late leveller for craig brewster’s inverness in showgame with morten wieghorst’s team
Wood keeps Caley Jags unbeaten in Denmark
Published:
Caley Thistle left it late to force a 1-1 draw with Morten Wieghorst’s Danish Superliga side FC Nordsjaelland at Farum Park yesterday.
Swedish forward Marcus Pode put the Danes ahead in the second half, but an 85th minute equaliser from Inverness substitute Garry Wood ensured the Caley Jags remained undefeated on their pre-season tour.
The hosts were ninth in the Superliga last season and were more than the equal of the Caley Jags.
The Danish side used the game as preparation for their Uefa Cup qualfying round match against Estonian team TVMK next Tuesday and dominated large parts of the match. Inverness manager Craig Brewster opted to play Ryan Esson in goal instead of Michael Fraser, but otherwise named a number of first-team regulars, as well as foward Andy Barrowman, who joined from Ross County.
FC Nordsjaelland fielded first-team defenders Dennis Cagara, Henrik Kildentoft and Christian Nielsen, as well as new signing Patrice Bernier, a Canadian international who last played for FC Kaiserslautern in Germany.
The Caley Jags began positively, Ian Black driving over after 11 minutes from just outside the penalty area. Thereafter the Highland sided were subdued by the hosts, who played former Caley Thistle forward Bajram Fetai in attack.
Barrowman screwed a shot wide just after the half-hour mark as both sides paced themselves in the soaring heat.
Danish midfielder Bo Storm curled a low free kick marginally wide of Esson’s left-hand post and Richard Hastings made a timely intervention as Fetai darted into the penalty area following Mads Thomsen’s perfectly placed through ball.
Near the end of the first period Black won the ball on the right channel and Cowie rose to head over without troubling Theis Rasmussen in the FC Nordsjaelland goal.
Esson denied former Swedish international 21 forward Pode, who came on as a second half substitute, as the Danes began to pass the ball with purpose.
Former Aberdeen goalkeeper Esson then blocked Pode’s near post shot after a great through ball from Bernier.
Fetai sent in a fierce effort which went wide of Esson’s left-hand post before the hosts took the lead.
Midfielder Stephan Petersen curled in a low corner and Pode sent a sublime back heel beyond Esson at the near post.
Trialist Adam Rooney and Garry Wood were paired in attack for the final stages of the game and it was the latter who scored with five minutes left, netting at the back post after Imrie hooked the ball into his path.
Just before Inverness equalised, Pode could have netted a second when put clear through with six minutes left, but dragged his shot wide.
CALEY THISTLE – Esson, Tokely, Hastings, McGuire, Munro (Gillespie 76), Duncan, Imrie, Black (Djebi-Zadi 55), Cowie, Barrowman (Wood 76), McBain (Rooney 68).
Subs: Fraser, Proctor, Duff, Vigurs.
