Inverness take over top spot with 14-match unbeaten run

Published on Sunday 28 March 2010 23:41

INVERNESS Caledonian Thistle left Firhill on Saturday with a 1-0 win over Partick Thistle and sitting top of the First Division for the first time this season. The last time Inverness departed Maryhill was in November and there has been a significant change in fortunes since then.

Back then, Caley turned up to face Partick six days after surrendering a two-goal lead in the ALBA Challenge Cup Final to Dundee and lost a half-time lead again to go down 2-1 to Ian McCall's side. Coming hard on the heels of a second league defeat by neighbours Ross County, and sitting fifth in the table, bouncing straight back to the SPL was beginning to look like a long-shot.

Butcher's troops have rallied well since and embarked on an unbeaten league run of 14 games to sit a point ahead of Dundee, whom they meet on the final day of the league season at home.

Adam Rooney was the match-winner – the scoreline would have been higher had it not been for the fine form of Northern Ireland internationalist Jonny Tuffey in the home goal – when he headed home a Richie Foran cross from six yards out after 32 minutes.

Dundee manager Gordon Chisholm, in charge since last Monday, saw his team lose a one-goal lead for the second game running when they drew 1-1 at Ross County. The visitors opened the scoring when on-loan Celtic striker Ben Hutchison shot home on 50 minutes and County, still on a high after knocking Hibs out of the Scottish Cup in midweek, went for broke in search of a leveller with manager Derek Adams having five forwards on the pitch. Substitute Paul Di Giacomo crossed for fellow sub Steven Craig and he netted from 12 yards out to grab a point for the title-chasing Dingwall men.

Adams said: "It was a bit crazy to have so many forwards on but we had to do something and it worked."

Dunfermline's SPL aspirations took a blow for the second game running as they were defeated 2-0 by Queen of the South at Palmerston. Dunfermline's Greg Ross hit the bar before the Dumfries side opened the scoring right on the half-time whistle when Willie McLaren shot home. Substitute David Weatherston pounced on a Jamie Adams knockdown to hit home a second with a little less than 20 minutes to go.

Ayr manager Brian Reid was left with a feeling of disappointment despite his men extending their unbeaten run to eight league games in their 1-1 draw with Raith Rovers at Kirkcaldy.

On-loan Falkirk defender Chris Mitchell fired Ayr ahead with a well hit free-kick after 12 minutes, but in injury time at the end of the 90 minutes, Allan Walker fired over a free-kick and Stephen Simmons nodded home to share the points.

Airdrie beat visitors Morton 3-0 after being awarded three penalties against the ten-man side. Cappielow goalkeeper Kevin Cuthbert was dismissed after a quarter of an hour for fouling Scott Gemmill, however Alan Trouten's spot-kick was saved by substitute shot-stopper Colin Stewart. There was little Stewart could do when a Ricky Waddell shot deflected off Ryan McGuffie 11 minutes from half-time to give Airdrie the lead and in the second period Paul Lovering scored twice from the spot.