SUB DAZ TONS UP SURVIVAL BATTLE HEAT
MORTON...2 INVERNESS...2
CALEY supersub Darren McCauley struck a late equaliser to keep Morton in the Championship relegation dogfight.
A first-half goal from Reece Lyon and Greg Kiltie’s penalty saw the Greenock side cancel out Anthony McDonald’s 17th-minute opener.
But Ton allowed their battling first-half display to be undone with a slack defensive moment that McCauley exploited with looping header in the final minutes of this game.
It keeps Inverness firmly in the hunt for a promotion play-off spot but all eyes will be on seventh-placed Ton’s game at Falkirk on Saturday with three points separating Jonatan Johansson’s men and basement Partick Thistle.
He said: “We should have killed the game off as we had so many chances.
“But I have said to the players that they cannot feel sorry for themselves. The next game is a massive one. With a display like that I am fairly confident.”
Cammy Mackay replaced Mark Ridgers in the Caley goal after he dislocated his finger in the Scottish Cup defeat to Hearts last Saturday.
It was only Mackay’s fourth appearance of the season and Ton were quick to ask questions of him.
Gary Oliver and Michael Tidser both came close in the opening minutes of the game with the latter sliding a shot wide of the target. Tidser went closer again with an effort over the bar.
Inverness, though, had openings of their own with Liam Polworth hitting one effort straight at Robby McCrorie after finding himself in space just outside the box.
But it was a warning Ton failed to heed as McDonald was allowed time and space to carve them open on the right before cutting inside and firing in off the inside post.
Ton looked for a swift response with Lyon stinging Mackay’s palms with a rasping drive.
He made no mistake a minute later with another ferocious effort into the bottom left-hand corner after Reghan Tumilty had teed him up.
Kiltie then netted from the spot after Joe Chalmers had barged Gregor Buchanan over in the box before the break.
Kiltie could have won it after the restart when he rounded the keeper but he saw his effort headed off the line by Inverness defender Shaun Rooney.
Tumilty went into the book for late lunge on Kevin McHattie as tensions came to the fore.
Charlie Trafford headed just over the bar and Tidser had an effort creep just wide of the post before McCauley levelled.
Inverness manager John Robertson said: “We’ve not clinched a play-off spot yet. It’s another decent point but we’ve got work to do.”