Arbroath 1 - 4 Inverness CT

League Match
Saturday, January 7th, 2023, 3:00 PM at Gayfield Park, Arbroath
Attendance: 1,803
Referee: Gavin Duncan
Arbroath Inverness CT

Goalscorers
Yasin Ben El-Mmhanni (26) Billy Mckay (9)
Jay Henderson (45)
Daniel Mackay (65)
Lewis Nicolson (86)

Team Managers
Dick Campbell Billy Dodds

Starting Eleven
Derek Galston
Marcel Oakley
Scott Bitsindou
Thomas O'Brien
Colin Hamilton
Michael McKenna
David Gold
Jaao Balde
Scott Stewart
Yasin Ben El-Mmhanni
Sean Ardarkwa
Mark Ridgers
Zak Delaney
Wallace Duffy
Daniel Devine
Lewis Hyde
David Carson
Sean Welsh
Aaron Doran
Daniel Mackay
Jay Henderson
Billy Mckay

Bench
Ricky Little
Dale Hilson
Bobby Lynn
Ryan Dow
Cammy Gill
Florent Hoti
Scott Allan
Cameron Mackay
Lewis Nicolson
Matthew Strachan
Robbie Thompson
Steven Boyd
Ethan Cairns
George Oakley

Substitutions
Ricky Little -> David Gold (45)
Bobby Lynn -> Marcel Oakley (67)
Dale Hilson -> Scott Bitsindou (67)
Ryan Dow -> Yasin Ben El-Mmhanni (77)
Lewis Nicolson for Daniel Mackay (74)
Steven Boyd for Aaron Doran (84)
Matthew Strachan for Zak Delaney (88)
Robbie Thompson for Jay Henderson (88)
George Oakley for Billy Mckay (88)

Bookings
David Gold (35)
Colin Hamilton (55)
Daniel Devine (16)
Wallace Duffy (33)
Jay Henderson (61)

Red Cards
None. None.
Appearances & Goals To Date
Mark Ridgers (GK) 216 apps -
Daniel Devine 163 apps6 goals
Zak Delaney 23 apps -
Wallace Duffy 58 apps3 goals
Aaron Doran 354 apps53 goals
Lewis Hyde 35 apps -
David Carson 120 apps1 goal
Sean Welsh 116 apps13 goals
Daniel Mackay 79 apps14 goals
Billy Mckay 226 apps91 goals
Jay Henderson 2 apps1 goal
Lewis Nicolson (sub) 6 apps2 goals
Matthew Strachan (sub) 6 apps -
Robbie Thompson (sub) 2 apps -
George Oakley (sub) 85 apps21 goals
Steven Boyd (sub) 26 apps1 goal

Starting Lineup
Youngest Player:Lewis Hyde (20 years 181 days)
Oldest Player:Billy Mckay (34 years 85 days)
Average Player Age:26 years 356 days
Domestic Players:6 (54.55 % of starting eleven)

Matchday Squad
Youngest Player:Matthew Strachan (17 years 222 days)
Oldest Player:Billy Mckay (34 years 85 days)
Average Player Age:24 years 280 days
Domestic Players:12 (66.67 % of matchday squad)

First Team Debuts

Milestones
Jay Henderson scored his first goal for the Club.

Smokies Smoked: Both clubs had big wins in the first games of 2023 and it was Inverness that continued in style with a 4-1 win at Gayfield. Billy Mckay, who scored a hat-trick last week, opened the scoring at the back post in the ninth minute but Ben El-Mhanni levelled fifteen minutes later when he slotted into the bottom corner. Jay Henderson put us ahead just before the break as he lifted a shot high into the net from inside the box. Twenty minutes into the second half Dan Mackay shot into the bottom corner to double our advantage. Substitute Lewis Nicolson concluded the scoring in the 86th minute with a header from sub Steven Boyd's cross. Great win on the road for the Caley Jags that moves us into sixth place in the table, eleven points behind table toppers Queens Park. Great start to 2023 for the Caley Jags with two big wins on the bounce.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Wallace Duffy returned to the starting XI after suspension and Zak Delaney showed no adverse reaction to continue at left back. Jay Henderson played his second game for the club. No other returnees and Max Ram looks to have been added to the still extensive injury list. Arbroath had four new signings in the squad with Ben El-Mhannie, Balde and Adarkwa all starting. 

Arbroath got the game underway but it was the visitors that took an early lead. Good work by Lewis Hyde down the right and his low cross saw Dan Mackay take a swipe at the ball. He sclaffed it somewhat but one again it was poacher extraordinaire Billy Mckay who reacted best to get to the ball at the back post to knock it in from less than a yard. Great start for the visitors.

Sean Ardarkwa cut in from the left but his curling shot from the edge of the box dipped just over the bar. However the hosts were level when the tidy Yasin Ben El-Mhannie met a low João Baldé cross into the box to slot home from around twelve yards, his first goal for Arbroath after two great assists last week against Dundee.

Inverness almost regained the lead immediately but for Thomas O'Brien with a goal line clearance from Billy Mckay. Five minutes before the interval the bustling Ardarkwa shot just wide across the face of Ridgers' goal with the keeper scrambling across his line to cover his far post.

Just on the break Jay Henderson opened his Caley Jags account after a corner fell to him around the penalty spot. It appears that his knee made contact with the ball and it lifted into the top of the net above the floundering defenders. Maybe Inverness could consider themselves slightly fortunate to go in ahead at the interval, but thems the breaks.

HALF TIME: 1-2

After half time it was encouraging to see Inverness looking to build on their first half advantage. Sean Welsh fired a free kick at Gaston, the keeper gathering the curling ball at the second attempt. Gaston did brilliantly to deny Billy Mckay from six yards after Aaron Doran flashed a low ball into the box from the right side. From the resultant corner, Gaston again did brilliantly to deny Mckay as tried to divert Sean Welsh's header into the net, the keeper clawing the header away from danger. Inverness looked likely to run away with the game early in the second half. Dan Mackay gave us the cushion to do just that as he slotted home a through ball from Welsh after we broke play up in the right midfield area. Unfortunately Mackay was replaced by Lewis NicoLson with fifteen minutes remaining after taking a sore one, hopefully just bruising as hinted at by Billy Dodds after the game. 

Ben El-Mhannie drilled a shot just the wrong side of the post as Arbroath tried to respond, but it was a bit of too little too late and Aaron Doran did well down the left before drilling a dangerous low cross into the box that was heading for a tap-in before a defender sliced it over his own bar. The last goal was the icing on the cake when substitute Lewis Nicolson nudged a header back across the six yard box and into an unguarded net. Mckay and then Steven Boyd combined to set up the chance which Lewis executed exquisitely, his second goal for the club.

FULL TIME: 1-4

Downside of this win was another injury for Dan Mackay. Great to see Jay Henderson and Lewis Nicolson getting amongst the goals and another for Billy Mckay as he chases Dennis Wyness' scoring record.

Arbroath is never an easy place to get a win, never mind a big one, we'll take that.

Match report written by tm4tj



Pld W D L F A +/- Pts
1. Queens Park 20 12 3 5 44 27 17 39
2. Ayr United 20 10 5 5 39 27 12 35
3. Dundee 20 10 5 5 33 25 8 35
4. Partick Thistle 21 10 3 8 42 36 6 33
5. Morton 19 8 6 5 28 21 7 30
6. Inverness CT 20 8 5 7 30 28 2 29
7. Raith Rovers 21 8 4 9 26 27 -1 28
8. Cove Rangers 20 5 6 9 28 40 -12 21
9. Arbroath 21 3 8 10 18 34 -16 17
10. Hamilton Academical 20 2 5 13 16 39 -23 11