The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
Caley Jags close in on record
Championship: Inverness go 22 unbeaten as Vigurs rescues County at Falkirk
Caley Thistle made it 22 games unbeaten in the Championship but only after enduring another frustrating draw against Dunfermline last night.
A 2-2 draw was the club’s sixth in a row as they came from behind twice to level but could not find a winning goal against the Pars.
The result moved John Robertson’s side up to fourth in the table but they are now eight points adrift of new leaders Ayr United who moved top of the Championship thanks to a 3-0 win against Alloa while Ross County, who visit Inverness on Saturday, were held 1-1 by Falkirk.
The first half was a thriller featuring four goals, one of them a goal of the season contender.
The Pars led twice thanks to two goals from on-loan Hearts striker Aidan Keena. His first came in the 10th minute when he ran on to a Myles Hippolyte pass before cutting inside Brad McKay and curling the ball past Mark Ridgers in the Inverness goal.
Caley Jags equalised through Riccardo Calder when he ran on to Shaun Rooney’s defence splitting pass to slot the ball past Lee Robinson but Dunfermline hit back again with a stunning effort from Keena, who collected the ball 35 yards from goal before beating Ridgers with a stunning strike.
Inverness, to their credit, levelled again when Jordan White side-footed a cross past Pars goalkeeper Robinson but neither side could find a winner in the second half.
Meanwhile, Ross County relinquished the top spot with a 1-1 draw at Falkirk.
Stuart Kettlewell and Steven Ferguson’s side required Iain Vigurs’s intervention 12 minutes from time to give them a point, however Ayr United’s win at home to Alloa Athletic saw them leap-frog the Staggies into top spot.
In a first half where County dominated possession and probed extensively around the Falkirk penalty area, the lead going to the home side was a surprise as Cowie scored an own goal with 25 minutes gone.
Falkirk had barely had a peep up until then, with Stelios Demetriou and Billy Mckay forcing home stopper David Mitchell to show his qualities to deny the Staggies a goal.
Ross Draper and Keith Watson had chances in the second half to level the scores, as a defensivelyminded Falkirk were content to sit in and protect the slender lead they had.
It fell to Vigurs to ensure County took something from the game, with a clipped effort from the edge of the box that left Mitchell stranded and went in off the post, sparking wild celebrations on the visiting bench.
Substitute Brian Graham tested Mitchell again and Mckay was denied in a goalmouth scramble, as County were forced to settle for a point on the road ahead of Saturday’s Highland derby.