Inverness CT 2 Dunfermline 0

cinch Championship: Dunfermline unchanged from midweek match v Partick Thistle. Reece McAlear (58) 1-0: Austin Samuels (77) 2-0:

Dunfermline’s hopes of Championship survival were dented as their unbeaten run was halted by an on form Caley Thistle.

Both teams met on the back of two good performances, Caley Thistle after back to back wins over Arbroath and Raith Rovers, the Pars after doing everything but win the match against Morton, and a convincing 4-1 over Partick Thistle.

It was an international weekend so Inverness were without Sam Pearson who was on duty with Wales under 21s. Dunfermline were without keeper Jakub Stolarczyk who was with the Poland under 21s.

Manager John Hughes named an unchanged starting eleven, one that included three players - Coll Donaldson, Joe Chalmers and Liam Polworth - who had played for Inverness not so long ago. The goalkeeper on the bench was 16 year old academy player, Callum Archibald and Bobby Kamwa returned to the subs bench.

Billy Dodds Caledonian Thistle side was missing Danny Devine and Joe Hardy. Into the home side came Wallace Duffy and Logan Chalmers but they named only five substitutes.

So on a beautiful sunny day in the Highlands, it was third placed Caley Thistle against ninth placed Athletic. Both teams emerged from the tunnel, Pars skipper Steven Lawless with a cover over the cut on his right cheek and Polworth kicked off for the Fifers attacking the goal at the Kessock Bridge end.

Matty Todd created the early danger with a cross into the opposition box that Kirk Broadfoot had to turn behind for a fourth minute corner. That was taken short and when the ball came across it was headed away before Efe Ambrose could connect.

Deniz Mehmet was called into serious action in 11 minutes parrying a Logan Chalmers shot and the defence mopped up the loose ball. Five minutes later Aaron Doran swept a shot wide right of the goal and then Chalmers blasted the ball over the crossbar from a corner on the right.

Next Billy McKay had two cracks at goal, the first deflected away for a corner on the right by Ambrose and then from Doran’s delivery the Thistle striker lashed an acute angled shot over the bar.

Inverness were being the more creative and they came close to notching the opener in 31 minutes when McKay, deep into the right side of the Pars box, cut the back for Doran to send an effort at goal. Fortunately for the Fifers the ball travelled just wide of the left goalpost.

There was an opportunity from a 40th minute free kick on the left after David Carson clashed with Josh Edwards but Polworth sent the ball directly into the hands of keeper Cameron Mackay. Two minutes later Lawless conceded a free kick in tugging back Sean Welsh and Reece McAlear’s effort from 20 yards swung in to hit the junction between right goalpost and crossbar with Edwards shielding the rebound back to Mehmet.

It has been a first half where the visitors found it hard to get near the Caley goal, their two shots countered by eight from the home side who had enjoyed 52% of the possession in the first 45.

Half time: Inverness Caley Thistle 0 Dunfermline 0

An early second half chance was laid on by Robbie Deas with a ball in from the left towards Shane Sutherland at the far post that Edwards got to first. Dunfermline were played into the Inverness box by Thomas who had come to play on the right, but Kevin O’Hara’s 52nd minute shot was blocked.

Wallace Duffy was forward to earn a free kick 25 yards out and from the setpiece Welsh drove the ball into Ambrose in the Pars wall. The ball dropped to the right side towards McALEAR, the on loan Norwich City player drove a stinger of a shot into the far side of the net. 1-0

John Hughes immediately made one substitution with Bobby Kamwa coming on for Steven Lawless and within minutes another two with Ryan Dow and Nikolay Todorov replacing Dom Thomas and Liam Polworth.

The substitutions almost had the desired effect. Dow teed up Todorov in the centre of the box but Mackay pulled off a save. Next Dow found O’Hara in the box and again the shot was saved. There were two more efforts in 68 minutes when Dow picked out Donaldson and his effort deflected to Dow who was miraculously kept out by the Inverness keeper.

The Fifers had really up the tempo and Kamwa lobbed in a ball from the left touchline that Dow returned for Todorov but former Caley Thistle striker did not get the required connection. Then Dow provided for Kamwa and the on loan Leeds player’s shot was headed away by Deas.

There was always a threat from the home side and there was a let off as Sutherland’s shot from the right hit a defender and then his keeper before going out for a corner on the left. Austin SAMUELS replaced Billy McKay and with his first involvement ran through on to a Doran ball to score. 2-0

The 77th minute goal really put the result in little doubt. Both sides had chances, Tom Walsh hit a screamer narrowly past Mehmet’s right hand post and Kamwa hit the sidenetting with the last shot of the match.

The Fifers three match unbeaten run ended with Caley’s third successive victory. Consolation in as much Queen of the South lost 1-0 at Hamilton but Ayr United increased their lead over Dunfermline to four points by taking a point at Cappielow.

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