[DavidMc]

St Mirren 1-1 Inverness Caledonian Thistle
Scottish Premier League
Saturday 9th February 08
Love Street, Paisley

Inverness Caley Thistle netted the 1000th goal since their formation in 1994 but had to settle for a share of the spoils at St Mirren Park.
Grant Munro hammered a drive from 12 yards past the helpless Chris Smith to put the visitors ahead on 38 minutes.

Inverness wasted chances to increase their lead and St Mirren battled back in the second half.

Michael Fraser made a good save to deny Jim Hamilton but Billy Mehmet was on hand to drill in the equaliser.

It looked a long way back for the Paisley side who failed to test Fraser in a dreadful first-45 minute display.

But they hit back in determined fashion and it was Caley who were the more relieved to hear the final whistle.

Inverness first threatened when Dennis Wyness, with only keeper Chris Smith to beat from 14 yards, failed to connect properly and the ball spun well wide of the target.

Ian Black then teed the ball up and drew a fine save from Smith with his volley from the edge of the penalty box.

In the 21st minute, Caley midfielder Don Cowie tried his luck with a free-kick from distance which troubled Smith as he fumbled.

Smith was again called in to action when he had to get down sharp to his right to beat away a Wyness drive.

However, the milestone goal was only delayed by seconds. After Cowie whipped in the corner, the Buddies' defence allowed Wyness to head back to Munro who took a touch before driving into the net.

Inverness, compact and organised, were breaking with purpose when the occasion arose and in the 58th minute Dougie Imrie's drive had Smith diving low to his left to gather.

On the hour mark, Mehmet got on the end of a Craig Dargo cross for almost the first time all day but headed over from 12 yards.

Moments later, Mark Corcoran's driven free-kick from wide on the right ended up at the unmarked Ian Maxwell at the far post but the left-back blasted over.

St Mirren got the equaliser on 75 minutes when Maxwell's deep cross to the back post was headed back by the stretching Dargo to Hamilton whose close-range drive was brilliantly saved by Fraser.

But the ball broke kindly to Mehmet who netted from 12 yards.

With five minutes remaining, Corcoran worked a neat one-two with Hamilton at the edge of the Caley box before driving inches over the bar.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

St Mirren: Smith, van Zanten, Barron, Potter, Maxwell, Murray, Dorman, McGinn (Hamilton 65), Dargo, Mehmet, Corcoran. Subs Not Used: Howard, Kean, Brady, Miranda, McCay, Millen.

Booked: van Zanten.

Goal: Mehmet 74.

Inverness CT: Fraser, Tokely, Duncan, Proctor (Imrie 46), Hastings, Cowie, Black, McBain, Munro, Wyness (Wilson 76), Niculae. Subs Not Used: Malkowski, Bayne, Kerr, Vigurs, Rennie.

Booked: Munro.

Goal: Munro 28.

Att: 3,609