Caley Thistle head coach Billy Dodds paid credit to Queen’s Park for their attacking style of play following their 1-1 opening day draw in the Championship.
A searing late first-half finish from main ICT striker Billy Mckay wiped out an early Jake Davidson goal, which had a helping hand from a rare error from goalkeeper Mark Ridgers.
Owen Coyle’s side came up via the promotion play-offs, against all odds, but instantly looked like they were at home at this level.
Smart, incisive passing, bold in possession, gutsy in defence, they were taking the game to ICT, as Coyle told the Press and Journal they would on Friday.
A half-time chat from Dodds just after Mckay levelled, sparked the hosts into life and they looked the better team, with visiting keeper Callum Ferrie doing well to twice deny Mckay.
Last season, Dodds spoke highly of the way Raith Rovers played under their manager at the time John McGlynn, who is now at League 1 Falkirk.
Attacking style from Queens praised
And he is sure Queen’s will embrace the challenge of the Championship and do it in an entertaining fashion.
He said: “They will take a few points off people this season.
“They are a ball-playing team, maybe a wee bit like Raith Rovers last year.
“Fair play to them. I knew they would be dangerous. (ICT sporting director and former manager) John Robertson watched them last week. We knew it was coming.
“We just know that if we had been better we probably would have won the game.
“But I’m happy with a draw, because at half-time we could have been out of it.”
Ridgers prevented further damage
Dodds knows Ridgers will be gutted to have leaked a soft goal, but pointed to key saves he also made as well as highlighting slackness which led to that opener.
He added: “Mark had a couple of good saves, one-on-ones. They did us on the counter because we made bad decisions again.
“We gave the ball away, dived in, they were through, but Mark saved it.
“By his standards himself, he knows he should be saving that for the opening goal.
“But we did things before that finish as well that weren’t good, where we just let the big right-back have a wee run and walk through us.
“There were the (bad) habits again, before it even got to Mark Ridgers.”
Defender gave Queen’s early lead
ICT began the game well in the Highland sunshine, with Steven Boyd having three shots go over early on, with Queen’s livewire Simon Murray drawing a save from Ridgers.
Centre half Robbie Deas was suspended, so the middle pairing of young Zak Delaney and Wallace Duffy had their hands full against their fast rivals.
The Queen’s goal on 13 minutes came when loose play was picked up by right-back Davidson and he darted forward.
His shot had accuracy, but Ridgers failed to grasp it and the ball painfully for the home side rolled over the line.
Murray was close to making it 2-0, but shot over the top then, for the hosts, Daniel MacKay was not far off with a surging attack ending with a drive which flew just past the far post.
Delaney’s nerves may have been shot to pieces as he sliced a McPake cross over the top as Queen’s upped the tempo.
It might have been worse for ICT as on-loan Rangers starlet McPake was picked out by Dom Thomas, but Ridgers dashed out to deny the forward in a one-one-one.
Mckay crashed home searing leveller
That was a crucial stop, because just before half-time, a cut-back from Austin Samuel was not mopped up and Mckay made the Spiders pay with a cracking drive into the net. He was celebrating before the net bulged. He knew it was in.
That goal gave ICT a real lift and Boyd lined up Mckay for an early chance in the second half before Roddy MacGregor did likewise. On both occasions, Ferrie saved it.
Although the Caley Jags were on top, Coyle’s side were always dangerous and it took another one-one-one stop from Ridgers to prevent McPake from winning it for the Glasgow side.
Substitute Aaron Doran had a late effort saved by Ferrie, but in the end a draw was a fair outcome.
Coyle opted not to give his views to the media at full-time, which is a shame as he’d have a lot to be proud of.
ICT hit the road on Saturday to face old foes Arbroath at Gayfield, the runners-up last season, who Caley Thistle beat in the promotion semis before they lost to St Johnstone.
Queen’s Park are playing ‘home’ fixtures at Stenhousemuir until Lesser Hampden becomes their fixed base later this season and they will tackle Ayr United on Friday.
CALEY THISTLE (4-4-2) – Ridgers 6, Duffy 6, Harper 6, Carson 6, Billy Mckay 7, MacGregor 6, Daniel MacKay 7 (Doran 75), Allardice 6, Delaney 6 (Devine 72), Samuels 6 (Shaw 62), Boyd 6 (Oakley 62). Subs not used – Cammy MacKay (GK), Hyde, Nicolson.
QUEEN’S PARK (4-2-3-1) – Ferrie 6, Robson 6, Kilday 6 (Naismith 77), Fox 6, Brown 6, Thomson 6 (Jarrett 46), McPake 7 (Longridge 86), Thomas, Davidson 7 (Bannon 73), Savoury 6, Murray 7 (Williamson 77). Subs not used – Heraghty (GK), Moore, Bruce, Nicol.
Referee – Grant Irvine.
Attendance – 1993.
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