Dubliners seal last day win for Caley Thistle
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Richie Foran heads ICT in front against Hamilton.
CALEY Thistle rounded off their return to the Clydesdale Bank SPL with a 2-1 victory at already-relegated Hamilton on Saturday.
The result, the Highlanders’ fourth successive win, saw them finish seventh with 53 points – that’s nine points better than St Johnstone, who were one place behind.
Before Sunday’s top six action, it also gave Terry Butcher’s in-form side more points than Motherwell and Kilmarnock above them, such is the nature of the league splitting into two sections for the final five fixtures.
Saturday was also the end of era for former captain Grant Munro and fellow stalwart Russell Duncan, who have served the club tremendously well, but were not offered new contracts this month, and they now seek new clubs. They got a tremendous ovation from the small yet noisy band of travelling fans. Munro’s final appearance for the club just lasted 45 minutes. He was hurt in a first half challenge and was replaced by Duncan after the interval.
There was one change to the team which swept past Hibs 2-0 in midweek, with the injured Chris Hogg being replaced in the starting 11 by Aaron Doran, who now returns to Blackburn Rovers after his loan spell, but is wanted back by Butcher for another stint in Inverness next season.
Accies will feel robbed that they didn’t take something from this one, having put so much into it, but goals from Irish duo Richie Foran and Adam Rooney ensuring that Simon Mensing’s headed goal didn’t derail their quest for a win.
The First Division-bound hosts also missed a second half spot kick, when Mensing hit the woodwork, and they paid the price for lacking a cutting edge when it mattered.
Accies started well and knocked the ball around well, but even half chances in the first period could be counted on one hand, as a disappointing half threatened to send the 2,000 fans asleep.
However, Caley Thistle grabbed the opener on 44 minutes when captain Foran pounced at the back post to head past Tomas Cerny after he was picked out by Doran.
It took Hamilton just four minutes after the interval to draw level. Mensing took advantage of some sloppy marking to power a header past goalkeeper Jonny Tuffey from an Ali Crawford corner.
The visitors’ heads never went down though and, eight minutes later, Rooney accepted a deft pass from Nick Ross and swept a cool finish past Cerny to take his tally for this season to 21 goals and give the Caley Jags the 2-1 lead.
No wonder clubs are showing an interest in the lethal Irishman. Butcher said afterwards that he remains hopeful that Rooney will sign a new on-year deal, now that his current contract has expired.
Ex-ICT midfielder Dougie Imrie was Hamilton’s key man, the one at the heart of most of their moves, although he did pick up a booking for persistent fouling.
It was Imrie who won his team a penalty on 71 minutes when he nabbed the ball from Kenny Gillet and Tuffey brought him down as he prepared to pull the trigger. Mensing went for power from the spot, but crashed his shot off the underside of the bar and the ball was cleared to safety.
Tuffey, in the nets for his third successive game, pulled off a tremendous diving save to earn the win for his team when Imrie diverted a shot goalwards from close range and then Jim McAlister blasted the follow-up drive over the crossbar.
In the closing stages, another departing Caley Thistle player, Dani Sanchez, replaced Sutherland and took the applause from the Inverness CT supporters.
Accies still almost earned a point, but Mensing headed wide from 10 yards and the visitors held on for victory.
Hamilton Accies: Cerny, Imrie, McDonald (Millar 68), Neil, McAlister, Buchanan, Chamers, Crawford (McGlinchey 68), Mensing, Hasselbaink (Hopkirk 58), Kilday. Subs not used: Murdoch, Hendrie, Wilkie, Gillespie.
Inverness CT: Tuffey, Tokely, Duff, Cox, Foran, Rooney, Munro (Duncan 46), Ross, Gillet, Sutherland (Sanchez 82), Doran. Subs not used: Esson (GK), Odhiambio, Morrison, MacDonald, Polworth.
Attendance: 2,017.
Referee: Iain Brines.
