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Relegation fears back on Our former bitches came North safe in the knowledge that they will finish at least second in the table and they can prepare for the challenge ahead without having to look over their shoulders. We on the other hand, still need points to ease ourselves away from the League 1 play-off drop zone. James Carragher returned to the starting XI with Remi Savage and Sean McAllister making the bench, and for the visitors, it looks like they mean business with Lewis Vaughan, Jack Hamilton and Dylan Corr starting with Zak Rudden and Keith Watson benched. Inverness threatened the Raith goal and but for Kevin Dabrowski and his bar they could have been dead and buried at the interval. No score at the break and all to play for in the second half. Vaughan opened the scoring early in the second half and Samuel almost levelled but his shot from distance cannoned away off the post. The crossbar was hit a further twice but the goal would not come. Despite peppering the Raith goal, MotM Dabrowski would not be beaten with a string of saves ranging from brilliant to miraculous. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A bright sunny evening met the teams as they entered the stadium for this televised encounter and it was the visitors that got the game underway. An early corner for Inverness ended with a great ball into the box from Longstaff and then Billy Mckay nodded goalwards but couldn't get any juice on the header and Dobrowski gathered easily. Rovers looking brisk on the break as well in a spritely start for both teams. After Aaron Doran was fouled on the edge of the box, Cammy Harper brought out a good save from Dabrowski with a curling effort to the keepers left. Alex Samuel maybe should have opened the scoring after fifteen minutes but his close range shot was deflected away by Jack Hamilton defending his own goalline. Good spell of pressure from Inverness but Doran took a knock and limped off to be replaced by Sean McAllister. Inverness almost took the lead twice within a couple of seconds. Harper latched onto a loose ball in the box only for his shot to smack the crossbar. He reacted first to head the rebound towards goal but Dabrowski spread himself well and a flailing leg kept the ball out much to Cammy's frustration. Unbelievable reflexes from Dabrowski who was diving the wrong way. Brown fired one direct at Ridgers from 25 yards as Rovers went forward with intent, but Ridgers dealt with it well. With half an hour gone, Raith could have no complaints had they been three down with Dabrowski keeping the score level. Half Time: 0-0 Dylan Easton and Shaun Byrne replaced a pair of Brown's for the visitors at the break and early Raith pressure came to nothing. However, after a bit of bagotelle in the Inverness box Lewis Vaughan clipped the ball behind Ridgers to open the scoring. Alex Samuel cracked a low curling shot off the keepers left hand post. Sums up our season to be honest. Great effort but no luck. Zak Rudden missed a good chance for Rovers as our passing from defence went astray. Another defensive mistake allowed Sam Stanton to get a shot away at one end and at the other, McAllister got his shot away but both keepers were up to the efforts. Ridgers saved an angled drive from Easton with twenty minutes left. McAllister was again denied by the keeper from distance with a swerving shot but Dabrowski excelled moments later when Samuel spun in the box and shot but the keeper made a miraculous save to get the ball over the bar. We hit the crossbar a further twice through Carragher and Devine in the same attack. It looks like scoring goals is just not for us. Pepple almost got on the end of a cross seconds after coming on, but he never attacked the ball. McAllister dragged a shot wide from a good position after some neat build up play. Samuel blasted just over in a frantic ending as the keeper tipped another over the bar. Despite some late action in front of the Raith goal, Man of the Match Kevin Dabrowski kept the visitors ahead and put Inverness back in trouble. Date: 19/04/2024 Venue: Caledonian Stadium Attendance: 2385 Referee: Euan Anderson Inverness CT: 0 Manager: Duncan Ferguson Lineup: Ridgers; Carragher, Devine (Pepple 80), Boyes, Longstaff (Lawal 60), Kerr, Anderson, Harper, Doran (McAllister 19), Alex Samuel, B Mckay Subs (not used): C Mackay, Duffy, MacGregor, Savage, Brooks Scorers: none Booked: none Sent Off: none Raith Rovers: 1 Manager: Ian Murray Lineup: Dabrowski; J Brown (Easton 45), Corr, Murray, Dick, Smith, Mullin, Stanton (McGill 87), S Brown (Byrne 45), Hamilton (Rudden 55), Vaughan (Mathews 78) Subs (not used): McNeil; Watson, Connolly Scorers: Vaughan (49) Booked: S Brown (45+1), Dabrowski (90+2) Sent Off: none a

Massive three points Dom Thomas missed out again for Queens Park who had former Inverness Captain Sean Welsh and Cillian Sheridan starting with Will Tizzard back in defence. James Carragher and Remi Savage were missing from the heart of the visitors defence who had Luis Longstaff and Aaron Doran getting a rare start. Just under 1500 fans rattled around inside the national stadium for the proverbial six-pointer at the bottom of the table with Inverness looking to get out of the play-off place and Queens one point ahead at the start of the game. In a tense first half Cammy Harper scored a stunning free kick after Cillian Sheridan had handled 25 yards out. Boom! That's how it ended despite QP upping their game in the second period as Inverness kept them at bay. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Hampden Park was rocking as the game got underway and there was an early corner for the Spiders after Luis Longstaff blocked an effort from Jack Thomson in the second minute. Billy Mckay was fouled on the edge of the box but the free kick was wasted by Cammy Kerr who fired well over the bar. Sean Welsh had an effort blocked from the right side of the box after twenty minutes. With little happening in the opening exchanges, the visitors opened the scoring out of the blue through Cammy Harper direct from a free kick. Top corner from Harper from around twenty-five yards. What a strike to grace Hampden Park. Mckay shot over after being fed towards goal ten minutes before the break. Alex Samuel was denied by Ferrie five minutes before the interval as the keeper saved in the bottom corner to deny the striker from distance. On the stroke of half time Ruari Paton shot over and it remained 1-0 to the Caley Jags. HALF TIME: 0-1 Queens made two changes at the break with Robson and McKinstry replacing Tizzard and Carse. Ridgers saved a thumping low effort from Cillian Sheridan after the restart and Welsh headed wide followed by Jack Turner being denied by Ridgers as Queens Park showed their intent after a poor first forty-five. Sub McKinstry was next to try as he shot wide, but the pressure was mounting on the visitors goal. Ferguson made his first change of the afternoon, replacing Longstaff with Samson Lawal. The wee midfilder saw no takers for a cut back after Mckay sent him into the box. Ridgers saved from Paton as Queens looked to get back on level terms. Mckay saw Ferrie stop him and Paton was denied another twice by Ridgers as the clock ticked down. Inverness held on to take a valuable three points home in the relegation battle. Check pulse..... And breathe... FULL TIME: 0-1 What a strike from Cammy Harper to lift us above Queens Park. Immortal Howden Ender summed up like this: Well I wouldn't exactly say that it was comfortable but we looked in control for the most and survived some hairy moments. Ridgers wasn't really tested but that is due to the back four being simply immense. Devine was absolutely outstanding and Boyes, Duffy and Harper were close behind. What a free kick from Harper which turned out to be the winner. Kerr played in a strange position in a cross between a full back and wing back. Anderson outshone Longstaff although committment was never in doubt. Billy would have had a comfortable brace in days of yore. Samuel is a McGinn version of a centre forward and sure knows how to win a foul. Pos Team Pld W D L F A Pts We have scraped ourselves into eighth. Still work to do yet though. 1. Dundee Utd 33 20 8 5 68 22 68 2. Raith Rovers 33 18 8 7 52 42 62 3. Partick Thistle 33 13 12 8 58 50 51 4. Airdrieonians 33 15 6 12 44 38 51 5. Dunfermline 33 11 9 13 39 44 42 6. Ayr United 33 12 6 15 50 57 42 7. Morton 33 11 8 14 40 42 41 8. Inverness CT 33 9 11 13 37 37 38 9. Queens Park 33 9 9 15 43 56 36 10. Arbroath 33 6 5 22 34 77 23 Date: 13/04/2024 Venue: Hampden Park, Glasgow Attendance: 1463 Referee: Alan Muir Queens Park: 0 Manager: Callum Davidson Lineup: Ferrie; Thomson, Wilson, Tizzard (Robson 45), Longridge, Turner (Mauchin 74), Welsh, Carse (McKinstry 45), Scott (Williamson 84), Paton, Sheridan (McLeish 74) Subs (not used): Wills; Bruce, Fox, Bannon Scorers: none Booked: Welsh (86) Sent Off: none Inverness CT: 1 Manager: Duncan Ferguson Lineup: Ridgers; Duffy, Devine, Boyes, Harper, Longstaff (Lawal 55), Kerr, Anderson, Doran (MacGregor 77), Alex Samuel, B Mckay (Pepple 80) Subs (not used): C Mackay; Ujdur, Austin Samuels, Brooks Scorers: Harper (25) Booked: Doran (76), MacGregor (85) Sent Off: none a