Inverness CT3–3Kilmarnock

Dargo and Wyness score again as ICT and Killie battle to a draw. For Dargo it was at least one goal in 7 consecutive SPL games, For Wyness it was 5 in 5 but it was a late equaliser from David Proctor that secured the point. Club Historian Ian Broadfoot reports from the Tulloch Caledonian Stadium.

A cracking match which could easily have gone either way. It was the third draw between these teams this season with fourteen goals shared.

Injuries forced a number of changes on Charlie Christie and Stuart McCaffrey continued in central defence in the absence of Grant Munro. Stuart Golabek played in left midfield in place of the injured Roy McBain and, with Ross Tokely also unfit, David Proctor came in and scored a vital goal. Richie Hart was in the starting eleven as was Dennis Wyness. Liam Keogh’s return from long-term injury gave him a bench place and he came on in the 79th minute for his first appearance of the season.

It all started at great speed with two early chances. In four minutes Mark Brown saved from Danny Invincible and Steven Naismith touched in the rebound – two Kilmarnock players were however offside and the goal did not count.

A minute later it was the visitors turn for a let-off when Graeme Smith saved a close-range effort from Craig Dargo. A Darren Dods header had fooled Smith initially but he recovered when it looked as if Dargo had to score.

Kilmarnock took the lead in 27 minutes when Invincible sent the ball in from the right and Naismith swept it first time past Brown from 10 yards. Caley Thistle equalised in 34 minutes when a Stuart Golabek lob into the box should have been cleared by Simon Ford but Dargo nipped in and passed to Dennis Wyness. Wyness neatly sidestepped a defender and hammered it past Smith.

This spurred the home side on and they looked the better bet to score again. Three minutes from the break Barry Wilson turned at the edge of the Killie box then hit a great shot just over the bar. The whistle was looming when Killie’s Ford nearly scored an own goal. Wyness crossed from the right and Ford knocked it high over Smith but just wide of the goal.

Half Time: 1-1

In 49 minutes Killie’s Lindsay Wilson crossed from the right but Brown took it with three visiting players hovering. A Wilson flick then set Dargo one-on-one with Smith but the keeper saved well. Smith then held a Dargo volley.

In 59 minutes Naismith forced a Gary Hay free kick over the line but Brown had been fouled. There was a moment of high controversy in 65 minutes when Brown pushed a Naismith shot high in the air and Nish’s follow-up header was deemed not to be over the line – Jim Jeffries strongly disagreed but the goal did not stand.

Three minutes Dargo’s persistence paid off and he made it 2-1. A Richard Hastings cross from the left was touched towards Dargo in the box and he slid in to knock it past Smith. This extended Dargo’s record of scoring in consecutive games to seven. The lead only lasted one minute as an Invincible interception set up a run down the right, a cross into the box and a Wales 12 yard shot which made it 2-2. It was a bad goal to lose after a good ICT period.

The last ten minutes were frantic with chances at both ends and two goals. An Alan Morgan shot was blocked with eight minutes left then a Naismith effort was deflected off Dods for a Killie corner. Caley Thistle were stunned with five minutes left when Wales hit a curling shot from the edge of the box to beat Brown and give Killie the lead. Within less than a minute Gary Hay conceded a corner at the other end and Morgan’s inswinger from the right was headed in at the back post by David Proctor.

Both keepers made good saves in the dying minutes. Smith saved from Dargo in 87 minutes then in added time Brown dived to save and prevent Wales from completing his hat trick.

Full Time: 3-3

The whistle went to end this great advert for the SPL and honours were even. Aberdeen unexpectedly defeated Hearts to gain some ground but ICT remain sixth by one point.