Alloa Athletic
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Inverness CT
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Alan Trouten (90+1) |
None. |
Appearances & Goals To Date
Starting Lineup
Youngest Player: | Roddy MacGregor (19 years 80 days) |
Oldest Player: | Sean Welsh (30 years 364 days) |
Average Player Age: | 25 years 121 days |
Domestic Players: | 8 (72.73 % of starting eleven) |
Matchday Squad
Youngest Player: | Roddy MacGregor (19 years 80 days) |
Oldest Player: | James Vincent (31 years 168 days) |
Average Player Age: | 25 years 218 days |
Domestic Players: | 13 (72.22 % of matchday squad) |
First Team Debuts
Milestones
Daniel Devine played his 100th major competitive game for the Club. |
Toddy earns the point:
Alloa's man of the moment Innes Cameron opened the scoring in the 17th minute driving home from fifteen yards before Nikolay Todorov levelled with an equally tidy finish ten minutes later. Alloa had the better of the chances thereafter but it was level at the break. Inverness ramped up the performance after the interval but were unable to get the winner. James Keatings brought out a great save from Parry but it finished a point apiece. Alan Trouten was sent off in time added on for a possible off the ball incident. Straight red!
Nikolay Todorov started up front with Miles Storey and Roddy MacGregor was deemed fit enough to start. Danny Devine was on the bench with the forever injured Lewis Toshney and Raith Rovers bound James Keatings. Alloa had loanee man of the moment Innes Cameron starting with the ever present Alan Trouten and goal threat Kevin Cawley.
With Neil McCann still in charge, the order of the day for the Caley Jags would have been to retain possession from your own box out, such has been his approach from previous managerial duties. Dundee knew this and Alloa quickly cottoned on to our strategy and took control of the early exchanges after ten minutes into the game.
Lee Connelly was first to threaten but ended up getting booked for diving as Mark Ridgers went to close him down.
David Carson tested Neil Parry with a low controlled shot from the edge of the box but Parry smothered it at the second attempt.
A minute later Innes Cameron benefitted from a superb through ball from Kevin Cawley. He took control outside the box and drove forward like an inside left before hammering a fifteen yard shot behind the exposed Ridgers. Ten minutes later some loose play in midfield offered an opportunity for Steven Heatherington, he played in Alan Trouten but the angle was tight and Ridgers blocked his effort with his feet.
The wasps were swarming all over us at this point as we struggled to make any headway. However, ten minutes after the opener we were level. After Carson was robbed in midfield, the ball came back to Sean Welsh who threaded a low ball forward to Shane Sutherland. He in turn touched it deftly to Nikolay Todorov who stepped onto the pass and drilled it into the bottom corner.
Connelly found himself with the ball at his feet similar to Cameron's opening goal but his shot lacked power and as Ridgers had anticipated his arrival he blocked well. Thirty seconds later a blooper from the keeper saw him pass the ball out to the edge of the box. Now total football is fine, but you need to pass it to your own players. Cameron spotted the error and stepped onto the pass but fortunately for a red faced Mark he drove the ball over the bar from twenty yards with the goals vacant.
We ventured forward before the break but our indecision saw Alloa nick the ball from us on the edge of their box. Robertson wasted no time in launching a long ball forward where Cameron did well to control and shoot under pressure to force Ridgers into an excellent save to keep out his powerful effort.
Half Time: 1-1
Just after the break his touch deserted him six yards out after a Jon Robertson cross found him loose inside the area. Again Ridgers was quick to shut him down.
Miles Storey crossed from the left and Robbie Deas slashed an attempted volley. The ball landed at Sutherland but his effort was more akin to three points at Murrayfield. Alloa then made their own blooper and offered Sutherland another go, this time Parry pulled off a tremendous one-handed save to deny the striker.
Inverness were having a much more successful second forty-five and it was Sutherland who should have put the visitors ahead. On the hour, he beat the offside trap and ran through on goal, unfortunately he also beat the post as he curled the ball low past Parry as he came out and past the wrong side of the post. Great opportunity missed.
Trouten tried an overhead but it lacked power and Ridgers had it covered and moments later he had to react quicker to push away a Scott Taggart free kick from just under the bar as Alloa came back into the game. Big Andy Graham thought he was Ronaldo at one point, dancing and skipping his way down the wing. Great effort from the big man!
Daniel Mackay's cross from the left ended at the feet of James Keatings and his blistering shot was, well, parried well by Parry I suppose.
As the clock ticked down there was one more mystery to be solved. All will be revealed. An Alloa attack was halted on the left side of our box and Alan Trouten received a straight red card. No, it wasn't for scoring the penalty against us last week but the video shows that he deliberately kicked his marker on the edge of the box to free up space for himself. Old dogs old tricks, but it was well spotted and Trouten was in the bath a couple of minutes earlier than everyone else.
Still time for Ridgers to gather an awkward shot from distance just before the final whistle but that was it, all square.
Full Time: 1-1
So the game ended in controversy but overall it had been an open and entertaining game with a draw just about right. Alloa dominated the first half with Inverness more prominent after the break. Both keepers made some super saves two tidy goals and a red card. Joint Men of the Match, Parry & Ridgers. I imagine there will be a few sniffing around Innes Cameron, big, strong athletic and a goal scorer, what's not to like.
That's what Saturday's are for!
Match report written by tm4tj