Caley Thistle progressed into the quarter finals of the Tunnock’s Caramel Wafer Challenge Cup with a comfortable 3-0 win over Alloa Athletic.
Inverness were rarely troubled until the latter stages against the Wasps, with goals from Mitch Curry, Charlie Trafford and Matheus Machado sealing a straightforward victory for the Highlanders.
Inverness once again rang the changes as they did for their victory over Morton in the previous round, with on-loan Middlesbrough striker Curry restored after shaking off an ankle injury, while there were also starts for teenagers Cameron Harper and Roddy MacGregor.
The home side started brightly, with Miles Storey flashing an effort wide following a corner and MacGregor seeing his header from a Harper cross clawed away by Jamie MacDonald.
The Highlanders could have taken a bizarre lead on 14 minutes when Aaron Doran’s shot deflected off Curry, however MacDonald gathered comfortably.
The Highlanders should have taken the lead on 28 minutes when Shaun Rooney’s delivery picked out the head of MacGregor just six yards out, but he steered the ball over with the goal gaping.
Inverness took a deserved lead just three minutes before half time however, with Curry latching on to Nathan Gilhooly’s misplaced pass before running at goal and sending a composed low finish past Jamie MacDonald.
Caley Jags continued to dominate at the start of the second half, with MacGregor seeing a low drive gathered by MacDonald, while Doran drifted a shot narrowly wide.
Inverness looked to have wrapped up their passage into the last eight on 64 minutes, when Trafford took aim with a long range strike which took a defection off a Wasps defender to take it past MacDonald.
Alloa could have opened a route back into the game moments later however, when a neat link-up with substitute Robert Thomson sent Alan Trouten through on goal, however he struck the outside of the post with only Cammy Mackay to beat, while Andy Graham hit the bar with a late header.
Inverness wrapped up the win three minutes from time, when Machado got on the end of Miles Storey’s cross to steer past MacDonald from close range to net his first goal for the club.
