Dundee Utd 0 - 1 Inverness CT

League Match
Saturday, August 10th, 2013, 3:00 PM at Tannadice Stadium, Dundee
Attendance: 6,664
Referee: Steven Maclean
Dundee Utd Inverness CT

Goalscorers
None. Billy Mckay (20)

Team Managers
Jackie McNamara Terry Butcher

Starting Eleven
Radoslaw Cierzniak
Keith Watson
Andrew Robertson
Calum Butcher
Sean Dillon
Stuart Armstrong
John Rankin
Paul Paton
Gary Mackay-Steven
Chris Erskine
David Goodwillie
Dean Brill
Josh Meekings
Gary Warren
David Raven
Nick Ross
Graeme Shinnie
Aaron Doran
Ross Draper
James Vincent
Richie Foran
Billy Mckay

Bench
Gavin Gunning
Brian Graham
Ryan Dow
Ryan Gauld
John Souttar
Nadir Ciftci
Marc McCallum
Ryan Esson
Daniel Devine
Carl Tremarco
Liam Polworth
Danny Williams
Ben Greenhalgh
Torbjorn Agdestein

Substitutions
Brian Graham -> John Rankin (59)
Ryan Dow -> Chris Erskine (63)
Nadir Ciftci -> David Goodwillie (85)
Daniel Devine for David Raven (74)
Liam Polworth for Aaron Doran (86)

Bookings
Keith Watson (32)
Nadir Ciftci (89)
Richie Foran (31)
Gary Warren (32)
Aaron Doran (85)

Red Cards
None. None.
Appearances & Goals To Date
Dean Brill (GK) 2 apps -
Gary Warren 40 apps6 goals
Josh Meekings 64 apps -
David Raven 45 apps -
Ross Draper 42 apps5 goals
Graeme Shinnie 102 apps2 goals
Aaron Doran 75 apps7 goals
James Vincent 2 apps1 goal
Nick Ross 107 apps7 goals
Richie Foran 170 apps40 goals
Billy Mckay 71 apps32 goals
Daniel Devine (sub) 11 apps -
Liam Polworth (sub) 6 apps -

Starting Lineup
Youngest Player:Aaron Doran (22 years 95 days)
Oldest Player:Josh Meekings (2015 years 12 days)
Average Player Age:25 years 309 days
Domestic Players:5 (45.45 % of starting eleven)

Matchday Squad
Youngest Player:Liam Polworth (18 years 307 days)
Oldest Player:Josh Meekings (2015 years 12 days)
Average Player Age:25 years 231 days
Domestic Players:10 (55.56 % of matchday squad)

First Team Debuts

Milestones

Inverness Maintain Early Form:

Inverness remain top of the table with another impressive performance and another three points. This time it was Dundee United that suffered at the hands of Billy McKay who scored after flicking the ball over Dillon and calmly lifting the ball beyond Cierzniak.

Inverness held on fairly comfortably against an inept United team that boasted the return of David Goodwillie to their ranks. However, in truth, one glaring miss apart from the prodigal Goodwillie, Inverness could and should have increased their lead and sealed the win sooner before United staged a late rally. By ten to five it was three points and another clean sheet, Inverness' best start to a campaign in the top tier.

Capital Caley was at the game along with the usual suspects and he has this report for us........

This was possibly one of Caley Thistles comfiest 1-0 victories. The score line doesn’t reflect the true difference between Inverness and Dundee United. ICT were superior in every part of the park. A larger than usual and very vocal travelling support descended on Tannadice with confidence high after destroying the Midden 3-0 in the opening game of the season. The Arabs had got off to a stuttering start with a 0-0 draw at Firhill on the opening weekend.

Many of the ICT away day regulars gathered at the Centenary Bar (although it isn’t the Centenary Bar anymore!) The new management separated the home and away fans in different bars and lined the doors with bouncers. I don’t think we’ll ever be quite as intimidating as the guys in that awful football movie with a Hobbit in it though.

ICT started off the game strongly. From that moment they never lost their grip on the match. James Vincent was the first to threaten as his left foot shot went just wide. Graeme Shinnie could have opened the scoring minutes later as Billy McKay slid the ball across the box only for Radoslaw Cierzniak to save at his near post. ICT took a deserved lead after 20 minutes. Forans ball into the box found McKay who lobbed the United defender before lobbing the keeper. It was a classy goal that would prove to be the match winner.

Shortly after, Richie Foran received a caution for a foul on Gary Mackay-Steven. It was a high footed challenge but judging by his reaction, it was clearly an accident and a yellow card was the correct decision. United First Team Coach Darren Jackson has a Derek Adams moment as he seethed from the touchline before being calmed down by the referee. ICT were playing some superb football. For all the superb football played, United were crumbling in midfield. They looked disjointed and lacking in confidence. They did manage a half chance towards the end of the first half when Stuart Armstrongs shot from outside the box fell into the arms of Dean Brill.

Richie Foran and Ross Draper were bossing the midfield and this carried on into the second half. ICT were winning and holding possession with even greater ease during the second half. The Arabs fans were frustrated and boos soon broke out around the ground. Midway through the second half there was much bemusement as a seagull landed on the pitch and seemed to be following the ball. That was until it felt the full force of a Gary Warren pass! The injured seagull soon left the pitch, although it may have been more effective than the United midfield. Ex-Caley Thistle midfielder John Rankin was substituted on the hour mark for United, much to his frustration with yet more United seethe evident.

United nearly gained an undeserved equaliser when on loan ex-Arab David Goodwillie fluffed his shot after Gary Mackay-Steven beat David Raven down the wing. That was a rare thing on Saturday for sure! With 15 minutes left, Danny Devine came on for David Raven after the right back picked up an injury. Liam Polwarth came on for the impressive Aaron Doran with a few minutes left and looked just as creative as he did in pre-season. Caley Thistle should have doubled their lead towards the end when Graeme Shinnie tackled Calum Butcher and set up McKay. McKay then crossed in to Shinnie with an open goal, however the United defender got a small touch on the ball just before he shot. The ball went agonisingly wide.

Match report written by tm4tj/capital caley



Pld W D L F A +/- Pts
1. Inverness CT 2 2 0 0 4 0 4 6
2. Partick Thistle 2 1 1 0 3 1 2 4
3. Aberdeen 1 1 0 0 2 1 1 3
4. Celtic 1 1 0 0 2 1 1 3
5. Motherwell 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 3
6. St. Johnstone 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 3
7. Dundee Utd 2 0 1 1 0 1 -1 1
8. Kilmarnock 1 0 0 1 1 2 -1 0
9. Hearts 1 0 0 1 0 1 -1 0
10. Hibernian 1 0 0 1 0 1 -1 0
11. Ross County 2 0 0 2 2 5 -3 0
12. St. Mirren 1 0 0 1 0 3 -3 0