Motherwell 0 - 1 Inverness CT

League Match
Saturday, April 15th, 2006, 3:00 PM at Fir Park, Motherwell
Attendance: 3,438
Referee: D McDonald
Motherwell Inverness CT

Goalscorers
None. Craig Dargo (27)

Team Managers
Terry Butcher Charlie Christie

Starting Eleven
Smith
Corrigan
Craigan
McLean
Hammell
Paterson
McCormack
O'Donnell
Foran
Hamilton
McDonald
Mark Brown
Ross Tokely
Grant Munro
Stuart Golabek
Darren Dods
Barry Wilson
Russell Duncan
Liam Keogh
Alan Morgan
Graham Bayne
Craig Dargo

Bench
Meldrum
Kerr
Leitch
Clarkson
McGarry
Kinniburgh
McBride
Michael Fraser
Stuart McCaffrey
Roy McBain
Richie Hart
Liam Fox
Zander Sutherland
Rory McAllister

Substitutions
Kerr -> Hamilton (59)
Kinniburgh -> Paterson (64)
Clarkson -> Foran (70)
Roy McBain for Alan Morgan (71)
Richie Hart for Barry Wilson (79)
Rory McAllister for Graham Bayne (82)

Bookings
McCormack (50)
Kinniburgh (87)
Russell Duncan (51)
Liam Keogh (61)
Graham Bayne (76)

Red Cards
McCormack (52) None.
Appearances & Goals To Date
Mark Brown (GK) 174 apps -
Stuart Golabek 224 apps5 goals
Grant Munro 166 apps3 goals
Ross Tokely 358 apps26 goals
Darren Dods 69 apps3 goals
Alan Morgan 22 apps2 goals
Liam Keogh 92 apps3 goals
Barry Wilson 268 apps73 goals
Russell Duncan 185 apps4 goals
Graham Bayne 58 apps9 goals
Craig Dargo 35 apps18 goals
Roy McBain (sub) 223 apps13 goals
Richie Hart (sub) 137 apps16 goals
Rory McAllister (sub) 18 apps1 goal

Starting Lineup
Youngest Player:Ross Tokely (27 years 45 days)
Oldest Player:Graham Bayne (2007 years 258 days)
Average Player Age:30 years 239 days
Domestic Players:11 (100.00 % of starting eleven)

Matchday Squad
Youngest Player:Ross Tokely (27 years 45 days)
Oldest Player:Zander Sutherland (2007 years 258 days)
Average Player Age:30 years 239 days
Domestic Players:18 (100.00 % of matchday squad)

First Team Debuts

Milestones

Club historian Ian Broadfoot reports from Fir Park, Motherwell as Craig Dargo scores his 15th league goal of the season in the 27th minute of this match to take all three points back up the A9. Alexander Sutherland was promoted from the reserves into the first team pool during the week and was on the bench.

A boring end-of-season encounter this most certainly was not. In December Craig Dargo scored twice at Fir Park to take the points and this time his 27th minute strike was enough to see off a determined Motherwell side. The Inverness side was shaken up a little with Liam Keogh, Graham Bayne and Stuart Golabek coming into the starting eleven. There was also a first bench appearance for eighteen year old Zander Sutherland.

Motherwell had the first crack at goal in five minutes when Scott McDonald threaded the ball through for Phil O’Donnell but Mark Brown turned his shot past for a corner. The home side continued to press and a dipping Steve Hammell free kick in 22 minutes just cleared Brown’s bar. It was the visitors who took a decisive lead in 27 minutes when a high Grant Munro ball out of defence was aimed for Dargo and he outpaced two defenders to set up a one-on-one with Graeme Smith. Dargo neatly sent a low ball into the net for the game’s only goal. Three minutes later an Alan Morgan ball in from the left wing rebounded off Dargo’s back into the path of Russell Duncan – his 25 yard blast was well saved by Smith. A Jim Hamilton close-range shot was deflected for a corner by Darren Dods in 35 minutes then, close to half time, Dargo ran half the length of the park then set up Barry Wilson. Wilson’s shot was saved by Smith but it came back out to give Wilson another chance – once more Smith was equal to the task.

Half Time: 0-1

Six minutes after the break the match flared up when Richie Foran fouled Duncan on the left. Alan McCormick waded in as Duncan expressed his displeasure and yellow cards were shown to both Duncan and McCormick. Inexplicably a minute later McCormick raced over to the right and clattered Ross Tokely. The rest was inevitable – a second yellow and a walk to the dressing room. ICT never managed to take real advantage of the extra man and it was the Steelmen who next came close. In 64 minutes a quick Brian Kerr free kick was sent into the box by McDonald and it came off both Kerr and Brian McLean – it could have gone anywhere but it went over for a goal kick. Brown dived to collect an O’Donnell header in 76 minutes then, with seven minutes left, ICT substitute Rory McAllister won the ball off William Kinniburgh to set up a couple of chances – McAllister’s shot was blocked then Keogh’s follow-up was well saved by Smith. Three minutes from time a dangerous curling Richie Hart effort from 20 yards was pushed away by Smith.

FullTime: 0-1

A hectic three minutes of added time came to nothing and the points pushed Caley Thistle above Motherwell into seventh place.  With 46 points on the board, and four games left, last season’s total of 44 has also been overtaken.

Match report written by Ian Broadfoot



Pld W D L F A +/- Pts
1. Celtic 33 27 4 2 88 31 57 85
2. Hearts 34 20 8 6 66 27 39 68
3. Rangers 34 18 9 7 60 35 25 63
4. Hibernian 33 16 4 13 56 45 11 52
5. Kilmarnock 34 14 9 11 59 58 1 51
6. Aberdeen 34 12 13 9 40 37 3 49
7. Inverness CT 34 11 13 10 46 38 8 46
8. Motherwell 34 12 8 14 50 56 -6 44
9. Dundee Utd 34 7 11 16 40 61 -21 32
10. Falkirk 34 6 8 20 31 61 -30 26
11. Dunfermline 34 5 9 20 26 63 -37 24
12. Livingston 34 4 6 24 23 73 -50 18