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Aberdeen’s Chris Clark fails in a desperate attempt to keep out the opening goal from Inverness Caledonian Thistle’s Bobby Mann.
ALAN PATTULLO IT WASN’T to be - seven of Inverness Caledonian Thistle’s near-150 season ticket holders had spurned this Scottish Cup meeting with Aberdeen, due to the game’s rescheduled kick-off time clashing with church services in town. They took God with them too, it seemed, Aberdeen claiming all the blessings of the Sabbath with a frantic equalising goal ten minutes from time. Norwegian Cato Guntveit was the Aberdeen hero, heading in a cross from Chris Clark, who had just arrived on the scene as substitute, a moment of divine inspiration from Aberdeen manager Ebbe Skovdahl. Before this, it looked as though Inverness would claim yet another scalp. Aberdeen’s faltering state might not class them as a prize mantlepiece trophy, but they present a slippery enough stepping stone into the quarter-finals. Inverness, who now face a replay a week tomorrow at Pittodrie, may feel they should already be in the last eight, after defender Bobby Mann had given them a deserved lead with a stout header five minutes after half time. It was not quite enough, as yet another so-called big gun was reduced to celebrating the scraps of a draw against lesser opposition. All roads - and all entrepreneurs - in the Highlands led to Caledonian Stadium, for the club’s biggest game in an, admittedly, short history. T-shirts celebrating a certain result 12 days ago were being flogged at every corner of the ground. Also hoping to exploit the situation were Aberdeen, who may have aimed to hit Inverness in the opening minutes, before their players had returned to earth after an incredible few days of media superstardom. Formed just six years ago, Inverness have been making steady, if unspectacular, progress up Scottish football’s ladder. If their having received scant attention rankled, then this was to change in a quite startling manner. Since that defeat of Celtic they have been as likely to be mentioned on the Big Breakfast as the Highland News, and publicity usually results in a riotous kind of fervour. Old Nessie would have felt sore, so intense was the spotlights’ glare on Caledonian Stadium. There were more ameras trained on events on the park than can be spotted each weekend by the famous loch. While Caledonian Thistle have enjoyed their moment in the sun, rather different reasons have led to Aberdeen being a focus of nation-wide attention. Billed as The Worst Side in Europe for much of this season, Skovdahl has been attempting to rebuild a team and restore a reputation. A CIS Insurance Cup final appearance next month might have started such rehabilitation, but defeat here last night would have set them a long way back. Without Hicham Zerouali, detained on Moroccan international duty, Aberdeen could perhaps be forgiven for travelling the 100 miles to Inverness with churning stomachs. Certainly, the manner in which they started the game suggested if not fear, then, at the very least, a bout of travel sickness. Inverness began in the thunderous way you would have expected, and created the first chance of the game after only two minutes. Charlie Christie, making his 103rd consecutive appearance for Inverness, threaded a fine ball through the Aberdeen defence, which had conveniently parted like a red sea, but Mark McCulloch’s shot was expertly parried by Jim Leighton. It was enough, you thought, to rouse Aberdeen, but still Inverness tore at them, with a Barry Wilson shot smothered by the 41-year-old Aberdeen goalkeeper. At the other end, another aged custodian of the sticks could take things a bit easier, and it was not until the 35th minute that 39-year-old Jim Calder was called on to produce a save of worth, clasping the ball after Robbie Winters had mis-hit in front of goal. Minutes later, he was called into more vigorous action, with a startling block from Kevin Rutkiewicz. Then, for Inverness, Ross Tokely saw a cross from Paul Sheerin skim off his head and bounce the wrong side of Leighton’s post. The signs were that yet another shock might spring forth from the Highlands, although such thoughts were tempered by the fact that things could only improve for Aberdeen in the second half. After all, they have not lost to a side outwith the Old Firm since last November. However, Inverness are becoming used to keeping such illustrious company, and showed intentions of adding their name to those of Rangers and Celtic when, in 50 minutes, they edged ahead. A corner from the left was swung in by McCulloch, and rising at the far post was Mann, this bulldog of a fellow. His shaven skull propelled the ball into the net, despite the close attentions of Guntveit. It was the defender’s first goal in Inverness colours - his deflected header against Celtic in the last round was officially classed an own goal - and it was the counter he deserved, after a performance of some worth. One clearance in the first half, after a dangerous Andy Dow cross, had been of the vital variety. He celebrated in the same way as he did against Celtic, falling dramatically to his knees, barely a flicker of emotion across his rigid features. On this occasion though, his moment of glory had not been stolen from him by Lubomir Moravcik’s pesky boot. Mann had been dropped last season by Steve Paterson, because of the excess weight he carried. Now, though, it is a slim line version that strides purposely around First Division grounds and he showed last night that he could step into a higher league, winning the man of the match award. For Aberdeen though, this was the sting required to fire their clearly wilting spirits. Skovdahl sent on Chris Clark to replace James McAllister, who had been finding the going somewhat tough on the left flank. This move provided almost immediate return when Clark scampered up this same wing and provided the cross from which Guntveit scored, rising at the far post, just as Mann had done, and sparing his side’s blushes with a well-placed header. It was a measure of how this game had panned out, when the Aberdeen fans departed into the night cheering loudly. It was celebration shot through with relief.
Inverness CT: Calder, Tokely, Golabek, Teasdale, Mann, Sheerin, Bavidge (Byers 76), McCulloch, Wilson, Christie, Wyness (Glancy 90). Sub not used: Hind.
Aberdeen: Leighton, Whyte, Solberg, Anderson, McAllister (Clark 76), Bernard, Dow, Guntveit, Stavrum, Rutkiewicz (Belabed 58), Winters (Perry 88).
