Motherwell 0-2 Inverness CT
- Published
Greg Tansey and Aaron Doran powered home impressive strikes as Inverness CT strolled to victory at a wet and windy Fir Park.
The visitors, who are yet to concede a goal this season, dominated a limp Motherwell, who failed to test keeper Dean Brill even once.
Tansey smashed in a lovely, low shot at the end of the first half.
And substitute Doran added an equally stylish effort in the closing moments of a thoroughly one-sided match.
Unbeaten Caley Thistle move to the top of the Premiership at this early stage, while Motherwell, last season's runners-up, were hopelessly out of sorts, lacking any kind of craft or conviction.
Inverness demonstrated far greater poise and pace, zipping the ball around on the wet surface with Danny Williams, Marley Watkins and Ryan Christie full of inventive running behind lone striker Billy McKay.
Ross Draper headed wide from a corner, while Tansey drew a good save from Dan Twardzik with a fierce shot and, soon after, McKay bundled the ball narrowly wide from close range.
Twardzik got two strong hands behind a thumping drive from Watkins and the midfielder cleverly knocked the rebound into the path of Christie, who looked certain to score before David Ferguson arrived with a wonderful sliding block.
Motherwell striker John Sutton was completely isolated during the first 45 minutes, with the only chance for the home side coming early on when Brill took a clumsy touch outside his area, allowing Lionel Ainsworth to float in a first-time effort that was dipping under the crossbar until Gary Warren got back to head clear.
With half time approaching, the visitors got the goal their enterprise deserved as another slick passing sequence culminated in Tansey arrowing a sweet strike into the bottom corner from 20 yards.
Henrik Ojamaa, back for a second spell at Fir Park, was given a warm reception by the frustrated home fans as the on-loan Estonian was introduced at the start of the second half.
But play continued to flow towards Twardzik as Graeme Shinnie ran on to a back-heel from Williams to drill an angled shot just off target.
Sutton was given a glimpse of goal when a shanked pass from Christie fell his way, but the Motherwell striker lacked the pace to get away from Josh Meekings.
Inverness were no longer having it all their own way but continued to be more comfortable in possession and it needed the fingertips of Twardzik to prevent Watkins meeting a McKay cross at the back post.
Doran could not escape Fraser Kerr after a surge from halfway, while Warren and Tansey skewed efforts off target from promising positions.
However, they were not to be denied a second goal, as the home defence simply stood and watched when Doran took aim from the left edge of the penalty area and found the far corner of the net.
- Published16 August 2014
- Published16 August 2014