The Adam Rooney cameo show downs sorry Saints:
He was only on the park for a few minutes when he hit the first of his hat-tricks, Lionel Messi eat yer heart out. What a display from Rooney. Woodwork hat-tricks that is.
His first attempt was an audacious overhead kick that smacked the bar, absolutely brilliant attempt when he whipped the ball off the defenders head whilst facing Jonny Tuffey.
His next two woody's were impeccable, apart from entering the net. His fourth bash almost burst the net after he muscled in on goal and unleashed a ferocious shot from six yards. Take a bow Adam Rooney, and please sign a new contract.
On the down side, Russell Duncan's swansong ended in tears as he was red carded after a bit of shenanigans when he was upended in the box. This was a terrible way for a club legend to end his career here. Shame on you Saints. Chin up Russell, I'm sure the offers will flood in.
The day was set, bright sunshine and a cooling breeze, one team free from hassle, the other needing at least a point to help their cause. With so much at stake for the Buddies, one has to wonder at their seemingly tentative approach to this game. Was Danny Lennon holding out in the hope of gaining one point instead of trying to win all three, something they achieved around Santa Clause time.
With the teams announced you would have thought that Terry Butcher was also trying to help Saints out. No two keeper Jonny Tuffey was given a run out as were Gavin Morrison, Eric Odhiambo and Alex MacDonald.
The last throw of the dice was club legend Russell Duncan being given a start in front of the home fans, his 352nd appearance and possibly his last after he left the field distraught and with much dubiety over the incident that saw him depart the field of play.
The first half was a hugely disappointing affair with Saints reluctant to open play out and Inverness lacking the urgency to have a go, although Alex MacDonald almost nicked a goal when Gallacher blocked his flick goalwards, but Foran could not take advantage of the rebound.
Eric Odhiambo tried his luck with a header which flew wide, but that was it, not enough action in a listless first half to fill an A5 sheet.
Half Time 0-0
News would have filtered through to the dressing rooms that Hamilton were leading Hibs, surely that was enough incentive to sting St Mirren into action.
Tuffey and Gallacher were in action early in the second half, justifying their wages, but the best was yet to come as Adam Rooney entered the fray in the 53rd minute, replacing the luckless MacDonald.
This was the start of the Adam Rooney show. A ball into the box waiting for the defenders to head clear showed us another dimension to Rooney's game as he acrobatically pinched the ball from literally right under the defenders nose. Unfortunately this tremendous overhead effort smacked back off the bar with Gallacher beaten.
Saints were stung into action and Tuffey beat away a powerful McGowan drive from 15 yards. With Hamilton still ahead, they needed to pull something out of the bag.
Still, it was disappointing that they resorted to simulation to try and stay in the SPL. Russell Duncan was upended in the box by Mair, and in the ensuing tangle, brought down again. Handbags at dawn is the best description I have of the incident, as Mairs' throat grab was countered by Russell's hand off................with his belly. Astonishingly what at best was a pair of yellows was seen by the standside linesman as a straight red card for a distraught Russell, bringing the curtain down on his ICT career in tears. To add injury to insult, no penalty awarded either, all a bit bemusing and embarrassing for the officials and Lee Mair.
Back to the football and Rooney was just warming up. He rattled the junction of post and bar with a ferocious shot on the run from 18 yards and seemed to be giving the defence a horrendous time. His next effort looked in all the way as he hit a low shot across Gallacher only for it to hit the base of his left hand post and rebound to safety. A hat-trick of woody's, no luck Adam.
Dargo tried his best to breathe some life into sad Saints with a couple of efforts but it was too little too late for them, and Rooney had the final say when he brilliantly controlled Tuffey's long kick out after Doran flicked it on. He raced into the box leaving the defenders trailing in his wake and lashed a shot high past the despairing keeper, what a goal and no more than he deserved for his one man show.
Still time for wee Dargo to scoop a shot over from 15 yards, but in all honesty it would have been an injustice had Saint's taken anything from a game they put so little into, considering their predicament.
Full Time 1-0
Best for Inverness were Rooney, Tuffey, and Gillet. However, my MoM goes to once again Grant Munro, so reliable at the back and kept the bustling Higdon at bay.
Match report written by tm4tj
