Caley Thistle bring Bairns back down to earth with a bump

CALEY THISTLE blitzed the Bairns in a dazzling first-half show to move to within three points of the Championship promotion play-off zone. Inverness easily brushed aside Paul Hartley’s visitors, who slumped in baffling fashion just three days after their 6-1 destruction of Dundee United and remain in the relegation play-off position. goals from george oakley, Connor Bell and Jake Mulraney put the hosts in control at the break. Louis Longridge pulled one back for Falkirk with four minutes remaining before John Baird added gloss to a fine Inverness victory. And Caley Thistle boss John Robertson insisted the defeat could have been even worse for the Bairns. ‘It was a great performance and it sounds crazy, but it could have been a lot more,’ he said. ‘This is a team that took six off Dundee United on saturday, but we could have taken six or seven off them quite easily.’ With ten minutes gone, the hosts went in front. Liam Polworth’s pass found Mulraney and the Irishman showed good skill to weave into space and shoot. Falkirk goalkeeper Robbie Thomson spilled the drive and oakley slid in to score. The lead was doubled on 28 minutes when Polworth broke at pace through the middle and released Mulraney to the right. The Irishman dinked a pass inside the on-rushing keeper to leave Bell with a close-range finish. on the half-hour, it was three. Iain Vigurs’ long pass found oakley turning sharply to elude his marker and he then released Mulraney at the edge of the box. The Dubliner produced the calmest of finishes from 18 yards to break his duck for the club. Falkirk clawed one back with four minutes left as a long ball sent Longridge in on Caley keeper Mark Ridgers to net the consolation. But substitute Baird headed the fourth for the hosts two minutes later. ‘I think football baffles you at times,’ said Hartley. ‘We had such an outstanding performance on saturday and we should be coming up here high on confidence. ‘But you can’t start games like that. After 25 minutes to half an hour, the game is finished, really.’