Inverness Caledonian Thistle go down to defeat at Dumbarton in first game since going into administration
Scottish League One
Dumbarton 3
Inverness Caledonian Thistle 1
Scorers – Dumbarton: Hilton (14, 73) Blair (64) Inverness: Davidson (27)
Inverness Caledonian Thistle’s first game of the administration era saw them go down to a disappointing defeat in Dumbarton in their Scottish League One clash.
James Hilton gave Dumbarton the lead, but Jake Davidson levelled for Inverness just before the half hour mark.
Ryan Blair then scored midway through the second half to put Dumbarton back in front before Hilton grabbed his second which killed off the game to give the hosts all three points.
The defeat means Inverness remain on -3 at the bottom of League One and 13 points behind Annan Athletic who were in ninth place, at least until their evening clash with Queen of the South which kicks off at 5.30pm.
Scott Kellacher took charge of his first game as head coach of Inverness following the departure of Duncan Ferguson who was made redundant on Wednesday.
Inverness made two changes from last week’s win against Annan Athletic. Connall Ewan came in for Danny Devine who was absent from the squad. While Jake Davidson came in at right back replacing Wallace Duffy who has now left the club.
After a quiet start to the match, Dumbarton took the lead in the 14th minute with a spectacular effort.
James Hilton fired a thunderous shot from the edge of the D from 20 yards out straight into the top left corner to give the hosts the lead.
But Inverness equalised in the 27th minute when Davidson got his head on the end of a Paul Allan corner and he nodded past Brett Long to make it 1-1.
Inverness pressed for their second before half time and came close when Adam Mackinnon got a header on Billy Mckay’s cross from the right wing. But there was never enough power on his nod to trouble the goalkeeper.
Mackinnon had another great chance after Keith Bray did well to charge down the right wing and got his cross into the box. But Mackinnon from 12 yards out fired his shot wide of the left post.
Inverness had a great chance to take the lead at the start of the second half when Mckay managed to beat the Dumbarton defence in the six-yard box to get his header on a Davidson cross.
But Long produced a great save to keep the game at 1-1.
Dumbarton then regained the lead midway through the second half when after a scramble in the box, the ball then found its way to an unchallenged Blair who fired a low drive past Dibaga to make it 2-1.
They then increased their advantage to two goals when in a counter attack, Hilton pounced on a loose ball before charging towards the box and firing a low drive past Dibaga to make it 3-1.
Dumbarton: Brown, Durnan, Blair, Wilson (McGuffie 80), Pignatiello (Mumbongo 80) , Hilton (Wallace 76), Niang, Shiels (Gray 55), Ruth (Orsi 80), Miller.
Substitutes (Unused): O’Neil, Lynas, Young, Clark.
Inverness: Dibaga, Davidson, Savage, Mackinnon (Strachan 88), Mckay, Longstaff, Thompson (Macleod 76), Bray (Mackay 79), Allan, Nolan, Ewan.
Substitutes (Unused): Rebilas, Thompson.
Referee: Graham Grainger
Attendance: 872