Alloa Athletic 1 - 5 Inverness CT

League Match
Saturday, April 26th, 2003, 3:00 PM at Recreation Park, Alloa
Attendance: 485
Referee: E Martindale
Alloa Athletic Inverness CT

Goalscorers
Sloan (pen 60) Bobby Mann (19)
Paul Ritchie (28)
Paul Ritchie (50)
Paul Ritchie (71)
Stuart Golabek (84)

Team Managers
Unknown. John Robertson

Starting Eleven
Evans
Valentine
Seaton
Watson
Thomson
Christie
Macdonald
Ferguson
Hamilton
Hutchison
Stevenson
Mark Brown
Ross Tokely
Grant Munro
Bobby Mann
Stuart Golabek
Stuart McCaffrey
Barry Robson
Roy McBain
Russell Duncan
Dennis Wyness
Paul Ritchie

Bench
Knox
Walker
Gillan
Evans
Hogarth
Michael Fraser
David Bagan
Anthony Low
Liam Keogh
Steven Hislop

Substitutions
Knox -> Watson (65)
Walker -> Stevenson (65)
Gillan -> Christie (76)
David Bagan for Russell Duncan (76)
Anthony Low for Dennis Wyness (80)
Steven Hislop for Paul Ritchie (80)

Bookings
None. Barry Robson (60)
Russell Duncan (60)

Red Cards
None. None.
Appearances & Goals To Date
Mark Brown (GK) 41 apps -
Grant Munro 68 apps1 goal
Stuart Golabek 119 apps2 goals
Stuart McCaffrey 100 apps1 goal
Ross Tokely 236 apps17 goals
Bobby Mann 168 apps15 goals
Barry Robson 164 apps27 goals
Roy McBain 120 apps5 goals
Russell Duncan 70 apps1 goal
Paul Ritchie 83 apps40 goals
Dennis Wyness 156 apps80 goals
David Bagan (sub) 71 apps11 goals
Anthony Low (sub) 18 apps1 goal
Steven Hislop (sub) 12 apps2 goals

Starting Lineup
Youngest Player:Ross Tokely (24 years 55 days)
Oldest Player:Dennis Wyness (2004 years 268 days)
Average Player Age:24 years 55 days
Domestic Players:11 (100.00 % of starting eleven)

Matchday Squad
Youngest Player:Ross Tokely (24 years 55 days)
Oldest Player:Paul Ritchie (2004 years 268 days)
Average Player Age:24 years 55 days
Domestic Players:16 (100.00 % of matchday squad)

First Team Debuts

Milestones
Stuart McCaffrey played his 100th major competitive game for the Club.

It was “heads you win” in this convincing victory over relegation-threatened Alloa. The highlight was Paul Ritchie’s second hat-trick of the season at Recreation Park. Alloa tried hard but their only reward was a goal from a penalty awarded by referee Eric Martindale in his last game before retiral. Stuart McCaffrey celebrated his hundredth appearance for Caley Thistle. Bobby Mann opened the scoring in the 19th minute with a well placed header following a Barry Robson corner from the left. Nine minutes later Ross Tokely crossed from the right and Ritchie netted with a glancing header to make it 2-0. In 34 minutes Stuart Golabek crossed from the left but Derek Soutar did well to save Robson’s flick. Soutar again saved from Robson just after half-time before Ritchie scored again to make it 3-0 in 50 minutes. He took a pass from Russell Duncan on the left side of the box, evaded a defender then hit low into the far corner. Alloa gained a lifeline on the hour mark when Robert Soutar scored from the penalty spot after Gareth Hutchison was pushed by Mann. This spurred them on and two minutes later Mark Brown saved a Ross Hamilton header at point blank range. The fightback ended in 71 minutes when Ritchie completed his hat-trick – a diving header after a Robson cross from the right. Six minutes from time Golabek ran through the middle, passed to Robson on the left, raced up in support and when the cross came he dived to head only his second career goal. Seconds later Brown pushed a Scott Crabbe header over the bar then Soutar denied Robson after a good run and pass from Tony Low. Ross County’s home victory over Arbroath puts them three points ahead of Alloa and with better goal difference – with two games left Alloa look doomed.

Pld W D L F A +/- Pts
1. Falkirk 34 24 6 4 76 28 48 78
2. Clyde 34 19 9 6 59 35 24 66
3. St. Johnstone 34 19 7 8 47 27 20 64
4. Inverness CT 33 19 5 9 70 40 30 62
5. Queen of the South 34 10 12 12 43 48 -5 42
6. Ayr United 33 11 9 13 32 37 -5 42
7. St. Mirren 34 9 10 15 41 65 -24 37
8. Ross County 34 8 8 18 38 44 -6 32
9. Alloa Athletic 34 7 8 19 34 72 -38 29
10. Arbroath 34 3 6 25 28 72 -44 15