Caley Thistle slip to narrow Astra defeat in Europa League debut
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Caley Thistle 0, Astra Giurgiu 1
CALEY Thistle's Europa League hopes suffered a blow last night as Astra squeezed a narrow win on a historic night in Inverness.
ICT will now have to win in Romania next week to have any chance of progressing after Constantin Budescu's 30-yard free kick proved the difference between the sides.
The home side started well with some slick passing but Constantin Budescu spoiled the carnival atmosphere with a superb 30-yard free kick.
Injury problems dogged John Hughes' preparations but fortunately, they subsided at the right time and he welcomed Josh Meekings, Danny Williams and Aaron Doran back into the fold, while captain Richie Foran was named as a substitute, his first involvement with the first team in 16 months.
Hughes also sprung a major surprise with the inclusion of Owain Fon Williams in goal, after the club finalised his signing on Wednesday afternoon.
The manager warned his side would be punished if they played too cavalier and it was a cautious start, with William De Amorim firing the game's first shot well over inside three minutes.
Ryan Christie brought the first save out of Silviu Lung when he wriggled free at the edge of the box and curled an effort at goal but the Romanian international tipped it wide.
The home side were tidy in possession and Astra seemed content to sit back. A couple of incisive passes had the home fans roaring but it was the Romanians who took the lead against the run of play after 23 minutes.
Ross Draper was harshly judged to have felled De Amorim and free kick specialist Budescu scored his second long-range set piece in the space of six days. His effort curled over the wall and Owain Williams will be disappointed not to have kept it out after getting a hand to it.
The second half kicked off with a bizarre moment, as Valerica Gaman sliced the ball into his own half, paused and then hit the deck injured. Tansey collected the ball, ran down the right and Dani Lopez was inches away from levelling the scores from the midfielder's cross.
The pressure started to build for Inverness and Danny Williams showed a bit of ambition with a 35-yarder that sailed just over before Doran forced Lung into a fine save after he was teed up by Christie.
Budescu was still a major threat when Astra did get the ball however and he fooled the entire Inverness backline when he shaped to shoot and instead slipped in De Amorim. The striker only had Owain Williams to beat from 10 yards but his low shot struck the post.
Hughes threw on David Raven, Richie Foran and Jordan Roberts in search of an equaliser and within seconds Doran sent away Lopez but the striker's low shot was held by Lung.
With time running out a Foran cross dropped to Doran after a goalmouth scramble but the winger miscued his effort, allowing Astra to take a vital lead back to eastern Europe.
