Inverness CT 2 - 1 Rangers

League Match
Friday, February 24th, 2017, 7:45 PM at Tulloch Caledonian Stadium
Attendance: 6,415
Referee: Steven McLean
Inverness CT  Rangers

Goalscorers
Greg Tansey (45)
Billy Mckay (89)
Martyn Waghorn (pen.67)

Team Managers
Richie Foran Mark Warburton

Starting Eleven
Owain Fon Williams
David Raven
Carl Tremarco
Jamie McCart
Louis Laing
Liam Polworth
Greg Tansey
Ross Draper
Jake Mulraney
Larnell Cole
Billy Mckay
Wes Foderingham
James Tavernier
Danny Wilson
Rob Kiernan
Lee Wallace
Andy Halliday
Emerson Hyndman
Jon Toral
Barrie McKay
Kenny Miller
Martyn Waghorn

Substitutes
Daniel Hoban
Gary Warren
Brad Mckay
Iain Vigurs
Billy King
Dean Ebbe
Henri Anier
Jak Alnwick
Joe Garner
Josh Windass
Joseph Dodoo
Harry Forrester
Lee Hodson
Jason Holt

Substitutions
Brad Mckay for Carl Tremarco (15)
Billy King for Jake Mulraney (69)
Iain Vigurs for Ross Draper (80)
Jason Holt -> Andy Halliday (80)
Joe Garner -> Jon Toral (92)

Bookings
Louis Laing (56)
Greg Tansey (66)
Jon Toral (14)
Danny Wilson (86)

Red Cards
None. None.
Appearances & Goals To Date
Owain Fon Williams (GK) 75 apps -
Jamie McCart 3 apps -
Carl Tremarco 106 apps9 goals
David Raven 156 apps4 goals
Louis Laing 2 apps -
Greg Tansey 179 apps29 goals
Jake Mulraney 26 apps -
Ross Draper 191 apps16 goals
Larnell Cole 17 apps2 goals
Liam Polworth 103 apps10 goals
Billy Mckay 146 apps64 goals
Brad Mckay (sub) 20 apps -
Iain Vigurs (sub) 92 apps16 goals
Billy King (sub) 25 apps3 goals

Starting Lineup
Youngest Player:Jamie McCart (19 years 254 days)
Oldest Player:Greg Tansey (2018 years 211 days)
Average Player Age:26 years 231 days
Domestic Players:5 (45.45 % of starting eleven)

Matchday Squad
Youngest Player:Daniel Hoban (18 years 330 days)
Oldest Player:Greg Tansey (2018 years 211 days)
Average Player Age:26 years 160 days
Domestic Players:11 (61.11 % of matchday squad)

First Team Debuts

Milestones

Stunning victory:

Inverness Caledonian Thistle ended their fourteen league game winless streak with a glorious win over Rangers thanks to a spectacular goal from Billy Mckay. In a pulsating game Greg Tansey had smacked home the opener in the first period. Martin Waghorn showed how to take a penalty as Rangers leveled from the spot but Iain Vigurs could not replicate that later in the game, Wes Fodderingham saving comfortably, but he was left sprawling helplessly when Billy scored his stunning acrobatic winner in the last minute of normal time. The hairs on the back of my neck are still standing. This win lifted Inverness off the bottom of the league for now with Hamilton playing Celtic on Saturday.

What a climax to the 1000th game in our history!

Richie Foran made a bold statement showing faith in the players that worked so hard to get a point at Tynecastle last weekend. Gary Warren, Brad Mckay and Iain Vigurs all started on the bench with youngster Jamie McCart and Louis Laing keeping their place in defence. Liam Polworth started with Larnell Cole and Jake Mulraney providing the service for the striker.

The visitors had no surprises in their line-up and were looking to get back to winning ways having only one win in their previous six games and a big crowd were backing them to sort it in the Highlands.

It looked like it was going to be a long night for Foran's side as Rangers flew out of the blocks and put Inverness on the back foot for the first ten minutes with slick incisive passing and swift play as they cut the hosts open three or four times during that period. However we are more resilient of late and repelled these attacks with Owain Fon Williams saving twice in quick succession as Kenny Miller bore down on goal after a quick throw in caught us napping, also saving the rebound as Emerson Hyndman shot low and hard. He kept out a Barry McKay effort as well as we were pinned in our own half during a torrid opening period. Three corners in as many minutes bore no fruit for the visitors before we eventually ventured forth.

Fifteen minutes in and it looked even bleaker for Inverness as Carl Tremarco had to be replaced by Brad Mckay and Foran had to re-shuffle his under pressure back line.

Jake Mulraney had our first attempt but the keeper dealt with his effort as we got to grips with the game and half an hour in Greg Tansey shot narrowly wide. He would do better just before the break.

Barry McKay should have done better with a close range header but he got under the ball and it sailed over the bar. A let off for Inverness and we retaliated with Liam Polworth going close, as did Martyn Waghorn at the other end.

One minute before the interval, Inverness took the lead in spectacular style. Greg Tansey latched onto a loose ball some thirty yards out after a Polworth shot was blocked. He crashed a low swerving shot to the keepers right and despite a headlong dive from Foderingham the ball fizzed into the bottom corner for a tremendous goal.

Still time for Miller to try his luck but at the break it was advantage Inverness.

Half Time 1-0

The end to end play continued after the break with Inverness looking comfortable as Rangers struggled to make the breakthrough. Barry McKay saw an effort tipped over by a confident Fon Williams as the pressure mounted on the hard working home defence and Joe Toral went very close with a shot across goal that just rolled past the far post.

You could sense a goal was coming and it did. Louis Laing was adjudged to have been late with a tackle on Lee Wallace on the far side of the box as he crossed the ball and Waghorn made penalty taking look easy, Fon Williams going right, the ball flashing to his left on it's way into the net.

Jake Mulraney had the Rangers defenders on toast all night but he had to leave the field after stretching for a wayward pass. Needless moment that ended his day and the home fans feared the worst as Billy King replaced him.

Tansey almost put Inverness ahead once more after good play down the left by Larnell Cole set up the chance for a shot. His strike looked destined for the top corner but Foderingham pulled off a fantastic one handed save to keep the scores level. Great stop from the keeper.

Rangers broke at the other end and Inverness had Fon Williams to thank after he denied Waghorn when he had raced clear into the left side of the box but the keeper stood tall and blocked his shot and the ball stuck as well. Bonus! The pace of the game was unrelenting and a really slick move by Rangers inside the Inverness area ended with a shot blocked inside the six yard box.

Frenetic stuff and Billy Mckay forced Foderingham into action again as he shot from an angle inside the visitors box, the keeper up to the task this time getting two strong hands on the ball to push it away from goal after Billy had twisted and turned to create the space for a shot.

Billy Mckay was causing all sorts of problems for the Rangers defence with his darting runs and magnificent ball retention and it was another such run that saw him bundled over inside the box. Penalty to Inverness but who would take this one as our success rate from the spot has been poor recently. Substitute Iain Vigurs had the balls to step up but his rather tame shot was comfortably saved low to his left by the keeper. Meh!

However, the darting Mckay would not be denied and he scored a stunner to win all three points as the clock ticked down.

There seemed little danger when a Larnell Cole cross was knocked high in the air by a defender. However, we are talking about the tenacious Billy Mckay here. Despite being surrounded by three big Bears, he held off the defenders before sending a controlled overhead kick into the corner of the net from ten yards. Wow, a stunning goal fit to win any game and the reaction from manager Richie Foran was a joy to behold, double fist pumps along the touchline as he, the fans and Caley Thistle players rejoiced in style.

Still time for Jason Holt to fire a cross into the body of Iain Vigurs with the away fans rising as one to claim for a penalty but that would have been harsh as Vigurs blocked the ball at the expense of a corner, and that was it, game over and a fabulous welcome win for Inverness.

Full Time 2-1

Oh boy, what a pulsating game that was and a fitting tribute for the 1000th competitive match for Inverness Caledonian Thistle.

You could see what that victory meant to the under pressure manager Richie Foran as his players put in a shift and a half to earn the right to wear the shirt. Fantastic effort from all and let's not forget the part Rangers played in this enthralling encounter. They also displayed some slick football, but with both keepers in excellent form it was Inverness that wrote another slice of history in this landmark game.

tm4tj MotM. So many excellent performers out there. Owain Fon Williams has rediscovered how to keep the ball out of the net. A strong display by an overworked defence and a huge effort by the midfield with Tansey outstanding. Jake Mulraney was menacing once we ventured up the park and Larnell Cole did likewise on the other side and seemed to get a second or third wind late in the game to make some lung bursting runs. Great effort. My MotM goes to a wee striker, and not just for his sublime acrobatic goal. Billy (small 'k') Mckay was tremendous and involved in everything when we broke upfield. He is definitely more energetic than the Duracell Bunny and he ran himself to a standstill, as did most of our players tonight. Special mention to Richie Foran. He has been on the receiving end of some tough criticism, but he was absolutely ecstatic tonight and showed some managerial credentials by leaving his experienced players on the bench and went with youth and energy. It paid off big time.

Theresa May, Queen Elizabeth, Winston Churchill, Angela Merkel........................your boys took a helluva beating tonight!

Check out Richie releasing his pent up frustration after Billy scores his stunner.

Match report written by tm4tj



None.

Pld W D L F A +/- Pts
1. Celtic 25 24 1 0 67 16 51 73
2. Aberdeen 25 15 4 6 49 23 26 49
3. Rangers 26 12 7 7 34 30 4 43
4. Hearts 25 10 8 7 46 32 14 38
5. St. Johnstone 25 10 7 8 33 31 2 37
6. Dundee 25 7 6 12 26 35 -9 27
7. Partick Thistle 25 6 8 11 26 32 -6 26
8. Kilmarnock 25 5 10 10 22 41 -19 25
9. Ross County 25 5 9 11 28 44 -16 24
10. Motherwell 25 6 6 13 29 48 -19 24
11. Inverness CT 26 4 10 12 31 47 -16 22
12. Hamilton Academical 25 3 12 10 25 37 -12 21