Ross County 0-0 Caledonian Thistle : Butcher carves out point Inverness

Published on Saturday 20 March 2010 20:11

Ross County 0 Inverness Caledonian Thistle 0

METEORS could have crashed into the Beauly Firth yesterday and drawn only an irritated sideways glance from almost 6,000 supporters crammed into Victoria Park.

The celestial fates were with Caley Thistle in the first half, certainly, as Ross County pounded their penalty box, although the second period saw a Robert Eagle strike rattle the upright for Terry Butcher's men. As the dust settled on a pulsating 90 minutes charged with significance for both clubs, honours remained even.

For Derek Adams, the Ross County manager, this was a serious injustice. "It's a game we dominated with the chances we had. There was only one team who came to win the game today," Adams said.

"They went 4-5-1 – only one attacker – and I'm shocked. It shows how much we've come on. It shows in the respect Inverness Caley Thistle showed us. It was very surprising."

County warmed to the task first with Michael Gardyne cutting a left-foot shot well wide and Andy Barrowman similarly askew inside the box. As the half progressed, pressure weighed on Ryan Esson's goal. Scott Boyd and Iain Vigurs both missed aerial opportunities for County, while Barrowman and Paul Lawson shot high and wide.

Caley boss Terry Butcher removed Nauris Bulvitis

at the break for winger Robert Eagle, with Ross Tokely shifted into central defence – and Thistle improved. Play began to stretch but composure remained in short supply.

Into the last 15 minutes, it was anybody's game and all pretence at measured football evaporated. But Paul Di Giacomo should have hit the winner from a few yards only to sky just over. As Butcher reflected: "With Dundee's slip-up, it looks like a good point for us."