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None. |
Danny Strachan (38) |
Appearances & Goals To Date
Starting Lineup
| Youngest Player: | Alfie Stewart (19 years 234 days) |
| Oldest Player: | Daniel Devine (33 years 199 days) |
| Average Player Age: | 24 years 320 days |
| Domestic Players: | 6 (54.55 % of starting eleven) |
Matchday Squad
| Youngest Player: | Ben Brannan (19 years 51 days) |
| Oldest Player: | Billy Mckay (37 years 155 days) |
| Average Player Age: | 25 years 166 days |
| Domestic Players: | 14 (70.00 % of matchday squad) |
First Team Debuts
Milestones
| Alfie Bavidge played his 50th major competitive game for the Club. |
Back on Top
This was our catch up fixture and all teams have now played 29 games after tonight with only seven League1 fixtures remaining thereafter. It had not been the most productive last fortnight as the Caley Jags crawl towards the finishing line having dropped four points against the bottom two sides. Did we manage to get back on track tonight?
Yes we did
Inverness were in control of the first 45 with goals from Chanka Zimba and Jordan Alonge. A couple of glaring misses as well but Peterhead never threatened other than from a few free kicks in wide areas allowing them to swing balls into our box but Ross Munro was untroubled in the first half. We killed the game early in the second half after an incisive break down the left saw Luis Longstaff drill a great ball into the box where Zimba slid in to net and set us all at ease. Out of the blue and to everyone's bemusement, Peterhead prodded the ball into ball into the net to confuse all inside the stadium. After a discussion with the linesman and half a dozen Peterhead players a goal was eventually given. Danny Devine had his say and the final outcome was still a goal and a yellow card for an incensed Scott Kellacher. The Peterhead goal remains a mystery for now as it happened at the far end of the pitch so will have to see match footage to see what happened.
All looked a bit fishy to me 🐟🐠🐟
What a difference a day (or two) makes
With Liam Sole still out Luis Longstaff was handed a rare start and Chanka Zimba was restored to the starting XI. These two with Alfie Stewart and Jordan Alonge were instrumental in a much improved performance from the side that disappointed against Cove Rangers three days earlier.
The weather was in the process of changing and the strong winds throughout the day relented and it was a pleasant enough evening with light drizzle during the play.
A long diagonal from Stewart in midfield found Calum MacLeod running into the box on the right corner. He controlled the ball well before getting his powerful shot away on the angle but Jack Newman parried the shot and Flynn Duffy mopped up the loose ball with Alfie Bavidge waiting to pounce on the line.
There seemed to be more urgency to get forward in numbers at times and we dominated the proceedings from the start, Alfie Stewart curling an effort from distance over the bar as he looked to get his range finder tuned in early. It must have worked as he threaded a brilliant pass through the middle for Chanka Zimba to open the scoring. The big striker did well to hold off a couple of challenges as he turned the defender on the edge of the box and held him off to slot behind Newman from around ten yards.
Zimba might have added a second after some good interplay allowed MacLeod to swing an inviting ball into the box but the striker was shut down as he tried to get his shot away and Newman gathered the ball comfortably. Bavidge snatched at a clear chance when a ball swung in from wide left and after challenging well for it, when the ball dropped he dragged his volley wide from eight yards with the goal at his mercy.
Jordan Alonge brought out a spectacular save as Newman tipped his thirty-five yard strike over the bar at the expense of a corner. From Stewart's flag kick, Alonge met the ball at the back post. It may have come off a boot on the line but it's credited to Alonge at the moment with Bavidge and possibly Duffy stretching for the ball. That goal was the last noted action of the first half and a bit of breathing space going into the final forty-five.
HALF TIME: 2-0
We threw Peterhead an early lifeline at the start of the second half after a loose pass out of defence went awry. Savage's pass from the edge of his own box was intercepted by Seb Ross who drove forward before bouncing his low shot across the keeper and off the outside base of the post. A let off for us but kind of us to invite the visitors to have a go given they did nothing in the first half.
ten minutes later an incisive four man move down the left ended with Zimba's clinical finish from Longstaff's driven cross. Excellent move, excellent finish and game over. Stewart and Longstaff then combined well driving forward but Newman did well to block Alfie's first time effort on receipt of Luis return ball. It was all Inverness and Alonge curled a free kick just wide as we kept the pressure on.
Then came the comedy slot. After we failed to clear our lines two or three times a Peterhead player was left adjacent to our goal line after one attack. When the ball came forward again, he sauntered on to the park as Ross Munro went to grab the ball as he strolled past him from behind. For whatever reason the ball spun loose and was poked into the net by Shanks. The goal then appeared to be chalked off before the referee, linesman and a deputation of half the Peterhead squad had a pow-wow. After some discussion the referee then pointed to the centre circle. Danny Devine joined into the debate before being ignored and Scott Kellacher was booked for shouting words of 'encouragement' towards the referee who must have great hearing as he was on the opposite side of the pitch. Mystery unveiled!
Undeterred, we kept our noses comfortably in front and looked like scoring most times we ventured forward but for some desperate defending and goalkeeping.
FULL TIME: 3-1
Luis Longstaff put in a great shift and was a willing outlet from defence to carry forward into dangerous areas. Jordan Alonge was his usual awkward and unpredictable self and was also prominent, however, none moreso than Alfie Stewart who was involved in everything good linking midfield into attack and he was unlucky not to get on the scoresheet. Chanka Zimba took his goals well and could easily have had a hat-trick.
Match report written by tm4tj
