Clachnacuddin vs Inverness CT

Inverness took the lead in the 12th minute when Paul Allan whipped a free-kick into the box from the edge of the area. The ball deflected off Adam Mackinnon — making his first start after signing from Brora Rangers in the summer — and wrong-footed goalkeeper Mark Ridgers to nestle in the bottom-right corner.

Clachnacuddin should have levelled nine minutes before half-time. Jordan Macrae beat the offside trap to latch onto a pass from the left wing, but Inverness goalkeeper Ross Munro produced a strong save and held the rebound to preserve the lead at the break.

The home side's pressure paid off six minutes into the second half. Mikey Mackenzie, a 16-year-old Clachnacuddin academy product, drilled a low shot past substitute goalkeeper Logan Ross into the bottom-right corner to make it 1-1.

Clachnacuddin then had a golden opportunity to take the lead when Ross Logan went clean through on goal midway through the half, but replacement goalkeeper Logan Ross spread himself well to parry the ball out for a corner.

That miss proved costly. With eight minutes remaining, trialist Dan MacKay — a familiar face returning to the club — found himself unmarked in the six-yard box and fired home a cross from the left wing to restore Inverness's advantage.

Shae Keogh wrapped up the victory five minutes from time, charging into the box and driving a low shot past the Clachnacuddin goalkeeper to make the final score 3-1.

Ross Logan's missed one-on-one opportunity in the 65th minute. Had Clachnacuddin taken the lead with 25 minutes to play, the dynamic shifts entirely. Instead, Inverness capitalised on the reprieve with two clinical finishes in a three-minute spell from their substitutes.

• Shae Keogh (Inverness CT) — The academy graduate, who signed a new deal on 11 June, capped a lively cameo with a composed finish for the third goal. His direct running into the box stretched Clachnacuddin's tiring defence late on.
• Paul Allan (Inverness CT) — The midfielder's dead-ball delivery created the opener, and he controlled the tempo in the first half alongside Joe Chalmers.
• Mikey Mackenzie (Clachnacuddin) — The 16-year-old scored his side's equaliser with a calm finish and was a persistent threat on the counter-attack.
• Ross Logan (Clachnacuddin) — Created a crucial chance but will rue the missed one-on-one that could have put his side ahead.

Player of the Match: Shae Keogh (Inverness CT)

The provider data recorded four goals from a combined 13 shots — Inverness landed three of theirs on target to convert them all, while Clachnacuddin needed six attempts to find the net once. Neither side received a yellow card in a clean contest played under sunny skies at Grant Street Park.

The match was Inverness's second pre-season friendly in five days, following Tuesday's 3-1 win at Nairn County. Clachnacuddin were playing their first pre-season outing of the summer.

Inverness CT are building towards the 2026-27 Scottish Championship campaign after winning the League One title in 2025-26 — their second promotion in three seasons. The club announced on Friday that Aberdeen forward Alfie Bavidge had rejoined on loan for the coming season, having scored 27 goals across two previous loan spells at the Caledonian Stadium.

Clachnacuddin, who finished the 2025-26 Breedon Highland League season in a creditable position, will continue their pre-season programme against higher-division opposition designed to test their fitness ahead of the new Highland League campaign.

Inverness CT's next fixtures: Ross County (H, 4 July), Cove Rangers (A, 7 July), East Fife (H, 11 July — Premier Sports Cup group stage)
Clachnacuddin's next fixture: To be confirmed

A game of two distinct halves. Inverness controlled the first 45 but were outfought for long spells after the break by a Clachnacuddin side that matched their professional opponents physically. The difference was squad depth: trialist MacKay and Keogh provided the quality off the bench that a Highland League side could not match. Inverness head coach Duncan Ferguson will want to see more ruthlessness in front of goal from his starters, while Clachnacuddin will take heart from a performance that pushed a Championship-bound side to the wire.