Inverness CT 0 - 1 Motherwell

League Match
Saturday, March 4th, 2006, 3:00 PM at Tulloch Caledonian Stadium, Inverness
Attendance: 3,183
Referee: S Conroy
Inverness CT  Motherwell

Goalscorers
None. Foran (51)

Team Managers
Charlie Christie Terry Butcher

Starting Eleven
Mark Brown
Richard Hastings
Ross Tokely
Grant Munro
David Proctor
Darren Dods
Russell Duncan
Richie Hart
Ian Black
Dennis Wyness
Craig Dargo
Meldrum
Corrigan
Craigan
McLean
Hammell
McBride (80)
Kerr
McCormack
Foran (87)
McDonald (84)
Clarkson

Substitutes
Michael Fraser
Stuart Golabek
Stuart McCaffrey
Liam Keogh
Liam Fox
Alan Morgan
Graham Bayne
Alexiou
O'Donnell (80)
McGarry (84)
Hamilton
Fagan
Kinniburgh
Paterson (87)

Substitutions
Alan Morgan for David Proctor (24)
Liam Keogh for Russell Duncan (70)
Graham Bayne for Richard Hastings (81)
O'Donnell -> McBride (80)
McGarry -> McDonald (84)
Paterson -> Foran (87)

Bookings
Alan Morgan (46)
Ross Tokely (51)
Ian Black (60)
None.

Red Cards
None. None.
Appearances & Goals To Date
Mark Brown (GK) 168 apps -
Darren Dods 63 apps2 goals
Richard Hastings 254 apps2 goals
David Proctor 44 apps3 goals
Ross Tokely 354 apps25 goals
Grant Munro 160 apps3 goals
Richie Hart 131 apps15 goals
Russell Duncan 179 apps4 goals
Ian Black 40 apps1 goal
Dennis Wyness 185 apps91 goals
Craig Dargo 31 apps17 goals
Liam Keogh (sub) 90 apps3 goals
Alan Morgan (sub) 16 apps2 goals
Graham Bayne (sub) 53 apps9 goals

Starting Lineup
Youngest Player:David Proctor (22 years 4 days)
Oldest Player:Ian Black (2007 years 216 days)
Average Player Age:25 years 345 days
Domestic Players:10 (90.91 % of starting eleven)

Matchday Squad
Youngest Player:David Proctor (22 years 4 days)
Oldest Player:Ian Black (2007 years 216 days)
Average Player Age:25 years 345 days
Domestic Players:17 (94.44 % of matchday squad)

First Team Debuts

Milestones

ICT staff and supporters worked hard to make sure the pitch was playable, but it was Motherwell who took full advantage and all three points. A Richie Foran penalty was all that separated the sides. Club Historian Ian Broadfoot reports from the Tulloch Caledonian Stadium...

A poor game overall, very few accurate shots and just one goal. Sadly for the home support it was scored by Motherwell's Richie Foran from the penalty spot.

Barry Wilson was missing from the Caley Thistle line-up following keyhole surgery on his knee but he was also suspended. David Proctor replaced Wilson but his match ended after 24 minutes when he was taken to hospital with a dislocated shoulder.

Heavy snow over the preceding two days had led to a major clearance operation but it was successful and the match went ahead. The pitch was however heavy and mistakes were plentiful.

There was barely a minute gone when a Ross Tokely cross from the right reached Ian Black via Richie Hart and Craig Dargo and it was nearly 1-0. Black sent a looping header over ‘keeper Colin Meldrum which looked in but was cleared off the line.

A botched pass-back to Meldrum in the fifth minute was intercepted by Dargo on the left and he tried to curl the ball over the ‘keeper and into the net - he came close but it was wide. These two chances were to prove amongst the home side's best of the match.

The frantic first five minutes also included two blocked shots from Motherwell's Brian Kerr and a dangerous cross from Kevin McBride which was headed for a corner by Darren Dods. Play began to verge on the reckless but referee Steve Conroy chose not to flourish the yellow card.

This tough spell culminated in a 24th minute hefty challenge on David Proctor which led to his departure from the field en route to Raigmore Hospital. Alan Morgan came on to play on the left with Hart moving to the right.

Dennis Wyness curled the ball just wide in 27 minutes from 25 yards then seven minutes later Meldrum brought out the save of the match when Hart crossed from the right and Dargo's on-target shot was blocked. The save was also significant because it was the only real test of either ‘keeper all afternoon.

With five minutes of the first half remaining Alan McCormack went down in the Caley Thistle box alongside Grant Munro but play was waved on and the referee ignored any suggestion of a dive.

Half Time: 0-0

Two minutes into the second half Alan Morgan similarly went down in the Motherwell box and was booked. The home crowd became restless as they could see no difference between the incidents.

There was no real protest however in the 50th minute when Tokely tripped McCormack and a penalty was awarded. Tokely was perhaps fortunate to only receive a yellow card but he was deemed not to be the last defender. Richie Foran stepped up to net the spot kick and received a yellow card for an over exuberant celebration. On the hour mark the home crowd was once more left puzzled when Scott McDonald claimed Mark Brown had tripped him in the box but a penalty was refused and again referee Steve Conroy ruled that no card was appropriate.

As the second half wore on the home side searched for an equaliser and even replaced defender Richard Hastings with striker Graham Bayne. This left some exposure at the back and a Motherwell breakaway with nine minutes left was only ended by an excellent Grant Munro interception.

David Clarkson broke away a minute later but Steve McGarry was offside when the final pass came. With a minute left of the statutory 90 Motherwell substitute James Paterson headed over the bar then into added time Wyness came close at the other end. A classic double shuffle on the left of the box took him past two defenders but his angled shot hit the side netting.

There was still time for McCormack to send a long range shot just wide and Motherwell managed to see out the three added minutes safely to earn all three points.

Full Time: 0-1

Despite this set back Caley Thistle remain sixth but Aberdeen and Motherwell are in hot pursuit.

Match report written by Ian Broadfoot



None.

Pld W D L F A +/- Pts
1. Celtic 28 22 4 2 77 28 49 70
2. Hearts 27 16 6 5 54 22 32 54
3. Rangers 28 14 7 7 48 32 16 49
4. Hibernian 28 15 3 10 51 37 14 48
5. Kilmarnock 28 13 8 7 53 43 10 47
6. Inverness CT 28 9 12 7 41 33 8 39
7. Aberdeen 28 9 11 8 32 33 -1 38
8. Motherwell 28 10 6 12 41 48 -7 36
9. Dundee Utd 29 6 10 13 33 50 -17 28
10. Falkirk 28 5 6 17 26 53 -27 21
11. Dunfermline 29 4 7 18 24 57 -33 19
12. Livingston 27 2 6 19 14 58 -44 12