Date	Saturday, 02 March 2013
Competition	Scottish Premier League
Fixture/Score	Ross County 0:0 Inverness Caledonian Thistle
Venue	Global Energy Stadium at Victoria Park
Attendance	5,959
Referee	Steven McLean
Comments	Match Report Report by Charles Bannerman for the BBC. Ross County 0 Inverness Caledonian Thistle 0 Ross County missed the opportunity to overtake Inverness Caledonian Thistle in a highly charged Highland derby. County's Evangelos Ikonomou had a first-half shot deflected wide after Ivan Sproule's impressive wing play. Tempers flared as Iain Vigurs put in a heavy challenge on Caley's David Raven, which led to an angry exchange between managers Derek Adams and Terry Butcher. Later, Mihael Kovacevic went close and Inverness claimed for a penalty when Ikonomou felled Graeme Shinnie. The clash they call "El Kessocko", after the bridge which separates the two communities, was part of the clubs' push for a European place and was played in front of 5,959 fans. This was the first time the teams had met in the SPL with them both as top-six clubs. The opening 45 minutes produced little in terms of clear-cut chances although early on Owain Tudur Jones fed Inverness captain Richie Foran who was back in the starting 11 after injury and his ball from the right just eluded Billy McKay as he slid in. At the other end Sproule could not control a promising ball over the top while Vigurs rounded David Raven but fatally delayed his cross. County's best first-half chance came when Sproule out on the right found Oikonomou but his thunderbolt was deflected clear by Raven. Then it was Inverness's turn to come close when Ross Draper's effort was cleared off the line. On the half-hour Vigurs put in a robust tackle on Raven, who retaliated and both players received yellow cards. Meanwhile, the managers began to square up to each other over the incident and had to be separated by officials. In the second half Andrew Shinnie looked through on goal only to be denied by a crucial tackle from Grant Munro before Kovacevic beat Graeme Shinnie but his searing shot just skirted the left post. Soon after the same player came just as close to the other side of the woodwork. The Global Energy Stadium erupted when Oikonomou appeared to upend Graeme Shinnie in the box but referee Steven MacLean instead booked the Inverness player, apparently for diving. Inverness remain in third place in the table, three points behind Motherwell in second, while County, in fourth, are just a point outside the European places. Ross County manager Derek Adams classed his touchline dispute with Inverness CT boss Terry Butcher as "a nice wee exchange". It occurred in the first half of a goal-less Highland derby after County's Iain Vigurs challenged David Raven. "It was a nice wee exchange," Adams told BBC Radio Scotland. "He's a passionate guy and so am I and we're fighting for both sides. There's no problems between the two of us, it's all good." County have now gone five games without conceding a goal and currently sit fourth in the Scottish Premier League. "We're delighted," said Adams. "Inverness are a side who have scored a lot of goals this season and to continue that run has been excellent. "We're 10 games unbeaten now and we've taken a point today from a team who have done exceptionally well this season. "They sat in a wee bit at times and that was testimony to us. But neither team opened up each other. "It was a good game for the Highlands and I think Inverness will be happier with the point because they're away from home." One other major talking point in the game was an Inverness CT penalty claim. Caley Thistle's Graeme Shinnie went down in the box after a challenge from Greek defender Evangelos Ikonomou, but referee Steven McLean booked Shinnie for simulation. "I didn't think it was a penalty," Adams added. "I thought it was a dive from Shinnie and that's obviously what the referee saw as well because he booked him."
Ross County
Manager	Derek Adams
Starting 11	1: Michael Fraser, 4: Grant Munro, 5: Scott Boyd, 8: Paul Lawson, 10: Richard Brittain, 11: Iain Vigurs 1, 12: Rocco Quinn, 16: Ivan Sproule, 17: Samuel Morrow, 18: Evangelos Oikonomou, 22: Mihael Kovacevic
Bench	28: Sean McCarthy, 13: Andre Hainault, 15: Steffen Wohifarth, 20: Gary Glen, 21: Alex Cooper, 23: Archie Macphee, 24: Steven Ross
Inverness Caledonian Thistle
Manager	Terry Butcher
Starting 11	Ryan Esson, David Raven 1, Graeme Shinnie 1, Gary Warren, Josh Meekings, Owain Tudur-Jones, Ross Draper, Andrew Shinnie, Billy McKay, Ritchie Foran, Aaron Doran
Bench	Antonio Reguero, Danny Devine, Charlie Taylor, Nick Ross, Liam Polworth, Conor Pepper, Shane Sutherland