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Trivia
- First game this season Inv Caley have not conceded a goal! (GREAT!!!!)
- WGS pointed out we'd not conceded for two goals in a row. no comment!
- Caley had an goal chopped off for offside when should have been given.
- Celtic now down to 2pts ahead.
Quick Review
What a poor game… not much good to say at all.
Caley had an goal chopped off for offside when should have been given.
Back to the drawing board.
Teams
Inverness CT:
Esson, Tokely, Munro, Mihadjuks, Djebi-Zadi, Proctor, Black, Duncan, Foran (Vigurs 74), Imrie (Odhiambo 86), Barrowman (Rooney 69).
Subs Not Used: Fraser, McGuire, Wood, Duff.
Booked: Black, Rooney
Celtic: Boruc, Hinkel, Caldwell, McManus, Naylor, Scott Brown, Robson, Nakamura (Crosas 64), McGeady, Samaras (Vennegoor of Hesselink 52), McDonald (Sheridan 87)
Subs Not Used: Mark Brown, Loovens, Hartley, O'Dea.
Booked: McManus, Robson
Att: 7,007
Ref: C Richmond
Articles
Celtic manager Gordon Strachan:
"It was nothing different from what we have had here before. We got the same type of performance from Inverness.
"It could have been any one of the games we've had here before.
"We've tried different teams. I've tried an all-skilful team, the stronger ones, taller ones. But, at this moment in time, we are not getting performances.
"We've got the footballers, we've got the better players, but we didn't play well, especially in the first half."
Inverness CT manager Terry Butcher:
"The players have given us everything and I thank them for that because it does give us hope.
"It's hard to put your finger on it, but there is something here that is a bit special. Hopefully we can take that forward.
"In the last 10 minutes, I was thinking that if we lost the game, I would still have been very pleased with the way they played.
"A point is a bonus obviously but the real bonus is the performance.
"They came off the pitch as heroes and our boys can be heroes this season."
Pictures
KStreet
Stats
INVERNESS CT v CELTIC
Possession
| 44% | 56% |
Shots on target
| 4 | 2 |
Shots off target
| 8 | 5 |
Corners
| 3 | 4 |
Fouls
| 18 | 15 |
Inverness CT 0 Celtic 0
Terry Butcher marked his first game in charge of Inverness Caley Thistle with a goalless draw against league leaders Celtic this afternoon.
There was little in the way of goalmouth action, although Georgios Samaras should have done better when he headed wide from six yards in the first half.
Both sides looked for a late winner with Inverness substitute Adam Rooney seeing his header pushed over the bar by Artur Boruc while Stephen McManus volleyed over at the other end in the closing stages.
Celtic captain McManus returned for Celtic who made three changes from the side that defeated Dundee United midweek in the Co-operative Insurance Cup semi-final.
Samaras and Barry Robson were also preferred with Glenn Loovens, Marc Crosas and Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink dropping to the bench.
Butcher made five changes to the side that lost to Hearts with new signing Richie Foran making his debut. Lionel Djebi-Zadi, Andy Barrowman, David Proctor and Ian Black also returned to the Caley line-up.
Inverness came out of the traps brightly with Dougie Imrie testing Boruc from distance within the opening two minutes.
An offside flag denied Foran a dream start when he acrobatically turned the ball past Boruc two minutes later.
Samaras spurned a great opportunity after 17 minutes when he unsuccessfully tried to find his striking partner Scott McDonald instead of having a shot himself.
McManus was booked for a crude challenge on the lively Imrie as Inverness continued to venture forward at every chance.
The hosts almost gifted Celtic the lead, however, when Shunsuke Nakamura pounced on a slack Ross Tokely clearance but the Japanese midfielder's effort was deflected wide.
Inverness survived another scare moments later when Samaras somehow headed wide from six yards when he looked certain to open the scoring.
Boruc was called into action to keep out a Pavels Mihadjuks header after 29 minutes before Foran failed to keep his diving header under the bar.
Inverness CT 0-0 Celtic
By Clive Lindsay
BBC
Inverness Caledonian Thistle battled bravely in their first game under Terry Butcher as SPL leaders Celtic were forced to settle for a point.
Dougie Imrie was denied early on by Celtic goalkeeper Artur Boruc, while new signing Richie Foran had the ball in the net only to be ruled offside.
Georgios Samaras squandered a couple of chances for Celtic, while Pavels Mihadjuks was also thwarted by Boruc.
Both sides pressed for a late winner, but chances were missed at both ends.
It meant that bottom side Caley Thistle avoided their ninth straight defeat in the Scottish Premier League, while Celtic had to settle for stretching their lead to two points going into their game against second-top Rangers.
New Inverness manager Butcher made his mark with five changes from the team chosen by caretaker John Docherty for the 3-2 defeat by Hearts.
Foran was handed a start with Lionel Djebi-Zadi, Andy Barrowman, David Proctor and Ian Black also returning to the Caley Thistle side.
Watford-bound Don Cowie was left out along with Garry Wood and Iain Vigurs, while Roy McBain was suspended and Thierry Gathuessi injured.
And it was the fired up Highlanders who posed the early threat, with Imrie forcing Boruc to turn his low drive from distance wide for a corner.
Then former Motherwell and Southend forward Foran athletically turned the ball past Boruc from eight yards only to be ruled offside in what was a very close call by the referee's assistant.
Celtic manager Gordon Strachan had freshened up his side after Wednesday's marathon Co-operative Insurance Cup semi-final win over Dundee United.
But, despite the return of fit-again captain Stephen McManus, Barry Robson and Georgios Samaras in place of Glenn Loovens, Marc Crosas and Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink, the league leaders lacked a bit of zip.
Samaras headed weakly wide from eight yards as Celtic started to create some chances of their own.
Mihadjuks did slightly better at the other end, finding the target from close range following a Black free-kick, but Boruc spread himself star-like to block the defender's header at the far post.
A game that had descended into a dour midfield battle sprang to life in the final 15 minutes after Russell Duncan broke clear down the right and his low cross across the face of Celtic's goal was missed by Imrie and substitute Adam Rooney.
Boruc took care to turn a looping Rooney header over the crossbar, while Celtic's Scott Brown had a close-range effort blocked as the play raged from end to end.
Eric Odhiambo forced a near-post save from Boruc, although the new signing's low drive was heading wide of the near post, while McManus fired well over the Inverness bar from six yards.
As the final whistle blew, the Caley Thistle fans could dream again of SPL survival – even though they are still four points adrift of Falkirk – while Celtic's were realising that the next Old Firm derby has become even more vital to the destiny of the title.
"It could have been any one of the games we've had here before.
"We've tried different teams. I've tried an all-skilful team, the stronger ones, taller ones. But, at this moment in time, we are not getting performances.
"We've got the footballers, we've got the better players, but we didn't play well, especially in the first half."
Inverness CT manager Terry Butcher:
"The players have given us everything and I thank them for that because it does give us hope.
"It's hard to put your finger on it, but there is something here that is a bit special. Hopefully we can take that forward.
"In the last 10 minutes, I was thinking that if we lost the game, I would still have been very pleased with the way they played.
"A point is a bonus obviously but the real bonus is the performance.
"They came off the pitch as heroes and our boys can be heroes this season."
Inverness CT: Esson, Tokely, Munro, Mihadjuks, Djebi-Zadi, Proctor, Black, Duncan, Foran (Vigurs 74), Imrie (Odhiambo 86), Barrowman (Rooney 69).
Subs Not Used: Fraser, McGuire, Wood, Duff.
Booked: Black, Rooney.
Celtic: Boruc, Hinkel, Caldwell, McManus, Naylor, Scott Brown, Robson, Nakamura (Crosas 64), McGeady, Samaras (Vennegoor of Hesselink 52), McDonald (Sheridan 87).
Subs Not Used: Mark Brown, Loovens, Hartley, O'Dea.
Booked: McManus, Robson.
Att: 7,007
Ref: C Richmond