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SPL: Dundee United 1 ICT 1 |
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Sunday, 28 August 2005 |
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A Craig Brewster header six minutes from time earned Inverness Caledonian Thistle a 1-1 draw in their Bank of Scotland Premier League match against hapless United defense.
United endured an embarrassing UEFA Cup exit at the hands of Finnish part-timers MyPa-47 in midweek and struggled for most of the match.
But in the 65th minute striker Lee Miller lifted the mood when he rose at the back post to head home an Alan Archibald cross.
However, six minutes from time Caley's player-manager - once a hero at Tannadice after scoring the goal which won the 1994 Tennent`s Scottish Cup final - headed in a Barry Wilson cross from close range to stun Tannadice.
United had again failed to kill off a game they controlled, a fact not missed by the home fans who jeered their favourites off the pitch.
The Taysiders came close in the seventh minute when David Fernandez, playing up front with Miller, picked up a Mark Wilson pass at the edge of the Caley penalty area and drove a low shot off Mark Brown's left hand post before the ball was eventually cleared to safety.
Moments later, a Barry Robson shot from 16 yards struck Inverness midfielder Liam Fox and almost fooled Brown - who had to change direction before he gathered.
Fernandez was influential in United's attacks and in the 20th minute the wiry little Spaniard robbed Stuart Golabek and drove a terrific low cross in from the right which just evaded the lurking Miller.
Five minutes later the visitors looked to have a decent penalty claim when Robson appeared to handle a Barry Wilson corner from the right - but referee Eddie Smith ignored the weak appeals.
At the other end, a clever one-two between Barry Wilson and Liam Fox ended with the latter drawing a fine save from United goalkeeper Derek Stillie, before Tangerines' midfielder Mark Kerr mopped up the danger.
In the 43rd minute United skipper Paul Ritchie made a clumsy challenge on Craig Dargo inside the home penalty box but again Smith waved play on.
Then in injury-time, Brewster latched onto a Wilson corner at the near post but sent his powerful header just wide.
The game refused to ignite after the interval and although United had the majority of possession, just, too much of the match was being played in the middle of the pitch or in the air.
There was an increase in tempo and Dargo did get the ball in the net in the 55th minute - but the former Kilmarnock player was correctly ruled offside.
Caley were on top now and in the 58th minute when the ball broke from a Ritchie tackle on Dargo 14 yards from goal, Brewster executed a perfectly weighted chip shot but Stillie somehow got up to his top left hand corner of his goals to claw the ball away.
United were struggling to make any impact on the Inverness defence but out of the blue in the 65th minute they took the lead through Miller - the former Hearts' player's fourth goal for the Tannadice club.
Alan Archibald crossed to the back post from the left and Miller managed to rise under pressure to knock the ball into the net from close range.
In the 80th minute a tremendous cross from the left by United substitute Jim McIntyre, who replaced Collin Samuel in the first half, was met by Robson but the midfielder's downward header from 12 yards was well saved by Brown.
However, in the 84th minute, as they game seemed to be slipping away from them, Caley grabbed an equaliser with a goal similar to the one they had lost earlier.
Wilson's whipped cross from the right touchline dipped into the United six-yard box and Brewster stooped to head home past a helpless Stillie for his fifth goal of the season. |
