St Mirren 1-1 Inverness CT

Feb 10 2008 Ewan Smith At Love Street

GRANT MUNRO reckons he's due a pay rise after writing himself into the history books with Inverness Caley's 1000th goal

The defender bagged the milestone strike 14 years after the club was formed.

But their day was spoiled by Billy Mehmet who cancelled out Munro's first-half opener to earn St Mirren another vital survival point.

Munro was thrilled with his historic effort and joked the least he should expect is a boost to his wage packet.

He said: "I'm a local boy who grew up in Inverness so it's nice to be the one who got that goal.

I now know my name will go down in history and it's a good feeling. But I don't know if the club will be marking the occasion with anything.

"Maybe I could go and have a quiet word with director of football Graeme Bennett and ask him for more money."

Munro may never forget his goal but the game could be consigned to the "Don't watch alone" file.

The early focus was on Craig Dargo who was facing old side Caley for the first time since his summer Bosman transfer.

He has still to break his duck for the Buddies and the Caley fans gave him pelters.

But it was his former team who looked the most likely to strike first as some slick, inventive counter-attacking play cut the Buddies defence open.

In just seven minutes Dennis Wyness evaded the challenge of John Potter to fire a low strike wide of Chris Smith's goal.

Five minutes later Smith produced a top drawer save to deny Ian Black a spectacular opener.

Buds were enjoying a fair share of possession but doing little to trouble Michael Fraser in the Caley goal.

Midfielder Stephen McGinn summed up their attacking threat in 18 minutes, firing hopelessly over from 25 yards.

It was then the St Mirren boo boys' turn to vent their anger, with Ross Tokely their target.

Tokely's "crime" was a tackle on Chris Kerr nine years ago that left the then promising young full-back out of football for over a year.

But it was the Inverness fans who were celebrating on the half hour as their side took the lead.

Don Cowie's corner was headed back across goal by Wyness for Munro to blast high into the net from six yards.

Buddies were rocked but tried for a quick response.

McGinn drilled past before Mark Corcoran missed with a close range diving header.

The Paisley side did have the ball in the net but play had been called back for a foul before Ian Maxwell blasted home.

St Mirren were hoping for inspiration from someone after the break and McGinn was having a go at every opportunity.

The kindest way to sum up his opening hour is to say he left his shooting boots at home, though.

McGinns's third crack from long range - a 25-yard free-kick in 50 minutes - was little better than his first two and ended up several rows up in the stand behind the Caley goal.

Inverness weren't doing that much to make Smith work at the other end either.

However, Wyness should have done better than hit a drive that went wide when played in by Cowie in 52 minutes.

Dargo then fired across the face of the goal before Mariusz Niculae's 20-yarder for Caley deflected comfortably into the hands of Smith.

Maxwell came much closer for Buds in 65 minutes when he got on the end of a Corcoran cross only to fire over from six yards.

But Gus MacPherson's side levelled in 74 minutes.

Jim Hamilton forced a great low save from Fraser and Mehmet was on hand to fire in the rebound from 10 yards.

Corcoran tried to win it for St Mirren in 85 minutes but a brilliant one-two with Jim Hamilton ended with the midfielder shooting over.

REF WATCH

CALLUM MURRAY produced a sensible display and it was an hour before he took out a card. Impressive. Rating:7/10

MATCH STATS

ST MIRREN

SHOTS ON 2

SHOTS OFF 12

OFFSIDE 7

FOULS 12

CONRNERS 4

BOOKINGS 1

INVERNESS CT

SHOTS ON 8

SHOTS OFF 3

OFFSIDE 1

FOULS 11

CONRNERS 6

BOOKINGS 1