Caley Thistle pull off miraculous comeback to claim point

Queen of the South 3

Inverness Caledonian Thistle 3

Scorers: Queens - Dykes (34) Dobbie (51) Todd (61) ICT – McCart (71) Austin (75) Welsh (81)

INVERNESS Caledonian Thistle came back from 3-0 down with 20 minutes remaining to somehow leave Dumfries with a point and stretch their unbeaten league record to 25 games.

Queen of the South stated their attacking intentions from the start and should have scored in the opening minutes when Lyndon Dykes was unchallenged to connect with a cross from Andrew Stirling eight yards from goal.

But he couldn’t get his shot on target despite beating goalkeeper Mark Ridgers as his shot clipped the left-hand post.

Inverness did threaten in the first half and came close when Sean Welsh’s cross into the box found the head of George Oakley, who beat the Queens defence in the air but nodded the ball inches over the crossbar.

Dykes was proving the danger man for Queens as midway through the first half, he beat the offside trap to run on to a long ball from Gary Harkins and charged into the box but hit the side netting.

However he did find the net in the 34 minute albeit in controversial circumstances. Stephen Dobbie’s cross into the box found Dykes, who with the Inverness defence and goalkeeper protesting the ball hit his arm, fired the ball into the net from close range.

Ridgers was furious running to the linesman appealing there had been a handball, but the decision stood.

Queen of the South doubled their advantage six minutes after the break when ICT’s defence was caught napping when a long ball from Dykes, deep in his own half, allowed Dobbie an unchallenged run and chase with goalkeeper Mark Ridgers to get to the ball first 30 yards from goal. The striker won the chase and rounded the goalkeeper before firing the ball into the back of the net with a low drive from 20 yards.

The game appeared to be over as a contest just after the hour mark, but at first it looked like Michael Doyle had overhit his cross to allow Andrew Stirling a shot at goal.

But Stirling played the ball to the edge of the box to find Josh Todd who powerfully curled the ball out of the reach of Ridgers into the top right corner.

Inverness pulled one back in the 71 minute when Jamie McCart beat the Queens defence in the air to nod Joe Chalmers' free kick into the back of the net from close range.

Then four minutes later the deficit was reduced to one when Nathan Austin appeared to get a touch on Tom Walsh’s cross from the left wing to put the ball past Jack Leighfield to make it 3-2.

Then Inverness were awarded a penalty when Kyle Jacobs fouled Sean Welsh in the box. The midfielder kept his cool from 12 yards to fire the ball past Leighfield to make it 3-3.

Austin nearly won it in the dying minutes when he was put through by Liam Polworth with only the goalkeeper to beat but Leighfield managed to pull off a vital block for a corner.

QOS: Leighfield, Marshall, Fordyce, Doyle, Stirling, Jacobs, Todd, Dobbie, Semple, Harkins, Dykes.

ICT: Ridgers, Chalmers, Donaldson, McCart, Polworth, Doran (McGregor 86), Walsh, Oakley (Austin 59), Welsh, McKay, Trafford (White 59).