When Hibs finally ended their winless run at Inverness in 2011

Injury-time goal seals first away win in ten attempts

Garry O'Connor gets his match-winning shot away despite the attentions of ICT defender Tom Aldred

As the clock ticked down, it looked as though Hibs would be leaving the Highland capital winless for, incredibly, a tenth time.

Since Inverness Caledonian Thistle’s arrival in the upper echelons of the Scottish league system in the mid-noughties, they had become something of a bogey team for Hibs, at least on home turf.

Ironically, Hibs had won the first away encounter at Aberdeen’s Pittodrie Stadium in September 2004 while Inverness’ own ground was brought up to SPL standards.

The next trip north was a 3-0 reversal and the winless pattern continued for nearly seven years until the second match of the 2011/12 season on Saturday, July 30, 2011.

The Easter Road side’s pre-season had been mixed: friendly wins at Berwick Rangers and East Fife; defeats to Livingston and Blackpool and draws with Falkirk and Sunderland, while striker Garry O’Connor and winger Ivan Sproule returned for second spells at the club.

A 2-0 home defeat to Celtic got Hibs off to a losing start in the league, and the prospect of a trip north the following week may have looked daunting given their track record.

With the squad still looking rather threadbare, Hibs lined up at the Caledonian Stadium with youngsters David Crawford, Ross Caldwell, and Lewis Horner among the substitutes.

For large spells of the match, it looked as though Hibs would again struggle to get a result on the banks of the Moray Firth.

After a quiet start, the hosts began to up the pressure on the visiting defence, full-back Thomas Piermayr sending a 25-yard effort just wide of the target before Richie Foran blazed over the bar at the back post.

The Capital club had their own chances; a last-ditch tackle thwarting Sproule and O’Connor going close with a powerful drive from outside the box that Ryan Esson did well to push away.

The striker then saw a close-range effort kept out by Esson’s face as the goalkeeper threw himself in front of the ball.

Gregory Tade thought he had given Inverness the lead, only for the linesman's flag to cut short his celebrations, and Ian Murray also had a goal chalked off by the officials.

Matt Thornhill was next to try his luck with an acrobatic effort that Esson tipped over the bar while Greg Tansey and Tom Aldred passed up glorious chances to put the home side in front.

Substitute Shane Sutherland, on for Tade, then stung Graham Stack’s palms and Tansey smacked the post from close range.

But against the run of play two minutes into injury time, Murray played in O’Connor and the striker’s sclaffed effort somehow squirmed through Esson’s grasp and over the line, snatching the three points for Hibs.

It was to be a brief highlight in a league campaign to forget that resulted in the team needing to win their penultimate match of the season to avoid relegation.