Scottish League One
Inverness Caledonian Thistle 3
East Fife 0
Scorers: Stewart (3) Allan (68) Bavidge (81)
Alfie Stewart. Picture: James Mackenzie
Inverness Caledonian Thistle have moved three points clear at the top of League One after defeating East Fife at the Sarens PSG Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Goals from Alfie Stewart in the first half along with substitute Paul Allan finding the net after the break and Alfie Bavidge in the closing stages gave Inverness victory.
With second place Stenhousemuir in Scottish Cup last 16 action against Falkirk tomorrow night, the victory allowed Inverness to move clear at the top of the table on 44 points.
Inverness made two changes to the team which drew 2-2 with Queen of the South in Dumfries last weekend.
Mitchell Robertson returned to the starting line-up in place of Oscar MacIntyre who was dropped to the bench. Joe Chalmers also returned to the starting line up in place of Adam Mackinnon who also had to settle for the bench.
Defender Ben Brannan, who arrived from Premiership club Kilmarnock on a loan deal until the end of the season was named on the bench.
Inverness were taking on an East Fife team who had lost their last seven matches in all competitions as the Methil outfit were desperate to find points to steer them away from dropping closer to the relegation zone.
It had only been just over two weeks since the teams last met when Inverness ran out 2-0 winners at Bayview.
It took Inverness only three minutes to break the deadlock as Alfie Stewart played a neat one-two with Chanka Zimba and from the left wing charged towards goal before blasting past Robbie Hemfrey from 12-yards out.
Stewart came close to doubling their advantage in the 15th minute when he fired a powerful shot from the edge of the box which forced Hemfrey to tip over the bar.
The hosts dominated the first half as they created a number of chances with Jordan Alonge also going close when his powerful shot from the edge of the box went wide of the right post.
Inverness almost doubled their advantage at the start of the second half when Stewart’s pass found Alfie Bavidge unchallenged in the box, but his shot from 12-yards out went inches wide of the right post.
The hosts went on to double their advantage midway through the second half when Paul Allan played a neat one-two with Zimba before firing home a neat shot from inside the box straight into the top right corner.
All three points were wrapped up with nine minutes remaining when after a scramble in the box from a corner kick, Mitch Robertson played it to Bavidge who finished off from close range.
Inverness: Munro, Savage, Devine, Robertson, Macleod, Sole (Allan 60), Chalmers (Wotherspoon 79), Stewart (Brannan 83), Alonge (Longstaff 60), Zimba (Mckay 79), Bavidge.
Substitutes (Unused): Ross, Macintyre, Mackinnon, Mckay, Willox.
East Fife: Hemfrey, Halsey (Bah 72), Millar, McManus, Peggie (Elharek 79) Rowe (Slattery 60), Halliday (Healy 60), Latona (Norey 79), Munro, Oladipo, Wilson.
Substitutes (Unused): Rollo, Newton, Linton, Elharek, Healy.
Referee: Gary Hanvidge.
Attendance 2160
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