Playing each other four times a season must result in Championship teams knowing each other inside out.
Perhaps that’s why so many games in this division are so close.
Matches between the two Thistles are always very competitive and I saw no reason why Friday night’s game would be any different. However, I was wrong.
The home side certainly started the game brightly though Inverness had their moments.
However, the Harry Wraggs tore the Inverness defence wide open when Brian Graham opened the scoring. You couldn’t deny it was a well-worked goal.
After Billy Mckay very nearly equalised things went from bad to worse when a ridiculous pass from the normally reliable Robbie Deas put the Caley Thistle defence in an impossible position and Brian Graham might not score an easier goal all season.
I really don’t think we could complain at being two goals down at the break.
It was no surprise that Billy Dodd’s made a couple of changes at the start of the second half as it was going to take something pretty special to turn this game around.
Sadly that never happened and a penalty as we approached the hour mark killed off what little chance Inverness had.
David Carson clearly disagreed with the decision but I think any referee would have awarded that one.
He was really testing the referee’s patience too often and coming perilously close to seeing a red card.
Caley Thistle had plenty of possession in that second half without troubling their hosts too much, while the men from Maryhill were able to break away with Anton Dowds netting a fourth.
George Oakley’s late consolation goal provided no comfort at all for his team’s fans.
Partick will be happy with the way they responded after losing to Queen’s Park last week. Inverness will wonder why they were very much second best.
