Supporter saves Caley Thistle match being abandoned after referee suffers injury
Scottish League One
Inverness Caledonian Thistle 1
Cove Rangers 1
Scorers - Inverness: Nolan (50) Cove: Emslie (21)
A supporter saved Inverness Caledonian Thistle’s match with Cove Rangers from being abandoned as he stepped in to take over linesman duties after the referee was unable to continue.
Jamie Mackinnon came down from the main stand to act as an official after referee Stewart Luke had to be taken off injured in the second half.
The match was delayed for 10 minutes in the second half when Luke was unable to continue due to a calf injury which forced the game to be stopped.
The stadium announcer made an appeal to the crowd if a qualified official was in attendance at the match to take over duties.
Mackinnon who is reported to have refereed a kids match earlier in the day, came down from the crowd to take over as linesman so the game could continue.
Assistant referee Will Pare took over as main referee as the match restarted as Inverness Caledonian Thistle played out a 1-1 draw with Cove Rangers at the Caledonian Stadium
Inverness made one change to the team which drew 2-2 with Alloa as Charlie Gilmour returned to the squad as he replaced James Nolan who went to the bench.
Inverness had a golden opportunity to take the lead in the 10th minute when Remi Savage sent a ball through to Adam Mackinnon on the left wing. His ball into the box found Adam Brooks, but his shot was straight at Nicholas Suman who parried the ball away.
But it was the visitors who took the lead after 21 minutes when Findlay Marshall sent in a ball from the right wing which found Adam Emslie in the six-yard box to fire past a helpless Musa Dibaga.
Inverness came close to equalising five minutes before half time when Luis Longstaff’s cross into the box found the head of Brooks but he nodded over the bar.
The hosts did equalise six minutes into the second half when Adam Mackinnon’s ball into the box found Billy Mckay.
The striker played provider for James Nolan who saw his first shot blocked by Nicholas Suman. But the ball came straight back to the midfielder who made no mistake with his second attempt, drilling the ball into the bottom right corner.
Cove had a great chance to regain the lead when Mitchell Megginson collected the ball in the box, but a last ditch challenge from Calum Macleod prevented him getting a shot off.
Neither team were able to find a winner as they settled for a point.
Inverness: Dibaga, Duffy (Nolan 45), Davidson, Savage, Devine, Gilmour, MacKinnon. McKay (Thompson 90), Brooks (Bray 82), Longstaff, Macleod (Allan 90).
Substitutes: Newman, Strachan, Mackay, Ferguson, Ewan.
Cove: Suman (Demus 54), Doyle, Scully, Gillingham, Harrington (McAllister 62), Yule, Megginson (Gaffney 90), Darge, Marshall, Emslie, Parker.
Substitutes: Murray, McGrath.
Referee: Stewart Luke.
Attendance 1505
