Inverness CT 3 - 0 Partick Thistle: Morais makes the most of his surprise debut chance

Published on Sunday 11 January 2009 22:57

FILIPE Morais, by rights, should have been cupping his hands around a Bovril in the main stand on Saturday, just as he had done at Hibs for more match-days than he cared to remember. With no action even in the reserves for two months, and only a cursory introduction to his new team-mates on the morning of the game, the Portuguese 23-year-old might not even have bothered packing his boots.

Desperate times call for desperate measures, though, and embattled Craig Brewster's move to blood his new signing in a central attacking role reaped dramatic reward.

Morais, gliding around markers and picking out clever passes with ease, was immediately a joy to watch in a team lately starved of craft and cutting edge.

Two goals in the emphatic victory underlined what was a stunning debut. "I could not have dreamed of a better start to my Inverness career," said the one-time Chelsea youth, who had spells at Millwall and St Johnstone before becoming John Collins' seventh signing.

"I was slightly surprised to start as I did not get to meet the boys until after I travelled up on the morning of the game. I have not played in a long while and I was not even playing in the reserves at Hibs, so I was a bit nervous when I found out I was going to start. I wondered if I could last the game, but just decided to work as hard as I could and it turned out I had a bit of luck in front of goal as well.

"Even when we went three goals up, I just kept running as hard as I could because I know it will benefit me in the next game."

Morais was released by Hibs rather than loaned, and is signed until June with Caley Thistle.

A cup exit would have increased the pressure on Brewster – given his team's run of six straight SPL defeats and plunge to bottom place in the table – but that never looked likely.

On a treacherously slippy surface, Morais' fellow new signing, the 28-year-old Latvian centre-half Pavels Mihadjuks, slotted smoothly into a re-jigged defence.

Partick contributed to their own downfall with a touch of slackness for the opener. The Maryhill side stood off as Morais collected a simple through ball, and paid a price as he struck low and hard into the corner of the net from 25 yards.

Iain Vigurs capped an assured display to score Caledonian Thistle's second, the young midfielder sweeping the ball high past Johnny Tuffey. Morais' sparkling debut continued with the third as the striker sped on to a ball over the top to tuck past the away keeper with ease.

Brewster could afterwards reflect happily on only his team's second clean sheet of the season. "It was a big day for us, but we've three goals, a clean sheet and we're into the next round," he said.