Brown: "This Time We Deserved It"

[RiG]

Taken from the Daily Record (*click*)

INVERNESS keeper Mark Brown has beaten the Old Firm a few times - but he reckons this win over Rangers was the first time his side have merited it.

Brown has been his team's saviour more often that not when Caley Thistle have taken points off Rangers and Celtic in recent years, with the Parkhead club also falling to them in the Scottish Cup.

But in every one of those games, including the Highlanders' 1-0 win at Ibrox this season, it was Brown who was the busier keeper.

That wasn't the case on Wednesday night. Allan McGregor, an old pal of Brown's from his Rangers days, made several fine saves and while John Rankin's winner came at the death, it was Inverness who always looked like scoring for most of the match.

Brown said: "Since I've been here our record against the Old Firm is quite good. But I thought this was the first time we could say that we really deserved to win the game.

"Normally it's a backs-to-the-wall performance which gets us through and perhaps a bit of luck as well.

"Rangers may have had more possession on Wednesday, but we had by far the more clear-cut chances.

"It's almost always me who is the busier keeper. But Allan did really well and kept us out a couple of times. He was Rangers' best player which says a lot.

"I actually don't think Rangers had all that much of the ball and when they did the lads closed them down quickly.

"We used the ball well and tried to get at them. We had Rangers on the back foot a lot and if any team looked like getting a winner, it was us."

Paul Le Guen said after the game that his players lacked commitment, something which could never be laid at the door of this Inverness side.

Brown said: "We knew Rangers had lifted themselves abit, but we went into the game really confident. Everyone knew we had to get close to their quality players on a difficult night to play football.

"We were certainly up for it, although I don't know if the Rangers players were or not.

"They have better players than us, some real quality, but there are ways to deal with that which is what we did.

"The boys played like a team and I think you could see how determined we were going into the game.

"We hadn't won in seven matches but you get spells like that. Prior to that we had gone eight games unbeaten and the important thing for me was that nobody's head was down when the results weren't great."

Brown thought Rankin's spectacular winner had gone over and almost turned away at the vital moment.

He said: "I didn't think John's shot had dipped enough. I thought it was too high until the stand behind me started cheering.

"It was only then I knew we'd won. It was some strike."

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

Lets hope Falkirk are not the Lithium for our mania.

[true jaggy]

:allhail:  BROOOONIE