Ten man Caley Thistle beat Rangers Colts to reach Tunnock's Caramel Wafer Challenge Cup final
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Tunnock Caramel Wafer Challenge Cup semi final
Inverness Caledonian Thistle 2
Rangers Colts 1
Scorers – ICT: Keatings (44) Storey (74) Rangers: Mebude (6)
Inverness Caledonian Thistle are through to the Tunnock's Caramel Wafer Challenge Cup final after coming from behind to defeat Rangers Colts.
Miles Storey scored the winner for Inverness after James Keatings pulled them level just before half time after Adepado Mebude gave them the lead after six minutes.
But Caley Thistle had to win with ten men after Keatings was controversially sent off for diving to reach the final against Raith Rovers on March 28.
Caley Thistle made two changes to the team that beat Livingston 1-0 in the Scottish Cup last 16 seven days previously.
Lewis Toshney came in for Brad Mckay while James Vincent replaced Sean Welsh in midfield.
Inverness created the first chance of the game when David Carson connected with a clearance of Miles Storey’s cross and fired a low drive towards the bottom right corner that was well saved by Andy Firth.
But the hosts were left stunned when the Colts took the lead after six minutes. Mebude pounced on Toshney's clearance from Jake Hastie's pass and fired a low drive past Mark Ridgers.
Inverness suffered another blow midway through the first half when Charlie Trafford was forced to go off after pulling up and was replaced by James Keatings.
The Colts created the majority of the chances in the first half and should have doubled their advantage on the half-hour.
Mebude had a golden chance from six yards after Caley Thistle’s defence failed to deal with Kai Kennedy’s cross from right wing but hit the woodwork.
Jake Hastie followed up with a header on the rebound but never had enough power to trouble the defence.
But Inverness levelled just before half time as Storey's cross found Jordan White who nodded the ball back to James Keatings. His low drive just inside the box deflected off Rhys Breen and flied past Andy Firth into the net to go into the interval 1-1.
Caley Thistle were almost caught out at the start of the second half when Keatings fouled Mebude on the edge of the box. The free kick almost found Breen at the right hand post but Lewis Toshney's last ditch challenge prevented them going behind.
Inverness were then reduced to 10 men in the 57th minute when Keatings was sent off when he received a second yellow card for simulation.
Minutes later, Tom Walsh thought he had given Caley Thistle the lead when he ran on to a long ball and chipped it over Firth but was ruled to be in an offside position.
However Caley Thistle did take the lead in the 74th minute when Storey fired home the rebound after Vincent's header from Walsh's cross from the right wing was saved by Firth.
Rangers Colts did have chances to level in the closing stages but Caley Thistle held on.
ICT - Ridgers, Rooney, Tremarco, Toshney, Carson, White, Walsh (Doran 80), McHattie, Vincent, Storey, Trafford (Keatings 28).
Subs (Unused) Mackay, Todorov, Mckay, Harper, Macgregor.
Rangers Colts – Firth, Patterson, Shiels, Finlayson, Breemn, Palmer, Hastie, Dickson, Mebude, Kennedy, McPake.
Subs (Unused) Kinnear, Maxwell, Butterworth, McClelland, Miller, Young-Coombes,, McCausland.
Referee: Greg Aitken
Attendance: 1741
