Date	Tuesday, 25 February 2003
Competition	Scottish League Division 1
Fixture/Score	Inverness Caledonian Thistle 1:5 Ross County
Venue	Caledonian Stadium
Attendance	3,443
Referee	Eric Martindale
Comments	Match Report Report by Dave Edwards for the Press & Journal. Inverness Caledonian Thistle 1 Ross County 5 Caley Thistle's slim First Division title hopes were blown away last night when North rivals Ross County blasted their way to a convincing 5-1 victory in Inverness. The Dingwall men recorded only their second derby win at Caledonian Stadium as Caley Jags slumped to their fourth league defeat in a row. County swept aside Caley Jags' challenge with some clinical finishing, although the Inverness side contributed to their own downfall with some naive defending. The Dingwall side were 3-0 up at the break through strikes from Kevin McLeish, Tassos Venetis and a Steve Ferguson added another just after half-time. Dennis Wyness reduced the leeway with a tremendous volley three minutes from time, but, straight from the kick-off, County substitute Conor Gethins sprung the Jags offside trap before firing home. To complete Caley Jags Greek tragedy, County's Venetis was named man of the match. In the 13th minute, County stunned the home support with a superb opener. Venetis played a pinpoint pass into the path of McLeish and the midfielder gave Mark Brown in the home goal no chance with a sweet 15-yard strike. Caley Jags responded with a Barry Robson free kick which sailed inches wide of the target, with Tony Bullock scrambling across his goal. However, in the 18th minute County were awarded a penalty when Jordan Tait's header from a McLeish cross was handled in the six-yard box by Stuart McCaffrey. Ferguson calmly stepped up to stroke the penalty kick to Brown's right and into the corner of the net to put the visitors 2-0 up. Tony Bullock had to be on his toes to touch over a looping Barry Robson cross as the homesters looked to reduce the leeway. Jags kept up the pressure and a Paul Ritchie 15 yarder flew over the top although his first-touch let him down. On the half-hour mark County striker Graham Bayne was yellow-carded for a foul on Roy McBain. The Dingwall side really should have made it 3-0 when Venetis burst through, but Brown blocked the Greek's effort with his legs. Robson followed Bayne into the referee's book for fouling Tait on the touchline in the 33rd minute. County went 3-0 up in the 39th minute when Bayne threaded a superb pass for Venetis to send the ball past the diving Brown with the outside of his foot as the keeper came out. Brian Irvine and Ross Tokely were both booked in separate incidents as tempers frayed. Just on half-time, Caley Jags were unlucky when a flashing Robson 25 yarder came back off the post, but as the home players trooped off a half-time a chorus of boos rang out from the stand. In the first minute of the second period County were awarded an indirect free kick when Brown caught Stuart Golabek's net bound flighted back pass on the edge of the six-yard box. With virtually the whole Caley Jags side lined up on the line, Robertson blasted the ball goal wards and it flew into the back of the net with the help of a deflection. Caley Jags pressed forward looking for a crumb of comfort, but found a County rear guard well marshalled by veteran Irvine. Bullock was finally called into serious action in the 74th minute when he brilliantly parried a crisp Charlie Christie drive. However, three minutes from time Caley Jags grabbed a consolation goal when Wyness finished with a rasping volley. And then, to add insult to injury, within 60 seconds, County substitute Gethins broke free to slide the ball past the advancing Brown to make it 5-1.
Ross County
Manager	Alexander (Alex) Smith
Starting 11	1: Anthony (Tony) Bullock, 2: Sean Webb, 3: Jordon Tait 1, 4: Hugh Robertson 1, 5: Brian Irvine 1, 6: Steven Ferguson 1 (1 pen), 7: Kevin McLeish 1, 8: Don (JNR) Cowie, 9: Mark McCulloch 1, 10: Anastasios Venetis 1, 11: Graham Bayne 1
Bench	0: Leslie Fridge, 0: Michael Bolochoweckyj, 0: Steven MacKay, 0: Steven McGarry, 0: Conor Gethins 1
Inverness Caledonian Thistle
Manager	John Robertson
Starting 11	Mark Brown, Robert Mann, Stuart McCaffrey 1, Ross Tokely 1, Stuart Golabek, Russell Duncan, Barry Robson 1, Roy McBain, Charlie Christie, Paul Ritchie, Dennis Wyness 1
Bench	Michael Fraser, Grant Munro, David Bagan, Liam Keogh, Steven Hislop