Caley 4-0 Annan: That’s more like it

By: Ian Rose | August 1st, 2009

When we made it past Montrose in the Challenge Cup last week by the thinnest of margins, there was something eerily familiar about it. It wasn’t just an underperforming Caley Thistle side, though I’ve certainly seen my share of that. It was the feeling of supporting a team that played down to its opponent, a stronger side that couldn’t put away a weaker one.

Today in the League Cup, things were a bit different. Annan Athletic came to town for a first round matchup. Caley Thistle could have hardly asked for a better draw to start the competition – a home match with a bottom-tier side. But the question remained – would we play them, and beat them, like a team two divisions their better? Or would we play down to them again?

Terry Butcher started new keeper Kyle Allison in goal, with Ryan Esson watching from the bench, the League Cup fulfilling its usual role in the early rounds at least as a time to run out the backup keep. It was an attacking lineup, to my happy surprise, with Adam Rooney, Dani Sanchez and Dougie Imrie up front supported in the midfield by Cox, Eagle and Stratford, and anchored in the back by Bulvitis, Munro, Djebi-Zadi and of course, Ross Tokely.

It was a slow start, with a few decent chances from Rooney going just wide or high. Then a great service from Imrie found the Irishman’s head in the 21st and he buried it for 1-0. Still, we went into halftime up only that one precarious goal.

Luckily, the team in general and Dougie Imrie in particular were not at all happy with that. The unquestioned Man of the Match, Imrie set up promising new winger Robert Eagle about ten minutes after the break, then went and scored his own about halfway through the second. Imrie was an animal today, and really confirmed what he told the papers last week – he is committed to this team. Right before the death, Sanchez netted the final goal of the match in his first Caley appearance, giving us the 4-0.

Aside from the nervy start, it was a comfortable win, exactly what we needed and as I said before the match, exactly what we should have expected. The rest of the First Division, for the most part, performed just as well. County (spit) easily handled the same Montrose side that gave us such pains last week, 5-0. Dunfermline and Dundee won by the same scoreline, and new SPL side St. Johnstone did the same. From the “adding insult to injury” file, Livingston went down 3-0. If any side needed a second-round match to make some money, it was Livvie. I really feel for the fans there.

A great performance today from a fresh, young side not afraid to take what is theirs, and I couldn’t be happier. Great to see Eagle and Sanchez get on the board, and Imrie really showed what he could be for us this season. The new keeper wasn’t tested much, but performed the few times he had to. Overall, that’s a job well done.

Mon the Caley.

Other match reports: BBC, Official ICT site (ignore the 0-0 score – it’s wrong)