Ridgers error stings for Inverness Caledonian Thistle's as Alloa Athletic claim all three points
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Alloa Athletic 2 (Murray, Thomson)
Inverness Caledonian Thistle 1 (McKay)
Inverness Caledonian Thistle will be travelling back up the A9 wondering how they came away from Alloa Athletic with nothing.
For large spells they looked comfortable, but a profligacy in front of goal gave the Wasps a chance to come back into the game in the second half – an opportunity they gladly took.
First Innes Murray's free kick cancelled out Brad McKay's early opener, before a rare error from Mark Ridgers allowed Robert Thomson to score the winner.
The hosts were hit with a blow before the first whistle took place, when Alan Trouten picked up an issue in the warm up and had to be replaced in the 11 by Cameron O'Donnell.
When the action did get under way though, it looked like an intriguing tactical battle.
Alloa pressed high up the pitch, trying to put pressure on the Inverness defenders, while the likes of Danny Devine and Robbie Deas were happy to go long – it was not a sign of panic, more that they were trying to use the pace of Miles Storey running in behind the home side's defence.
Inverness claimed the early advantage, as a ball back into the Alloa box after a corner was only half-cleared was nodded on by Deas into the path of Brad McKay, who found the net.
Alloa's players were furious, believing that McKay was offside from Deas' ball, but the referee allowed the goal to stand and Caley Thistle had the lead.
Ironically, it was only after going behind that the hosts appeared to properly settle into the game.
They started moving the ball better and finding pockets of space, but both sides were limited to shooting from distance for a spell.
Kai Kennedy cut in from the left to shoot straight into Neil Parry's arms, while Kevin Cawley had a few pot shots in the first half that missed the target.
Shane Sutherland had the best chance to double ICT's lead before the break, taking the ball on after some intricate passing between Miles Storey and James Keatings.
He still had some work to do, but he found a yard of space and forced a good stop out of Parry to keep the deficit to a single goal.
Kennedy continued to be a nuisance down the left flank with his dribbling, but he could not pick out a teammate in the middle, and it was the same story for Alloa's Lee Connelly minutes before the break.
There was a flurry of chances at the start of the second period, with Alloa appealing for a handball inside the Inverness box before Danny Devine had a shot deflected behind and Keatings twice missed the target.
Keatings was presented with another good chance to extend the lead, volleying Cameron Harper's cross at goal, but hitting it into the ground and straight at Parry.
He would come to regret that, as Alloa would draw level five minutes later.
Danny Devine gave away a free kick 25 yards from goal, which Innes Murray hit beautifully into the top corner to draw the Wasps level.
He very nearly grabbed a second from a similar position, sending the ball just wide of the mark instead, while ICT's Harper forced a save out of Parry from a free kick of his own.
With just under 15 minutes left on the clock though, the hosts would take the lead.
Murray again had a role to play, playing a diagonal ball over the top of the defence looking for Robert Thomson's run.
The Alloa substitute hit it towards goal, but without much power it should have been a straightforward save for Mark Ridgers – only for him to get the wrong line and see the ball trickle into the net off his hands.
