"A completely different game": Kellacher on Caley Thistle's second-half collapse at Dunfermline
Sunday 1 November 2026 · By Rory Fraser
Inverness Caledonian Thistle led 1–0 at half-time at East End Park on Saturday and lost 5–1. Head coach Scott Kellacher did not hide from it afterwards.
Alfie Bavidge gave ICT the lead from the penalty spot, which was on 11 minutes by the BBC's and Sky's clocks and 13 by the Courier's. Layton Stewart was fouled in the box, the Inverness Courier reports, and the Courier says Dunfermline's Aaron Donnelly, who conceded the penalty, was substituted at half-time. Then it all changed. Ola Adams equalised on 47 minutes, Oli Shaw scored on 54 and 63, Nurudeen Abdulai made it 4–1 on 68 and Kian Corbally added a fifth on 78. All five Dunfermline goals came in the second half.
Kellacher told the Inverness Courier: "It was a hard one to take, and it's a lesson that when a team is on top, you have to take full advantage of it." He added: "The second half was a completely different game of football." He also had a thought for the supporters: "I feel sorry for the fans who travelled down in their numbers, because they didn't deserve that second half of football."
He sounded determined to move on. "We've been on a good run of form, so this will be a reset for us because we can't put in 45 minutes like that," he said. The Inverness Courier also says it "was a point of contention for Kellacher that no red card was shown" for the penalty, though the quotes we have do not mention it, so we won't say any more than that.
The result stands out in the recent form. ICT won four of the five league games before it, taking 2–0 wins against Morton on 25 September, Stenhousemuir on 10 October, Arbroath on 17 October and Raith Rovers on 24 October, with a 2–1 defeat at Queen's Park on 13 October in between. The BBC form guide reads W W L W W L. The 5–1 is also the heaviest league defeat in our dated records for them this season; the others were 1–3 at Stenhousemuir, 0–2 against Raith and 1–2 at Queen's Park.
The BBC Championship table taken at 13:01 GMT today has ICT sixth on 19 points from 13 games, with five wins, four draws and four defeats. They are one point behind Livingston, four behind fourth-placed Stenhousemuir and four ahead of Ayr United, who have played a game fewer. They have scored 17 and conceded 16. At home they have won three, drawn two and lost one, but away they have won two, drawn two and lost three, conceding 13.
Livingston visit on Saturday 7 November (15:00 GMT), one point above ICT, so a win would lift Inverness above them. Before that, ICT host Montrose in the KDM Evolution Trophy on Tuesday 3 November (19:45 GMT). On Saturday 14 November ICT go to Partick Thistle, and in the Scottish Cup third round, on the weekend of 28 November, they host Cove Rangers.
Kellacher has called it a reset. The Livingston game is the first chance to show what that means.
The left-hand goal is in front of the South Stand, where away fans sit. The right-hand goal is in front of the North Stand, the home Bridge End. This plan matches the club map and is not drawn with north at the top.
If you are following your team to Inverness, Caledonian Stadium is an easy ground to find and a memorable one to sit in. It stands in the Longman area, hard against the Moray Firth and a short run from the Kessock Bridge. The club still calls it Caledonian Stadium day to day. Sponsors have used other names, Tulloch for a long spell and Sarens PSG from 2025, but the ground opened on 9 November 1996 and has been home to Inverness Caledonian Thistle ever since.
Visiting supporters are housed in the South Stand, the covered end behind the southern goal. It can take up to about 2,200 away fans. You look straight down the pitch toward the North Stand, known as the Bridge End, where the home support gathers. On a clear afternoon the Kessock Bridge climbs over the firth beyond that end, which is the view most away fans remember. Wind off the water can be sharp, so pack a coat between October and April.
The Jock McDonald Main Stand runs along one touchline. Dressing rooms, the tunnel and both dugouts are on that side, so the technical area is in front of the Main Stand rather than either goal. Opposite it, the West Stand is a much smaller uncovered block, added in 2007 and only a few hundred strong. The ground holds 7,512 and is all-seater. Standing in the seats is not allowed. The record crowd is 7,753, for Rangers on 20 January 2008.
Buy the South Stand ticket through your own club. Recent prices have been about £20 for adults, £15 for concessions and £6 for under-16s, but check the fixture. Seats are numbered. Away turnstiles are at the southern end, beside the visiting car park. There are no pass-outs, the stadium is no-smoking, and flags on poles are not allowed in.
By car, stay on the A9 and at the roundabout just before the Kessock Bridge turn right down to the ground. Visiting parking is at the South Stand end, usually for a small charge. Do not park on Seawall Road. Inverness station is about a mile away, a 20 to 25 minute walk on the signed Longman Road route. Do not cross the A9 on foot. Shuttle buses have run back to town after some matches. The address is Stadium Road, East Longman, Inverness, IV1 1FF.
There is no pub on the doorstep. The Kings Highway, Gellions, the Phoenix and the Innes Bar are the usual town stops before the walk. Away fans with a match ticket have been admitted to the Sports Bar before kick-off on many matchdays, and the steak sandwiches are worth a look. Disabled supporters should book on 01463 222880. A higher Main Stand seat by the executive boxes is better than the front, where the dugouts can block the view. It is an open ground rather than a cauldron. Come for the away end behind the goal, the bridge and the water.