The magic of the Cup



Inverness are on their travels in the Scottish Cup this Saturday with a visit to Paisley.The last time these sides met here in the Cup in February 2004, a solitary Darran Thomson goal amid heavy snow storms and a Saint Mirren blizzard saw Inverness advance to the next round. First division Inverness then beat Motherwell in the quarter finals with a Barry Wilson goal from 70 yards (it gets longer every year) before losing out 3-2 to Dunfermline Athletic after a replay. That semi-final replay was played at Pittodrie after a 1-1 draw at Hampden.

How times have changed. Inverness sit joint top of the Premiership, St Mirren are struggling at the foot of the table and Darran Thomson was last heard of playing for Vale of Lethen. Ross Tokely was an item of hate for St Mirren fans, and the news on the street is that Rossco is off to Angola for a bit of work. So, not much for the locals to boo tomorrow. Mind you, Tommy Craig will be there.

The Cup brings it's own magic to the football season. Inverness should know as they produced one of the greatest shocks ever in that memorable game at Parkhead. Brora Rangers are the only Highland League side left but the draw was less than favourable for them as they make the long haul from Dudgeon Park to Palmerston to face Queen of the South. The romance lives on for Bo'ness United and they have been given every chance of an upset with a home game against Arbroath. The final non league side are Spartans FC who face Greenock Morton at Ainslie Park, Edinburgh. Five Premiership sides will not make the next round and with Rangers playing Hamilton and Celtic facing Hearts then another two prominent clubs will miss out as well. So, in general, it's a great draw for the lesser clubs and maybe the magic will go on a bit longer for one or two of the minnows.

Marley Watkins has been a key player for Inverness this year and his absence will benefit the home side. His strength on the ball and blistering pace cause problems for defenders and he has added goals to his game. I would expect Aaron Doran to fill his boots, his cameo last week deserving of more air time. Ross Draper should return after suspension and he will be a direct replacement for Greg Tansey. A rejuvenated James Vincent is showing his worth and Ryan Christie has the skill and energy to turn a game quickly. Others staking a claim for a starting berth are Carl Tremarco, Nick Ross, Liam Polworth and Danny Devine.

St Mirren could welcome captain and seasoned striker Steven Thompson back, although he might not be fit enough for a start but would be a useful addition to the bench. Jim Goodwin is out, the ruthless defender has beaten up one too many players and is banned.

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Inverness pair Greg Tansey and Marley Watkins are both banned after going through the bookings threshold, while captain Richie Foran is out long term. Ross Draper returns.

Captain Steven Thompson could return after a long spell out for this  Scottish Cup meeting with Inverness. Midfielders John McGinn and Isaac Osbourne are also pushing for a start since their return to training. Bad boy Jim Goodwin is suspended and Ellis Plummer and Gregg Wylde miss out through injury.

tm4tj Prediction:- John Hughes reckons the law of averages could come into play in this game. "The law of averages says they have got to win sometime so we need to make sure we are at our best or we could be the side to suffer", said Yogi. I tend to agree with him on this one. St Mirren are having a torrid time just now and Tommy Craig does not seem to be able to lift the team, but the Cup often releases some of the tension in struggling sides and with Watkins and Tansey out we will need to be at our sharpest to avoid missing out on a decent Cup run. Might need a replay to sort this one out, but it won't be as easy as the bookies are making out.