 1-0 The top six places will be decided on Saturday. ICT have to win against Dundee, Kilmarnock have to beat Motherwell and a four goal gap has to be bridged. A tall order but for the Inverness camp it is fantastic just to be in the race. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Inverness CT: 1 (Bayne 20) Team: Brown, Tokely, Dods, Munro, Golabek, Hart, Black, McBain (Duncan 62), Wilson (Proctor 87), Bayne (Fatai 78), Prunty. Subs Not Used: Fraser, McCaffrey, Hastings, Fox - Booked: Black (86) Motherwell: 0 Team: Marshall, Paul Quinn, Craigan, Partridge, Hammell, McBride (Kerr 36), Leitch, Fagan (Corr 24), Paterson, Scott McDonald (Clarkson 16), Hamilton. Subs Not Used: Britton, Foran, Kinniburgh, Fitzpatrick Booked: Partridge (70), Hamilton (84), Craigan (86) - Sent Off: Marshall (23). Attendance: 3,746 - Referee: Brian Cassidy

Rugby Park firsts This first-ever win against Kilmarnock pushed ICT up to a new high of seventh in the SPL. After the disappointment of last week against Aberdeen this was a victory to relish. With Juanjo out injured for the rest of the season some reorganisation was required. Ian Black replaced Russell Duncan in midfield and Graham Bayne partnered Craig Brewster in the striking role. Ross Tokely overtook Charlie Christie's record with his 315th appearance. In the end just one goal separated the sides but chances were missed at both ends. Alan Combe tipped over a Brewster shot in only two minutes and seven minutes later Mark Brown pushed a Peter Leven curling free kick onto the bar. In 13 minutes Combe stopped a Stuart Golabek shot and watched as Graham Bayne's follow-up hit the post. Just after the half-hour mark ICT scored what proved to be the only goal of the match. Freddy Dindeleux hesitated, Brewster stepped in and found Barry Wilson in the clear. He rounded Combe and slotted home his tenth goal of the season from an acute angle. Kilmarnock fought back immediately but Brown saved from Gary Wales and Steven Naismith's angled drive from long range went just wide. Killie pushed hard through to the break but could not find a way through the ICT defence. Half Time: 0-1 The pattern continued into the second half and Brown did well to block a Gary McDonald effort in 50 minutes. Wales should have done better in 57 minutes when he failed to connect properly with a Naismith cross despite being well placed close to goal. Bayne had a chance to double the lead in 78 minutes after being sent through by Brewster but his shot had no power and Combe collected easily. Despite a late surge from Kilmarnock the ICT defence held firm and it ended 1-0. Full Time: 0-1 Caley Thistle continue to look upwards in the league with seven games left as the spectre of relegation continues to recede. There is now a 14 point gap over basement club Dundee United and an outside chance of a top six finish. Motherwell are six points ahead with two games left before the split and have a six-goal advantage. All this adds some spice to Tuesday's visit of the Steelmen to Inverness. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Kilmarnock: 0 Team: Combe; Fowler, Hay, Lilley, Dindeleux, McDonald, Murray, Leven, Naismith (Johnston 65), Boyd, Wales (Nish 62) Subs not used: Smith, Dodds, Greer, Johnstone McGregor - Booked: Lilley Inverness CT: 1 (Wilson 32) Team: Brown; Tokely, Dods, Munro, Golabek, Wilson (Duncan 79), Hart (Fetai 75), Black (Proctor), McBain, Bayne, Brewster Subs not used: Fraser; McCaffrey, Hastings, Prunty - Booked: Brewster (60), Black (70) Attendance: 4862 - Referee: Ian Fyfe

Dons Defeat This was a hard defeat to take after having so much of the play. Stuart Golabek made his 200th appearance and Ross Tokely equalled Charlie Christie's club record when he played for the 314th time. A huge crowd packed the stadium in the Spring sunshine and they saw the home side dominate for most of the game but fail to make the important breakthrough. The pressure on Aberdeen started in the first minute when Ryan Esson smothered the ball at Juanjo's feet then a Craig Brewster effort was deflected over the bar. Russell Duncan shot wide in 16 minutes, Barry Wilson did the same in 21 minutes then just after the half-hour mark a Brewster acrobatic effort was tipped over by Esson. The resultant corner was delayed as Russell Anderson was treated for a facial injury then finally led from the field. The corner reached Roy McBain and his low shot rebounded to Juanjo whose strike from a few yards out was held by Esson. Aberdeen were conspicuous by their attacking absence for most of this period apart from Noel Whelan's header over the bar in 24 minutes and Markus Heikkinen's high shot from 25 yards shortly after. The only goal of the game came in 39 minutes when a ball deflected off Grant Munro to the feet of Whelan who scored from 12 yards. Half Time: 0-1 ICT were less impressive in the second half but they had chances as Aberdeen seemed content to sit on their lead. A long Munro throw on the hour mark was punched away by Esson and scrambled clear. A high cross from Tokely in 66 minutes was met by Brewster but his header went across goal and wide. The closest Aberdeen came was in 74 minutes when a long throw from Richard Foster landed on the top of the bar. Substitute Bajram Fetai latched onto a Brewster flick in 79 minutes but his overhead kick was just off-target. Fetai had two close-range shots blocked close to the end before sub Bryan Prunty nearly equalised. A long Munro throw was headed on by Darren Dods and Brewster before Prunty headed goalwards. It looked net-bound but Esson popped up to push it onto the top of the bar. The last chance was gone and the Dons amazingly took the points. Full Time: 0-1 With three games left before the split ICT remain eighth, 11 points clear of Dundee United in twelfth spot. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Inverness CT: 0 Team: Brown; Tokely, Dods, Munro, Golabek, Wilson, Hart (Fetai 57), Duncan, McBain (Bayne 83), Juanjo (Prunty 71), Brewster Subs not used: Fraser; McCaffrey, Proctor, Hastings - Booked: Golabek (42), Brewster (75) Aberdeen: 1 Team: Esson; Hart, Anderson (McGuire 35), Diamond, Byrne, Winter (Foster 46), Severin, Heikkinen, Clark, Mackie, Whelan (Blaha 73) Subs not used: Preece; Stewart, Morrison, Muirhead - Booked: Clark (47), Whelan (60) Attendance: 7026 - Referee: Alan Freeland

Celtic too strong Caley Thistle's fine unbeaten run ended with defeat at the hands of Celtic. The match was played in front of a record attendance and, despite the result, the home side put up an excellent show. A niggling knee injury kept Craig Brewster out of the ICT side and Graham Bayne took his place. Unlike the famous cup match in Inverness two years ago Celtic were at full strength. Roy McBain shot low from long range in just 26 seconds but Douglas collected easily. A John Hartson 25 yard shot was deflected past in two minutes then Stilian Petrov headed over in nine minutes. Douglas took a Richie Hart cross high at the other end then he also caught a rising Barry Wilson free kick. Despite pressure Celtic could not find the target as first Craig Bellamy headed over in 19 minutes then Hartson headed wide. A neat ICT move in 34 minutes was engineered by Darren Dods. The big defender ventured upfield, played a one-two with Roy McBain then crossed from the right; it strayed towards the corner flag and Bayne's cross back into the box was cleared. Two minutes later Dods headed downwards but wide after a Hart corner. The home defence repelled all danger and there was no score at the interval. Half Time: 0-0 In 49 minutes Alan Thompson came very close with a 20 yard free kick but it was tipped onto the top of the bar by Mark Brown and cleared.. Bellamy raced past three defenders on the hour mark but his 20 yard low shot was smothered by Brown. Three minutes later the Bellamy/Aiden McGeady double act created a decisive goal but not before Wilson hit two 25 yard shots in succession at Douglas' goal, one high and one wide. Bellamy's goal started when he won possession in midfield, passed to McGeady then took the return wide of goal on the right. He sent an angled ball between Brown and the near post for 1-0. Bellamy then shot inches wide with the Celtic fans already on their feet celebrating. In the push for a second goal Bellamy shot over, a Bobo Balde header was cleared by Grant Munro, Dods took the ball off the feet of Hartson and a Petrov shot was held by Brown. There were glimmers of hope when Caley Thistle attacked but nothing came off. Douglas did have to be alert to take a Stuart Golabek high cross in 73 minutes then he smothered the ball at Bayne's feet. It was all over in 84 minutes when Tokely was adjudged to have fouled Bellamy in the box and Thompson made his usual fine job of the penalty. A Thompson free kick into the box a minute from time was headed clear then a Hart run was halted when he passed two men and used a hand to assist passing the third. Full Time: 0-2 The whistle went and the visitors were content with their well-deserved 2-0 victory. ICT heads were held high but it was a sign of the times that all felt bitterly disappointed. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Inverness CT: 0 Team: Brown, Tokely, Dods, Munro, Golabek, Hart, Duncan (Black 89), McBain, Wilson, Bayne (Fatai 78), Juanjo (Prunty 72). Subs Not Used: Fraser, McCaffrey, Hastings, Proctor. Celtic: 2 (Bellamy 63, Thompson 84 pen) Team: Douglas, McNamara, Henchoz, Balde, Laursen, McGeady, Petrov, Lennon, Thompson, Hartson (Beattie 79), Bellamy. Subs Not Used: Marshall, Valgaeren, Pearson, Fernandez, Wallace, McManus. Attendance: 7,045 - Referee: H Dallas

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

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

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

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

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