 |
|
|
|
|
|
Return to Lorsports' Home Page
Inverness CT 2; ROSS COUNTY 0 |
Rarely can there have been such a one-sided first half in the eight-year history of this Highland derby. A singularly-inept, disjointed and spiritless Ross County trailed 2-0 going on six or seven after only 45 minutes.
That the second half, at least in terms of possession and territory, proved fairer for Neale Cooper’s men can hardly have lightened their short and miserable journey home in the drizzle over the Moray Firth.
While the league formbook had suggested that this should have been an opportunity for County to improve on a record of only five wins in 20 derbies since league admission, it only served to worsen that ignominious trail of results stretching back to 1994. In fact, County have won just once in 11 attempts away from home against their bitterest rivals.
A woeful afternoon for Cooper, then, but a wholly heart-warming one for his counterpart, Steve Paterson, who has resolutely praised his players for their performances this season, despite the worry of four winless outings before yesterday.
A heavy shower just before kick-off made Caledonian Stadium’s surface greasy, and Caley Thistle went ahead after only seven minutes thanks to some real slackness in the County defence.
The ball spun off young Sean Webb’s legs, and Dennis Wyness, last season’s top First Division scorer, showed his poaching instincts by steadying and firing an angled shot in at Tony Bullock’s left-hand post from 12 yards.
County, looking ill at ease in the conditions, couldn’t settle for more than a couple of passes before losing their way.
Cooper’s anxiety was evident when he hauled off young Irish defender Sean Webb after just 22 minutes, with ex-Motherwell attacker Martin Wood coming on in a tactical switch.
The home side retained the initiative, though, and they were deservedly 2-0 up in 33 minutes after their sixth corner of the game. The ball rolled back to taker Barry Robson, and his pinpoint cross found Wyness free to score with a header from just inside the six-yard box.
County tried to respond but, from a long punt up the field, Graham Bayne’s header into keeper Mark Brown’s arms was the best they could muster.
Cooper made his second change at half-time with skipper Steve Ferguson taken off for young midfielder Don Cowie.
If the away manager was looking for an early response, it didn’t come, and he made his third switch of the game in only 50 minutes, with Steven McGarry injected into attack for Bayne.
A bookable foul on Charlie Christie by Kenny Gilbert lined up Bobby Mann for a trademark free-kick blast just outside the box. The big defender was unlucky as his low-drilled attempt skidded just wide of Bullock’s left post.
While County huffed and puffed with most of the possession in the final half-hour, it said it all that their supporters were streaming home with 10 minutes remaining.
County’s Kenny Gilbert saw red for a second bookable offence three minutes from time, to rub salt in the wounds.
Ross County: Bullock; McKay, Perry, Robertson, Canning, Webb (Wood, 22), McCulloch, Ferguson (Cowie, 46), Gilbert, Bayne (McGarry, 50) and Gethins. Unused Subs: Fridge (gk) and Bone.
ROSS COUNTY 0; Inverness CT 2 |
With the pantomime season fast approaching, the cast of managers in the Highlands yesterday provided something of a dramatic foil on the Victoria Park stage. It was slapdash, but far from comic for Ross County, though.
Steve Paterson, fresh from rejecting Dundee United and signing a five-year deal, enjoys gallant, princely status among his club's supporters, while County's Neale Cooper, at least among a section of his team's support, is increasingly viewed as the villain.
The jeers and hisses among those home supporters who remained at the final whistle rang out into the night after what was a deceptively crushing and straightforward derby defeat. Meanwhile, the magic in the toes of Paterson's team shows no sign of ebbing.
The current fortunes of these two north teams who have jousted and jostled their way up the leagues could scarcely be more contrasting at the moment. This was Caley Thistle's tenth victory in 11 league games and County remain with only one from the same number.
Most alarmingly even spirited attempts at a late revival from Cooper's men would have failed to persuade many onlookers that a reversal of the scoreline was likely. Caley, devastating at the outset, were always calmly in control.
Cooper has been on the brink of managerial trouble in six or so seasons at Dingwall, but again faces the wrath of the paying punters.
Then again, what can a manager do when faced by the wanton negligence demonstrated by his players in the early stages of the match. There were barely 40 seconds on the clock when the sprighly and menacing Barry Robson sliced through the County defences and curled a lovely shot around home 'keeper Tony Bullock.
County almost visibly shrank into themselves and the anxiety in their ranks was palpable. Paul Ritchie almost made it 2-0 with a header that flew just wide after four minutes and the second goal arrive in bizarre fashion after nine minutes.
Again, there was slackness in the cover play from the hosts and when Ross Tokely sent a fairly harmless cross ball in from the right between Bullock and midfielder Mark McCulloch, the latter's calamitous reaction summed up that anxiety.
McCulloch, an ex-Caley Thistle captain at that, could have let the ball run safely to the touchline, but neglected to take a glance at the space he would have enjoyed and somehow side-footed the ball into his own net.
It was story over as far as the scoring was concerned, but the rest of what unfolded was revealing. Caley Thistle proceeded to stamp their authority over the rest of the half.
Their accomplished former Motherwell and Rangers 'keeper Mark Brown was not tested but even the usually composed figure of Bullock in the County goal seemed rattled.
In the second half, you got the inpression the visitors were content to sit in a little and see what the home side could do and, to their credit, they did muster a response.
County's Steve Ferguson, looking short on fitness, drew the first save from Brown in 55 minutes with a strike from outside the box.
Substitute Steve McGarry injected a little much-needed fire for County and there were some fierce exchanges between County's Steven McKay and Caley's Russell Duncan, with both fortunate to escape a card.
Yet there was little for the home support to get their teeth into as the visiting hordes revelled in the comfort zone created by a watertight defence that leaked next to nothing.
McCulloch came close to making up for his early blunder with a powerful header that spun just wide, but Caly almost clinched it in 76 minutes from a Robson corner with Charlie Christie making contact before the ball struck the post of a County defender's leg.
Ross County: Bullock; Perry, Robertson, Canning, Wood (McGarry, 46), Deas, Hislop, Ferguson, McCulloch, McKay and Cowie. Unused Subs: Fridge (gk), Irvine, Bayne and Davidson.
|
|
|
|
Return to Lorsports' Home Page