Ross County slide to derby defeat against slick ICT
CALEY Thistle boosted their European push with a 3-0 derby win at Ross County in the Scottish Premiership tonight (Tuesday).
Goals from David Raven and Billy Mckay had the visitors coasting by the break and sub Marley Watkins finished the job in the second half with their best league display under boss John Hughes.
It puts ICT just three points behind third-placed Motherwell with a game in hand.
For County, they were no match for their neighbours and they mist focus on winning against Partick Thistle this weekend to stay out of that 11 spot, the relegation play-off position.
This encounter was a rematch of the match abandoned goalless and at half-time in late October due to floodlight failure.
The ICT fans, some of whom arrived with torches to tease their hosts, were looking for their side to be bright sparks and extend their unbeaten run to six games.
March sees them face a whopping eight fixtures in 28 days, including that Scottish League Cup final against Aberdeen on March 16.
They came into this one on the back of their 1-0 win at Perth and James Vincent gained promotion to the starting 11, with Marley Watkins dropping to the bench.
The Staggies, who beat St Mirren in the league on Saturday, have largely been on the up since the New Year, winning four, drawing twice and losing twice.
They strong home form gave them confidence for this tasty derby encounter in John Hughes' first visit to Dingwall as Inverness CT boss.
County began 2014 with a bang, winning the only clash between the sides, 2-1 at the Tulloch Caledonian Stadium.
Home manager Derek Adams made one change from Saturday, with Alex Cooper picked at the start in place of Graham Carey, who was benched.
The opening exchanges were full throttles, with challenges flying in and County winning a free-kick after forward Jordan Slew was brought to ground by Graeme Shinnie then Ross Draper stopping Michael Tidser in his tracks just outside the box.
Neither of these set-pieces came to anything and Caley Thistle punished them in their next attack after seven minutes.
Aaron Doran burst down the left flank and his cross was not dealt with by Yann Songo'o then Evangelos Oikonmou and full-back David Raven poked the ball past keeper Mark Brown into the net for his first goal of the campaign.
This was a real blow to the Staggies and Vincent flashed an effort wide moments later after he was picked out in the box by skipper Richie Foran.
County came back into the contest though and another Brittain delivery led to defender Brian McLean heading just past the post on 14 minutes.
After appeals for handball were waved away from the visitors' penalty box, Foran swept play forward to Graeme Shinnie and his cross had no takers as it whizzed through the six-yard box.
Doran drove fiercely past the post for Caley Thistle on 31 minutes after Foran and Mckay linked to tee him up.
Five minutes before the break with a goal marked with quality.
Foran won the ball midway in the County half, sprayed the ball wide left to Shinnie and his low cross was finished coolly by Mckay for his 20 of the season.
It was classy and clinical from Caley Thistle and County needed answers.
Boss Adams would surely be talking tough at the interval.
They certainly flew out the traps in the opening minutes and Michael Tidser drew a fine diving save from keeper Dean Brill when he connected with a cut-back from Cooper.
Filip Kiss was next to have a pop and he unleashed a low 25-yarder which flashed just past Brill's right post.
On 59 minutes, Caley Thistle looked odds on to net a third when Mckay, from his own half, sent a long pass on to Doran, whose path to goal was stopped by a superb Erik Cikos challenge. That kept County in it.
With 24 minutes to go, Adams brought on sub Melvin de Leeuw for skipper Brittain to add further bite in attack.
He hit the winner against St Mirren and was to be relied on here with the clock running down.
County needed a goal quickly and Slew turned and shot just inside the box, but Brill was equal to it.
However, with 14 minutes left ICT made it 3-0.
Marley Watkins, who had just replaced Mckay, was fed through by Doran and he slid the ball beyond Brown into the far corner of the net in front of the Jail End.
Hughes will take his in-form side to face champions-elect Celtic Park, who also had an off night with a 2-1 defeat at second-placed Aberdeen.
Ross County: Brown, Cikos, Brittain (de Leeuw 66), Kiss, Tidser, Cooper, McLean, Slew, Oikonomou (Carey 55), Arquin, Songo'o. Subs not used: McCarthy (GK), Gordon, Boyd, Quinn, Glen.
Inverness CT: Brill, Raven, Shinnie, Vincent, Warren, Meekings, Mckay (Watkins 75), Draper, Foran (Ross 87), Doran (Tremarcdo 85), Tansey. Subs not used: Esson (GK), Devine, Polworth, Pepper.
Referee: Calum Murray.