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Inverness CT
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Cove Rangers
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Appearances & Goals To Date
Starting Lineup
| Youngest Player: | Lewis Hyde (20 years 34 days) |
| Oldest Player: | Billy Mckay (33 years 303 days) |
| Average Player Age: | 24 years 172 days |
| Domestic Players: | 7 (63.64 % of starting eleven) |
Matchday Squad
| Youngest Player: | Lewis Nicolson (18 years 105 days) |
| Oldest Player: | Billy Mckay (33 years 303 days) |
| Average Player Age: | 24 years 0 days |
| Domestic Players: | 10 (62.50 % of matchday squad) |
First Team Debuts
Milestones
Austin Powers: Man of Mystery Goals
Austin Samuels scored twice as Inverness registered their first win of the Championship this season. Aaron Doran and substitute Nathan Shaw opened their accounts with Robbie Leitch tapping in for Cove just after the interval. An ultimately comfortable win for the hosts that bumps them up the table into second spot behind Dundee.
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Megginson got the game underway and in the sixth minute Aaron Doran fed Austin Samuels in to score the opener. Thereafter Inverness mostly dominated the first half before losing their way until Samuels restored the two goal advantage.
From CTO Robert: I was nervous when I saw the line up with seven players missing (Duffy, Carson, Devine, Ram, Welsh, Walsh and Sutherland) and only three defenders in the team, all left sided.
We came out fast and Samuels’ well finished early goal set us up for as good a 45 as I’ve seen in a long time. I thought Mackay’s shot was goal bound but Doran made sure for the second. We could have had more, with the Cove ‘keeper Gourlay making several good saves. Our most nervous moment came when Delaney (I think) tried to head the ball wide but instead forced Ridgers to make a great save to avoid an own goal.
Cove started the second half with Vigurs on, and scored in their first attack. Ridgers could only parry a shot towards Robbie Leitch who scored.
We were then unable to keep the ball and were looking poor for the next 20 minutes or so, with Cove looking the more likely to score, but we gradually grew back in to the game.
Mckay set Samuels up for the third, which steadied things and Shaw got the fourth after Samuels came close to a hat trick but the goalie palmed his effort towards Shaw.
4-1 maybe flattered us a bit, but it was in the main a good team performance, with four Academy products starting.
Ridgers had a couple of saves, with one down at the post as well as stopping the potential own goal. He was also talking the defence through the game well.
Hyde is not a natural full back and it showed at times, but he acquitted himself well. Delaney and Samuels both assisted him.
I thought Delaney did well, playing on the wrong side of the defensive pairing for a left sided player, whilst Deas steadied everything and got forward a few times, coming close with an overhead kick.
Harper has improved from last season, both defensively and with his delivery.
Allardice was great in midfield, supported well by MacGregor.
Dan Mackay had a couple of decent runs, whilst I thought Doran had a very good game. Billy Mckay was very busy and kept the ball well to bring others into the game.
The pick, though, was Samuels, who took his goals well and could have had a third. He had the beating of the defence and made a lot of good runs into space, which seemed to be a deliberate ploy today with players looking for him. What a contrast from his performance against Queens Park.
Three subs were used late on with Boyd coming close from a free kick and Shaw being in the right place to get the fourth.
All in all, a satisfying afternoon, particularly after the wobble early in the second half.
Well done to all, and I hope Douglas Ross “enjoyed” the stick he got :twothumbsup:
Thanks Robert, great summary of today's game.
Good win for the Caley Jags that moves them on to five points, one point behind Dundee who sit top on six points. It was also a good day for Austin Samuels to bag a double, his sixth in total, with Nathan Shaw getting his first goal for the club. Aaron Doran's goal was his 51st goal in 337 appearances.
Match report written by tm4tj/Robert
