Morais provides bang for Caley Thistle's buck as free signing makes priceless contribution with two goals

Published on Saturday 4 April 2009 19:53

Inverness Caledonian Thistle 2 (Morais 40, 47) St Mirren 1 (Dorman 6)

A GOOD end to a strange old week for Inverness manager Terry Butcher as his Highland charges pulled further away from the relegation zone thanks to a just about deserved win over St Mirren with whom they swap places. Two goals from Filipe Morais were enough to complete a Caley comeback and leave Saints looking over their shoulder nervously.

Before basement battles such as this one the last words of the respective managers are usually centred around keeping things nice and tight, doing the simple things and not giving anything away cheaply. Clearly such words of caution fell on deaf ears inside the home dressing as Caley all but served up a seventh minute opener. It was a collective work of incompetence with Lionel Djebi-Zadi the main culprit as Thistle got into a horrible tangle under next to no pressure. As the ball spilled out to the feet of Andy Dorman the Buddies midfielder calmly picked his spot behind Michael Fraser with a pinpoint finish.

Inverness took a while to clear their heads, but when they did they dominated what was left of the opening half. Dougie Imrie twice knocked on the door only to see Mark Howard repel his header before a fizzing strike soon after missed by the merest of fractions.

You wouldn't have called it relentless pressure, however there was enough about Caley going forward with Ian Black pulling the strings to suggest a goal was coming against a Saints defence not entirely covering itself in glory when asked to deal with bread and butter situations. Eventually the leveller did arrive, albeit through a stunning Morais strike neither Howard, nor his defence, could do anything about.

The same could not be said two minutes after the interval when Morais struck again. Quite why the free transfer signing from Hibs was allowed to drift in-field and get the ball onto his stronger foot is one mystery. Another is just what Mark Howard was up to by allowing Morais' strike to beat him all ends up at his near post. It was a horrible moment for Saints who in no time at all had not only lost their lead but fallen behind in a manner Gus MacPherson will not have been too enamoured with. Indeed had Caley been more clinical in the aftermath of hitting the lead they could have had the points sown up, as it was the failed to take advantage of their superiority and allowed the visitors back into the game.

With the game running away from them Saints went for broke with a 3-4-3 formation Caley struggled to contain. Young Stephen McGinn fluffed his lines when any sort of headed contact would surely have had the Buddies on a level footing on the hour mark.

As time ticked down it was all one way traffic as Caley were forced to defend what they had deeply, and in numbers. Credit to them for some real backs-to-the-wall defending, but they were given a huge chunk of fortune when Dorman, normally such a reliable finisher, blasted against the woodwork from close range after Fraser had spilled a drive from Jim Hamilton.

These were to be costly misses for Saints who for all they huffed and puffed never convinced that they again had the unlocking of Caley. Butcher's men defended as a pack to frustrate their guests for what could be a monumental three points.