Inverness CT 0 - 2 Aberdeen

Aberdeen took the attack to the home side right from the first whistle and it took only three minutes for Scott Wright to open the scoring, the winger beating several players as he cut in from the right before slipping the ball past Hoban for his sixth goal of the season. Duncan Shearer's young Caley Thistle battled hard to get back into the game winning a couple of free kicks in their attacking third but they were unable to create any clear cut openings.
The Dons had a good shout for a penalty on 15 minutes when Frank Ross appeared to be clipped in the box but referee Baxter was not interested. A fine run through the middle by Wright saw him feed Storey in the box but Hoban saved well with his feet to prevent a second goal. Shortly after the home side came close when Gilchrist got on the end of a Rennie free kick from the left but couldn't keep his shot down at the far post. Inverness had a great chance on 21 minutes when the impressive MacRae broke through the middle but striker Keir Smith was caught offside and the chance went a begging.
David Craddock came to the Dons rescue on 28 minutes with an instinctive reflex save to tip over McRae fierce shot from a MacArthur cross. Excellent goalkeeping from the young Irishman. Hoban produced a fine save to keep out a deflected Thomas 20 yarder after Storey's initial effort was blocked as the Dons began to exert more pressure on the home defence. Frank Ross was next to threaten the Inverness goal when he fired a dipping free kick just over the bar on 35 minutes. A jinking Miles Storey run ended with a left foot snapshot well held by Hoban. It looked just a matter of time before the Dons would add to their single goal tally. However the home side dug in and prevented any further scoring opportunities and the sides went in at the interval separated only by that early Scott Wright strike.

Inverness brought on Aidan Wilson for MacRae at the interval as they sought to turn things around but three minutes into the second half it was 2-0 as Miles Storey latched on to a ball in from the left and swivelled in the six yard box before coolly planting the ball past Hoban. A fine header from Roscoe after a Ross corner forced an excellent tip over from the home keeper. It was all Aberdeen now but Inverness were not lacking in fight despite having to feed off scraps of possession.
Daniel Hoban was in outstanding form in the home goal and he produced another fine save on 58 minutes to keep out a fine shot from Frank Ross. Just after the hour mark, Paul Sheerin took off McLennan and Thomas replacing them with Norris and Anderson. A fantastic run by Miles Storey almost created a chance for Wright but excellent defending from full back Rennie snuffed out the danger. The Dons were a constant threat in and around the Inverness box and it took some desperate defending from Stark and Gilchrist to keep them at bay.
On 73 minutes a thunderbolt shot from MacLennan was tipped on to the bar and over by Craddock - a sensational save from the Dons keeper. Shortly afterwards the homesters came close again when Rennie's well flighted free kick drifted just past. On 77 minutes home skipper MacLennan was withdrawn, his replacement Kieran Chalmers. Two minutes later Keir Smith came close to scoring for Caley Thistle but he dragged his shot a foot wide of Craddock's left hand post. Joe Nuttall came on for the final ten minutes in place of frank Ross and he was denied an almost immediate goal as Hoban again saved well. Storey should have notched his second and Aberdeen's third but he lost control of the ball at the vital moment.
Ewan replaced Gilchrist for the last few minutes of the game but he could do nothing to halt the flow towards the home goal as Storey was again denied by a last gasp block before Sam Roscoe headed wide after a left wing corner.

A solid win for the Dons which perhaps could have been embellished with more goals but a first clean sheet of the season will please Paul Sheerin as much as the win.