Caley Thistle put on the spot in League Cup group stage opener

Inverness Caley Thistle claim bonus point as they win penalty shoot-out after being held to a draw by East Fife. Scottish League Cup Inverness Caledonian Thistle 1 East Fife 1 (Inverness win 5-3 on penalties) Scorers: Inverness: Mackinnon (90) East Fife: Gaffney (33) Inverness Caledonian Thistle were put on the spot in the League Cup group stages as they claimed a bonus point to win a penalty shoot-out against East Fife after being held to a 1-1 draw. Myles Gaffney gave East Fife the lead in the first half which looked like being enough to take all three points back to Methil. But Adam Mackinnon scored in injury time to force a penalty shoot-out for a bonus point Inverness will now look for positive results against Linlithgow Rose next Saturday followed up with games at home to St Johnstone and away to Greenock Morton, Inverness gave first competitive starts for new signings Noa Boutin, Graeme Shinnie and Ryan Duncan. Morgan Bates and Hamzad Kargbo were named on the bench. The first real chance came for Inverness after 15 minutes when Shinnie’s ball found Alfie Stewart in midfield. He fed through Liam Sole who charged into the box and worked a shot which he should have done better with as he blasted well wide of the right post. Inverness went close again midway through the first half when they were awarded a free-kick. Cameron Ross was booked for an ill-timed challenge on Graeme Shinnie. Stewart fired a free-kick which found the lunging right foot of Duncan in the box, but he couldn’t guide it on target. East Fife then threatened themselves in the first half. Myles Gaffney was gifted a chance from 12-yards out. But his shot failed to gain enough power to threaten Ross Munro in goal who gathered comfortably. The Methil outfit then took the lead in the 33rd minute when Cameron Ross won the ball off Remi Savage and fed through Myles Gaffney who fired a low drive past Munro from 12 yards out. Inverness pressed for an equaliser and came close when Calum Macleod fed through Paul Allan who fired a shot which went inches past the left post as they went into the break one goal down. Inverness came close to levelling early in the second half when Savage nodded an Allan corner kick wide of the left post. But East Fife came close to grabbing a second when Pat Slattery was allowed a shot from the edge of the box which went wide of the left post. Inverness pressed for an equaliser and David Wotherspoon unleashed a powerful shot which forced a good save from Derek Gaston. The rebound fell to Morgan Bates, whose shot was blocked by David Wilson before the visiting defence made the ball safe. But Inverness found the equaliser in injury time when a cross from the left wing from Luis Longstaff found Mackinnon who fired a low drive into bottom left corner to force a penalty shoot-out. Graeme Shinnie scored the first penalty for Inverness with Reis Peggie replying for East Fife to make it 1-1. David Wotherspoon made it 2-1 Inverness with Ross Munro saving Tyrell Skeen Hamilton’s effort to keep them in front. Hamzad Kargbo made it 3-1 Inverness with Pat Slattery making it 3-2. Morgan Bates made it 4-2 but David Wilson kept East Fife in it to make it 4-3. Luis Longstaff then converted the winning penalty to give Inverness the bonus point. Inverness: Munro, Macleod, Boutin (Bates 71), Shinnie, Savage, Devine, Allan (Wotherspoon 61), Duncan (Mackinnon 84), Sole (Kargbo 61), Stewart, Bavidge (Longstaff 61). Substitutes (Unused): Ross, Chalmers, Keogh, Clark. East Fife: Gaston, Wilson, Newton (Trialist 82), Millar, Easton, Peggie, Gaffney (Hamilton 63), Slattery, Ross (Austin 84), Milne, Bah. Substitutes (Unused): Rollo, Healy, Fairley, Linton, Referee: Sean Murdoch