Inverness CT 1 - 1 Dundee Utd

League Match
Saturday, February 16th, 2008, 3:00 PM at Tulloch Caledonian Stadium
Attendance: 4,087
Referee: Stephen Finnie
Inverness CT  Dundee Utd

Goalscorers
Markus Paatelainen (84)
Bauben (68)

Team Managers
Craig Brewster Craig Levein

Starting Eleven
Michael Fraser
Richard Hastings
Ross Tokely
Grant Munro
Phil McGuire
Roy McBain
Russell Duncan
Ian Black
Don Cowie
Marius Niculae
Dougie Imrie
Zaluska
Dillon
Kenneth
Wilkie
Grainger
Flood
Kerr
Buaben
Gomis
O'Brien
De Vries

Substitutes
Zbigniew Małkowski
Guy Kerr
Steven Watt
Markus Paatelainen
Iain Vigurs
Graham Bayne
Rory McAllister
Odhiambo
Hunt
Swanson
Conway
Robertson
Dods
McLean

Substitutions
Graham Bayne for Marius Niculae (61)
Markus Paatelainen for Ian Black (80)
Hunt -> De Vries (46)
Swanson -> Flood (58)

Bookings
Ian Black (56)
Kerr (54)

Red Cards
None. None.
Appearances & Goals To Date
Michael Fraser (GK) 47 apps -
Grant Munro 236 apps6 goals
Ross Tokely 427 apps29 goals
Phil McGuire 17 apps -
Richard Hastings 324 apps3 goals
Ian Black 97 apps3 goals
Roy McBain 289 apps16 goals
Russell Duncan 249 apps8 goals
Don Cowie 29 apps6 goals
Marius Niculae 27 apps8 goals
Dougie Imrie 2 apps -
Markus Paatelainen (sub) 14 apps3 goals
Graham Bayne (sub) 125 apps20 goals

Starting Lineup
Youngest Player:Dougie Imrie (24 years 203 days)
Oldest Player:Grant Munro (2009 years 200 days)
Average Player Age:28 years 35 days
Domestic Players:10 (90.91 % of starting eleven)

Matchday Squad
Youngest Player:Iain Vigurs (19 years 289 days)
Oldest Player:Phil McGuire (2009 years 200 days)
Average Player Age:26 years 7 days
Domestic Players:17 (94.44 % of matchday squad)

First Team Debuts

Milestones

Midfielder Markus Paatelainen came off the bench to grab a late equalizer for Caley Thistle.

A match of few chances appeared to be heading in the visitors’ favour, after Prince Buaben struck midway through the second period but the home side managed to nick a point when the Finnish midfielder struck with only six minutes left on the clock.

Craig Brewster made two changes for the clash with his former side, with Douglas Imrie making his first start and Phil McGuire returning from suspension to compensate for the loss of the injured David Proctor. Imrie was preferred to Dennis Wyness, conspicuously absent from the bench, in a 4-5-1 formation. Craig Levein, meanwhile, clearly felt the need to freshen things up after the midweek cup defeat by St. Mirren, making five changes, the most notable being the decision to leave ex-Caley skipper Darren Dods on the bench, with Garry Kenneth partnering Lee Wilkie in defence. United also relegated Noel Hunt and David Robertson to the substitutes, with Mark De Vries partnered up front by winger Jim O’Brien.

It was the home side who started brightest on a cold, icy afternoon in the Highlands, as first Ian Black fired high and wide, and then Don Cowie raced clear but pulled his shot wide of the post. Unfortunately, this proved to be the best chance of an opening period that could be only be described as mediocre, as neither team proved capable of keeping or using the ball, and the match descended into a midfield scrap. Cowie had another half-chance, shooting straight at Zaluska in the United goal, while Michael Fraser was required to make two fairly routine stops from long range Prince Buaben efforts. Caley got little joy in the crowded midfield area, with only Imrie offering a spark with some darting, incisive runs, while Marius Niculae was left isolated and lonely up front for much of the half.

Half Time: 0-0

It was United who attempted to change things, bringing on Hunt at the interval for the ineffectual, and possibly injured, De Vries. And though the second half began in much the same vein as the first, it was the Irishman’s tenacity which broke the deadlock, as he side-stepped Ian Black and fired a low ball across the face of goal for Ghanaian midfielder Buaben to tap in. By this point, Caley had tried to find a spark of their own, bringing off Niculae and replacing him with Graham Bayne. Bayne brought a save out of Zaluska with a tame half-volley, while Imrie then had an effort deflected past the post. However, with his side looking impotent in their search for a goal, Brewster threw on Paatelainen for Black and the move paid quick dividends, the leggy Finn latching onto a Roy McBain pass and lashing the ball into the top of the net with time running out. Having looked comfortable, United were rocked and suddenly looked vulnerable as Caley looked for the winner. Don Cowie nearly provided it, his late lob catching Zaluska off his line, but Kenneth headed clear the danger.

Full Time: 1-1

In the end, it would have been harsh, for this was a game where the draw was very much the right result.

Match report written by CaleyD



None.

Pld W D L F A +/- Pts
1. Rangers 23 18 2 3 54 17 37 56
2. Celtic 24 17 4 3 61 18 43 55
3. Motherwell 23 13 2 8 35 29 6 41
4. Dundee Utd 26 12 4 10 39 33 6 40
5. Falkirk 26 10 5 11 38 40 -2 35
6. Inverness CT 25 10 3 12 33 38 -5 33
7. Aberdeen 25 9 6 10 29 38 -9 33
8. Hibernian 24 8 8 8 34 32 2 32
9. Hearts 26 8 6 12 36 43 -7 30
10. St. Mirren 24 7 5 12 17 41 -24 26
11. Kilmarnock 25 5 7 13 24 36 -12 22
12. Gretna 25 3 4 18 22 57 -35 13