Confident Cammy Harper is relishing sharing the goal stakes with striker Billy Mckay as Caley Thistle delivered a weekend win at Dundee.
The left-back has been pitched into a midfield berth in the past fortnight and he’s responded in style with big performances within two victorious displays for ICT.
Following on from the 2-0 win at Raith Rovers, they edged out Dundee 3-2 on Saturday, with Harper scoring twice and winning the spot-kick which Mckay netted.
The #ICTFC goals from our 3-2 win against Dundee 🔴🔵
🤩 @CameronHarper01 with two stunners
🥶 Ice Cool @billymckay22 from the spotHighlights 👉 https://t.co/wFcAnLU1zP pic.twitter.com/e7Aq06KTgm
— Inverness Caledonian Thistle FC (@ICTFC) September 17, 2022
It was a topsy-turvy game as Inverness dug deep to see off Dundee and move into fourth spot at their opponents’ expense.
Harper joins Mckay on four goals
Harper’s brace takes him to four goals this season, alongside Mckay, and he joked he wanted to have a pop from the spot in order to have a treble chance.
He said: “I was actually saying to Billy if he had let me take the penalty, I would have had my first career hat-trick.
“I was raging! But obviously, Billy is the penalty taker and he stuck it away, so I can’t complain about that.
“I am not sure I will stay level top scorer for long with Billy in the team. You know what he is like with a brilliant scoring record.
“But I will try to keep there for as long as possible.”
Mckay recently overtook Barry Wilson’s tally of 83 club goals and he’s now 16 away from the 101 netted by Dennis Wyness as the overall ICT leading scorer.
Harper’s strikes can trouble teams
Two terrific strikes from Harper sunk Dundee, who finished the game with 10 men when captain Ryan Sweeney was sent off for a second bookable offence.
The hosts were riled by some big refereeing calls which went against them, including a handball on the line by Mckay, which whistler Peter Stuart waved away at 0-0.
However, for Harper, he insists he always believes he can score from distance and was delighted to do so at Dens Park.
He said: “I back myself from just about anywhere – obviously not ridiculous ranges.
“But I back myself to have a good strike of the ball and to be fair as soon as both left my boot, I knew they were going to go in.
“But I am just delighted to get the three points.”
83' | 2-3
GOALLLLLLL! HE'S DONE IT AGAIN!
WHAT A STRIKE FROM CAMERON HARPER! pic.twitter.com/m5sLSuJxqf
— Inverness Caledonian Thistle FC (@ICTFC) September 17, 2022
Harper knew winner was going in
And, when asked whether he was surprised to be given so much space to hit his winner, he added: “Yes, Dan (MacKay) had it on the left and he played it into me. I took my first touch and kind of expected someone to be at me straight away just because it was right on the edge of the box.
“But there was no one there and it just opened up for me. Again, as soon as I hit it, I knew it was going to go in.”
Coaches helped with midfield role
With right-back Wallace Duffy injured, David Carson dropped back to defence and midfielder Roddy MacGregor remains on the sidelines through injury.
Harper, whose other two goals this season came against Albion Rovers in a 4-0 Premier Sports Cup win, explained how encouragement from coaches helped develop his overall game.
He said: “I have number three on my back and all the way through the youth I have kind of been a full-back.
“But when I got to 18s, the coaches Ryan Esson and Barry Wilson said you know that position so well as I had played it my whole career.
“So, they wanted me to get a grasp of other areas on the park just to see what it is like.
“I think I did all right in there against Raith and then today the gaffer gave me the nod – hopefully, I have repaid him.”
Beating Dundee was ‘big three points’
And Harper knows beating last year’s relegated top-table team on their own turf is a massive boost before they return to league action away to Ayr United on October 1.
He added: “It was a massive three points.
“Quite a few people have said that Dundee coming down from the Premiership will be one of the favourites to have a chance of going up along with ourselves and a couple of other teams.
“So it is a big three points beating a team like this – especially away from home – that are meant to be one of the title contenders. We were confident after our win over Raith.
“In this league, anyone can beat anyone and it is just about putting those wins together and we are delighted with those three points against Dundee.”
High-flying Brechin City next in cup
This Saturday, Inverness welcome Highland League front-runners Brechin City to the Caledonian Stadium for the third round of the SPFL Trust Trophy.
City have won all seven league games so far and progressed from the first round of the Scottish Cup with a 5-1 victory at Jeanfield Swifts on Saturday.
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