Date	Wednesday, 12 April 1989
Competition	Highland League
Fixture/Score	Ross County 1:3 Inverness Thistle
Venue	Victoria Park
Referee
Ross County
Manager	Robert (Bobby) Wilson
Starting 11	1: Ross Cathcart, 2: Christopher (Chris) Somerville, 3: Albert Allan, 4: Cameron Robertson, 5: Alan Brown, 6: Don Cowie (SNR), 7: Keith (Billy) Ferries, 8: Barry Wilson, 9: Davie Jackson, 10: Gordon Connelly, 11: Donald MacKay 1
Bench	0: Gary Campbell, 0: Alex (Nero) McDonald
Attendance
Match Report	Report from the Ross-shire Journal. Ross County 1 Inverness Thistle 3 ROSS COUNTY made a great effort against an Inverness Thistle team that belied its championship-seeking status. For a time, well into the second half, the home club looked as though they had the measure of their opponents, but then things went awry as Thistle scored two quick goals to settle the issue. As many fans left the match before the end and heard what could be classed as “subdued cheering,” they acknowledged the fact that Thistle had probably scored a fourth, but they were not sure! To enquirers on the way home, they remarked, “Well, it could be Thistle won 4-0, but then again, it could be 3-1!” Thistle were the more mobile, lively, and energetic side, stifling the threat County presented down the right wing by having two, sometimes three, players in attendance on Billy Ferries, who was effectively subdued. Ross County have lost their momentum as a result of the loss of several weeks of play due to ground conditions, and have never been able to recapture the form of December and January, their final flurry being the great display they presented against Huntly in January. Since then, the performance has been typical run-of-the-mill, with little inspiring play. Injury, loss of form, and other absences created further problems for Manager Bobby Wilson, and these were never completely resolved. He was forced to make several positional changes, particularly in defence, which require time to develop. However, one has been quite impressed by the wholehearted, determined performances of Allan (Toast) Brown, who has taken on the mantle of full-back or sweeper as occasion demanded. Once he is slotted into a regularly-fielded defence, his ability and enthusiasm should prove invaluable assets. The opening Thistle goal midway through the first half came as the Ross County defence hauled itself upfield in an endeavour to play Thistle offside, but despite appeals, Danny Macdonald ran through on a pass from Allan Macdonald and scored low down at Cathcart’s left-hand post. An equaliser could have come shortly afterwards, but Jackson, with the goal at his mercy, hit the ball wide. Kicking towards their favourite goal at the Police Station end, Ross County opened the second half in more confident fashion, as passes were sprayed coolly and accurately about the field. They came within an ace of scoring when one net-bound shot was cleared off the line by a defender, with the keeper nowhere. However, with ten minutes to go, Thistle made a substitution, and after a spell of crossfield headers following a free kick outside the County box, Danny Macdonald gained possession and scored. In the 83rd minute, he completed his hat-trick, but again it was in something of a controversial fashion, as County defenders claimed the ball had not crossed the line during a goalmouth scrimmage. However, the referee, after consulting his linesman, gave the goal.