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Home Sport Football Caley Thistle

Caley Thistle’s Northern Irish trip ends in a 3-1 victory two weeks ahead of Scottish Cup final against Celtic

Inverness returned to the pitch for the first time since their last league game ended in defeat against Ayr United.

By Paul Chalk
Caley Thistle striker Austin Samuels goes for goal, despite the challenge from Dungannon's Mayowa Animasahun. Image: Dungannon Swifts FC
Caley Thistle striker Austin Samuels goes for goal, despite the challenge from Dungannon's Mayowa Animasahun. Image: Dungannon Swifts FC

Caley Thistle began their preparations for the Scottish Cup final by beating NIFL Premiership hosts Dungannon Swifts 3-1.

In the Highland club’s first ever match in Northern Ireland on Saturday, goals from Cammy Harper, Wallace Duffy and Austin Samuels took ICT to victory.

Inverness, who are trying to arrange another warm-up match for midweek, will face Premiership champions and League Cup winners Celtic in the Scottish Cup final at Hampden on June 3.

ICT, whose Championship season ended in a 2-1 defeat against Ayr United on May 5, had been desperate to fix up a fixture and looked far and wide for opponents, with many leagues reaching their conclusions or already over.

Last week, they confirmed they were heading over to Stangmore Park to take on Swifts, who finished second-bottom of their division and could yet be contesting a play-off for the right to stay at that level.

Warrenpoint, who were runners-up in the Championship, should be Swifts’ opponents at the end of this month, but their licence has been denied by the Irish Football Association and they cannot yet go for promotion.

It has led to Dungannon waiting to find out if or when they will contest a play-off at all.

That was far from the perfect backdrop for the team managed by former Northern Ireland, Kilmarnock and Rangers midfielder Dean Shiels, son of ex-Killie boss Kenny.

The deadlock was broken in the eighth minute when, from Jay Henderson’s cross, Harper was ideally placed to finish from close range.

 

The Caley Jags, who finished sixth in the Championship as a result of that defeat by Ayr, made it 2-0 in the 16th minute when on-loan St Mirren ace Henderson whipped in another fine delivery and Duffy connected to score.

Dungannon pulled a goal back on 54 minutes through Steven Scott, but a cool finish from Samuels rounded off the scoring.

 

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