Caley slip to Celtic defeat

29th November 2008

Shaun Maloney's 29th minute strike against Inverness at Parkhead took the Clydesdale Bank Premier League leaders seven points clear of second-placed Rangers to end a disappointing week on a positive note.

The increased gap at the top of the table was welcomed by the Parkhead faithful although their side looked flat in the wake of Tuesday night's European exit at the hands of Aalborg.

The one highlight of a turgid game came when Maloney capitalised on a fine pass by Shunsuke Nakamura to fire past Caley keeper Ryan Esson to separate the side at the break.

The second half was almost totally free of incident but Maloney's goal ultimately gave Gordon Strachan's men their 12th straight SPL win to pile the pressure on their arch-rivals, who lost earlier in the day at Hearts.