Inverness CT1–1Partick Thistle

Late Bavidge header earns a point



Friday night footie was at the Caledonian SarensPSG Stadium with title favourites and early pace setters Partick Thistle coming North for this televised game. For the hosts, Paul Allan was back on the bench with Liam Sole starting and Dan Mackay on a bench of eight. Mark Wilson made two changes from the side that went down narrowly at Easter Road in the League Cup Alex Samuel and Ben Stanway came back into the starting XI with Gary Mackay-Steven on the bench alongside Tony Watt. With Samuel starting, our defence will be in for a busy time as he tries to burrow his way towards goal. Aidan Fitzpatrick is a handful out wide with his wingplay. Watt and Mackay-Steven will provide plenty of quality and experience off the bench.

Seb Drodz opened the scoring after quarter of an hour after a bright opening by the hosts with Alfie Stewart having hit the post and MacFarlane making a couple of early saves. A second half of few opportunities until Alfie Bavidge headed in with one minute remaining of normal time. Another draw, and this one was a long time coming, but a goal scored this time against top of the table Partick.

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A decent night in the North as the game and the first corner of the night went to the hosts and it ended with Savage having a shot blocked and then Liam Sole was denied by a good save from MacFarlane at the expense of another corner. From that one Danny Devine got a volley off but it was also blocked. At the other end Ross Munro had to look lively to save from Alex Samuel after good work down the Partick left from Fitzpatrick. Alfie Stewart was unfortunate with a shot from around twenty-five yards that came off the base of the post with the keeper in close attention. Sixteen minutes gone and Partick Thistle opened the scoring with Fitzpatrick the orchestrator. His ball in was missed by most before Drodz drilled the ball low and hard behind the keeper in a busy box from around twelve yards. Munro had to make a smart low save to stop Drodz adding a second after half an hour. We were finding it difficult to make much headway ten minutes before the break. There was a mild scramble in the Partick box before McFarlane picked up the deflected ball but the visitors saw out the half comfortably as we struggled to find our own players with the ball or lost it all too easily in midfield and defence. Still all to play for at just one goal down at the break.

HALF TIME: 0-1

Fitzpatrick began the second half where he he finished the first, driving forward down the Partick left before he fizzed a ball across the home box. Dangerous player giving MacLeod a hard time. A dangerous cross into Partick's box brought about a corner that came to nothing. Still the same problems as the first half with ball retention and poor passing. From another corner, a Sole cross come shot was missed by Bavidge's head and it bounced narrowly wide. Ryan Duncan should have been bursting the net when he found himself one on one with the keeper, but his first touch allowed the keeper to drop on the ball and make the block. That was our best chance of the game so far. Bavidge volleyed into the side netting after a patient, verging on pedantic, build-up. Dan Mackay made his return to action with under fifteen minutes left. In truth, the second half was a bit of a let down. That was until Longstaff won a free kick down the right. Paul Allan gave it to Longstaff who gave it back to Allan who put a tremendous ball into the box off the outside of his boot onto Alfie Bavidge's head and he headed into the net from six yards. Superbly worked goal, our first in the Championship. A wee bit of a flurry over the remaining minutes but that was it at full time. A point apiece.

FULL TIME 1-1