Danny Devine goal seals Caley Thistle win in push for seventh spot
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DANNY Devine's close-range finish gave Inverness the three points in a gritty 1-0 win over 10-man Hamilton Accies.
Devine's second goal of the season gave the visitors the lead just before the break and Darian Mackinnon's second-half red card gave Hamilton a mountain to climb.
A tetchy closing period, with Inverness camped too deep within their own half, would have done little to ease nerves but they held on to their narrow advantage.
It means that, with Dundee's draw at home to Kilmarnock, Caley Thistle can seal seventh spot by avoiding defeat against Paul Hartley's side on Saturday.
The Caley Jags made two changes from the side that got beat 3-2 by Dundee United on Friday night. Andrea Mbuyi-Mutombo and Jordan Roberts, despite two goals in two games, were dropped to the bench, with Iain Vigurs and Danny Williams recalled.
Dropping Roberts and Mbuyi-Mutombo was surprising, given the pair have been impressive in their last two starts and have new contracts to play for. Vigurs, himself in discussions over a new deal, and Williams, who moves to Dundee after the game against the Dark Blues, have their futures virtually resolved.
With little to play for other than the carrot of a few extra pounds of prize money, you could have forgiven this game for having an end-of-season feel to it. An early Carlton Morris header, floated harmlessly over the crossbar, was as exciting as it got for the home fans.
Inverness, who are still determined to finish 'best of the rest' in seventh, started to create chances after much probing. If Miles Storey had been braver he could have taken the ball off Michael McGovern's toes when the two met for a 50-50, however he did turn provider for a disallowed goal for Williams.
On-loan Norwich forward Morris has so often been a thorn in Caley Thistle's side this season, yet frustratingly inconsistent against the rest of the league. Three of his eight goals this season have come against the Caley Jags and he nearly had another, firing over the angle of post and bar on 31 minutes.
His strike partner Steven Boyd, making his first start for Accies, nearly made a spectacular impact with a shot of his own. Clever work from Gramoz Kurtaj split Devine and Gary Warren with a pass, allowing Boyd a run at goal from the left flank. However, composure deserted the youngster as he blazed over.
With half-time approaching and the game destined to break scoreless, unlikely scorer Devine popped up. A quickly-taken free-kick by Vigurs, after Mikey Devlin's foul on Josh Meekings, found Devine facing down Michael McGovern and he managed to slide the ball under the former Ross County goalkeeper.
It did not get much better for Hamilton at the start of the second period as they should have been two down. Ross Draper's through ball caught the home defence too high and they played Liam Polworth onside. However, with just McGovern to beat, he shot straight at the stopper's legs.
Hamilton took a while to respond, waiting until after the hour mark before they tested Owain Fon Williams. After Greg Docherty had his effort charged down by Greg Tansey, the ball broke to Eamonn Brophy on the right side of the area. He shaped his shot for the far corner but Fon Williams, buoyed by his call-up to Wales' Euro 2016 provisional squad this week, tipped it wide.
Docherty blasted a great chance over from close range shortly after but the Accies revival ended on 74 minutes with the game's main flashpoint.
Mackinnon clashed with Vigurs in the centre of the park and was cautioned by referee Stephen Finnie, only for the official to immediately show a red for dissent. Hamilton players and staff were incensed, surrounding Finnie, and Mackinnon had to be restrained by members of his own coaching staff as he went down the tunnel.
Substitute Danny Redmond thought he had given his side some hope with a in-swinging free-kick that evaded everyone in the box, however Fon Williams sprang to his right to divert it wide.
Late pressure from the hosts amounted to a Ziggy Gordon effort that was blocked by Meekings at the near post but Caley Thistle held on for the victory.
HAMILTON ACCIES: McGovern; Gordon, Devlin, Kurakins, Garcia Tena (Redmond, 63), Gillespie, Kurtaj (Docherty, 57), Mackinnon, Brophy, Boyd (Hughes, 79), Morris. Subs unused: Martin, D'Acol, Tierney, Cunningham. Booked: Mackinnon, Gillespie. Sent off: Mackinnon.
CALEY THISTLE: Fon Williams; Meekings, Warren, Devine, Tremarco, Draper, Tansey, Polworth, Vigurs, D. Williams (Foran, 90), Storey (Roberts, 87). Subs unused: Esson, Raven, R. Williams, Horner, Mbuyi-Mutombo. Booked: Warren, Polworth.
Attendance: 1516.
Referee: S. Finnie.
