Perhaps unsurprisingly Allan Johnston opted to go for the same line-up from the 2-0 defeat of Alloa 13 days ago. Stephen Dobbie retained his place after limping off with cramp against the Wasps, while Nortei Nortey and Calvin McGrory returned to the bench at the expense of Dom McMahon and Diste Sylla. Caley Thistle?s top-scorer and ex-Doonhamer Nikolay Todorov started from the bench for the visitors.

 

It took just three minutes for the visitors to get their opening chance of the game when Cameron Harper put it a pinpoint cross from the left-wing, only for James Keatings to nod his effort wide at the back-post.

 

Queens were offered another wake-up call just minutes later as centre-half Robbie Deas found himself in the unlikeliest of positions, one-on-one with Jack Leighfield, however the ?keeper made himself big enough to save Deas? effort.

 

Queens took about 15 minutes to find their feet in the game, but when they were able to get Connor Shields on the ball the hosts were able to make things happen. The aforementioned Shields, along with Dobbie and Joe McKee all saw efforts blocked by the Caley defence.

 

Dobbie shoots

 

After 21 minutes though the visitors took the lead. Impressive Rangers-loanee Kai Kennedy got the ball down the left, before beating Aidan Fitzpatrick and Wullie Gibson at pace, slotting the ball through Leighfield?s legs.

 

 

This was a real sucker punch for the Doonhamers who had just began to stamp their authority on the game. Nonetheless, the home side continued to see most of the ball while the Highlanders looked dangerous on the counter-attack with plenty of pace in their team.

 

Niyah Joseph saw his faint touch at the front-post from a Shields cross go narrowly wide, before Harper made a sensational block to deny Dan Pybus who was otherwise one-on-one with Mark Ridgers.

 

Pybus denied

 

 

A disappointing opening period for Queens, who had chances to score, although weren?t able to test Ridgers.

 

After getting lucky just three minutes into the opening period, the hosts were afforded no such luxuries in the second-half as Caley Thistle doubled their lead. A bombing run down the right from Brad McKay allowed the right-back to find Roddy MacGregor with a cut-back on the edge of the area, who fired home in the top corner past the helpless Leighfield.

 

Leighfield beaten

 

Euan East, who had earlier replaced Niyah Joseph, almost turned a Joe McKee corner into the net with a free header from 10-yards out, but his effort went the wrong side of the post.

 

The visitors continued to look dangerous going forward, a neat move between various forward players ending in Shane Sutherland missing an effort from 14-yards, his effort not with enough bend on it to get inside the post.

 

The Caley Jags weren?t left to rue that miss however, as after 80 minutes the dangerous Miles Storey scored a third. Storey got on the end of a MacGregor pass before taking a touch and slotting home past Leighfield.

 

It really was a second half to forget for the hosts as they really struggled to get going against a young and energetic Inverness side.

 

 

A disappointing night in Dumfries for the Doonhamers.

 

Next week the Doonhamers travel to Tynecastle a week before the hosts contest their Scottish Cup Final.