MATCH REPORTS

Strathpey Thistle 2 Inverness City 3

Team: McGhee, P Beaton, D Beaton, J Fraser, K Fraser, Stewart, McGuinness (65), Miller, Turner, Nicholson (65), Sanderson (89). Subs: Pearce (65), Murdoch (89), K Mason (65)

STRATHSPEY FEEL CITY BACKLASH

INVERNESS City provided their management team with the perfect response to the weekend hammering at Deveronside with a stunning win against Division 1 side Strathspey Thistle in the Grill League Cup on Tuesday night.

City managers Mike Pollard and Stevie Graham demanded 110% from their troops for the trip to Grantown on Spey and the players delivered in style in a five goal thriller.

City have had a decent start to life in the junior ranks with two wins and two defeats in their opening four matches.

Goals from Michael Turner, Stewart Pearce and a third which Stevie Sanderson will claim were enough to clinch victory against a Strathspey side who were missing a number of key players through injury and suspension.

Last night's victory against a highly rated Strathspey outfit delighted manager Mike Pollard and co- manager Stevie Graham.

Pollard said: "We are absolutely thrilled. It was a perfect response following the bitter disappointment of Saturday match in Banff.

"We saw 110% from the team this time and that's what we were looking for. We still have a lot to improve on though. This result will give the lads confidence, especially when you consider Strathspey are in the Division above us."

He added: "But we won't let the lads get carried away and we will be looking for the same kind of effort when we welcome Burghead to North Kessock on Saturday."

If Saturday's result had dented City's confidence there was little sign of it as the visitors matched their illustrious opponents for power and pace in the opening exchanges.

In fact the first chance of the match fell to City. Michael Turner made his way to the byline down the right and his cross picked out Gary Miller at the back post, but he was always stretching and his effort dipped over the bar.

Three minutes later the visitors took the lead and there was real quality about the build up and the finish. Kevin Fraser slipped a beautifully weighted pass through the Strathspey defence for TURNER to run onto and he slotted calmly past Ridgers in the home goal.

Turner then had three further opportunities to add to City's tally in 30, 33 and 42 minutes but a combination of bad luck and sloppy finishing conspired against him.

Two minutes before the interval Strathspey were back on level terms thanks to some poor defending from City who failed to clear their lines. Stevie Sanderson was also booked on the stroke of half time for pushing.

A David Ritchie effort in 58 minutes had Mark McGhee scrambling across his goal, but fortunately for City the ball came back off the inside of the post and was cleared to safety.

Miller and Sanderson went close for City midway through the second half, but their lead was restored on the 75 minute mark. Turner raced down the right and cut the ball inside for Sanderson on the edge of the area. He beat three players before firing in a shot, which Ridgers could only parry and Stewart PEARCE was there to hammer it home.

Four minutes later City conceded another sloppy goal. After failing to deal with a fairly harmless ball across goal Strathspey substitute Ronnie JONES poked it home to make it 2-2.

But City are a determined bunch and they continued to press for a winner. Their efforts were rewarded in 84 minutes when Stevie Sanderson's cross cum shot from the left was deflected in by one of the Strathspey defenders.