Cove Rangers vs Inverness CT

Inverness Caledonian Thistle continued their pre-season preparations with a convincing 4-1 win over Cove Rangers on Tuesday evening, 7 July 2026, at Balmoral Stadium. The scoreline was level at 1-1 at half-time — Destiny Oladipo's superb solo effort cancelling out an early Trialist opener for the visitors — but three goals in the second half gave the scoreline a one-sided look.

Inverness took the lead inside 10 minutes. A turnover in midfield allowed the visitors to counter quickly, with Alfie Bavidge picking out an unmarked Trialist (#14), who took a touch to compose himself before slotting past Robbie Mutch.

Cove responded well and equalised in spectacular fashion on 22 minutes. Destiny Oladipo controlled a high ball on the halfway line, turned and drove at the Inverness defence, shrugging off several challenges before cutting inside and finding the far corner via a slight deflection past Logan Ross — a goal Cove's official website called "a brilliant individual effort" (Cove Rangers FC).

The hosts almost added a second before the break when Trialist (#4) collected the ball on the halfway line before exchanging a neat one-two with McAllister and driving forward, only to see his strike cannon back off a defender, before Trialist (#14)'s dipping 30-yard effort forced a fingertip save from Ross.

Inverness restored their lead three minutes into the second half. Ryan Duncan cut inside from the right flank and unleashed a powerful strike beyond Mutch to make it 2-1.

Morgan Bates extended the lead on 64 minutes, rising highest to meet a corner and heading the ball in off the underside of the crossbar.

Cove pushed for a way back. Aaron Fraser capitalised on a misplaced Ross pass but fired straight at the goalkeeper, and the rebound fell to Tristan Stephen whose goal-bound effort from 10 yards was brilliantly kept out by Ross's foot. With eight minutes remaining, Cole Donaldson's powerful effort beat Ross but Remi Savage recovered to head off the line.

Hamzad Kargbo completed the scoring four minutes from time. Luis Longstaff's deep cross found Liam Sole at the back post, who knocked the ball back across goal for Kargbo to finish from close range.

Ryan Duncan's goal in the 48th minute — the first real attack of the second half — changed the trajectory of the match. Cove had weathered the storm late in the first half and looked capable of causing problems on the counter, but conceding so early after the restart forced them to chase the game, leaving space for Inverness to exploit.

Destiny Oladipo (Cove Rangers) — Scored a stunning individual goal that briefly brought Cove level and was a constant threat on the counter, repeatedly driving past Inverness defenders from deep positions.

Ryan Duncan (Inverness CT) — The newly-signed midfielder (Aberdeen academy product, signed on a two-year deal on 3 July 2026) scored the crucial second-half opener and looked lively on the right flank throughout.

Logan Ross (Inverness CT) — Made several important saves, including a fingertip stop from a 30-yard dipping effort in the first half and a reflex save with his foot to deny Stephen from close range in the second.

Hamzad Kargbo (Inverness CT) — The 24-year-old striker, who signed for the club on 4 July 2026, scored the final goal of the evening and also headed over from a Shinnie cross earlier in the half.

The 4-1 scoreline tells a story of two distinct halves. Cove matched Inverness in the first 45 minutes and created several clear chances — the equaliser from Oladipo, the blocked strike from Trialist (#4), and the dipping effort that forced a fingertip save. The 1-1 half-time score reflected a competitive contest. But the early second-half goal shifted the dynamic: Cove pushed forward in search of another equaliser, and Inverness picked them off with a corner routine (Bates), a close-range finish (Kargbo), and a well-taken individual effort (Duncan). Inverness made their chances count, while Cove created enough to have scored more than once.

For Cove Rangers, this was their penultimate pre-season fixture ahead of the new campaign. They face St Johnstone at home on Saturday 11 July in their final friendly before competitive action resumes.

For Inverness CT, the win completes their pre-season schedule. Their attention now turns to the Premier Sports Cup group stage, where they host East Fife at the Sarens PSG Stadium on Saturday 11 July (15:00 kick-off). The Caley Thistle have won all three reported pre-season friendlies — against Clachnacuddin (3-1), Nairn County (3-1) and now Cove Rangers (4-1) — building momentum for the competitive start.

A pre-season friendly that followed a familiar pattern: competitive first half, fresher legs off the bench deciding the second. Inverness's superior depth and fitness told after the break, but Cove showed enough — particularly through Oladipo — to suggest they will be competitive in the season ahead. Duncan, Bates and Kargbo all staked strong claims for starting roles in the Premier Sports Cup opener.