Inverness bounced back after the midweek thrashing at Parkhead to beat rivals St Mirren 2-1 at St Mirren Park. Eric Odhiambo scored a brace either side of half time to give Butcher's boys a cushion before Paul McGowan fired home a superb volley to put the result on a knife edge, but it was too little too late this time for the Buddies as Inverness held on to their advantage to take all three points in a hard fought tussle.
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St Mirren V Inverness Caledonian Thistle, Scottish Premier League, 25th September 2010
Caley Thistle’s excellent record in away league matches was extended yesterday at sunny St Mirren Park with a battling win that banished memories of Wednesday’s rain-soaked dismantling by Celtic in the CIS Cup. Ignore all the torn-faced bleating from some St Mirren supporters on other forums, claiming that ICT were poor and St Mirren authors of their own downfall; this was a spirited and occasionally classy performance from an Inverness side stripped to the bones by injury. Since the demise of Love Street, a trip to Paisley is not what it once was, but around 300 ICT supporters still made the journey. Some went to traditional drinking haunt the Alamo, and made the journey to the ground from Paisley town centre on foot; others took advantage of being able to stay in the relative civilisation of Glasgow until twenty-five to three then hop on a train to Paisley St James and still arrive comfortably in time for kick off. Inside the ground, the vocal support from the Inverness supporters was excellent, putting the little St Mirren singing section to shame, and in contrast to Easter Road a fortnight ago, there was no attempt from the stewards to force anyone to sit down; in fact, most looked like they were happy to see supporters enjoying themselves. Remarkably, despite this licentiousness, nobody was killed or even injured. Another enjoyable aspect of the afternoon was the obvious effort St Mirren manager Danny Lennon had put into dressing for the occasion, proving that the Lennon revolution is a sartorial as well as a sporting one. A dapper spectacle in shiny waistcoat, shirt sleeves and trews, he would not have looked out of place in a grand country house or even in the Crucible Theatre. Terry Butcher take note: there is only so long a middle-aged man can get away with wearing a baseball cap. And so to football matters. As widely expected, Terry Butcher restored the players he had rested for the Celtic game to the starting line-up, fielding what was arguably his strongest available team. Nick Ross would have been entitled to feel a little disappointed to lose his place to Richie Foran after a series of promising performances, but the Inverness manager obviously felt he needed Foran’s strength and ability to win and hold up the ball in the wide left area where he performed so well last season. Graham Shinnie retained his place, moving to a more conventional left back role than he had occupied on Wednesday, with Stuart Golabek dropping out. Stuart Duff and Russell Duncan paired up in central midfield, with Eric Odhiambo returning to the deeper-lying striker role, supporting Adam Rooney. Danny Lennon made only one change to the St Mirren team that had lost 2-1 in Perth the previous week, with Paul McGowan, who had missed the St Johnstone game after a red card against Kilmarnock, returning up front and Steven Robb dropping out of the squad. Much debate has been generated by Danny Lennon’s overhaul of Gus MacPherson’s team and the number of players he has signed from his previous club, Cowdenbeath, but the reality is that yesterday’s St Mirren starting line-up contained only two former Cowdenbeath players, Gareth Wardlaw and Darren McGregor, and plenty of SPL experience, albeit mostly defensive, in Hugh Murray, John Potter, Lee Mair and David van Zanten. With two teams that looked quite evenly matched in terms of experience and recent results, it is perhaps unsurprising that the game started quite tentatively, with the sides apparently feeling each other out. Caley Thistle were first to exert any meaningful pressure, forcing a series of corners after about ten minutes, one the result of a last-ditch tackle on Adam Rooney from McGregor, when Rooney looked in a good position to score. On sixteen minutes, Nick Ross replaced David Proctor, who picked up an injury near the St Mirren bye-line and was unable to continue. With Stuart Duff moving to right back, Ross slotted into an unfamiliar central midfield role alongside Duncan, and proceeded to have such an impressive game that Terry Butcher might well be tempted to continue playing him there even after the current injury difficulties have eased. Four minutes after coming on, Ross hit the outside of the post with a low, angled drive from outside the area which Paul Gallacher could not reach. For the remainder of the game, he combined a willingness to run at players with the ball, which has already become familiar to ICT supporters, with a previously little-seen ability to track back, tackle and emerge with the ball still at his feet. As the first half wore on, St Mirren began to take more control of possession, although the Inverness players rarely looked troubled by the St Mirren attackers, with Grant Munro particularly impressive in his calm marshalling of Gareth Wardlaw. One of the few genuinely threatening moments came in twenty six minutes, when David van Zanten shot through a ruck of players from Paul McGowan’s cut-back. Despite presumably seeing the ball late, Ryan Esson saved superbly low to his left hand side. Esson also held comfortably from a dipping lob from substitute Paul McQuade twenty-five yards a few minutes later. If St Mirren were growing in confidence and daring to hope of an end to their run of league defeats, however, these hopes suffered a setback just before the interval, when Eric Odhiambo, unmarked, turned on a low diagonal free kick from Foran, exchanged a one-two with Nick Ross on the edge of the area and, running beyond the flat-footed St Mirren backline, fired the ball low past Paul Gallacher and into the bottom right-hand corner. A slick goal, exemplifying the ability to change pace and cut through defences that the ICT attackers have periodically shown in away games in the past twelve months. Half time: St Mirren 0 – Inverness Caledonian Thistle 1 The Inverness players started the second forty-five like a team determined to kill the game off as quickly as possible. When not in possession, they harried and closed down the St Mirren players, and it was this sort of pressure, from Jonny Hayes on Paul McQuade, that brought the second goal. McQuade ceded possession to Hayes and could simply not keep up with the Irish winger as he raced diagonally across the field and sent a pass straight to the feet of Odhiambo, sprinting clear ahead of him. If replays showed that Eric got lucky with his first touch and finish for his goal against Hearts last week, here there was no mistaking the clinical control of the first touch that took him past the Saints central defender and the delicacy of his chip over Gallacher that sent the ball in the net. A second goal for ICT, from another move that showed an understanding between the team’s attacking players that could make all the difference this season. For the next twenty minutes or so, the Inverness team seemed well in control. Jonny Hayes’ header back across goal, after fine work on the left wing from Richie Foran, came off the base of the post with Gallacher beaten, and Gallacher then had to block with his legs when Rooney raced clear. Esson was called into serious action just once in this period, to make a fine block from another van Zanten shot from the right hand side of the penalty area. The final fifteen minutes were far less comfortable for Caley Thistle, however, after a fine strike from Paul McGowan halved the Inverness side’s advantage. The ICT defenders could not properly clear a St Mirren free kick from the right hand side, and after a brief game of headers between the teams, the ball dropped to McGowan, who sent a looping volley high into the corner from twenty yards. With their hope renewed, the St Mirren players controlled possession for much of the remainder of the game, but with the ICT players working hard to close their opponents down and Munro and Tokely standing firm at the heart of the defence, there were few other clear cut chances for the Paisley side, although in injury time Paul McGowan did bring a low near-post save out of Esson with an angled shot after a header across goal. When the final whistle sounded, Ross Tokely and Ryan Esson were first over to the away support with clenched fists, epitomising the spirit that is always so evident in the team, in away games at least, under Terry Butcher. Danny Lennon disappeared disconsolately up the tunnel, presumably to polish the cutlery and ponder his next move. And the Inverness faithful moved off happily, to make the platform of Paisley St James, and then the rafters of Glasgow Central, ring with songs of celebration.
Full time: St Mirren 1 – Inverness Caledonian Thistle 2
Match report written by Alternative Maryhill
