Inverness CT 1 Dunfermline 3

Pars give Stephen Kenny something to celebrate on St Patricks Day.

Bright sunshine welcomed the Pars to a blustery Caledonian Stadium on the south side of the Beauly Firth but by kick off the weather mirrored the Pars league position with heavy clouds overhead. Stephen Kenny, still in search of his first SPL win since his first day in charge back against Dundee United on 18th November, went with a new strikeforce of Jim McIntyre and Tam McManus. Scott Morrison also came into the starting line up with Stephen Simmons, Jim Hamilton and Stevie Crawford making way.

Inverness were unchanged from the team that started at Rugby Park last time out meaning they were still without the suspended Grant Munro, Roy McBain and Dennis Wyness out injured.

The two Macs got the match underway with Dunfermline looking positive in the opening 90 seconds playing into the wind, attacking the goal at the bridge end. Jim McIntyre was first to shoot at goal in the fifth minute after a sweet interchange between Mason and McManus but his effort went wildly wide left.

When Markus Paatelainen was fouled on the left touchline in the next minute Barry Wilson floated a dangerous ball into the Pars box that was headed out as far Ian Black whose shot from 25 yards fairly stung Mason but did the job.

The first serious shot on target from the visitors came in ten minutes with McManus feeding Hammill on the left for the on loan Liverpool player to drive into the box only for McCaffery`s block to earn him a corner. Scott Wilson was unlucky not to control the ball when Hammill`s delivery from the left hit his thigh in the centre of the box.

On the quarter hour mark a long ball from Phil McGuire sent O`Brien to the byeline and his cross came bck off the crossbar as Michael Fraser looked on and Ross Tokely stuck the ball behind for a corner as Hammill raced in. The corner was cleared but Greg Ross won another on the right at which the Caley defence looked very unconvincing as Glass`s effort skimmed in low.

de Vries`s first save was called upon in 20th minute when a free kick midway inside the Pars half was turned in on goal by Graham Bayne. Three minutes later his defence got really tied up although Tokely`s tackle on McIntyre should have been penalised before the ball was pumped into the six yard box. Three defenders failed to clear in a classic stramash and Markus PAATELAINEN sent a low drive into the bottom left to give the Caley Jags the lead.

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Hammill sent a free kick into the keeper`s hands, O`Brien found McIntyre with another and Glass had another low cross in from a corner on the right but none of that was to alter the score.

Indeed it was Caley who might have increased their lead had de Vries not made a fine diving save from Ian Black in 36 minutes and then Tokely`s dipping shot from distance that landed on the roof of the net.

The home side finished the first half the stronger with de Vries called upon to tip over a Wilson cross that looked goalbound. After early optimism the mood of the 250 strong Pars support was sombre at the break.

Half Time: Inverness Caley Thistle 1 Dunfermline 0

The second half got off to the best possible start with just 125 seconds gone when Greg Ross`s throw in on the right, level with the 18 yard line was controlled by Jim O`Brien and whipped across for Stephen GLASS to hammer home from 15 yards.

Caley had a promising break with Bayne racing through before cutting back for Duncan to thread the ball through the box. When the ball was left to run for Gary McSwegan, O`Brien was back to make a crucial interception.

Just after the hour mark the sun came out and a helicopter flew over the park. Surely someone above was checking on the credibility of it all because Dunfermline had gone into the lead!

O`Brien again created the opening with a fine ball in from the right that got in behind the Caley Thistle defence. McManus failed to turn the ball in but Jim McINTYRE made no mistake to notch his first SPL goal for the Pars.

Dunfermline were desperately unlucky not to go further ahead in 65 minutes when Gary Mason just failed to get a connection on a McManus delivery from the left. McIntyre made Fraser hold a headed effort after Ross had swung in a ball from deep.

The highlanders were trying to get back into the game with Paatelainen making de Vries turn a fierce shot over his crossbar for play to switch to the other end and see Adam Hamill taken down by Ian Black as he ran back out of the Caley box.

There were arguments when Referee Chris Boyle awarded the Pars a 78th minute penalty since the home side believed the challenge was outside the box but Stephen GLASS accepted the responsibility to drill the spot kick in low and right.

At 3-1 ahead Scott Morrison stopped Wilson`s progress on the left side of defence and Caley might have been awarded a penalty as well but this time the referee decided the challenge had been outside the box. A yellow card for the former Don and a free kick outside the box. de Vries made more than one crucial interceptions t deny Inverness but with the match in the second minute of added time Tam McManus got himself red carded after reacting in a tangle with Ian Black. That was the only thing that could sour the win.

It was an extremely happy St Patrick`s Day for the Fifers` management team of Stephen Kenny, Declan Devine and Colm O`Neill; the first official SPL victory under their stewardship, the Pars first SPL away win since Tannadice last May and their first ever SPL win over Caley Thistle.