FIRHILL SERVES UP VARIATION ON A CLASSIC
IT may have lacked the skill and glamour of Barcelona’s Saturday night destruction of Real Madrid, but there was still plenty to warm the cockles of the 2,864 hardy souls who braved the winter chill in Maryhill. As a warm-up for El Clasico, which kicked-off live on TV just half an hour after this finished, Partick Thistle fullback Mustapha Dumbuya claimed that this encounter fitted the bill as well as any. ‘It’s not the Clasico, but it was a decent enough match for people to watch and enjoy,’ said the 28-year-old. ‘We started off a bit shaky but we ended the game really well. You’ve got to give Inverness credit for starting the game strongly. Both teams attacked, which made it an exciting game.’ Thistle deserved the three points but they snatched them in bizarre fashion during stoppage time. Substitute Ryan Stevenson slung in a hopeful cross, Mathias Pogba tried and failed to provide a finishing touch and goalkeeper Owain Fon Williams, perhaps distracted by Pogba, was flat-footed as the ball drifted past him into the net. ‘I’ll also be claiming an assist because I gave Ryan the ball!’ claimed Dumbuya, who terrified the Inverness defenders with his willingness to run at them. ‘That’s what you want from your subs, to come on to the pitch and change the game for you, and Stevo did really well. ‘Mathias put his hands up straight away and said it wasn’t his goal because he’s a very honest guy. He’s not your typical striker.’ Stevenson’s fluke, combined with Motherwell’s collapse in Dingwall, allowed Alan Archibald’s side to move out of the relegation places on goal difference. Dumbuya now insists that the only way is up for the Jags. ‘I think we’ll soon be climbing the table,’ he said. ‘We’ve got to keep working hard and probably improve our home form.’ Inverness had taken an early lead when Miles Storey had stroked Danny Williams’ through ball behind the advancing Ryan Scully but Kris Doolan fired home a deserved equaliser just before half-time. Caley Thistle faded badly after an impressive start and manager John Hughes was furious with the way his players had allowed the game to slip away from them into defeat. ‘We started pretty well, passing the ball with good purpose like we usually do, but that goal just killed us at the end,’ said striker Williams. ‘I think we certainly deserved at least a point out of the game, so it was disappointing. But we’ll get ready to go again.’