INVERNESS CALEY THISTLE retained a covetous grasp on the Scottish Cup trophy last night after wearing down a stubborn and plucky Stirling Albion.
The part-timers fought valiantly to create an upset against last May’s triumphant winners but were sunk by a goal in each from Andrea Mbuyi-Mutombo and Iain Vigurs.
Hampden Park in the sunshine seemed a long way away in the chill Inverness air but the Highlanders will now battle it out with Motherwell at Fir Park on February 6 for a place in the quarter-finals.
John Hughes had lit the blue touch paper ahead of this fourth-round replay by questioning the character of some of his squad in battling through injuries.
It was unclear just who within his squad the criticism had been aimed at but his team were still six players down for the return tie.
Andrea Mbuyi-Mutombo, the Brussels-born Congolese international, was to earn his first start since Caley Thistle’s Highland derby victory in Dingwall back in early October – and proved an important inclusion.
Stirling, brave and resilient in the 0-0 draw 10 days earlier, were able to name almost an identical side to the one which did so well in the cup game, with 21-year-old Ross McGeachie replacing injured Kevin McKinlay.
From the off, Stirling looked feisty. The Binos’ front pairing of Steven Doris, the former St Johnstone and Dundee striker, and ex-Motherwell and Ross County man Darren Smith were to link superbly in a series of rapid counter-attacks to trouble the Premiership team.
There was a real scare for Inverness after only three minutes amid just such a determined burst forward from Stuart McLaren’s men.
As Doris surged away from Danny Devine and tore towards the home box, Danny Williams brought the striker crashing to earth and could consider himself lucky the referee drew only a yellow card from his top pocket. Doris lined up the dead ball opportunity but sent it over the bar.
Caley Thistle gradually settled and with 28 minutes gone Mbuyi-Mutombo's moment came.
The Belgian took a short Williams pass from the left and again sliced inside, before sending a 25-yard strike with his right foot rising perfectly above the keeper’s grasp and into the top left hand corner.
The hosts finally soothed anxieties in the home crowd after 61 minutes.
Ross Draper deserved credit in the move, pulling the ball back from the right side of the box to square on goal to where Iain Vigurs produced an exquisite right foot finish from 15 yards.
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