Inverness Caledonian Thistle are above Par in win over Dunfermline
Inverness Caledonian Thistle 2
Dunfermline 0
Scorers: Rooney (34) McCart (80)
INVERNESS Caledonian Thistle moved four points clear in second place in the Scottish Championship with victory over Dunfermline Athletic.
Goals either half from Shaun Rooney and Jamie McCart proved to be the difference as they took advantage of third-placed Ayr United losing at Dundee United.
Caley Thistle made one change to the starting 11 as captain Carl Tremarco was out injured and was replaced by Kevin McHattie.
Inverness had the first opportunity of the game when Aaron Doran set up James Keatings 10 yards from goal, but fired his shot wide of the left post.
Inverness continued to put on the pressure when Keatings sent through Miles Storey from the left wing. His cross was prevented from finding Jordan White due to a last ditch challenge from Paul Paton.
But Dunfermline could have taken the lead in the 15th minute. Lewis McCann played through Kevin Nisbet whose shot was blocked by Mark Ridgers before comfortably gathering the rebound.
Inverness responded when Keatings cross from the right wing eventually fell to Doran but he blasted his low drive wide of the right post.
Caley Thistle took the lead 11 minutes before half time when Keatings’ cross from the right wing found Rooney in the six-yard box who fired home from close range.
They could have doubled their advantage just before half time when Rooney’s cross from the right wing almost fell for Jordan White as Ryan Scully managed to clear the ball.
Dunfermline could have levelled just before half time, Lewis McCann set through Kevin Nisbet but Ridgers leapt off his line and produced a decent save before the ball was cleared.
Caley Thistle continued their good form in the second half and could have doubled their advantage when Storey was clean through but was denied a shot on goal from Lee Ashcroft.
From the resultant corner kick, Jamie McCart beat the defence in the air but nodded wide of the right post.
McCart kept Caley Thistle in front when he cleared an Anthony McDonald cross away from the line.
And the central defender killed the game off 10 minutes from time when he connected with Keatings' corner on the edge of the six yard box and nodded into the net.
ICT: Ridgers, Rooney, Donaldson, McCart, Keatings (Vincent 74), Carson, White (Curry 84), Doran (Todorov (89), McHattie, Storey, Trafford.
Subs (Unused) Mackay, Todorov, Curry, Harper, Machado, MacGregor.
Dunfermline: Scully, Comrie, Martin, Ashcroft, Thomson (Ryan 74), Beadling (Turner 42), Dow, Devine, Nisbet, Paton, McCann (McDonald 62).
Subs (Unused) Gill, Lang, Ryan, Cochrane, Edwards.
Referee: Alan Newlands.
Attendance: 2116
