Keena nets twice as Pars secure point at Inverness

On-loan striker’s goals not enough to sink ICT

On-loan striker Aidan Keena’s double couldn’t stop draw specialists Caley Thistle equalling their 22-year-old league unbeaten record.

The Irish teenager lit up the Caledonian Stadium with two brilliant finishes, but the Highlanders twice hit back before the break through Riccardo Calder and Jordan White.

It was fright-night an evening early for the respective defences in a first half full of thrills and spills. But the hosts’ sixth draw in a row made it 22 Championship games unbeaten for John Robertson’s side stretching back into last season.

Pars boss Allan Johnston said: “The first half was really open.

“It must have been good to watch as both teams were going at it and from our point of view we scored two cracking goals but also conceded two and we should have done better.

“Aidan Keena hasn’t played a lot of football but what an impression he made to come in and do that.”

Thistle made four changes from the team that drew at Alloa with Coll Donaldson returning to the heart of the defence after a one-game ban.

Dunfermline were in need of a result after back-to-back home defeats by Queen of the South and Dundee United and with only two wins since mid-August, Johnston made five changes.

Ryan Williamson and Faissal El Bakhtaoui made the bench but injury ruled out Louis Longridge, Tom Beadling and James Vincent.

Making his first start was frontman Keena, on-loan from Hearts, while Andy Ryan, Aidan Connolly, Malaury Martin and Joe Thomson also stepped in.

On a greasy surface, Sean Welsh lost the ball for the Pars’ 10th minute opener.

Myles Hippolyte surged forward and cut a diagonal pass into Keena’s path. With close control, the 19-year-old turned inside Brad Mckay at pace and sent the ball low into the net.

Caley were level after 20 minutes. Shaun Rooney’s through pass caught the Pars napping and Riccardo Calder raced in to net a 12-yard shot.

Keena threatened again soon after with trickery inside the box but home keeper Mark Ridgers saved.

But the Irish teenager’s second came after 29 minutes.

With no apparent danger, he let rip from fully 35 yards and left Ridgers for dead as the shot tore into the top righthand corner.

But five minutes later, more defensive chaos saw Jordan White flick in ICT’s equaliser.

The second half was a more subdued affair with the defences finally finding some composure.

A threat finally came 13 minutes from time as Calder pulled down Keena on the edge of the box. Connolly’s free-kick clipped the top of the Thistle bar. Attendance –1,994

Inverness – Ridgers, Rooney, B McKay, Donaldson, Calder, Trafford (Chalmers 70), Welsh, D Mackay, Polworth (Doran 74), Walsh (Austin 70), White. Subs: Hoban, McCart, Oakley, MacGregor.

Dunfermline – Robinson, Craigen, Ashcroft, Devine, J Longridge, Hippolyte, Thomson, M Martin, Connolly, Keena (Muirhead 81), Ryan (El Bakhtaoui 70). Subs: Gill, Williamson, L Martin, Higginbotham, McCann.