Caley Thistle denied win late on at St Johnstone
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CALEY Thistle were denied victory when a late Graham Cummins goal cancelled out a Ryan Christie opener in today's (Saturday's) 1-1 draw at St Johnstone in the Ladbrokes Scottish Premiership.
ICT had plenty of injury concerns in this one as they tried to hit back following their opening day 1-0 defeat by Motherwell seven days previously.
Aaron Doran, James Vincent, Carl Tremarco, Richie Foran and James Vincent were just some of the players sidelined through injury and again only five subs were named.
Three consecutive blank sheets had been a cause for concern for the Highlands, with that loss last week hot on the heels of their 1-0 aggregate defeat by FC Astra in the Europa League.
Caley Thistle manager made three changes to his patched-up side, with Lewis Horner, Liam Polworth and debutant Andrea Mbuyi-Mutombo in for Nat Wedderburn, who was benched, and injured defenders Gary Warren and Josh Meekings.
Warren suffered a broken leg against the Well and Meekings only last until half-time.
Ross Draper, as he had to do in the game, joined Danny Devine in central defence, with David Raven and Lanny Devine taking the full-back berths.
Saints' main team news was the return from injury for Murray Davidson, straight into the starting 11.
The first chance fell to Horner, who was in midfield and he flashed an early shot over the top from fully 25 yards.
Their positive play paid off in the ninth minute when Ryan Christie buried a low shot past Alan Mannus after Dani Lopez's drive fell nicely for him.
It was just the started the Scottish Cup holders needed.
The visitors continued to press and Christie was unlucky not to score after he robbed Murray Davidson but was just kept out by the sheers number of home players as he burst into the box.
Saints had a swift attack on 23 minutes when Michael O'Halloran advanced towards the box and his shot was turned over by keeper Owain Fon Williams.
Caley Thistle almost made it two on the stroke of half-time but Mbuyi-Mutombo's shot was deflected wide for a corner which there was no time to take.
Four minutes into the second half Saints were almost level but Devine got in the way of a drive from Murray Davidson and the ball went out for a corner which came to nothing as the ICT defence mopped it up.
Devine was almost on the scoresheet at the other end when he met a Polworth corner but this effort was cleared on the line by Liam Craig.
Graham Cummins and Steven MacLean replaced John Sutton and Simon Lappin as St Johnstone tried to freshen up their front line.
O'Halloran went close with a shot just over the crossbar as the home fans grew more and more frustrated.
Christie almost put the game before reach with a high drive but it had too much height to test Mannus.
A Davidson header from a Craig delivery was then held by Fon Williams as the Perth team pressed for the leveller.
ICT opened Saints up on 73 minutes with a swift move and only a fine point-blank stop from Mannus prevented another Christie goal.
St Johnstone were piling on the pressure in the closing 10 minutes but ICT were standing up to that challenge.
Substitute Alistair Sutherland, who replaced Lopez late on, was almost through one-on-one with Mannus but Thpmas Scobbie halted his progress as they sought a killer second goal.
However, it was the hosts who scored when Cummins buried a header past Fon Williams into the net when he met a cross from Joe Shaughnessy to earn his side a share of the spoils.
ICT will hope it's third time lucky in their search for their first win this season when they host Partick Thistle in midweek.
St Johnstone: Mannus, Scobbie, Lappin (Cummins 62), Wright, Davidson, Wotherspoon, Shaughnessy, Easton, Craig, O'Halloran, Sutton (MacLean 62). Subs not used: Clark, McKay, Kane, Brown, Caddis.
Inverness CT: Fon Williams, Raven, Draper, Devine, Williams, Tansey, Polworth, Horner, Christie, Mbuyi-Mutumbo (Wedderburn 90), Lopez (Sutherland 84). Subs not used: Esson, Brown, Ferguson.
Referee: Willie Collum.
Attendance: 2,959.
