Inverness beat Accies in seven-goal thriller

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30 Dec 2015

By Chick Young BSports Scotland at New Douglas Park

Inverness Caledonian Thistle prevailed against Hamilton Academical in a seven-goal thriller at New Douglas Park.

Greg Tansey and Liam Polworth both netted doubles for the visitors, the former with two brilliant free-kicks.

Accies had twice drawn level, with Carlton Morris, Ziggy Gordon and, in stoppage time, Christian Nade scoring.

But Polworth's late, late winner finally settled a gripping, sensational encounter and powered Caley Thistle into the Scottish Premiership top six.

It was as incredible a climax to a football match as you will ever see, with four goals in the last six minutes leaving Accies without a win, or a point, since November.

The game's first was a wind-assisted free kick from Tansey which seemed to rocket between the raised arms of the Hamilton goalkeeper, Michael McGovern. The second, early in the second half was from Polworth, a clever effort and his third in three games.

It looked enough to take Inverness smiling to the salvation of the dressing room at full-time.

But astonishingly Accies responded with a goal from Morris and a dramatic equaliser from Gordon six minutes from time. But hold on, there's more. Tansey scored a wonderful free kick with two minutes to go, before Nade made it 3-3.

But even that wasn't that. Polworth grabbed a winner with the last strike of the ball.

Inverness striker Miles Storey should have scored after just nine minutes. One-on-one with McGovern the wise thing would have been to round him, although there would have been a smile of approval for his goalie from watching Northern Ireland manager Michael O'Neill.

But the fates were not always with him. 10 minutes later the Euro 2016-bound keeper was culpable a basic error after Darian McKinnon dived in and gave away a needless foul.

Tansey rattled the free-kick home from 25 yards and this time McGovern didn't look so clever. Caley Thistle were suddenly bossing the game.

Liam Polworth finally settled an incredible tussle at New Douglas Park

Polworth scored the second five minutes after the break; an inventive finish with his right foot from just outside the box.

It looked brief salvation - or the hint of it - when substitute Morris scored a clever volley from the left side of the six-yard box. But it was, for the home fans, a glimpse of hope through the gloom and in truth Inverness did begin to look nervous.

This was no weather in which to play football. The heavens sent a deluge which dovetailed with the gale and only the much-criticised plastic pitch allowed the continuation of play. It was perilous out there.

It was curiously engaging but the ferocious conditions surely granted the players forgiveness for misplaced passes and serious misjudgements in the flight of the football. But we could never have envisaged what was to happen next.

With six minutes to go, and Inverness seemingly weakening Gordon equalised with a header before Tansey put Inverness ahead again with a superb free-kick.

If that was electric, it then went nuclear. Substitute Nade equalised, triggering a a remarkable argument in which three Caley Thistle players blamed one another.

But incredibly the Highlanders grabbed victory right at the death, with a glorious strike from Polworth.

Lineup, Bookings (5) & Substitutions (4)

Hamilton Academical

01 McGovern
02 Gordon
24 Tena
44 De Lima Tagliapietra
03 Kurakins
06 Gillespie Booked
07 Imrie Booked (Redmond - 91' )
18 MacKinnon
11 Crawford
17 Longridge (Morris - 59' )
20 Brophy (Nade - 76' )

Substitutes

10 Redmond
14 Morris
15 Sendles-White
21 Docherty
26 Martin
27 Nade
30 Boyd

Inverness Caledonian Thistle

25 Fon Williams
02 Raven Booked
05 Warren
14 Devine
03 Tremarco
16 Tansey Booked
15 Wedderburn (Williams - 88' )
20 Polworth
08 Draper Booked
04 Vincent
39 Storey

Substitutes

01 Esson
07 Lopez Robles
11 Roberts
18 Sho-Silva
19 Williams
27 Vigurs
28 Mbuyi-Mutombo

Ref: Euan Anderson

Att: 1,555

Match Stats

Possession 56 44

Shots

11 10

On target

4 7

Corners

6 3

Fouls

14 12

Live Text Commentary

Full time

Full Time Match ends, Hamilton Academical 3, Inverness CT 4.

90:00 +3:35 Full time

Full Time Second Half ends, Hamilton Academical 3, Inverness CT 4.

90:00 +2:35 Goal scored

Goal! Goal! Hamilton Academical 3, Inverness CT 4. Liam Polworth (Inverness CT) right footed shot from outside the box to the top left corner. Assisted by Ross Draper.

90:00 +1:31

Foul by Carlton Morris (Hamilton Academical).

90:00 +1:31

Greg Tansey (Inverness CT) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

90:00 +0:44 Substitution

Substitution Substitution, Hamilton Academical. Daniel Redmond replaces Dougie Imrie.

89:11 Goal scored

Goal! Goal! Hamilton Academical 3, Inverness CT 3. Christian Nade (Hamilton Academical) header from the right side of the six yard box to the bottom right corner following a corner.

89:00

Corner, Hamilton Academical. Conceded by Danny Devine.

87:59 Goal scored

Goal! Goal! Hamilton Academical 2, Inverness CT 3. Greg Tansey (Inverness CT) from a free kick with a right footed shot to the top left corner.

87:30 Substitution

Substitution Substitution, Inverness CT. Danny Williams replaces Nathaniel Wedderburn.

87:09 Booking

Booking Dougie Imrie (Hamilton Academical) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

87:00

Foul by Dougie Imrie (Hamilton Academical).

87:00

Greg Tansey (Inverness CT) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

84:22

Foul by Jesus Garcia Tena (Hamilton Academical).

84:22

Nathaniel Wedderburn (Inverness CT) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

83:47 Booking

Booking Greg Tansey (Inverness CT) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

83:37

Ali Crawford (Hamilton Academical) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

83:37

Foul by Greg Tansey (Inverness CT).

80:43 Goal scored

Goal! Goal! Hamilton Academical 2, Inverness CT 2. Ziggy Gordon (Hamilton Academical) header from the centre of the box to the top left corner. Assisted by Ali Crawford.