Inverness CT Match Report

Five minutes into the second half, Hamilton nearly broke the deadlock. Andy Ryan capitalised on a slip and sent in a curling twenty-three yard effort which McKenzie managed to push away, and then with Smith fastening on to the rebound, big Stu was quick to react, and make another important save.

Just before the hour mark, we so nearly took the lead following a thrilling counter-attack. Luis Longstaff ran free over halfway then set Johnston racing off down the touchline. Max’s pinpoint cross found the head of Gerry McDonagh, but the striker’s angled header, which looked goal bound, bounced inches wide of the back post, with Fraser Fyvie arriving just too late.

Jim McIntyre made a substitution in the 82nd minute, sending on Leighton McIntosh for captain Megginson, and the new man was to make the most sensational of impacts.

“…the Cove fans were in ecstasy.”

He had barely been on the park when Masson swung a corner in from the right, and McIntosh found space in the box to angle the ball beyond Fulton and inside the far post.

If that came as a huge relief, less than three minutes later the Cove fans were in ecstasy. McIntosh gathered on the left just outside the box, weaved across the line away from a couple of defenders, and then reversed a low drive beyond the keeper into the bottom corner to secure the points.

MATCH REPORT

Inverness CT 6 Cove Rangers 1

Championship

Mon 2nd January Tulloch Caledonian Stadium

It was the worst possible start to the New Year as Caley Thistle shrugged off the loss of the first goal to romp to victory with veteran Billy McKay helping himself to a hat-trick.

With Charlie Gilmour and Shay Logan out injured, and Max Johnston recalled from his loan by Motherwell, Jim McIntyre was forced into making two changes. Scott Ross took over at rightback, Fraser Fyvie replaced Gilmour at the heart of the midfield, and last week’s super sub, Leighton McIntosh, started on the left.

The opener came in the twenty-first minute after a succession of Cove corners. The first two were taken by Longstaff on the right, the second of which saw Ram head over his own crossbar. Fyvie took the third, from the left, and his perfect inswinging delivery found the head of Jack Sanders who powered it into the net.

We might have had a second just two minutes later when McIntosh ran and passed into the box, but Megginson was crowded out. Fyvie then had a shot blocked and McIntosh tried his luck, but his effort from the edge of the box took a deflection and Ridgers was able to gather.

Out of the blue Caley Thistle levelled. Scott Ross was penalised for a challenge and when Welsh swung the free-kick in from the Inverness left, Billy McKay dived full length to head past McKenzie from six yards.

Inverness CT

(4-3-2-1)

Ridgers; Carson, Devine, Ram (Strachan 86) Delaney; Welsh, Hyde; Henderson (Cairns 81), Doran (Thompson 81), D. MacKay (Boyd 74); McKay (Nicolson 81)

Substitutes

C. MacKay, Oakley

Goalscorers

McKay (32, pen 44, 64), Devine (40), MacKay (50), Ross (og 52)

Cove Rangers

(4-4-2)

McKenzie; Ross, Sanders, Reynolds (McClelland 46), Scully; Longstaff, Yule, Fyvie, McIntyre; Megginson (c), McDonagh (Masson 34)

Substitutes

Gourlay, Towler, Vigurs, Leitch, Dunne

Goalscorers

Sanders (21)

Booked

Ross (22), Sanders (44), Scully (69)

Referee

Craig Napier

Attendance

2,052