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COVE RANGERS 0-3 INVERNESS CALEDONIAN THISTLE

We fell to a demoralising defeat at Balmoral Stadium, the visitors cruising to a comfortable win thanks to a Keith Bray hat-trick. In truth, we barely looked like netting at any point, and it was just the second time since we joined the SPFL that the team has gone three games in a row without scoring.

Mitch Megginson started his two-match ban after being sent-off at Arbroath last week, but that apart, Paul Hartley had a full squad to choose from for the first time in months with Will Gillingham, Declan Glass and Arron Darge all passed fit.

The manager drafted in Myles Gaffney up front, with Findlay Marshall restored to the midfield. Darge resumed his central defensive partnership with Mikey Doyle and Liam Parker dropped to the bench.

Inverness kicked-off and were immediately on the attack, McKay’s shot deflected wide before Bray headed past from the resultant corner. Billy McKay then had a shot blocked by Darge as Caley Thistle kept up the early pressure.

Myles Gaffney had a twenty yard effort charged down as we attempted to hit back, and we looked to have taken the lead in the eleventh minute. Gaffney won possession and played the ball through for Adam Emslie, who tucked a composed finish beyond Dibaga, but our celebrations were cut short when the assistant raised his flag for offside.

Instead, it was Inverness who went ahead in their next attack. Having won a corner on the right, Stewart whipped in an inviting delivery and Keith BRAY rose highest at the near post to angle a glancing header past Suman.

There was almost an instant leveller, Fyvie’s cross ball inches from Scully’s head with the goal gaping, then after a second Cove corner neither Gaffney nor Marshall could make telling contact in the scramble which followed.

Ryan Harrington found Connor Scully in the area, but the midfielder’s shot on the turn was blocked, and Caley Thistle then doubled their advantage with a swift counter-attack. After a 1-2 with Stewart, Keith BRAY raced clear to slide the ball home for his second of the afternoon.

Blair Yule almost found Myles Gaffney in the box as we tried to reduce the leeway, but Devine slid in to avert the danger.

The second half began quietly with little in the way of goalmouth action, and it was not until the hour mark that we even looked like threatening. Gaffney did well to win possession and play in Adam Emslie, but Findlay Marshall only just failed to reach his delivery. That sparked a period of pressure from the team, but we failed to find a way through, and did not trouble Dibaga.

The manager threw on Declan Glass and Quinn Coulson for Scully and Marshall, but that did nothing to improve our play, and with eighteen minutes left Inverness sewed up the points when the ball ran into the path of Keith BRAY, unmarked in the area. Nick Suman got a touch, but he could not prevent the ball from rolling into the net.

Glass curled a free-kick wide and Dylan Lobban fired an angled shot over from twenty yards as we attempted a late comeback, but the boys never looked like gaining a foothold, and the match petered out.

The only consolation from the day was that we remain in second as Stenhousemuir also lost heavily, but our advantage over fifth-placed Alloa Athletic is now down to just five points.

COVE RANGERS (4-4-2): Suman; Lobban, Darge, Doyle, Harrington; Marshall (Coulson 71), Yule, Fyvie (c), Scully (Glass 71); Emslie, Gaffney

Substitutes: Demus, Murray, Gillingham, McGrath, Parker

Goalscorers:

Booked: Doyle (71), Fyvie (90)

INV CAL THISTLE (4-4-2): Dibaga; Brannan, Savage, Devine (c), Strachan; MacKinnon (MacLeod 85), Gilmour, Allan, Stewart (Nolan 90); Bray (Thompson 90), McKay (Gardiner 82)

Substitutes: Rebilas, Walker, Ewan

Goalscorers: Bray (13), (36), (72)

Booked:

Referee: Peter Stuart

Attendance: 454

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