Appearances & Goals To Date
Starting Lineup
| Youngest Player: | Ross Tokely (19 years 67 days) |
| Oldest Player: | Paul Sheerin (1999 years 280 days) |
| Average Player Age: | 29 years 238 days |
| Domestic Players: | 10 (90.91 % of starting eleven) |
Matchday Squad
| Youngest Player: | Ross Tokely (19 years 67 days) |
| Oldest Player: | Paul Sheerin (1999 years 280 days) |
| Average Player Age: | 29 years 127 days |
| Domestic Players: | 13 (92.86 % of matchday squad) |
First Team Debuts
Milestones
The season ended on a high note for Caley Thistle but despair for Livingston. Paul Sheerin's 75th minute winner denied them promotion despite starting the day at the top of the Division. Caley Jags went into the game in relaxed mode with Second Division status secure and the pressure was all on Livingston. Steve Paterson had a depleted squad with Richard Hastings missing for the first time this season rested ahead of joining the Canadian international squad in Toronto for a match against Macedonia. The atmosphere at Almondvale was highly charged and the kick-off was delayed by 10 minutes to allow in the large crowd. The game started nervously but eventually the teams settled down to serve up an end to end thriller which would have done justice to a cup tie. In 5 minutes Charlie Christie intercepted a pass to Gordon Forrest but his early delivery into the box could not find Iain Stewart. Three minutes later ex Caley Thistle midfielder Sandy Robertson set up Derek Fleming down the left but when his cross went over Graham Harvey was offside. Play raged to the other end and Vetle Andersen sent over a high cross from the left Mike Teasdale took it off balance and headed past. Iain MacArthur saved the day in the 12th minute when he took the ball off the toe of Willie Callaghan on the 18 yard line. 4 minutes later it was Teasdale's turn when he just beat Steve Raines to it at the back post after a Grant McMartin cross. In 20 minutes Raynes sent over another cross from the right and Jim Calder did well to touch it away from the head of Gordon Forrest. Caley Jags took the lead in 34 minutes through a solo effort from Iain Stewart. He took a Tokely pass on the right edge of the box, rounded a defender, chipped it over the advancing keeper then slid it home past two defenders from 8 yards. Livingston stormed forward after half time. With 2 minutes of the half gone they equalised. A Derek Fleming corner on the right was met by Tom Graham and his glancing header at the far post flashed past Calder. This spurred on the Lions and 5 minutes later both Tokely and Paul Sheerin made important goal-line clearances. In 65 minutes a melee in the visitors area was only broken up by a superb Tokely tackle on Graham Harvey. In 75 minutes later Sheerin scored what proved to be the winning goal direct from a free kick. He hit it left footed from 25 yards into the top right hand corner as McCaldon clutched air. Three minutes later McLean should have sealed it when he was set up by Stewart 10 yards out but he hit it first time over the bar. Depite the visitors dominance in the last 15 minutes Callaghan had a great chance to equalise with 6 minutes left. An Allan Moore header soared over the defence and into Callaghan's path he snatched at it and shot over the bar with only Calder to beat. This was Livingston's last real effort and the visitors continued to press for a third goal. As the minutes ticked away Paul Cherry shot over the bar from 15 yards then McCaldon took the ball at the feet of Stewart. As the final whistle went the other results trickled through and Stranraer and Clydebank had leapfrogged Livingston into the promotion slots. Despite the ups and downs of the season Caley Thistle finished a creditable 5th.
Match report written by Ian Broadfoot
