The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Brechin go to pieces against ICT, says Dods
Championship: Glebe Park side still without league win after Highlands loss
INVERNESS CALEY THISTLE 4 BRECHIN CITY 0
Inverness Caley Thistle brushed aside Brechin City with minimum fuss last night to move up a place to seventh in the Championship table.
The Highlanders responded in the best possible way to Saturday’s beating by St Mirren on a night when bottom-placed Brechin failed to hit the target.
Early goals from Brad McKay and John Baird set the tone, before Connor Bell and George Oakley netted in the second half.
Darren Dods’ side as now gone all 14 games without a Championship win this season, with only the cup victory over Buckie Thistle to their name.
Disappointed Brechin manager Dods admitted: “We have defended set-pieces well against other teams, but against Inverness we seem to go to pieces.
“We just can’t seem to defend corners against them. We have recently taken a step forward but tonight was a step back.“
ICT manager John Robertson was delighted and stressed: “If somebody had told me 4-0 before the game started I would have taken it. We should have – if I’m nit-picking – scored more. At times we didn’t move it fast enough.
“It was a banana skin. We said our biggest enemy would be complacency.“
There was an early scare for the hosts as on-loan Aberdeen striker Connor McLennan smacked the inside of the post.
Caley Thistle were ahead after seven minutes. Liam Polworth’s corner swerved into the path of McKay six yards out and the defender slammed a shot high into the roof of the net.
Two minutes later, John Baird doubled the lead with his third goal of the season and first for 10 matches.
Brechin keeper Graeme Smith looked set to deal with a Carl Tremarco cross, but defender Euan Smith headed it from his team-mate’s grasp. Baird finished with ease from 12 yards.
The second half saw little change. Mulraney had a tremendous strike turned for a corner by Smith after 51 minutes, a minute before the third goal.
The headed finish was clinical from Connor Bell as he stooped to meet a Polworth corner.
Brechin loanee McLennan signalled is team weren’t throwing in the with a fierce strike against the post and soon after forced is team’s first corner of the match.
Polworth blew a decent chance, nine minutes from time, but the hosts remained firmly in control.
Three minutes from time, substitute George Oakley raced through on the right to deftly beat Smith and make it four.
Inverness: Ridgers, Raven, Mackay, Donaldson, Tremarco, Polworth, Chalmers, Trafford, Mulraney(Cooper 81), Baird 6 (Oakley 63), Bell (Doran 63,). Subs: C Mackay, Warren, Calder, Seedorf.
Brechin: G. Smith, McLean, E Smith, Crighton, Spark, Dale, Graham, Watt (Sinclair 70), Dyer (Lynas 54), McLennan (Orsi 75), Layne. Subs: Fusco, O’Neil.
Referee: Craig Charleston.