Appearances & Goals To Date
Starting Lineup
| Youngest Player: | Roddy MacGregor (19 years 255 days) |
| Oldest Player: | Kirk Broadfoot (37 years 29 days) |
| Average Player Age: | 28 years 2 days |
| Domestic Players: | 8 (72.73 % of starting eleven) |
Matchday Squad
| Youngest Player: | Lewis Jamieson (19 years 169 days) |
| Oldest Player: | Kirk Broadfoot (37 years 29 days) |
| Average Player Age: | 26 years 310 days |
| Domestic Players: | 13 (72.22 % of matchday squad) |
First Team Debuts
Milestones
Table Toppers
Both sides had won their opening three fixtures with Killie having the better goal difference. Both sides had yet to concede a goal; something was going to give, and it did after five minutes. This game had the potential to be the toughest test so far in the Billy Dodds era and it was a tight affair but Inverness scored the only goal of the game when Michael Gardyne lashed the ball into the net via the keepers palms. That proved to be the winner. Blair Alston nicked one off the outside of the post before the interval and Mark Ridgers kept Killie out with his 4th clean sheet in a row in the Championship after denying Innes Cameron from point blank range to put the Caley Jags at the top of the table on their own.
Tommy Wright was without Chris Stokes but had former Inverness midfielder Liam Polworth in his starting XI and his counterpart Billy Dodds fielded former Killie defender Kirk Broadfoot. Roddy MacGregor continued in midfield, with captain Sean Welsh on the bench amongst other strong attacking options.
A bright afternoon and a healthy crowd greeted the teams as the game kicked off and it was only five minutes old when Michael Gardyne lashed the ball into the net via the keepers palms from the left side of the box around twelve yards out, Shane Sutherland with the assist.
Liam Polworth looked to reply for the hosts but Ridgers comfortably saved his low shot. Two minutes later Ridgers pulled off a tremendous save diving full length to tip a Blair Alston shot onto the outside of the post and behind for a corner. Great work by the big keeper on his way to his 60th clean sheet for the Caley Jags.
For all their possession, Killie were unable to put the visiting defence under sufficient pressure, Devine and Broadfoot mopping up most advances with ease although there was a bit of a scramble in the Inverness box before the ball was cleared after Polworth tried his luck.
Inverness were content to hit on the break in the first forty-five after getting the early break as Killie toiled to create clear opportunities.
Half Time: 0-1
Sean Welsh replaced the subdued Manny Duku as Inverness began to control the pace of the game more effectively, but Innes Cameron had the best opportunity of the second half when he met a cross some eight yards out only for Ridgers to pull off an instinctive reaction save to keep the ball out.
The hard working Shane Sutherland set up Aaron Doran but he shot over and a minute later David Carson saw Hemming save from his shot as Inverness began to assert themselves on this game with Kilmarnock running out of ideas. Sutherland broke forward with ten minutes left after Sean Welsh set him free but his floated effort from outside of the box drifted over the bar with the keeper beaten.
Full Time: 0-1
Inverness saw out the final few minutes with little threat coming their way for an excellent three points with a very workmanlike performance, every man doing his job. Killie floundered on a solid defensive performance from the visitors who's game plan worked a treat, stifling any threat, snapping at ankles and pressing high enough to keep Killie away from goal. Ridgers was impeccable, assisted by his defence, and Roddy MacGregor once more showed why he is keeping others on the bench. Sutherland worked tirelessly up front and well done to Michael Gardyne for getting his first goal for the club.
Match report written by tm4tj
