Livingston 0-3 Inverness CT: Caley Thistle stun hosts to reach quarter-finals
- Published
Billy Mckay scored his 8th goal in seven games for Caley Thistle
Inverness Caledonian Thistle's unexpected Scottish Cup run continued as they brushed past European-contenders Livingston to book a place in the quarter-finals.
Beaten in the fourth round by Queen's Park, Billy Dodds' side were given a reprieve to the last 16 after Queen's fielded an ineligible player.
And they made the most of their second-chance with a Billy Mckay double and a Sean Welsh header proving more than enough to upset their top-flight opposition.
It's the sixth time Caley Thistle have made it to the quarter-finals in the last decade.
Livingston have not beaten Inverness at home since 2006, although the sides have rarely met in the last 16 years - passing each other like ships in the night through various relegations and promotions.
The hosts could not make the most of their pressure here, with Kurtis Guthrie and Ayo Obileye squandering chances while Mark Ridgers produced a good save from a Steven Bradley free-kick.
And when Mckay scored in the second-half, it was still against the run of play. A simple long ball saw the veteran striker clear through on goal and he rolled back the years, powering his shot into the top corner.
The second was another long ball forward. Daniel Mackay's first touch seemed to slow momentum, but he pulled it back to Nathan Shaw who clipped onto the head of Welsh and his header bounced off a post and in.
The third was the pick of the bunch. After stealing the ball high up the pitch, Billy Mckay was picked out on the edge of the area and he, in turn, picked out the top corner with a peach of a strike.
To add insult to injury, the loss means Livingston haven't reached the quarter-finals in 18 years.
Player of the Match - Billy Mckay (Inverness)
The Northern Ireland striker continued a fine season, with two fine strikes that saw opportunistic Inverness to progress. He's approaching a ton of goals for Thistle.
What they said
Livingston boss David Martindale: "Everything that could go wrong went wrong in the second-half. I've got to give credit to Inverness, they came here with a game plan and executed it very well.
"It didn't look like a Livingston team. We started well but they scored and we chased the game. Our shape was all over the place for the first two goals and I need to reflect on that."
Inverness manager Billy Dodds: "It's the best performance since I've been here. We've had some big results but performance-wise, looking dangerous and solid in shape, helping one another out, being ruthless in front of goal. It was all there today.
"It's the first time I've been able to sit there and not bite my fingernails. It was nice, we were decent and deserved to go through. I asked them to take the final step at half time. Take one goal, you'll spook them, and Billy has come up with two belters."