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  1. With St Mirren winning at Motherwell, and Caley Thistle scoring a couple of late goals to win this game, Dunfermline are officially relegated from the Scottish Premier League. Club Historian Ian Broadfoot reports from the Tulloch Caledonian Stadium. ICT 2-1 DUNFERMLINE 12th May 2007 Tulloch Caledonian Stadium, Inverness INVERNESS CALEDONIAN THISTLE FC 2 (Hastings 76, McAllister 88) Team: Fraser, Tokely, Dods, Munro (McAllister 75), Hastings, Hart, Black, McBain (Sutherland 68), Paatelainen (Wilson 61), Dargo, Bayne Subs: McCaffrey, Duncan, Rankin & Ridgers DUNFERMLINE 1 (McIntyre 37) Team: De Vries, Shields, Bamba, McGuire, Muirhead, Mason, Glass (Morrison 81), Hammill (McCunnie 66), O' Brien (Burchill, 81), McManus, McIntyre Subs: Hamilton, Young, Woods & McKenzie Referee Mike Ritchie Attendance 6464 Man of the Match Richard Hastings (ICT) It was a day of high drama as Dunfermline came north hoping to keep their fine run going and at least take the relegation battle to the wire. They brought a large vocal support and the team fought for every ball, but in the end it was not enough. At Fir Park the other possible candidates for the drop, Motherwell and St Mirren, were playing each other and there were many possible permutations after the final whistles. In the event St Mirren fought back from 2-0 down to win 3-2, but the 2-1 win for Caley Thistle meant it did not matter. Dunfermline were relegated. Two months ago Caley Thistle were 1-0 up on Dunfermline at half time then surrendered the second half to lose 3-1. Today it was 1-0 to the Pars at half time and it was Caley Thistle who came back to win. There were two milestones as Ross Tokely became the first player to reach the 400 appearance mark and Darren Dods played his 100th league match for ICT. The end of the season is often a time to give fringe players a run but, with relegation at stake, it would have been unfair to go down this route. Charlie Christie did shuffle his pack but with no loss of strength - John Rankin, Stuart McCaffrey and Russell Duncan dropped to the bench and Ross Tokely, Ian Black and Markus Paatelainen came back to start the match. The newly-blond Barry Wilson returned from suspension and injury to the bench. It was frantic from the off and play surged from end to end. There was no danger however until the twelfth minute when Dunfermline ’s Jim McIntyre sent a low angled ball skidding past the post from the right. Five minutes later the first ICT effort came when Craig Dargo latched onto a long Grant Munro throw but his angled shot was held well by Dorus De Vries. Caley Thistle began to create openings but could not make them pay. In 28 minutes a Richie Hart free kick from the right reached Graham Bayne but his header from the back of the box was held by De Vries. Three minutes later a clearance from the ‘keeper reached Hart 40 yards out with the goal vacated – Hart hesitated and was closed down before he could try for a spectacular goal. The opening came at the other end in 37 minutes when Tam McManus headed into the path of McIntyre and he volleyed home from just inside the home box. Half Time: 0-1 With St Mirren trailing to Motherwell the Dunfermline fans began to sing ‘We’re staying up’ but their optimism was premature. The second half started bizarrely when a Dods attempted clearance was stabbed goalwards and Mike Fraser had to be alert to tip it over. Nothing came off at either end and Dunfermline began to slow things down to retain their lead. In 71 minutes a poor back pass towards De Vries allowed substitute Wilson to nip in and steal the ball but he was forced wide and could only chip it to the centre of the box with no one following up. With fifteen minutes left Charlie Christie went for broke when he replaced defender Grant Munro with striker Rory McAllister. It was to prove decisive as within a minute McAllister was brought down by Sol Bamba 25 yards out on the right. Richard Hastings took the free kick and its power was too much for De Vries as he dropped it over the line – this was only the defender’s third goal for the club with the others coming in October and November 1995. Zander Sutherland did well down the left in 84 minutes and found McAllister inside – he ran on and blasted just wide from 25 yards. With two minutes of regular time left Wilson beat Phil McGuire to the ball and passed to McAllister who once more struck for goal from 25 yards. This time it took a deflection to fool De Vries and give ICT a 2-1 lead. The three added minutes stretched to four and Dunfermline pushed hard. De Vries joined the attack for the final few minutes to try to make amends for his error but it all came to nothing. Full Time: 2-1 The whistle went and the Dunfermline players slumped to the ground despondent. It had been a brave fight but the Pars were down and out. For Caley Thistle there was a one spot climb to eighth and just one game left away to St Mirren.
  2. In the proverbial 'game of two halves', a graham Bayne equaliser in the 57th minute was enough to grab a share of the points after David Robertson had given Dundee United a well deserved first half lead. Club Historian Ian Broadfoot reports on the game at Tannadice. DUNDEE UTD 1-1 ICT 28th April 2007 Tannadice Stadium, Dundee DUNDEE UTD 1 (Robertson 41) Team: Stillie, Dillon, Wilkie, McCracken, Kalvenes, Cameron, Gomis, Samuel, Robertson(Duff 75), Daly(Conway 81), Hunt Subs: Goodwillie, Robson, Easton, Mair & Mclean INVERNESS CALEDONIAN THISTLE FC 1 (Bayne 57) Team: Fraser, McCaffrey, Dods, Munro, Hastings, Rankin, Duncan, McBain, Paatelainen, Hart(Black 86), Bayne Subs: McSwegan, Soane, Sutherland, McAllister, Duff & Ridgers Referee Steve Conroy Attendance 5273 Man of the Match Morgaro Gomis (Dundee Utd) It is a well-worn cliché but there is no escaping the fact that this was a game of two halves. United dominated the first and deservedly led 1-0 at half time, but it was all change after the break as Caley Thistle fought back for a draw. Sadly Charlie Christie was not able to travel south due to a family bereavement and Donald Park took charge. Craig Dargo missed out due to a hamstring injury and both Barry Wilson and Ross Tokely were still suspended. Ian Black returned to take a bench slot. For United Barry Robson was left on the bench as he is on a suspension knife-edge. The dry spell left the pitch hard despite copious pre-match watering and this led to the first chance of the afternoon in the third minute. Mike Fraser and Jon Daly both went for a through ball and it took a high bounce over the ‘keeper – this also fooled Daly who could only touch it off target. A minute later a John Rankin free kick from the right curled towards the United goal and Derek Stillie had to punch it clear. The lively start continued and in 13 minutes Fraser pushed away a Noel Hunt angled header and it was scrambled away. Sean Dillon crossed from the right in 16 minutes and the ball bounced off the top of the bar. Caley Thistle’s first real effort on goal came in 21 minutes when a Richie Hart 25 yard effort was deflected for a corner. With five minutes of the first half remaining a long Hunt throw from the right was aimed for the towering Lee Wilkie in the box but it was cleared by Stuart McCaffrey for another throw. Hunt looked like repeating the move but instead it went short to Daly and was returned to Hunt. He crossed into the box and David Robertson sent a near post header into the net to give United the lead. Half Time: 1-0 After the interval United stuttered and Caley Thistle came right back into it – but not before Fraser had to tip over a David McCracken overhead kick in 54 minutes. The equaliser in 57 minutes was a beauty. Hart sent a long free kick into the heart of the box and Graham Bayne rose to head it past Stillie from 12 yards. United’s Daly had a header deflected for a corner in 59 minutes then a Dods effort at the other end was similarly sent for a corner. Bayne ran onto a Rankin chip in 75 minutes but a late offside flag stopped play. Hart hit off target from long range in 79 minutes then Fraser held a Stuart Duff angled ball from the left. Ian Black came on for the last four minutes and he was involved in a couple of good moves – his first touch sent Markus Paatelainen down the left but he shot well off target. United had the last chance of the match in added time when a Craig Conway ball from the left curled wide of the post. Full Time: 1-1 United and ICT remain eighth and ninth respectively.
  3. Carl Finnigan scored the only goal of this game in the 78th minute. This was a game where the most sustained piece of action came in a three minute spell that saw Falkirk made three substitutions and then score a goal !! Other than that, you would never guess that each league finishing spot was worth a reputed 80K more than the one below as this was typical end of season fare (from both sides) that is best forgotten. Club Historian Ian Broadfoot reports on the match. FALKIRK 1-0 ICT 5th May 2007 Falkirk Stadium, Falkirk FALKIRK 1 (Finnigan 78) Team: Schmeichel, Ross, Scobbie, Barr, Milne, Lima, Latapy (Uras 77), Craig, Stewart (McStay 77), Finnigan, Gow (Moutinho 75) Subs: O'Donnell, Twaddle, Holden & Lambers INVERNESS CALEDONIAN THISTLE FC 0 Team: Fraser, McCaffrey (Paatelainen 82), Dods, Munro, Hastings, Rankin (Wilson 66), Duncan, McBain, Hart, Dargo, Bayne Subs: Tokely, Black, Sutherland, Wood & Ridgers Referee Stephen Finnie Attendance 3129 Man of the Match When these two sides meet you can usually expect goals. In four 2006/07 matches to date they had shared twelve goals but this was to be an exception – just one freak goal separated the sides. Both Barry Wilson and Ross Tokely were free from suspension but could only make the ICT bench as Charlie Christie retained most of the team from Tannadice. Craig Dargo came back from injury to replace Markus Paatelainen in the starting eleven and resume his striking partnership with Graham Bayne. Falkirk made one change with Patrick Cregg being replaced by Vitor Lima. Rangers-bound Alan Gow played for Falkirk but the home supporters were clearly impatient with his performance and it was no surprise when he was substituted with fifteen minutes left. It was not a match to remember but the second half was an improvement on the first. Falkirk ’s John Stewart headed wide in six minutes then two minutes later Richie Hart hit just off target following a knock-on by Bayne. In 13 minutes Mike Fraser saved from Gow after a good run past the ICT defence. Hart was in fine form and in 28 minutes he took a Roy McBain pass but shot wide of the target. Six minutes later Craig Dargo sent a back-post header wide from a Hart cross. In 35 minutes Mike Fraser was called into action when Vitor Lima tried his luck from 35 yards but the ‘keeper touched it over the bar. Half Time: 0-0 Into the second half and Carl Finnigan missed the chance of the match in 48 minutes when Stewart headed into his path and he somehow hit the underside of the visitors’ bar from a few yards out. At the other end a Hart free kick was met bravely by the diving Bayne but his header went wide. Another Hart strong effort on the hour mark went wide from 18 yards. The goal that broke the deadlock came in 78 minutes when Falkirk ‘keeper Kasper Schmeichel sent a 70 yard free kick into the heart of the ICT box. Finnigan stuck out a foot and it looped over Mike Fraser and into the net. Paatelainen was sent on for Stuart McCaffrey with eight minutes left to push for at least an equaliser but it did not happen. Full Time: 1-0 A disappointing 1-0 defeat with two games left and a chance to climb the table missed. Falkirk stay seventh and Caley Thistle ninth. The relegation battle goes on with St Mirren taking three precious points at Tannadice and Dunfermline having all to play for against Motherwell on Monday.
  4. A Dargo double in the first half was enough to secure all three points against Motherwell in a typical 'end of season' match where home keeper Michael Fraser was rarely troubled. Club Historian Ian Broadfoot provides the match report from Tulloch Caledonian Stadium. ICT 2-0 MOTHERWELL 21st April 2007 Tulloch Caledonian Stadium, Inverness INVERNESS CALEDONIAN THISTLE FC 2 (Dargo 14,44) Team: Fraser, McCaffrey, Dods, Munro, Hastings, Hart, Duncan, Rankin, Paatelainen, Bayne, Dargo (McBain 69) Subs: McAllister, Sutherland, McSwegan, Soane, Duff & Ridgers MOTHERWELL 0 Team: Smith, Corrigan, Craigan, Reynolds, Murphy (Quinn 46), Kerr, Vadocz, McBride (McGarry 20), Paterson, McDonald, Clarkson (Smith 75) Subs: McCormack, Fitzpatrick, Molloy & Meldrum Referee Craig MacKay Attendance 3804 Man of the Match Richard Hastings (ICT) A comfortable win for Caley Thistle in the race to be the best of the rest. Importantly the result of this first post-split match ensured that any lingering relegation worries were arithmetically over. Darren Dods came back from suspension but Ian Black remained in the sin bin and was joined by Barry Wilson and Ross Tokely. Young defender Jamie Duff took a place on the bench for the first time and Graham Bayne became the 27th ICT player to join the 100-appearance club. Bayne’s strike partner Craig Dargo played despite being under the weather and he put the finishing touch to good moves by scoring twice. The first real chance came in 13 minutes when a long Grant Munro throw from the left fell for Markus Paatelainen and he shot strongly through the pack in a crowded box – Graeme Smith saw it late but produced a fine save. Within a minute Paatelainen was the provider for the opening goal when he touched the ball from the centre to Dargo racing in for the right - he took it in his stride and his angled shot took a slight deflection as it went past Smith. The pressure on Smith continued and he did well to hold an awkward bouncing 25 yard shot from Richie Hart. Motherwell were forced into a 20th minute substitution when Kevin McBride limped off and Steve McGarry came on. Close to the half-hour mark Scott MacDonald had two rare Motherwell chances but his shots on the turn were easily collected by Mike Fraser. Five minutes from half time Caley Thistle produced arguably the move of the season. Breathtaking interplay amongst four players resulted in Munro heading into the Motherwell box from the left – unselfishly he laid the ball off to Hart but he blasted over the bar from the penalty spot. A minute from the break a high Stuart McCaffrey free kick into the box was head-flicked by Bayne to the feet of Dargo and he sent an angled shot past Smith for his second goal. Half Time: 2-0 The second half was rather pedestrian and there were few chances. In 52 minutes Smith saved a low shot from Bayne after a fine move then Fraser held an overhead kick by Krisztian Vodocz in the home box on 74 minutes. Ten minutes from time a Bayne back-header from a John Rankin chip sailed over the bar. Six minutes later ICT came close to a further goal - a Rankin high free kick into the Motherwell box was knocked back out to him by Dods and Rankin sent a long range shot just wide of the top right corner of the woodwork. Full Time: 2-0 It ended 2-0 and ICT moved up a notch to ninth place. Bottom club Dunfermline beat Dundee United 1-0 and now sit just a point below St Mirren who play Falkirk on Monday. A very interesting relegation battle but thankfully Caley Thistle fans can watch it from the outside.
  5. A pretty even match finishes as a 1-1 draw. Falkirk scored in the 80th minute but John Rankin equalised 6 minutes later (his 4th against Falkirk this season) to save a point for Caley Thistle. Club Historian Ian Broadfoot reports on the game from the Tulloch Caledonian Stadium. ICT 1-1 FALKIRK 7th April 2007 Tulloch Caledonian Stadium, Inverness INVERNESS CALEDONIAN THISTLE FC 1 (Rankin 86) Team: Fraser, Tokely, McCaffrey, Munro, Hastings, Wilson (McBain 66), Duncan (McAllister 82), Hart, Rankin, Dargo, Bayne Subs: Paatelainen, Wood, Soane, Sutherland & Ridgers FALKIRK 1 (Finnigan 80) Team: Schmeichel, Ross, Holden (Scobbie 48), Barr, Milne, Cregg, Latapy (Craig 75), Thomson, O'Donnell, Moutinho (Finnigan 68), Gow Subs: Lima, McStay, Uras & Lambers Referee Crawford Allan Attendance 4435 Man of the Match Richie Hart (ICT) Not a great game but it had its exciting moments. Caley Thistle could have had it sewn up by half time but nothing quite came off and it was Falkirk who opened the scoring with ten minutes left. John Rankin came to the rescue with a late equaliser. Ian Black’s suspension continued and Darren Dods missed one game as a result of his red card at Ibrox. Stuart McCaffrey came into central defence, Markus Paatelainen dropped to the bench, Barry Wilson came back into the starting eleven, Richie Hart continued in midfield, Roy McBain returned from injury to a bench slot and young striker Garry Wood joined the squad for the first time. Falkirk striker Carl Finnigan came back from suspension but started on the bench. ICT could have taken the lead in two minutes when an attack led to a loose ball which broke well for Wilson and left him one-on-one with Kasper Schmeichel – his low shot was saved by the legs of the ‘keeper and Wilson hit the rebound wide. A minute later and there could have been a goal at the other end. Alan Gow sent a high free kick from the right and Dean Holden headed goalwards from the back post. It ran parallel to the goal line and over for a goal kick at the far side. Schmeichel once more rescued Falkirk in 14 minutes when he tipped over a 25 yard dipping volley from Hart. In 34 minutes Rankin produced the shot of the match when he sent an angled ball from long distance on the left towards the top right corner. It curled beautifully but went just past the angle of the bar. Half Time: 0-0 Falkirk had clearly been spoken to firmly at half time as they came out with more determination. Despite this Mike Fraser had little to do as the defence held firm under early second-half pressure. In 59 minutes Schmeichel did well to dive and hold a Hart ball across goal then in 69 minutes a good home move led to a blocked Craig Dargo shot from 20 yards. The Bairns took the lead with ten minutes left when substitute Finnigan took a pass on the right wing and was allowed to continue despite strong offside claims. He raced ahead and hit an angled shot low into the net for 1-0. Rory McAllister was sent on for Russell Duncan as the home side played three up front in search of an equaliser. It came in 86 minutes when a long Grant Munro throw from the left was returned to him and he sent a high ball into the box – Rankin managed to get a good touch on it and send the ball into the top corner for the equaliser. There was a hectic finish and Caley Thistle nearly snatched a late winner when Dargo rounded Schmeichel on the left but a defender cleared the danger. Twice in added time Schmeichel had to punch clear but the final whistle went and it ended 1-1. Full Time: 1-1 Caley Thistle moved up one place to ninth. Dunfermline beat Hibs 1-0 and the relegation issue has not quite been settled.
  6. Craig Dargo made a welcome return to the starting lineup and scored the late equaliser that ensured the Caley Jags will finish the season undefeated against Rangers. It all looked so different in the early stages when Darren Dods was sent off for a 'last man' challenge and Charlie Adam scored from the resultant free kick, but the team regrouped and came away with a point after the late equaliser. Club Historian Ian Broadfoot reports from Ibrox. RANGERS 1-1 ICT 31st March 2007 Ibrox Stadium, Glasgow RANGERS 1 (Adam 14) Team: McGregor, Hutton, Weir, Papac, Murray, Novo (Burke 67), Ferguson, Hemdani, Adam, , Boyd, Prso (Sebo 81) Subs: Robinson, Thomson, Ehiogu , McMillan & Shinnie INVERNESS CALEDONIAN THISTLE FC 1 (Dargo 81) Team: Fraser, Tokely, Dods, Munro, Hastings, Duncan, Rankin, Hart (Wilson 72), Paatelainen (McCaffrey 20), Dargo (McSwegan 90), Bayne Subs: Soane, Sutherland, McAllister & Ridgers Referee William Collum Attendance 50278 With two wins already over Rangers this season Caley Thistle were looking for the hat-trick. They did not quite make it but a 1-1 draw at Ibrox with ten men was about as close as it gets. The Caley Thistle side was shuffled as Grant Munro returned from suspension and Ian Black started a three-game ban. Richie Hart came in for Barry Wilson, Craig Dargo and John Rankin returned to the starting line-up and it was back to the bench for Stuart McCaffrey and Gary McSwegan – in McCaffrey’s case for just 20 minutes. Not surprisingly Rangers came at the visitors from the start and Dado Prso sent Barry Ferguson through in six minutes - Michael Fraser was up to the task and he blocked well. Prso then went down in the box but penalty claims were ignored by the referee. In 13 minutes Darren Dods departed early for a last-man foul on Kris Boyd and Charlie Adam netted the resultant free kick from 25 yards. Ross Tokely temporarily moved into the middle of the back four but in 20 minutes Markus Paatelainen was sacrificed for Stuart McCaffrey and there was to be a successful rehearsal of the likely defensive line-up after Dods heads for Tannadice in the summer. Ian Murray took a high ball into the box in 25 minutes but his curling shot went over the bar. As half time approached, Grant Munro headed wide of the Rangers’ goal and a Prso volley went wide at the other end. Half Time: 1-0 Rangers had chances to extend their lead after the break but an Alan Hutton cross was headed wide by Prso then in 62 minutes Fraser blocked a Boyd effort. Boyd blasted over from eight yards in 74 minutes and the visitors began to create chances at the Rangers’ end. Alan McGregor tipped over a Russell Duncan effort, a curling ball from substitute Barry Wilson went over the bar then the home fans were stunned nine minutes from time when ICT equalised. Richard Hastings crossed from the left, Graham Bayne played it from the back post across goal and Craig Dargo knocked it over the line from a few yards out. Ibrox began to empty of Rangers’ fans as the reality of two dropped points hit home. Full Time: 1-1 The whistle went and a happy band of away supporters headed back up the A9. With one game left before the split ICT remain tenth but there is a clear gap between them and bottom clubs St Mirren and Dunfermline.
  7. Stephen Kenny will no doubt enjoy the rest of his St Patrick's day after this victory threw the Pars an SPL survival lifeline !! The Dunfermline manager hadn't seen his side win in sixteen games but this victory had nothing to do with luck as the Pars broke that unenviable record convincingly. Surprisingly enough, this was also Dunfermline's first ever SPL victory against ICT. Club Historian Ian Broadfoot provides the official report from the game. ICT 1-3 DUNFERMLINE 17th March 2007 Tulloch Caledonian Stadium, Inverness INVERNESS CALEDONIAN THISTLE FC 1 (Paatelainen 23) Team: Fraser, Tokely, McCaffrey, Dods, Hastings, Wilson, Duncan (Rankin 63), Black, Paatelainen, McSwegan (Dargo 63), Bayne Subs: Hart, Morgan, Sutherland, McAllister & Ridgers DUNFERMLINE 3 (Glass 47, 78pen , McIntyre 60) Team: De Vries, Ross, McGuire, Wilson (Harris 80), S. Morrison, O'Brien, Mason, Glass, Hammill (Muirhead 86), McManus, McIntyre Subs - McCunnie, O. Morrison, Crawford, Hamilton & McKenzie Referee Chris Boyle Attendance 4447 Man of the Match Markus Paatelainen (ICT) Bitter disappointment for Caley Thistle but all credit to Dunfermline for a spirited second half fight back. It was 1-0 to ICT at half time and all looked well. Dunfermline scored two goals in the second half then a very controversial penalty award led to a third and the match was over. Dunfermline are almost down and out of the SPL but more victories like this and all that could change. ICT’s defeat means that a top six finish is impossible and the SPL split is finally decided. With Grant Munro still suspended Stuart McCaffrey again partnered Darren Dods in central defence. Markus Paatelainen continued in midfield instead of the injured Roy McBain and Gary McSwegan started up front. Craig Dargo came back from injury to a bench spot and he came on for 27 minutes. Charlie Christie was scathing in his appraisal: "The players have to take responsibility for performances like that along with myself, we like to take the plaudits when we do well so we must take the brunt of it when we don't do well." A bitterly cold wind dominated the day but Caley Thistle started well. In six minutes strong shots from Ian Black and Gary McSwegan were blocked then four minutes later danger was averted at the other end by Stuart McCaffrey’s timely tackle on Adam Hammill. In 19 minutes a Barry Wilson free kick from 25 yards deflected off the wall and Graham Bayne just failed to touch it past Dorus De Vries. The opening goal came in 23 minutes when a Ross Tokely high ball from the right bounced about in the box before Paatelainen blasted it in from 12 yards. Despite continuing to dominate the home side could not find another goal – an angled Ian Black snap shot was taken well by De Vries in 36 minutes then the keeper tipped over a Wilson cross just before the break. Half Time: 1-0 Just two minutes into the second half Dunfermline came right back into it. A Jim O’Brien cross was volleyed past Mike Fraser from 15 yards by Stephen Glass with the home defence absent. Another O’Brien cross was deflected to Jim McIntyre on the hour mark and he touched it in from close range for 2-1. A Paatelainen ball from the left was tipped over by De Vries in 76 minutes as Caley Thistle tried to claw their way back into the game. The final nail in the coffin came two minutes later when Hammill went down in a clash with Hastings on the edge of the box. The home fans were livid when the referee pointed to the spot. Glass ignored the controversy and hit low into the net despite Mike Fraser guessing correctly and getting a hand to it. In 83 minutes the controversy moved to the other end when Wilson was brought down by Scott Morrison – Wilson landed in the box but the offence was decreed to have happened just outside. The scoring was over but not the drama. A minute over time Tom McManus came in heavily on Black and a straight red was shown. Full Time: 1-3 It made no difference as the match was effectively over. Caley Thistle moved to eighth and Dunfermline gained three points on the rest of lower teams.
  8. Killie and the Caley Jags served up another game with a load of goals but unfortunately - like the last game between the sides - it was Killie who got the higher tally. Club Historian Ian Broadfoot supplies the official report from Rugby Park. KILMARNOCK 3-2 ICT 10th March 2007 Rugby Park, Kilmarnock KILMARNOCK 3 (Di Giacamo 17, 27, Naismith 40) Team: Smith, Murray (Locke 79), Greer, Wright, Hay, Di Giacamo, Fowler, Johnston, Leven (Wales 85), Nish, Naismith Subs: Koudou, Gibson, Quinn, O'Leary & Harpur INVERNESS CALEDONIAN THISTLE FC 2 (Paatelainen 10, Dods 47) Team: Fraser, Tokely, McCaffrey, Dods, Hastings, Wilson (Hart 76), Black (Sutherland 76), Duncan, Paatelainen, Bayne, McSwegan (McAllister 79) Subs: Morgan, Rankin, Soane & Ridgers Referee Alan Freeland Attendance 7630 With Celtic cemented at the top of the SPL this was the day that the top six was determined and the relegation spot assigned to Dunfermline. Barring mathematical miracles Caley Thistle cannot now catch Kilmarnock and must be content with a lower-level but safe position. Dunfermline could only draw with St Mirren so will go down – again barring an extraordinary sequence of results. At the start of the day, seventh placed ICT faced sixth placed Kilmarnock with six points between them. The visitors had Grant Munro suspended and Roy McBain still injured so Charlie Christie had to ring the changes. "I thought we deserved to take something out of the game" said Charlie Christie. "In the second half I thought we pinned Kilmarnock back for the vast majority of it". As expected Stuart McCaffrey came into central defence but there were surprises with first starts for Gary McSwegan and Markus Paatelainen. All three acquitted themselves well but it was the young Finn who particularly caught the eye as he grabbed his first goal for the club in the tenth minute. It was not to prove enough and by half time Killie held a 3-1 lead. This was pulled back to 3-2 but despite great efforts it stayed that way. CIS Cup finalists Kilmarnock attracted a large crowd for this crunch game but it was the small knot of ICT supporters that celebrated first in ten minutes. Richard Hastings powered down the left wing, crossed into the centre and Markus Paatelainen’s looping header from 12 yards defeated Graeme Smith for 1-0. The lead lasted just seven minutes when a Peter Leven long throw bounced high over the defence and Paul Di Giacomo touched it for 1-1. In 27 minutes Killie took the lead when Mike Fraser pushed away a Steven Naismith volley and Di Giacomo hit home the rebound via the bar. Five minutes from the break a Grant Murray cross was partly cleared, returned into the box by Di Giacomo and Naismith spectacularly sent an overhead kick low into the corner for 3-1 to the home side. Half Time: 3-1 That could have been it but Caley Thistle came out fighting in the second half and took just three minutes to make it 3-2. A McSwegan 30 yard shot was tipped over by Graeme Smith and Barry Wilson’s corner from the right was headed in by Darren Dods via a touch off a defender. On the hour mark Dods had a chance but hooked wide of the post then Di Giacomo did the same at the other end. Paatelainen cleared a Gordon Greer header off the ICT line in 72 minutes then the visitors made two substitutions. Zander Sutherland replaced the booked Ian Black and Richie Hart came on for Barry Wilson. Rory McAllister, just named in the Scotland under 20 squad, replaced Gary McSwegan and Killie club captain Gary Locke took the field with Grant Murray departing. Despite these moves a strong ICT finish came to nothing. A Paatelainen shot was saved by the foot of Graeme Smith, Ross Tokely hit over from 25 yards, a Richie Hart corner was headed on by Dods but cleared then another Hart corner went harmlessly for a goal kick. Alan Johnston shot wide at the other end in the closing seconds of the regulation 90 minutes. This took pressure off the Killie defence then there were three added minutes which stretched to four. A long Mike Fraser free kick was taken by Graeme Smith and time was nearly up. After 94 minutes a Richard Hastings free kick was knocked on by Ross Tokely, cleared by the Killie defence and that was it. Full Time: 3-2 Kilmarnock now go into next week’s CIS Cup final with a top six SPL finish assured and Caley Thistle remain seventh.
  9. A Barry Wilson goal right at the death wins all three points for Caley Thistle. The goal came moments after Grant Munro, making his 200th appearance for the club, received a straight red card for a tackle on Barry Robson. Club Historian Ian Broadfoot reports from the Tulloch Caledonian Stadium. ICT 1-0 DUNDEE UNITED 3rd March 2007 Tulloch Caledonian Stadium, Inverness INVERNESS CALEDONIAN THISTLE FC 1 (Wilson 90) Team: Fraser, Tokely, Dods, Munro, Hastings, Wilson, Black, Duncan, Rankin (Paatelainen 74), McAllister (McSwegan 64), Bayne Subs: McCaffrey, Morgan, Hart, Sutherland & Ridgers DUNDEE UNITED 0 Team: Stillie, Dillon, McCracken, Wilkie, Kalvenes, Kerr, Gomis, Robson, Robertson (Samuel 46), Daly (Robb 73), Hunt (Goodwillie 81) Subs: McCord, Watson, Mair & Mclean Referee Steven Finnie Attendance 3901 Man of the Match Darren Dods (ICT) Up until the last three minutes this game was totally forgettable – two off-form teams producing very little. The match was punctuated by free kick after free kick and chances were few. With a minute of normal time left Grant Munro tackled Barry Robson on the half way line and the referee deemed it reckless – a straight red card was shown and Munro’s 200th appearance was spoiled. With a full two minutes of added time on the clock Barry Wilson scored dramatically to keep the points in Inverness . This was reminiscent of the closing period of last Sunday’s Celtic game but there the similarity of the matches ended. Roy McBain dropped out of the ICT team from last week due to both injury and suspension and Rory McAllister came in to partner Graham Bayne up front. Charli Christie said: "We weren't at our best today, I think that was apparent to everyone but we showed some great resolve which is vitally important in football". It was Bayne who created some excitement in the first minute when he blocked a David McCracken clearance but it bounced back to a grateful Derek Stillie. With four minutes gone United’s Sean Dillon sent over a cross from the right and Jon Daly hit it first time past the post from close range. In 23 minutes Mike Fraser dived to his right and touched a 25 yard Barry Robson shot past for a corner. Ross Tokely headed over in 32 minutes then, with five minutes of the half left, Richard Hastings came close with a header that was cleared off the line.I think that is only the second game of the season that we have taken more points than we deserved. Half Time: 0-0 Things did not really improve after the break but home hopes were lifted when Rory McAllister robbed a defender inside the United half after 47 minutes but he hesitated and the defence regrouped before he could make the chance count. Robson netted a minute later for the visitors but the whistle had long gone. United full back Christian Kalvenes crossed high from the left in 62 minutes but Noel Hunt just failed to connect at the back post. A repeat of this cross in 69 minutes led to a Collin Samuel bouncing header which went not far wide. With six minutes left Bayne knocked the ball to substitute Gary McSwegan who chested it down and shot on the turn but it was blocked. It went out to Russell Duncan on the left but he shot wide of the target. United’s best effort of the match came in 85 minutes when Robson curled a shot low from 18 yards but Fraser was equal to the task and dived to push it for a corner. Then came the dramatic last three minutes. Munro’s red card seemed to spur on the home side and an excellent move produced a late late winner. An Ian Black chip set Barry Wilson down the right – he cut inside and shot low for goal. Stillie spilled it, Bayne stepped in to touch it Markus Paatelainen and he found Wilson 18 yards out. Despite the pressure Wilson hit it neatly past Stillie to stun the travelling support and grab the points. Full Time: 1-0 Wilson was engulfed by his colleagues and the match was over. As a result ICT leapfrogged United to a healthy seventh place.
  10. MOTHERWELL 1-0 ICT: Scott McDonald scored on the stroke of half-time to give Motherwell their first ever win against Caley Thistle at Fir Park. Overall, Well probably deserved the win and Caley Thistle's once fearsome away record continues to crumble - its now 9 away league games without victory!!! Club Historian Ian Broadfoot supplies the official report from this game. 17th February 2007 Fir Park, Motherwell MOTHERWELL 1 (McDonald 45) Team: Graeme Smith, Corrigan, Craigan, Reynolds, Murphy, Darren Lee Smith (McGarry 85), Kerr, Fitzpatrick, Paterson, Clarkson (McCormack 76), McDonald Subs: Keegan, Molloy, Quinn, Vadocz & Meldrum INVERNESS CALEDONIAN THISTLE FC 0 Team: Fraser, Tokely, Dods, Munro, Hastings, Wilson, Duncan (Black 70), McBain, Rankin (Paatelainen 71), Bayne, McAllister (McSwegan 75) Subs: McCaffrey, Morgan, Soane & Ridgers Referee Mike Tumilty Attendance 4258 Motherwell’s Fir Park has been a happy hunting ground for Caley Thistle since reaching the SPL but not today. A single Scott McDonald goal on the stroke of half time was enough to give the Steelmen victory despite a second half comeback by the visitors. "There was a lack of composure with some of the chances missed and I think in games like today you really see the value of Craig Dargo and Dennis Wyness" - Charlie Christie speaking on Official Site. Christie retained the same starting eleven as last week which meant that, with Craig Dargo still injured – and Dennis Wyness out for the rest of the season – Rory McAllister partnered Graham Bayne up front. Mike Fraser continued to make the goalkeeping position his own in a display that saw him just pipped for the BBC ‘Man of the Match’ accolade by Mark Reynolds. Motherwell’s David Clarkson had the first attempt on goal in the second minute but his header from Jim Paterson’s cross went past the post. At the other end Barry Wilson hit wide in eight minutes then Clarkson had a shot well blocked by Mike Fraser. Scott McDonald fired wide in 14 minutes then in 23 minutes Clarkson went down in the Caley Thistle box while chasing a through ball with Fraser – Clarkson was booked for diving. Caley Thistle’s hopes of soaking up the pressure until half time were dashed just as the fourth official signalled one added minute of time. A high Danny Murphy free kick from the left edge of the box eluded the central defenders and McDonald headed home from six yards. Half Time: 1-0 Despite this blow Caley Thistle came out in the second half in a determined mood but just could not find that accurate final touch. Rory McAllister hit off target in 50 and 56 minutes then in 64 minutes Graeme Smith took two attempts to gather a John Rankin volley. In 70 minutes McAllister had another chance following a free kick but he hit just wide. With ten minutes left Mike Fraser did well to block a shot from substitute Ross McCormack and keep his side in the game. At the other end a Darren Dods header was cleared from the danger area by Stephen Craigan. Eight minutes from time ICT substitutes Gary McSwegan and Markus Paatelainen combined but Graeme Smith did well to block the Finn’s shot. The visitors continued to press for an equaliser but it did not come and Motherwell took the points. Full Time: 1-0 Eighth place was retained but on goal difference from Motherwell (who have two games in hand) and Dundee United who play Hibs on Sunday. Dundee Utd V Hibs finished goalless so ICT slip to 9th and DUFC move up to eighth.
  11. Substitute Michal Pospisil scored with his first touch of the ball in the 81st minute to give Hearts all three points in this match. Club Historian Ian Broadfoot supplies the official report from this match. HEARTS 1-0 Inverness CT 10th February 2007 Tynecastle Stadium, Edinburgh HEARTS 1 (Pospisil 82) Team: Banks, Tall, Zaliukas, Berra, Fyssas, Kingston, Brellier, Driver, Klimek (Pospisil 81), Jankauskas (Bednar 61), Elliot (Jonsson 73) Subs: McCann, Karipidis, Wallace & Kurskis INVERNESS CALEDONIAN THISTLE FC 0 Team: Fraser, Tokely, Dods, Munro, Hastings, Wilson (McSwegan 84), Duncan, McBain, Rankin (Morgan 63), Bayne, McAllister Subs: McCaffrey, Black, Soane, Paatelainen, & Ridgers Referee Eddie Smith Attendance 16631 Not a good performance by either side and it looked for a long time as if 0-0 was on the cards. Michael Pospisil came off the Hearts bench with nine minutes left and he proved to be an inspired substitution as, within a minute, his goal changed all that. Barry Wilson was ICT captain for the day to celebrate his 300th appearance but it proved a sore defeat for the veteran in more ways than one. He collided with Julien Brellier in 20 minutes and, after treatment, came back wearing a head bandage. The one thing you can be sure of when playing against Hearts these days is that you can be sure of nothing. Charlie Christie had no idea of the probable Hearts line-up so could only concentrate on preparing his own side – he fielded the same eleven that started last week against Dundee United. Once the team lines were issued much of the chatter surrounded the fact that Craig Gordon was once more not in the Hearts squad. Stevie Banks continued in the Hearts goal and the substitute ‘keeper was Eduardas Kurskis who arrived from Lithuanian club Kaunas in the January transfer window. The starting eleven included Polish striker Arkadiusz Klimek – another January arrival at Tynecastle. The match kicked-off at 2pm to avoid a clash with the Scotland v Wales rugby international at Murrayfield. Banks was the Hearts’ hero with just one minute on the clock when he parried a net-bound Graham Bayne volley then, at the other end, Klimek shot over the bar. A Takis Fyssas shot went past Mike Fraser’s post in 18 minutes then the ‘keeper blocked an Andrew Driver shot with his legs in 24 minutes. The rest of the half produced little but Banks did save from Wilson and Rory McAllister just failed to connect with a Wilson low ball inside the area. Half Time: 0-0 Into the second half but little of note until the closing period. A Driver volley went wide, Fraser blocked a Roman Bednar shot and a Bednar header went over the bar. In 70 minutes Rory McAllister latched onto a Richard Hastings cross but his header came off the bar – a rare chance for the visitors. Hearts could have scored with ten minutes left when a Calum Elliot cut-back ran across the face of the goal but no one was there to take advantage. With eight minutes left, just when it looked like ending in stalemate, substitute Pospisil popped up and netted with a back post header after a Driver cross from the left. Full Time: 1-0 Charlie Christie responded by bringing on Gary McSwegan as a third striker but despite a surge towards Banks no equaliser was forthcoming. Eighth place was retained but with just a goal-difference lead over Dundee United.
  12. Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink scored the winner in injury time and then received a second yellow for over-zealous celebrating with the away fans as Caley Thistle lost out 2-1 to Celtic at the Tulloch Caledonian Stadium. Club Historian Ian Broadfoot supplies the match report. Inverness CT 1-2 CELTIC 28th January 2007 Tulloch Caledonian Stadium, Inverness INVERNESS CALEDONIAN THISTLE FC 1 (Bayne 57) Team: Fraser, Tokely, Dods, Munro, Hastings, Wilson, Duncan (Black 74), McBain, Rankin, Wyness (McAllister 2 (Paatelainen 84)), Bayne Subs: McCaffrey, Morgan, Soane & Ridgers Celtic 1 (Riordan 37, Vennegoor of Hesselink 90) Team: Boruc, Telfer, Naylor, Pressley (O'Dea 38), McManus, Nakamura, Lennon, Graveson, Riordan, Beattie (Miller 45 (Jarosik 60)), Vennegoor of Hesselink, Beattie Subs: McGeady , Sno, Maloney & Brown Referee Iain Brines Attendance 7484 Man of the Match Barry Wilson (ICT) It was twilight robbery! Caley Thistle matched Celtic all the way, had come back from a goal down and were pushing for a second goal when Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink stepped in to score the winner with 90 minutes on the clock. The game marked a year (and 46 matches) in charge for Charlie Christie and was Darren Dods’ 100th appearance. With Mark Brown now on the Celtic bench, Caley Thistle brought back Ally Ridgers from Clach on loan to act as back-up to Mike Fraser. It started badly for the home side when, after just 30 seconds, Dennis Wyness went down 20 yards out after a one-two with Graham Bayne – it looked like a foul but nothing was given. There was worse to follow as Wyness left the field with a dislocated shoulder and headed for Raigmore Hospital. Rory McAllister came on and proved to be a fine deputy. He had the first ICT shot in seven minutes when he fired from 25 yards and Artur Boruc had to be sharp to push it for a corner. Dods diverted a Craig Beattie shot for a corner in 16 minutes then Shunsuke Nakamura hit over the bar. Fraser confidently held a low Thomas Gravesen shot in 19 minutes. McAllister hit low past the Celtic goal in 33 minutes and Barry Wilson did the same a minute later. In 37 minutes Celtic carved out an opening goal in strange circumstances. A Roy McBain sliced clearance came off the bar and Derek Riordan had an easy task to score from close range. Five minutes from the break McBain went down in the Celtic box but play was waved on then a Graham Bayne header went wide. Half Time: 0-1 The home side came out fighting in the second half and could have scored in 54 minutes when Wilson robbed Gravesen and raced goalwards – his 25 yard shot was spilled by Boruc, McBain ran onto it but his shot was deflected for a corner – surprisingly a goal kick was given. The pressure was rewarded three minutes later when a quick John Rankin throw on the left found Grant Munro and his cross was headed home by Graham Bayne to the delight of the home fans. It was no more than Caley Thistle deserved and they continued to press. In 70 minutes McAllister robbed Neil Lennon, then ran on and found Bayne on the right – the striker’s shot went wide. A McAllister 22 yard shot in 73 minutes was deflected for a corner then five minutes later Bayne went down in the box to no avail. Vennegoor came close at the other end with ten minutes left when his angled shot from the right was beaten away by Fraser. It rebounded kindly for the Celtic striker but he hit wildly over the bar. Substitute Ian Black hit too high from 25 yards in 81 minutes before the final drama. The fourth official had just signalled two added minutes when an attempted Darren Dods clearance was sliced up in the air, it fell to Vennegoor and he hammered in despite Fraser getting a hand to it. Full Time: 1-2 The scorer ran to the Celtic fans to celebrate, received a second yellow card and was off. It made no difference as the two extra minutes produced nothing and Celtic took the points. Caley Thistle remain eighth and Celtic lead the table by 19 points from Rangers.
  13. Craig Dargo opened the scoring in 20 minutes and Roy McBain and Barry Wilson both scored before half time as Caley Thistle strolled to a comfortable 3-0 victory. Club Historian Ian Broadfoot provides the official report from the Tulloch Caledonian Stadium. ICT 3-0 HIBERNIAN 21st January 2007 Tulloch Caledonian Stadium, Inverness INVERNESS CALEDONIAN THISTLE FC 3 (Dargo 20, McBain 30, Wilson 42) Team: Fraser, Tokely, Dods, Munro, Hastings, Wilson (Paatelainen 80), Duncan (Black 77), McBain, Rankin, Dargo (Bayne 70), Wyness Subs: McCaffrey, Soane, McAllister & Smith HIBERNIAN 0 Team: McNeil, Whittaker, Jones, Hogg, Stewart, Murphy, Brown, Thomson (Fletcher 46), Beuzelin (Stevenson 46), Benjelloun, Campbell (Sproule 46) Subs: McCann, Glass, Martis & (Simon) Brown Referee William Collum Attendance 4577 Man of the Match Craig Dargo (ICT) A first half three-goal blitz gave Caley Thistle a well deserved win against a Hibs side that surprisingly created very little. The Hibs/Aberdeen cup tie on Thursday led to this game being postponed by 24 hours as John Collins brought his side to Inverness for the first time. He was without the injured Chris Killen and Merouane Zemmama but, despite a doubt, Michael Stewart played. With Mark Brown having left for Celtic, the ICT goalkeeping position was wide open for the patient Mike Fraser to step in after 165 bench slots, two starts and three substitute appearances. He handled everything confidently but was never seriously troubled. New signing Markus Paatelainen from Cowdenbeath was on the bench and came on for the last ten minutes. The first 45 minutes were some of the best ever seen at the Tulloch Caledonian Stadium as the home side swept forward and Hibs did not know what had hit them. In six minutes John Rankin robbed Steven Whittaker on the left, sent the ball across goal and Barry Wilson shot from an angle – Andrew McNeil got a touch and just managed to claw it back before it trickled over the line. McNeil spilled a Wilson shot two minutes later but Craig Dargo’s follow up touch went past. The lively Abdessalam Benjelloun (Benji) was through on the right in 11 minutes but Darren Dods blocked for a corner. Rankin shot over in 18 minutes then two minutes later the deserved opening arrived. The creator was Dennis Wyness who intercepted on the right then found Craig Dargo 15 yards out – he hit it first time into the net with the outside of his right foot as McNeil scrambled back in vain. On the half hour mark it was 2-0 when Ross Tokely intercepted down the right wing, slipped it to Roy McBain in the centre and he sent it neatly past the helpless McNeil for his second goal of the season. The closest Hibs came in the first half was when Scott Brown netted in 34 minutes but the whistle for offside had long gone. With three minutes of the first half remaining Barry Wilson brought the home crowd to its feet when he sent a tremendous 25 yard angled shot past McNeil from the right to make it 3-0. Half Time: 3-0 It was all change after the break as Hibs threw on three substitutes in an attempt to retrieve something from the game. They pushed hard for 20 minutes but the home defence held firm. In 62 minutes there was a moment of alarm as a Steven Fletcher free kick seemed on target but Fraser saw it safely past the post. At the other end a Wyness shot was charged down by Chris Hogg in 64 minutes then a Ross Tokely effort was deflected for a corner. The only black spot of the afternoon came in 70 minutes when Craig Dargo dislocated his shoulder after a simple challenge and he was replaced by Graham Bayne. With four minutes left Mike Fraser punched clear a David Murphy shot then an Ian Black 25 yard drive went wide at the other end. The last action was a long range attempt by Graham Bayne but it was wide of the mark. Full Time: 3-0 A fine victory for Charlie Christie ’s men, eighth place retained and the top six within sight.
  14. This match was Caley Thistle's 100th SPL game and a first ever victory over the Dons was the hope. John Rankin appeared to have achieved this when he scored in the 86th minute but Steve Lovell equalised in the 3rd minute of injury time to salvage a point for the Dons. ABERDEEN 1-1 ICT 13th January 2007 Pittodrie Stadium, Aberdeen ABERDEEN 1 (Lovell 90) Team: Langfield, Hart, Anderson, Foster, Nicolson, Severin, Clark, Brewster (Considine 44), Maguire (Dempsey 46), Miller (Lovell 79), Mackie Subs: , Touzani, Donald, Smith, Soutar INVERNESS CALEDONIAN THISTLE 1 (Rankin 86) Team: Brown, Tokely, Dods, Munro, Hastings, Wilson (McCaffrey 89), Duncan, Rankin, McBain, Wyness (Dargo 80), Bayne Subs: Black, Morgan, Soane, McAllister & Fraser Referee Mike McCurry Attendance 10300 Man of the Match As the 100th SPL match played by Caley Thistle this was a milestone, but a second was just missed as once more Aberdeen’s scalp proved elusive. For the third time this season the teams drew 1-1 and, as in November, both goals were late on with Stevie Lovell saving the Dons in the last minute. This time the equaliser was well into added time after John Rankin had made it 1-0 with four minutes of normal time left – this was the club’s 777th league goal and the 118th in the SPL. Richard Hastings was fit again so it was back to ICT’s familiar 4-4-2 formation and Craig Dargo moved to the bench. Aberdeen were missing the suspended Zander Diamond but Craig Brewster made his first start against his former club. It was to be a dismal afternoon for Brewster as he left the field with a dislocated shoulder just before half time and will be out for an extended period. Wild weather throughout Scotland caused a number of postponements but this game went ahead despite a gale-force wind. Barry Nicholson shot over in 11 minutes for Aberdeen then Dennis Wyness had the first chance for ICT in 16 minutes when he hit from 25 yards but Jamie Langfield saved with little trouble. Wyness headed over seven minutes later then Graham Bayne shot over. In 26 minutes Barry Wilson appeared to be brought down by Langfield after a mix up between the ‘keeper and Michael Hart but the referee waved play on despite strong protests from the visitors. Just before half time a Wilson free kick curled past the wall and over the bar. Brewster then sustained his shoulder injury and had to head for hospital. Half Time: 0-0 At the interval he was replaced by Andrew Considine and Gary Dempsey also replaced Christopher Maguire. Aberdeen were looking for a penalty when Lee Miller went down in the box but once more Mike McCurry made no award. Rankin curled a long range shot wide then in 66 minutes Bayne hit over following a Rankin corner. Bayne was the provider in 86 minutes when he stroked the ball into the path of Rankin and he hit past Langfield from 18 yards to make it 1-0. This was no more than the visitors deserved but it was not enough. With nearly three minutes of added time on the clock, substitute Lovell came to the Dons rescue when he lobbed over Mark Brown to make it 1-1. This was a bitter blow for Caley Thistle who richly deserved all three points. Full Time: 1-1 There was no time for a comeback as the whistle went before the match could even restart. Caley Thistle remain eighth on 28 points and Aberdeen stay third on 39.
  15. ICT 2-1 ST MIRREN Goals from Graham Bayne in 5 minutes and Dennis Wyness in the 21st minute were enough to win this game for Caley Thistle. Kirk Broadfoot scored for the Buddies in 77 minutes and Mark Brown made a spectacular save near the end to make sure all three points stay in Inverness. Club Historian Ian Broadfoot reports from the game. 1st January 2007 Tulloch Caledonian Stadium, Inverness INVERNESS CALEDONIAN THISTLE FC 2 (Bayne 5, Wyness 21) Team: Brown, Tokely, Dods, Munro, Hastings, Wilson (McCaffrey 88), Duncan (Morgan 84), McBain, Rankin, Bayne, Wyness Subs – McAllister, Sutherland, Soane, Dargo & Fraser ST MIRREN 1 (Broadfoot 77) Team: Bullock, McGowne, Potter (Gemmill 87), Broadfoot, Zanten, Reid (McCay 65), Corcoran, Brittain, Brady, McKenna (McGinn 46), Sutton Subs: Docherty, Maxwell, Millen & Smith Referee Alan Freeland Attendance 4246 Man of the Match Graham Bayne (ICT) A good start to 2007 for Caley Thistle, a well-earned three points and revenge for the defeat by St Mirren on the opening day of the season. By half-time they could have been more than two up and were put under pressure when Saints improved after the break. The visitors eventually pulled one back through Kirk Broadfoot and there was a nervous finish for the home fans. Heavy rain throughout the country threatened sporting fixtures but Inverness was spared the worst of it and all was well. Ian Black dropped out of the home side through suspension and Russell Duncan came in. Barry Wilson returned and Alan Morgan reverted to the bench. St Mirren were without Simon Lappin and Hugh Murray. Bullock was under pressure from the start and in just two minutes Graham Bayne sent an angled ball across goal but wide of the mark. The first goal came in five minutes when Bayne passed to Roy McBain, moved to the centre and was there to expertly head home McBain’s cross from the right. This was just what ICT needed and they took control of the game. Saints however nearly pulled one back in nine minutes when Mark Brown dived to push a low ball from David McKenna over for a corner. Dennis Wyness scored his first SPL goal of the season in 21 minutes and it was a great strike. McBain powered goalwards then found Richard Hastings on the left - the defender’s cross reached Wyness in the box, he chested it down then hammered it into the net giving Bullock no chance. A Wilson free kick in 29 minutes troubled the defence as it bounced towards goal but Bullock pushed it for a corner. John Rankin had a chance in 33 minutes from his favourite position 25 yards out but it was on his right foot and he sliced it wide. A Wilson corner in 44 minutes reached Darren Dods at the back of the box but he was off-balance and failed to connect. Half Time: 2-0 Just after the break Bayne went down just inside the St Mirren box but nothing was given. Kirk Broadfoot tested Brown in 52 minutes from wide left but the ‘keeper held it. Bullock saved from Rankin in 55 minutes then pushed the ball for a corner as Wilson closed in for the rebound. Bullock saved well from Bayne in 62 minutes then Wyness hit over the bar in 67 minutes. Saints began to gain confidence and they scored in 76 minutes when Broadfoot ran in to head home Richard Brittain’s corner from the left. Garry Brady nearly managed an equaliser three minutes later but Brown dived to his left to push it away. Mark Corcoran then hit the bar from an angle on the right. With four minutes left Saints were awarded a free kick 19 yards out for hand ball amidst claims that it had been in the box. The kick came to nothing but the ICT fans feared the worst as Saints continued to press. There was an almighty scramble in the home box in the closing minute but Alan Morgan finally booted clear and it hit off a St Mirren player for a goal kick. That was enough to settle things down and the whistle went. Full Time: 2-1 In the topsy-turvy world at the foot of the SPL this win pushed ICT back up to eighth on 27 points. Dunfermline remain rooted at the foot on 14 points.
  16. A 12 minute hat-trick from Anthony Stokes just before half-time and two yellow cards for Ian Black for kicking the ball away after the half-time whistle had gone, sum up this match. It was small consolation that John Rankin scored another cracker right at the death. Official Club Historian Ian Broadfoot reports from the last match of 2006 which took place at the Falkirk Stadium. FALKIRK 3-1 ICT 30th December 2006 Falkirk Stadium, Falkirk FALKIRK 3 (Stokes 33,37,45) Team: Lambers, Ross, Dodd, Uras, Barr, Milne (Twaddle 65), Cregg, Lima (Thomson 72), O'Donnell, Latapy (Stewart 78), Stokes Subs: McManus, Craig, Scobbie & Higgins INVERNESS CALEDONIAN THISTLE 1 (Rankin 90) Brown, Tokely, Dods, Munro, Hastings, Rankin, Black, McBain, Morgan (Duncan 70), Wyness (McAllister 78), Bayne (McSwegan 76) Subs: McCaffrey, Wilson, Sutherland & Fraser Referee Mike Tumilty Attendance 4516 Man of the Match Anthony Stokes (Falkirk) A disappointing end to 2006 for Caley Thistle and what a difference three days can make in football. The victory over Rangers will never be forgotten but the glow was dimmed somewhat by this defeat at the hands of Falkirk. This was the Anthony Stokes show as the on-loan Arsenal youngster scored yet another hat-trick in a 13 minute spell. The visitors were without the rested Barry Wilson and Alan Morgan came in for his first league start of the season. Goalkeeper Mark Brown made his 200th appearance in just five seasons. Falkirk were without striker Alan Gow due to flu and defender Cedric Uras made his debut. Today was a massive disappointment after Wednesday night. The visitors started well and in the fourth minute an Ian Black 25 yard free kick curled just wide. Darren Dods did well to track back and challenge Stokes in 20 minutes - the teenager did manage a shot but he was off balance and the ball went across the face of the goal. In 28 minutes Grant Munro took the ball off Stokes in a dangerous position after a good Falkirk move involving Russell Latapy. On the half hour mark home ‘keeper Jeroen Lambers tipped over a 30 yard free kick from Morgan. Stokes took over after that and scored his first in 33 minutes. Kenny Milne found Latapy and he sent a neat through pass which set Stokes up on a straight run to goal. He hit it past Brown then repeated the finish from a tight angle four minutes later after a one-two with Vito Lima. As half time approached Stokes completed his hat trick from close range after a cutback from Milne. Half Time 3-0 After the half-time whistle Caley Thistle’s Ian Black incurred the wrath of the referee by kicking a ball away twice and receiving two yellow cards in succession. The first was clearly the match ball but some claim the second was a club warm-up ball. No matter the rights and wrongs of the dismissal it left the visitors to face the second half three goals and a man down. The visitors battled on in the second half but they could have lost a fourth in 68 minutes when Darren Barr hit the bar from 20 yards. Brown parried a Lima shot from 12 yards in 70 minutes when another goal was a strong possibility. There was never going to be a realistic way back but in the last minute John Rankin restored some pride when he took a Gary McSwegan pass and sent a 20 yard dipping shot over the ‘keeper. This repeat of Rankin’s feat on Wednesday was merely a consolation and the points were left behind in Falkirk. Full Time: 3-1 Results elsewhere led to a drop to tenth.
  17. Darren Dods scored just before half time to level an earlier penalty from Rangers (Novo) but it was John Rankin who scored an injury time winner to beat the Gers and end Caley Thistle's 9 game run without a win. Club Historian Ian Broadfoot reports from Tulloch Caledonian Stadium. ICT 2-1 RANGERS 27th December 2006 Tulloch Caledonian Stadium, Inverness INVERNESS CALEDONIAN THISTLE FC 2 (Dods 41, Rankin 90) Team: Brown, Tokely, Dods, Munro, Hastings, Wilson (Morgan 78), Rankin, Black, McBain, Dargo, Bayne, Wyness Subs: McAllister, Sutherland, McSwegan, Duncan, McCaffrey & Fraser RANGERS 1 Novo (21 pen) Team: McGregor, Hutton, Svensson, Papac, Hemdani, Sionko (Burke 72), Ferguson, Clement, Adam, Novo (Lennon 83), Sebo Subs: Stanger, N'Diaye, Murray, Rae & Klos Referee Craig Thomson Attendance 7522 Man of the Match Dennis Wyness (ICT) A dramatic injury-time goal from John Rankin earned all three points for Caley Thistle, continued their 100% league record against Rangers this season and gave them a tremendous confidence boost after a disappointing run. Pre-match Rangers manager Paul Le Guen made no secret of his desire to avenge the October result at Ibrox but he was to be bitterly disappointed. His side was without the injured Dado Prso and Caley Thistle also had Craig Dargo sidelined. Graham Bayne partnered Dennis Wyness up front and they worked their socks off for the home cause. Otherwise the home side was unchanged. A new record crowd of 7522 settled down to watch the action – a vocal away support expecting to see their side’s revival continue and a home crowd hoping for that elusive win. Caley Thistle started at pace and earned a corner in the second minute. Barry Wilson’s kick came off a defender and hand ball was claimed to no avail. An excellent Wyness flick in four minutes set up a John Rankin shot in the Rangers box but he hit first time over the bar. The first real chance for Rangers came in eleven minutes when Mark Brown had to be alert to beat the ball away from the feet of Nacho Novo. Four minutes later Brown held a low shot from Charlie Adam. The game took a turn Rangers way in 21 minutes when Barry Ferguson went down alongside Roy McBain in the home box. TV pictures confirmed minimum contact but it was a penalty and Novo sent Brown the wrong way for 1-0. The home side continued to hold their own in defence and to create chances at the other end. In 26 minutes Ross Tokely and Roy McBain combined to set up Wilson but McGregor saved his low shot. With four minutes of the first half left Tokely found Darren Dods just inside the Rangers box and McGregor parried the captain’s shot – it fell neatly back to Dods and he hit it high into the net for a very welcome equaliser. Half Time: 1-1 This set up a lively second half with Allan McGregor the busier ‘keeper. In 65 minutes Wilson sent a ball across goal from the right which had McGregor scrambling - it reached Rankin beyond the far post but his effort from an acute angle was not quite on target. Two minutes later Grant Munro did well to rob Filip Sebo as he poised to shoot. McGregor saved an excellent Ian Black angled shot in 69 minutes then seconds later he did the same from Wyness before stopping Graham Bayne’s headed follow-up. Brown took the ball off Sebo’s feet in 76 minutes then a minute later he safely took a Ferguson rising free kick. Ten minutes from time Black sent a long ball to Bayne down the right and McGregor raced out of his goal to clear for a throw-in. Chris Burke had come on as a substitute for Rangers in 72 minutes and he was proving a handful. His speed down the right wing was creating danger but the home defence stuck to its task well. Burke had a chance in 84 minutes but he hit over the bar. With two minutes left, Wyness flicked the ball to Rankin close to the Rangers goal but his low shot was held by McGregor. Into added time and a draw looked inevitable. The away fans started to head for their buses but were stopped in their tracks when Rankin struck. A neat pass from substitute Alan Morgan sent Rankin off from the halfway line towards McGregor’s goal. From 25 yards out he sent a high ball goalwards – the ‘keeper (and most of the crowd) thought it was going to clear the bar but it dipped and nestled in the net. There was still time for one last Rangers attack through Alan Hutton but Munro cleared the ball and the whistle went. Full Time: 2-1 A fine way to end a long run without a victory. Boxing Day results elsewhere had sent ICT down to eleventh but these three points propelled them up to eighth.
  18. Caley Thistle club historian Ian Broadfoot provides the official report from East End Park - A no-score draw that could certainly not be described as a classic !! DUNFERMLINE 0-0 ICT 23rd December 2006 East End Park, Dunfermline DUNFERMLINE (Stephen Kenny) 0 Team: De Vries, Shields, Wilson, Bamba, McGuire, Ross (Daquin 60), Young, Mason, Muirhead (O Morrison 66), Crawford, Hamilton (Tod 90) Subs: S Morrison, Woods, Williamson & McKenzie INVERNESS CALEDONIAN THISTLE 0 Team: Brown, Tokely, Dods, Munro, Hastings, Wilson, Black (Duncan 75), Rankin, McBain, Wyness (Bayne 69), McAllister (McSwegan 82) Subs: McCaffrey, Morgan, Sutherland & Fraser Referee William Collum Attendance 4216 Man of the Match With Dunfermline at the foot of the SPL this was a realistic target for three points but it did not happen. Both sides had to settle for a point in what was rather a bad-tempered match. The final crime count was eight yellow cards plus a red for the home side's Stevie Crawford - but others could easily have followed Crawford for an early shower. Referee Willie Collum was not slow with the yellow cards but was clearly reluctant to issue upgrades to red. The Pars are now under the management of Stephen Kenny and in midweek he was successful in persuading Mark Burchill to extend his contract the striker was however unfit and missed this match. Caley Thistle were without the injured Craig Dargo and Rory McAllister started up front with Dennis Wyness. This was not a match to write home about with Dunfermline upfor the challenge and the ICT defence holding firm. Crawford was through in seven minutes but Mark Brown was equal to his shot. A minute later GaryMason was poised to shoot from 12 yards when Darren Dods stepped in to block and in 15 minutes Ian Black tested Dorus De Vries. There was little to report up to the break apart from Ross Tokely denying Crawford a shooting opportunity (resulting in penalty claims from the home support) and John Rankin hitting the side netting. Half Time: 0-0 In 52 minutes De Vries blocked a BarryWilson shot and defenders charged down Wyness's follow up shot. The most notable event of the second half was a clash between Ian Black and Gary Mason just after the hour mark in the centre circle with the result that tempers flared all round. When order was resumed Black and Mason were booked when red cards were a distinct possibility. Russell Duncan replaced Black in 75 minutes which did not go down well with the outgoing player but he was clearly in danger of a second yellow card. Stevie Crawford's foul on Richard Hastings in 77 minutes resulted in a second yellow card and an involuntary departure then a minute later De Vries tipped over substitute Graham Bayne's header following a blocked Roy McBain shot. Gary McSwegan replaced McAllister with eight minutes left but there was to be no breakthrough. A disappointing 0-0 draw, ninth place retained and Dunfermline five points adrift at the foot of the table. All thoughts now turn to the post Christmas visit of Rangers to Inverness in front of a sell-out crowd.
  19. Caley Thistle Club Historian Ian Broadfoot reports from the Tulloch Caledonian Stadium where Caley Thistle come out the losers as seven goals are shared in this match. ICT 3-4 KILMARNOCK 16th December 2006 Tulloch Caledonian Stadium, Inverness INVERNESS CALEDONIAN THISTLE FC 3 Dods (6,38), Dargo (pen45) Team: Brown, Tokely (Bayne 74), Dods, Munro, Hastings (McCaffrey 46), Wilson (Sutherland 66), Rankin, Black, McBain, Dargo, Wyness Subs: McAllister, Duncan, Morgan & Fraser KILMARNOCK 4 Naismith (29, 68pen), Nish (35, 50) Team: Smith, Greer, Wright, Murray, Hay, Fowler, Invincible, Johnston (Ford 85), Nish, Naismith, Di Giacomo Subs: Wales, Leven, Dodds, Campbell, Hamill, Harpur Referee John Underhill Attendance 3728 Man of the Match Darren Dods (ICT) The home fans have been crying out for goals and this week they got them – sadly the best out of seven went Kilmarnock’s way. It was a cracking match and quite an afternoon for ICT central defender Darren Dods - he returned for ICT from suspension, resumed the captaincy and scored twice. Dennis Wyness also came into the starting line-up with Graham Bayne dropping to the bench. The pitch was in excellent condition despite days of heavy rain – the return of cold weather over the preceding 24 hours gave valuable time for some drying out. Caley Thistle had a tremendous first half spoiled only by losing two soft goals. Killie played some good football in the second half but were still fortunate to come away with all three points. With five minutes gone Craig Dargo turned Gordon Greer and watched as his shot deflected and nearly fooled Graeme Smith – Smith recovered well to touch it over for a corner. The home side took the lead a minute later when a Barry Wilson free kick from the left curled into the box and Dods volleyed it past Smith from a few yards out. The ‘keeper turned a Wyness shot past for a corner in 13 minutes then did the same from a John Rankin free kick two minutes later. A Greer cross in 28 minutes was headed by Richard Hastings for a corner and this led to the equaliser. Gary Hay’s kick was flicked on by Greer and Steven Naismith was well placed to head home from close to the line. Killie took a 2-1 lead in 34 minutes with a simple goal as the home defence was once more caught out. A Naismith ball from the left reached Colin Nish via Paul Di Giacomo and it was hit in from six yards out. The excitement continued and in 38 minutes Dods scored his second just moments after a Wyness header beat Smith but came off the post. A Rankin free kick from long distance was spilled by Smith and Dods was in the box to touch it home. Just before the break Dargo earned a corner on the left and Wilson’s kick into the box resulted in a handball verdict as Dods challenged. Dargo stepped up to take the penalty and blasted it high into the net to make amends for his miss last week. The crowd was buzzing from the first half excitement and all the speculation was on how high the score would go. Half Time: 3-2 At half time the injured Hastings was replaced by Stuart McCaffrey and the back four reorganise. With just four minutes of the second half gone it was 3-3. Another simple effort saw Di Giacomo race past Dods down the left, whip in a low cross and Nish touched it in. At the other end Smith pushed an Ian Black shot for a corner in 53 minutes then in 58 minutes a strong Ross Tokely shot hit off Wyness and ran to safety. Zander Sutherland replaced Barry Wilson in 66 minutes and within a minute the youngster conceded a penalty with a push on Naismith. Naismith took the kick himself and hit it cleanly past Mark Brown to give Killie a 4-3 lead. A Rankin free kick in 71 minutes was dummied by two ICT players but Smith continued his up and down afternoon by pushing it for a corner. Wyness was booked for an alleged dive in 77 minutes as the home side pressed hard to take something from the game. Dargo went down inside the box with three minutes left as he latched onto a Sutherland cross but nothing was given despite strong penalty claims. Full Time: 3-4 Pressure over the closing minutes from the home side produced no reward and it ended a remarkable 4-3 to the visitors. As a result Caley Thistle slipped to ninth with Dunfermline still propping up the rest.
  20. Noel Hunt scores twice and David Robertson wraps it ups as Craig Levein continues his good start at Tannadice. Club Historian Ian Broadfoot provides this report from Tannadice Stadium. DUNDEE UTD 3-1 ICT 18th November 2006 Tannadice Park, Dundee DUNDEE UTD 3 (Hunt 22 & 65, Robertson 78) Team: Stillie, Duff, Mair, Archibald, Kalvenes, Conway, Kerr, Robertson, Robson, Samuel (Cameron 63), Hunt (Goodwillie 84) SUBS: McLean, McCracken, Robb, Kenneth & Smith INVERNESS CALEDONIAN THISTLE FC 1 (Wilson 15) Team: Brown, Tokely, McCaffrey, Munro, Hastings, Wilson (Wyness 76), Black, Rankin, McBain, Dargo, Bayne SUBS: Morgan, Duncan, Soane, Sutherland, McAllister & Fraser Referee Stuart Dougal Attendance 5294 Man of the Match Noel Hunt (Dundee Utd) Dundee United’s revival under new manager Craig Levein continued at the expense of Caley Thistle, despite the visitors taking a 15th minute lead through Barry Wilson. By half time it was 1-1 and United scored two second half goals to seal the victory. With Darren Dods suspended Stuart McCaffrey came in for his second league start of the season for ICT and Barry Wilson was made captain for the day. Injuries restricted Charlie Christie’s options but he did bring back John Rankin with Russell Duncan dropping to the bench. Alan Morgan also took a bench slot, his first squad appearance since September. United dominated the opening period and a strong run by Collin Samuel in the second minute was stopped by Grant Munro. The home side could easily have taken the lead in nine minutes were it not for a superb save by Mark Brown from a Noel Hunt close-range header. A Craig Conway header then flashed past Brown’s post to safety. The opening came at the other end in 15 minutes when Wilson was brought down by Samuel just outside the box and the captain-for-the-day curled the 25 yard free kick expertly round the wall and into the top corner. This ended Caley Thistle’s goal drought but United equalised seven minutes later when Hunt headed home a Craig Conway cross from seven yards out. The away camp thought Hunt was offside but the goal stood. The crime count was rising by the minute and seven names finished up in Stuart Dougal’s book by the end of the match. Five minutes from the break a John Rankin free kick was dropped by Derek Stillie but he recovered in time to block Graham Bayne’s follow-up. Brown kept it to 1-1 just before the interval when he saved from Barry Robson. Half Time: 1-1 Into the second half and more pressure from United. They went 2-1 up in 65 minutes when a Robson corner reached Hunt via David Robertson and he had an easy job to touch it home from virtually the goal line although it was probably going in anyway. Hunt then came close to a hat trick but his header went past the post. Hunt turned provider in 78 minutes when he sent a ball from the bye line which Robertson hit home from six yards for 3-1. With four minutes left Caley Thistle were awarded a penalty for a Stuart Duff foul on Dennis Wyness but Craig Dargo’s kick sailed over the bar. Full Time: 3-1 It ended 3-1 to United and Caley Thistle remain eighth – but on goal difference from Dundee United.
  21. The thing about streaks is that they have to come to an end. Caley Thistle lost a couple in this game - 8 SPL matches unbeaten, and 5 games without defeat against the Hibees - after going down 2-0 at Easter Road and having Mark Brown red carded. Ian Broadfoot reports from the Easter Road encounter. HIBERNIAN 2-0 ICT 11th November 2006 Easter Road, Edinburgh HIBERNIAN 2 (Fletcher 65, Killen 83pen ) Team: Malkowski, Whittaker, Martis, Jones, Stewart, Murphy, Brown, Thomson (Beuzelin 59), Sproule (Benjelloun 46), Zemmama (Fletcher 22), Killen SUBS: Shiels, Glass, Hogg, McNeil INVERNESS CALEDONIAN THISTLE FC 0 Team: Brown, Tokely, Munro, Dods, Hastings, Wilson (Fraser 82) , Duncan, Rankin (McSwegan 78), McBain, Bayne, Dargo (Wyness 74) SUBS: McAllister, Sutherland, Black, McCaffrey Referee John Underhill Attendance 12868 Man of the Match A disappointing end to Caley Thistle’s eight-game unbeaten run at Easter Road. The loss of Mark Brown to a red card ten minutes from the end made it very hard and at that point the game was effectively over. Chris Killen’s goal from the resultant penalty sealed Hibs’ victory after substitute Steven Fletcher had given them a 64th minute lead. It was a disappointing end to Brown’s week after he had been named in the Scotland B squad for their visit to Dublin. Charlie Christie fielded an unchanged side from Monday’s draw with Aberdeen - Ian Black’s two-game suspension was over but he could only make it onto the bench. Hibs also made no changes despite an injury doubt over Michael Stewart. Steven Whittaker proved to be the main threat for the home side in the first half and he had three good efforts. The first went wide in eight minutes but Mark Brown had to be alert to push away the second just two minutes later. In 11 minutes a Craig Dargo shot was charged down by Rob Jones and there was a forlorn penalty claim from the visitors. Malkowski saved from John Rankin in 15 minutes and Dargo was booked for a follow-up push on the keeper. Whittaker’s third first half shot could have led to a contender for goal of the season if it had come off. He set off from the half way line and ran past a series of defenders but his final shot was blocked by Rankin. Caley Thistle’s best efforts of the half came a couple of minutes before the break when a Russell Duncan cross from the right was volleyed goalwards by Craig Dargo, touched away by Malkowski, stabbed towards the line by Graham Bayne and saved once more by the keeper. Half Time: 0-0 Into the second half and Hibs took the lead in 64 minutes through substitute Steven Fletcher. Beuzelin and Scott Brown combined to set up Fletcher via a David Murphy lay off and he netted at the back post. Dennis Wyness replaced Dargo in 74 minutes then four minutes later Rankin made way as Gary McSwegan made his first top team appearance. The three-striker formation nearly paid off immediately when McSwegan’s first touch brought out a fine save from Malkowski and his follow-up was blocked. The game went beyond Caley Thistle with ten minutes left when Killen was one-on-one with Mark Brown and the striker went down as he rounded the keeper. A penalty was awarded (the first against ICT since last March) but there were loud protests from the players who thought that contact had been minimal. John Underhill did not change his mind, Brown saw red and Barry Wilson was sacrificed for substitute keeper Mike Fraser. Fraser’s first action was to face the penalty and he could do nothing to prevent Killen making it 2-0. The ten men battled on and with seconds left Caley Thistle nearly managed a consolation when Graham Bayne headed across goal and Darren Dods headed over the bar from a few yards out. Full Time: 2-0 The defeat meant a slip to sixth but it is still very tight.
  22. Motherwell make it 3 wins in their last 3 visits to the Tulloch Caledonian Stadium. However, it took until the 90th minute for that victory to be achieved when Darren Dods made a last man challenge that was judged as a foul meaning a red card for him and a penalty for 'Well. Richie Foran made no mistake from the spot. Ian Broadfoot reports. ICT 0-1 MOTHERWELL 2nd December 2006 Tulloch Caledonian Stadium, Inverness INVERNESS CALEDONIAN THISTLE FC 0 Team: Brown, Tokely, Dods , Munro, Hastings, Wilson (Rankin 82), Duncan (Hart 68), Black, McBain, Dargo (McAllister 63), Bayne Subs: McCaffrey, Wyness, Sutherland & Fraser MOTHERWELL 1 (Foran 90pen) Team: Meldrum, Quinn, Craigan (Kinniburgh 89), Reynolds, Paterson, McGarry, Lasley (Corrigan 74), Kerr, Foran, Clarkson (Elliot 72), McDonald Subs: D Smith, Connolly, Fitzpatrick, & G Smith Referee Eddie Smith Attendance 3668 Man of the Match Darren Dods (ICT) Not a game to write home about and with neither side showing any real cutting edge it looked like ending goalless. All that changed two minutes from the end of normal time when Darren Dods upended Scott McDonald and Richie Foran netted from the penalty spot to give Motherwell three precious points. Dods received a second yellow card and headed for an early shower, just minutes after being named ‘Man of the Match’. It was no consolation that Foran was booked for his celebrations in front of the small but vocal travelling support. Charlie Christie made just one change to the starting line-up with Dennis Wyness making way for Graham Bayne. There was heavy overnight rain, and more in the hour leading to kick-off, but it was dry overhead for the match although the surface was slippy. Scott McDonald was always a threat for the visitors and he had two chances from kick-off. First he shot miles wide from 25 yards then he ran for half the length of the park before hitting over the bar. In the fourth minute an excellent ICT move nearly paid off. A Richard Hastings header reached Craig Dargo via Graham Bayne and it was knocked on for Barry Wilson to chase. He did enough to ensure that ‘keeper Colin Meldrum missed it and it fell for Dargo. He hit it across goal from wide left and, with Meldrum stranded, a defender cleared off the line. It was to be a rare moment of excitement in a lacklustre game. A Hastings cross in 14 minutes was volleyed first time by Dargo but Colin Meldrum held it confidently. Meldrum dived to hold a Bayne header in 21 minutes then the move and result were repeated on the half hour mark. Two Dods shots were blocked five minutes from the break then came the best chance of the half. A poor ball out of defence was pounced on by Wilson and, with just Meldrum blocking his route to goal, he hit an angled shot from the right. Meldrum did well to scramble it clear. Motherwell shots were rare in the first half and most were off target. They did create danger seconds before the half time whistle when a low ball from the left skidded across goal and was missed by everybody. Strangely a corner was awarded. Half Time: 0-0 Into the second half and a flurry of activity from the visitors. They still rarely found a route to goal but a David Clarkson header did go just wide in 49 minutes. At the other end Meldrum dealt with anything that came his way and there was little to enthuse about. In 70 minutes Keith Lasley fouled Ian Black and was injured in the process. After a four minute delay, during which Motherwell made two substitutions, Lasley was booked and stretchered off. By now ICT had introduced Rory McAllister and Richie Hart but still nothing came off. Motherwell came close in 78 minutes when McDonald shot over from close range. With two minutes left McDonald was bearing down on Mark Brown’s goal with Dods in pursuit when the defender tackled him and he went down spectacularly. There were half-hearted protests but it was a penalty. Richie Foran gave Brown no chance and the goal proved to be the winner despite five added minutes. Full Time: 0-0 A worrying four games without a goal but seventh spot retained.
  23. It finished honours even at the Tulloch Caledonian Stadium after a more recognisable Hearts team - with Pressley restored to it as captain - held Caley Thistle at bay. Club Historian Ian Broadfoot reports from the match. ICT 0-0 HEARTS 25th November 2006 Tulloch Caledonian Stadium, Inverness INVERNESS CALEDONIAN THISTLE FC 0 Team: Brown, Tokely, Dods, Munro, Hastings, Wilson, Duncan, Black (Hart 73), McBain, Dargo (McAllister 87), Wyness (Bayne 79) Subs: McCaffrey, Rankin, Sutherland & Fraser HEARTS 0 Team: Gordon, Neilson, Fyssas (Wallace 68), Pressley, Aguiar (Mole 83), Hartley, Barasa, Brellier, Mikoliunas (McCann 86), Berra, Velicka Subs: Tall, Zaliukas, Jankauskas & Banks Referee Iain Brines Attendance 5603 Man of the Match Darren Dods (ICT) A good point earned against Hearts but with a rub of the green it could have been three. The unrest and management confusion at Hearts did not stop them from being dangerous opponents but Caley Thistle matched them in every department. Mark Brown came back from suspension to take his place in the home goal with Mike Fraser reverting to the bench, Ian Black came in for John Rankin and Dennis Wyness replaced Graham Bayne in the starting line-up. The big news from Hearts was that Stephen Pressley was back in the team and as captain. As the teams ran out the cameras were all trained on the Directors’ box to see the arrival of Vladimir Romanov and returning manager Valdas Ivanauskas, team matters were however still in the hands of Eduard Malofeev for one more match. Caley Thistle strode upfield from the kick-off but Hearts immediately counter-attacked and Paul Hartley sent an angled shot over the home bar from the right of the box. With five minutes on the clock a long Grant Munro free kick was met on the volley by Craig Dargo six yards out and he forced a good save from Craig Gordon – it all looked good but the offside flag was up. Another Munro free kick four minutes later led to a blocked Wyness shot and a cleared Roy McBain header. It all went rather quiet until the 26th minute when a Dargo pass set up Barry Wilson just outside the box. Wilson sent a strong bouncing shot goalwards but Gordon showed his class to divert it for a corner. On the half hour mark Saulius Mikoliunas robbed Ross Tokely but his on-target shot was parried by Brown. In 35 minutes a Wilson chipped free kick led to danger that was only ended when Gordon bravely smothered the ball under pressure. Gordon produced his best save of the match in 41 minutes when Black headed a Richard Hastings cross towards the top corner and the ‘keeper tipped it up in the air before catching it on the way down. Half Time: 0-0 Hartley was in a dangerous position five minutes into the second half but he slipped before he could shoot. With an hour gone Pressley volleyed well wide then a Mikoliunas shot from 18 yards was blocked. Bruno Aguiar tried a spectacular shot in 75 minutes but it safely cleared the bar. Caley Thistle substitute Richie Hart sent in an excellent cross a minute later but Dargo’s header was saved by Gordon. The closing period was almost all Caley Thistle and in 79 minutes a long Dargo run was set up by a neat Russell Duncan pass. Dargo headed straight for goal but his final shot went wide. Graham Bayne came on for Wyness and his height and strong presence caused the Hearts’ defence additional problems. Seconds after he arrived on the scene he latched onto a Munro free kick and headed across goal for Dargo – Gordon stepped in to save. In the closing ten minutes Hart hit wide from long range, Ross Tokely also struck wide, Gordon saved from McBain and Darren Dods headed off target. Brown had been rarely troubled but with three minutes of normal time left Hartley sent in a long shot which the ‘keeper expertly tipped for a corner. In added time Julien Brellier slid in to deny Wilson a shot then a Bayne effort was cleared. The last action was a bouncing shot from Hart that ran wide. Full Time: 0-0 A fine ICT performance but just one point and seventh spot retained.
  24. CELTIC 3-0 ICT Caley Thistle were soundly beaten by Celtic but in truth didnt play at all badly. Mike Fraser, replacing the suspended Mark Brown in goal had a good game and made several crucial saves especially in the first half, and ICT had plenty of chances at the other end before the game was lost. Club historian Ian Broadfoot reports from Celtic Park. 18th November 2006 Celtic Park, Glasgow CELTIC 3 (Dods og43, Vennegoor of Hesselink 71, Jarosik 85) Team: Boruc, Telfer, Caldwell (O'Dea 60), McManus, Naylor, Nakamura, Lennon, Graveson (Jarosik 76), Maloney (McGeady 87), Vennegoor of Hesselink, Zurawski SUBS: Riordan, Sno, Wilson, Marshall INVERNESS CALEDONIAN THISTLE FC 0 Team: Fraser, Tokely, Munro, Dods, Hastings, Wilson (Wyness 69), Duncan, Rankin McBain, Bayne, Dargo SUBS: Sutherland, McSwegan, Soane, Black, McCaffrey, Smith Referee Kenny Clark Attendance 56637 Man of the Match A disappointing afternoon in Paradise for Caley Thistle but a good performance – particularly in the first half. It took until close to half time before Celtic broke down the resolute defence but it was not all about defending. There were good moves going forward and chances created. With Mark Brown suspended Mike Fraser came in for only his second start and he had an excellent game – early stops gave him confidence and he had no chance with any of the goals. Teenage keeper Jonathon Smith took Fraser’s usual bench spot. Russell Duncan was captain for the day to mark his 200th appearance since joining the club in the summer of 2001. The August 1-1 draw between the teams in Inverness was the last SPL point dropped by Celtic and they went into this game looking for a clean sweep over the other eleven teams. They succeeded but victory was only assured when the second goal went in. The visitors pushed hard from the kick-off and nearly gave Celtic a fright in the second minute. Ross Tokely crossed from the right and Roy McBain had two shots blocked with Graham Bayne and Barry Wilson fighting hard to latch onto the rebounds – eventually it went over for a corner. Mike Fraser was called into action in the fifth minute when Maciej Zurawski raced down the left and shot – the keeper parried it for a corner. Five minutes later Fraser dived to take a header from Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink. A long Fraser clearance in 14 minutes was headed down by Bayne for John Rankin but the midfielder was fouled 23 yards out. The free kick by Wilson was touched back to him by Rankin but his shot was held by Artur Boruc. Bayne headed a Shunsuke Nakamura corner off the line in 21 minutes then a break upfield led to a cross from McBain which just eluded Craig Dargo. In 25 minutes there was an old fashioned stramash in the Caley Thistle goal following a header from Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink. It took Fraser plus two defenders to clear the danger at the third attempt. A minute later a Wilson corner from the left at the other end was headed back across goal by Grant Munro and a Bayne diving header looked in – in the event it slid just wide. Fraser saved from Maloney and Boruc from Rankin before the opening goal came in 43 minutes. A Nakamura corner from the left was touched on by Zurawski and Darren Dods went for it along with Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink – it skidded past Fraser and was credited as a Dods own goal. Half Time: 1-0 This was a blow from which ICT really never recovered. Straight after the break Dods blocked a Maloney cross and the home fans claimed a hand was used. Kenny Clark was having none of it. Caley Thistle continued to give as good as they got until the 72nd minute when a second goal put the game beyond them. Paul Telfer played a clever one-two with Nakamura then crossed from the right - Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink slid in to net from eight yards out. With ten minutes left Maloney tried one of his trademark free kicks from 25 yards out. It went over the wall and dropped just above the bar as Fraser could only watch. Goal number three came with five minutes left when Maloney sent a corner from the right and substitute Jiri Jarosik rose high to head into the top left corner. In added time Fraser held a Nakamura low shot and time was up. Full Time: 3-0 The defeat took ICT back to seventh place with Celtic streets ahead at the top.
  25. Inverness CT 1-1 Aberdeen Caley Thistle are now unbeaten in 8 games but a last gasp equaliser from Steve Lovell means that ICT have still to record a win over the Dons as the spoils are shared at the Tulloch Caledonian Stadium 06th November 2006 Tulloch Caledonian Stadium Inverness Caledonian Thistle 1 (Bayne 78) Team: Brown, Tokely, Dods, Munro, Hastings, Wilson, Duncan, Rankin, McBain, Dargo (Wyness 81), Bayne, SUBS: McCaffrey, McSwegan, Soane, Sutherland, McAllister, & Fraser Aberdeen 1 (Lovell 90) Team: Langfield, Hart, Anderson, Severin, J. Smith, Nicholson, Mackie (Maguire 82), Clark (Considine 67), Dempsey (Lovell 79), Miller, Foster SUBS: Diamond, D. Smith, S. Smith & Soutar Referee Dougie McDonald Attendance 5744 Man of the Match John Rankin (ICT) The first Monday night Setanta TV match involving Caley Thistle ended in a disappointing draw in front of a better crowd than had been anticipated. That elusive win against Aberdeen was just a minute of the regulation ninety away when substitute Stevie Lovell cancelled out Graham Bayne’s 79th minute opener. It was not a classic match but, despite the lack of clear shots, both sets of supporters were vocal in their encouragement and seemed to enjoy the spectacle. With Ian Black still suspended Russell Duncan continued in midfield for ICT and Gary McSwegan made his first squad appearance. Aberdeen’s Jamie Smith came back from injury to replace Zander Diamond. There was little to report in the opening period but there was some fun when the far side assistant referee dropped his flag while awarding Caley Thistle a 13th minute corner. Two successive corners were cleared after some panic in the Aberdeen defence then Darren Dods had a header blocked and a follow-up shot saved. Aberdeen’s first real effort was a 19th minute snap shot from Gary Dempsey but it went wide. A minute later Craig Dargo sent a long range shot goalwards at the other end and it spun just wide left with Jamie Langfield struggling. The visitors were awarded a free kick 22 yards out in 27 minutes but Jamie Smith’s chip came off the wall for a corner. Close to the break Langfield held a low John Rankin shot but otherwise there was little on target. Half Time: 0-0 Chris Clark hit well wide in 56 minutes and an off-balance Dargo shot was saved by Langfield in 63 minutes. The home side were creating more than Aberdeen but the pressure was not translating into shots on target. In 72 minutes Richard Hastings did well to rob Darren Mackie in the home box and three minutes later Michael Hart chipped over. The long-awaited opening goal came in some style in 79 minutes. A clever Dargo pass from just outside the box found Roy McBain racing down the left and his inch-perfect cross was headed home by the diving Graham Bayne from seven yards. A minute later Barry Wilson was through into the Aberdeen box when he went down as Michael Hart slid in – the home camp claimed a penalty but there was no award. Hopes of sealing the victory diminished as Aberdeen pushed upfield and two minutes from time a Chris Maguire acrobatic kick came off the bar. Andrew Considine was following up but he could only head over. The Dons continued to press and a minute later a Hart cross from the right reached Lovell via Lee Miller and the substitute hit it home with his knee from a yard out. Full Time 1-1 The three added minutes produced nothing and it ended 1-1 with Caley Thistle remaining fifth.
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