9th Feb 2022 Inverness Caledonian Thistle 3 Partick Thistle 3 (SPFL Championship - game 22)

matches:2021-22: ← 32game 3334 →

	former Jag Billy Dodds	Ian McCall	57y, 4m, 10d

		Kevin Holt
		Richard Foster

Billy Mckay (1-1, 21‎ mins); Shane Sutherland (2-2, 45‎ mins); Kirk Broadfoot (3-3, 90‎+‎4 mins)‎		Wallace Duffy (1-0, og 8 mins); Brian Graham (2-1, 27‎ mins); Brian Graham (3-2, pen 72 mins)
David Carson (1-1, 21‎ mins); Reece McAlear (2-2, 45‎ mins); Logan Chalmers (3-3, 90‎+‎4 mins)‎		Scott Tiffoney (1-0, og 8 mins); Scott Tiffoney (2-1, 27‎ mins); none (3-2, pen 72 mins)
Robbie Deas‎		Scott Tiffoney

Austin Samuels (Logan Chalmers, 53 mins); Robbie Deas (Cameron Harper, 72 mins); Sam Pearson (Joe Hardy, 82 mins)		Cammy Smith (Alex Jakubiak, 75 mins); Scott Tiffoney (Stephen Hendrie, 83 mins); Brian Graham (Ross MacIver, 90 mins)

	former Jag Mark Ridgers	Jamie Sneddon	24y, 5m, 3d
	David Carson	Ciaran McKenna	23y, 10m, 15d
	Wallace Duffy	Kevin Holt	29y, 0m, 15d
	Kirk Broadfoot	Lewis Mayo	21y, 10m, 21d
	Robbie Deas	Tunji Akinola	23y, 2m, 19d
	former Jag Sean Welsh	Stuart Bannigan	29y, 4m, 23d
	Reece McAlear	Ross Docherty	29y, 0m, 17d
	Shane Sutherland	Robbie Crawford	27y, 7m, 18d
	Billy McKay	Brian Graham	34y, 2m, 17d
	Austin Samuels	Cammy Smith	26y, 5m, 16d
	Sam Pearson	Scott Tiffoney	23y, 5m, 14d

			26y, 7m, 9d

	Cammy Mackay	Mason McCready	18y, 11m, 4d
	Cameron Harper	Kyle Turner	24y, 2m, 30d
	future Jag Logan Chalmers	Alex Jakubiak	25y, 5m, 13d
	Joe Hardy	Connor Murray	24y, 9m, 16d
	Lewis Hyde	Ross MacIver	22y, 11m, 12d
	Lewis Nicolson	Stephen Hendrie	27y, 1m, 1d
		Kyle McAllister	23y, 0m, 19d

notes

Both sides generally in playing order.
Inverness filled only 6 of their 9 allocated bench slots, whilst Thistle filled 7 of theirs.
Originally scheduled for Sunday, 26th December, 2021, but postponed due to Covid, Inverness having insufficient players available to fulfil the fixture.
The influential OPTA agent at the ground credited Thistle's Brian Graham with the opening goal, and this has been accepted by the media 'network' which includes the SPFL. However, as can be seen from the slow-mo video snip in our match highlights tab, it was actually an own goal by Inverness's Wallace Duffy (#2). Brian Graham doesn't touch the ball whatsover. As we look at it, the ball comes in from the right and, although BG sticks out a foot, the ball doesn’t turn 90 degrees towards the net until it’s past his foot and hits the defender. It's actually Tiffoney who initially claims the goal, and Graham even chases after him to offer congratulations. Of course, like any good striker BG's claiming it in the aftermath because he thinks he can get away with it, and who can really blame him?! Anyway, we stick with the truthful account, even if we do stand alone.

TTA report

The defence was susceptible to crosses all night and paid the price (21, 45+1 and 90+4). Tiffoney (outstanding) set up an OG with Graham close in (8) and a Graham header (27). A pen by Graham (Crawford pulled down, 72) made it 3-2. Sneddon had some good saves to keep ICT at bay until added time. Fair bit disappointing having led 3 times.

Media report

Kevin Durent, 09-Feb-2022, Press and Journal

Kirk Broadfoot salvaged a last-gasp draw for Caley Thistle as they shared the spoils in a 3-3 Championship thriller against Partick Thistle. Former Ross County man Brian Graham struck twice in the first half and buried a penalty in the second, with his side looking to be heading for three points. Billy Mckay and Shane Sutherland had brought Billy Dodds‘ men back into the game twice after they fell behind and, with defeat beckoning, Broadfoot headed in during the last embers of stoppage-time. It is now just one clean sheet in 10 for the Highland capital side, but they remain in third in the Championship. The Caley Jags made one change from the 1-0 loss against Morton, with David Carson back in to the team at the expense of Logan Chalmers. For the visitors, Kevin Holt was a straight replacement at left back for the injured Richard Foster.

Any chance the home side had to settle in the game was obliterated after just eight minutes. Ross Docherty’s cross-field pass picked out Scott Tiffoney wide on the left and he skipped passed David Carson, before playing the ball into the six-yard box for a Graham to tap in. In the swirling snow at the Caledonian Stadium, it appeared Caley Thistle’s promotion aspirations were disappearing further. However, with 21 minutes on the clock they responded with a well-taken goal, Carson’s cross from the right finished on the volley by Mckay from eight yards. Parity lasted all of six minutes as the same Partick combination linked up again to restore their advantage. Tiffoney pushed the ball past Carson, got to the byline and crossed for Graham to head the ball back past Mark Ridgers. The Caley Thistle goalkeeper had to be on guard again shortly after with Tiffoney again the orchestrator, cutting inside from the left and firing towards the top corner. Kevin Holt came close with a dipping effort over the bar before Inverness dragged themselves level again before the interval. Reece McAlear’s corner reached the back post where it was met by Sutherland, who smuggled the ball in through a crowd of players. Timing could not have better for Caley Thistle, who looked a side lacking fluidity and confidence in the first half. But fortunately for them, their two strikers were in the right place at the right time.

To their credit, they started the second half with a greater degree of urgency. Broadfoot directed a header wide and Sutherland was inches away from getting a touch on a delightful ball from McAlear, with Jamie Sneddon on hand to gather. Norwich loanee McAlear was having a growing influence on the game, both from open-play and dead-ball situations as he sought to prise open the visiting defence. Graham, Partick’s leading threat from the first half, had largely been kept at bay in the second period, until he completed his hat-trick with 19 minutes to go. Referee Peter Stuart penalised Robbie Deas for bringing down Robbie Crawford just inside the penalty area, with Graham making no mistake by slamming the ball into the net from the spot. Dodds brought on Cameron Harper for Deas immediately and the left-back was straight into the thick of the action, forcing Sneddon to block his powerful drive at the near post. The lively Sam Pearson then rattled the frame of the goal from Sean Welsh’s pass as Caley Thistle desperately tried to find their way back into the game again. Chances were now racking up at both ends, with Tiffoney worrying Ridgers with a fizzing effort across the face of his goal and Mckay dragging an attempt just past the upright as Sneddon looked on. Jags stopper Sneddon was required again to beat away a well-struck free-kick from substitute Logan Chalmers and it was left until virtually the last kick of the game for Broadfoot to head in, with the ball sneaking inside the near post.

Reaction

Partick Thistle manager Ian McCall (speaking to Jagzone):

Everyone is devastated in that dressing room right now because we were so close. We felt we edged it and obviously it feels ten times worse when you concede so late on. It’s difficult to be too hard on them though because they put so much into that game and have been excellent for me over the past few months. Certainly over the last 15 or so games we’ve been pretty tight in key moments but tonight those two goals at the end of the halves cost us. Both come from set pieces which was frustrating as well. The one in the first half, we allow a header on goal from about five yards out and there’s only going to be one result with that. Then for the third one is a second phase delivery and our marking is loose. The header takes a big deflection which takes it in but we still have to do more to challenge that. We need to regroup. It’s a difficult one to take but we know there’s not going to be much time between games this month. The cup tie is one to look forward to and we’ll go into it with the belief that we can get into the next round.

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