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Weather & Covid permitting... Another one bites the dust...... Frozen area of pitch. Inverness are due to play Alloa Athletic this weekend, covid and weather permitting. The game is scheduled to kick-off at 3:00pm on Saturday 23rd January. Should it go ahead that will be our first game since 29th December when Dunfermline Athletic came North. There is of course no guarantee's these days with Scotland in lockdown and snow threatening to disrupt sporting events across the country. The aforementioned Dunfermline game ended all square at one apiece. Kerr McInroy rifled the Pars ahead before a second half spectacular twenty-five yarder from Miles Storey earned Inverness a point. Our previous game to that one was an away defeat to the very team we face on Saturday. It ended 2-1 for Alloa despite Inverness taking an early lead through Brad McKay. Unable to build on that, the Wasps sussed us out and once Innes Murray scored with a superb free kick there would only be one winner. The winning goal was gift wrapped by Mark Ridgers. It was an early Christmas present for Robbie Thomson, when from his volley a routine save turned into a blooper when the ball squirmed from his grasp and into the net. Since then we have lost the services of young Kai Kennedy after his loan deal expired. He has since joined Raith Rovers. On top of that Aaron Doran was rendered unavailable after suffering concussion against Dunfermline. However, our inactivity might see Doran declared fit to face Alloa. The Wasps have been pumped by Raith Rovers (2-5), Dundee (3-1) and Hearts (1-3)since our last meeting. They picked up their only point with a 1-1 draw at home to Morton. Defeat against Hearts had a price tag, Lucas Williamson was red carded late in the game and will miss the game against us. Last 10 Competitive Meetings 1 - 2 (A) 0 - 2 (A) 1 - 1 (H) 3 - 2 (A) 2 - 0 (A) 2 - 2 (H) 3 - 0 (H) 2 - 1 (A) 3 - 2 (H) 0 - 0 (A) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ LIVE STREAMING £10 OFFICIAL PREVIEW ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Manager John Robertson opened up about his own struggles throughout the pandemic and gave everyone food for thought. If someone as effervescent as Robbo is plumbing the depths then we all need to be careful and look out for each other. There has been plenty of reaction to Robbo's thoughts and everyone here at CTO wishes him all the best in what he describes himself as "the hardest year to manage... Things have been so tough during the pandemic that the Caley Thistle boss has even considered walking away from football Taken from a press interview, Robbo said: “It’s been the hardest year to manage: “I’m sure other managers would say the same. My concern is my players’ health and wellbeing. It’s been difficult. “As a manager, you deal with a lot — fallouts with their partners, financial problems, their cars breaking down. A million and one things. “Add all that together and throw in a pandemic that is claiming lives and it’s very difficult. “We’ve had players here who haven’t seen their families for ten months. “I haven’t seen my own children for ten months, or my granddaughter, who was born in November. “We all accept that and get on with it, but it has been very difficult. “I’ve been very down at times. I’ve struggled with my mental health because I’ve had all these added pressures to deal with. “As a manager, I do my best to try and help my players, but who helps me? “I’ve got to go home and chat to my wife about it, but who manages the managers? “I’m lucky I’ve a great relationship with the board and the chief executive and we have chats. “But there have been half a dozen times since March where I’ve felt really low. “Sometimes I have questioned whether I want to keep going because it’s just been so hard seeing what’s happening in the world at the moment. “It doesn’t last very long, you go again. “But I’d be a liar to say it has not affected me.” Championship fixtures this weekend Arbroath 1-1 Dundee (Friday) Dunfermline v Ayr United Hearts v Raith Rovers ICT FC v Alloa Athletic Queen of the South v Morton ***Latest Team News*** With our winter holidays since 29th December, I expect to see duracell bunny David Carson getting close to some game time and the same should apply to defender Wallace Duffy. Aaron Doran could be good to go after his enforced down time through concussion. Kevin McHattie and Lewis Toshney will need more time off to fully recover. Robbo has hinted that there are a couple of guys struggling to make this one: "“We’ve got a couple of niggles, the boys have been training very hard. We’ve got a couple of players that we’ll look at on Friday, they may make it but we may not take the chance with the amount of games coming up.” Peter Grant will be without the suspended Lucas Williamson. Kevin Cawley Alan Trouten and Liam Buchanan all offer a goal threat and Innes Murray showed what he can do with a dead ball. Neil Parry was the top shot stopper last season and is a difficult man to get the better of. All in, a tough game on our hands against a team that know how to beat us; hosts beware!

Inverness CT -V- Queen of the South ***Match moved from January 12th Caledonian Stadium, Inverness Saturday 30th January @ 3:00pm Championship Football Covid restrictions apply Live Streaming available

Greenock Morton -V- Inverness CT Cappielow Park, Greenock Wednesday 27th January @ 18:30 Championship Football Covid restrictions apply Live Streaming available

Caley Jags reign on County's parade. Inverness trounced Ross County 0-3 in the local derby with a good old fashioned swashbuckling display to confirm what we all knew anyway, that the Highlands are still ours. County were massive favourites going in to this one and the fans turned out to get a glimpse of the Mickey Mouse Cup after the derby. The away end was also full and in good voice despite our recent form. As expected Jim McInally brought back Alex Schalk and Liam Boyce for this one with County looking to consolidate their top-six place. Yogi made a few alterations after the shambles in midweek and actually played with a striker on the pitch, albeit playing wide left. Miles Storey, Greg Tansey and Liam Polworth came back into the side and surprisingly Liam Hughes retained his forward roll with Richie Foran, Nat Wedderburn Lewis Horner and Danny Williams on the bench. No sign of Andrea Mutombo, must be too cold for him. Josh Meekings continued at right back in a defensive four with Devine, Warren and Tremarco making up our last line. Polworth, Draper, Tansey and Vigurs were in the engine room and Liam Hughes would be the target man hoping to feed on to Miles Storey. Great day for football and a big crowd expecting County to win at their own party. What could go wrong. Everything looked rosy for County and their party almost got off to a flying start. Owain Fon Williams was the party pooper when he saved brilliantly in the first couple of minutes from a Schalk header. Andrew Davies headed over and Liam Boyce failed with a shot as the celebrations began. Carl Tremarco almost broke the deadlock when he smashed a shot off the bar in 25 minutes and from that, County broke forward. The pitch opened up for Jackson Irvine and he raced into the box. His shot curled low round Fon Williams but the post spoiled his fun as the ball bounce off the base of the woodwork and away to safety. However, Inverness were right in the game now and just after the half hour we took the lead. Storey made great headway down the left before looking up and rolling the ball across to Polworth who had made the effort to keep up with him. Similar to midweek, he sped towards the box, but this time he got it right as he kept the ball down and fired it across the keeper and into the net, County were shell shocked and within five minutes we had scored again. From a Liam Hughes knockdown, Ross Draper made it look all too easy as he entered the box and clipped his shot into the net to silence the Jail End. How dare he! We could have been three up before the break but a Meekings header went just wide as we tore County a new one. Half Time 0-2 County made two changes at the break, Andrew Davies and Jackson Irvine staying in the dressing room and Chris Robertson and Jonathan Franks replacing them. Irvine had taken a sore one during the first half, Davies was probably just embarrassed. The next goal would be crucial to the outcome of this game, the question was who was going to get it? We didn't have long to wait for the answer and what a goal it was. A long ball towards Storey wide left was brilliantly chested down by the striker who had not scored since his goal in the New Years derby at Dingwall on the 2nd of January. He was about to put that right as the ball landed nicely for him as he cut inside before unleashing a dipping swerving volley that flashed over the keeper and into the net for a stunning goal. Take a bow Miles Storey. How's the party going? The young guns were having a ball, literally. Every time we shot wide of the goal, they somehow failed to find it quickly enough and County had to produce a new one. Meh. The game was over as a contest and it turned to shooty-in for our forward players. Draper, Storey and Tansey all fired just wide as the County Party turned sour and we turned on our hosts. The much maligned Liam Hughes was enjoying todays game and he even had the audacity to fire a shot on target but the keeper saved as we turned the screw, County were bedraggled as the game wore on and we looked likely to increase our lead every time we weaved patterns round their defence. Liam Polworth came closest to getting a fourth which would have by no means flattered us. He hit a thunderous shot from twenty yards which smacked the bar. What a strike that was. Josh Meekings nearly got on the end of a ball to the back post and he almost scored at the end with a header as we continued to torture our hosts. What were County doing during this half. Well, nothing really apart from watching us run rings round them. Their party was well and truly pooped. Full Time 0-3 What a season best performance from Inverness. We took the game by the scruff of the neck and had a real go at County. They had no answer to our power play and looked a sorry lot at the end. Great credit to Fon Williams for the early save and our defence cut out the errors and had the home strikers well marshalled all day. Yes, even Danny Devine, he took no chances today and was defensively solid. The midfield were superb, bossing and dictating the game and backing up the front men when required. Special mention to Liam Hughes who put in a great shift today and looked more like a footballer. But my Man of the Match is going to Miles Storey. If his confidence was low due to inactivity around the nets, then he will have received a massive boost after scoring that wonder goal today. It wasn't just about the goal though as he took on the County defence single handed at times and his pace saw him run them ragged, aided by some wonderful close control. Undoubtedly his best game yet, and what a match to do it in. Anyway, we enjoyed the party, thanks for the invite, will come back again next season. The Highlands are ours, Forever in our Shadows, Bragging rights (a temporary position of ascendancy in a closely contested rivalry) And finally, can we play you every week, etc etc................... Three wins this season = 9 points. . Date: 16/03/16 Venue: Victoria Park, Dingwall Attendance: 5912 Referee: Bobby Madden Ross County: 0 Lineup: Woods, Fraser, Quinn, Davies (Robertson 46), Foster, Gardyne (Goodwillie 54), Irvine (Franks 46), McShane, Murdoch, Schalk, Boyce Subs (not used): Konopka, Dingwall, De Vita, McLaughlin Scorers: none Booked: Foster (51), Boyce (63), Fraser (69) Sent Off: none Inverness CT: 3 Lineup: Fon Williams, Meekings, Warren, Devine, Tremarco, Tansey, Draper, Vigurs (R.Williams 86), Polworth (D.Williams 89), Hughes (Foran 86), Storey Subs (not used): Esson, Roberts, Wedderburn, Horner Scorers: Polworth (32), Draper (37), Storey (48) Booked: Vigurs (41) Sent Off: none

Inverness' slump continues. Inverness slumped once more in another embarrassing performance at Perth going down 1-0 to St Johnstone. Chris Kane scored the only goal of the game late in the second half with St Johnstone having a penalty well saved by Owain Fon Williams. There was no danger of Inverness scoring and the stat count showed massively in favour of the home side whilst the visitors failed to get a shot on target, something that Yogi needs to address urgently if we want to stay in the top league. Defeat we can handle, but the manner of these abysmal performances is causing much concern amongst the Caley Jags fans, and with Gary Warren being red-carded that just compounds our injury crisis with some crucial games looming. After this gutless display our chances of a top-six slot look slim, but our chances of relegation seem to be increasing with every game wasted. I'll let the fans do the talking here and ICT Chris had this to say on the forum:- We were absolutely dire last night. Having to change things around in terms of strikers isn't ideal and altering the shape of the team to include a target man must've been difficult, but our performance was negative, timid and dull. We played 3-5-2 with Polworth and Williams as wing backs, Tansey, Draper and Vigurs in midfield and Roberts playing 'off' Hughes up front. I thought Hughes actually did well. He isn't the most elegant player but when we hit the ball up to his chest or head he generally took it down or flicked it on. I don't think you could ask much more of him, the problem was that the rest of he team was so deep that he was completely isolated. At one point in the second half he headed a long ball back to Roberts who ran at St Johnstone but our entire team were back in our own half, meaning you are relying on Roberts beating two players and pinging in a wonder goal, which isn't going to happen often with any player. We are so focussed on possession that we go backwards and drop deep to maintain it but can't actually play in the oppositions half. Playing with a target man and Wing backs we should've tried to push up and allowed them to either get crosses in for Hughes or at least hit diagonals for him to knock down to runners but we were so deep all we could offer was a long ball to an isolated target. This meant that we didn't create any chances, were pushed deeper and deeper and ended up defending for our lives. You do that and the opposition are bound to score. This style is one reason why we've been conceding so many late goals, we don't impose ourselves on games and end up hanging in constantly only to be broken. We are in serious trouble. I've been to three games in the last week and in that time we've created one real chance, the goal from Mutombo at Easter Road. That came from players making forward runs, with and without the ball, something we haven't done in any of the other games and we only did in that game because we were going out of the cup. Our main striker has scored one goal in two and half months, our defence can't cope with the pressure our style puts it under, our best creative player (Tansey) is in horrible form. Accies on Saturday is huge for us, a must win. Rig was also not impressed:- We didn't manage a single shot on target last night against a team that has won twice since the start of December and who absolutely dominated us for the majority of the game. Roberts had a couple of good half chances either side of half time. The first seemed to be a missed clearance by a Saints defender and Roberts took an age to control the ball and have a shot and when he did get an effort away it didn't even trouble Mannus. The other effort came as Vigurs pounced on a poor back pass from Anderson and cleverly back heeled it for Roberts who dragged his shot wide, possibly via a deflection. Saints however had numerous chances to score but it wasn't until the 84th minute they finally went ahead. With that goal from Kane 50% of the goals ICT have conceded have been in the last 15 minutes of a game. 50%. That's ridiculous. No complaints about the earlier penalty decision. Looked a desperate lunge from Warren at the time and having seen the highlights I can't see any reason not to have awarded the penalty and give him a second yellow. Cracking save from OFW though. With some of the saves he has been making recently you'd have to imagine he will be our number one keeper next season. Chris is right when he says that conceding late is largely down to our style of play. By sitting so deep we encourage the opposition to put pressure on us and we frequently make mistakes. Twice last night Tansey played dangerous balls across the back line and was intercepted. The number of last ditch 'heroic' style challenges we need to make is concerning. Tremarco alone made three such challenges last night and Warren and Devine also chipped in with a couple of desperate blocks. It's mind boggling why we choose to invite so much pressure on ourselves and end up making costly errors. Having games in hand is all well and good but not if you are losing the games and seldom creating anything resembling a chance during those games. As Chris has said we created nothing of note against Hearts, a couple of chances against Hibs and another couple tonight. A handful of (half) chances over three games is desperate stuff. The emphasis on possession is all well and good but you need to actually try and create something with the ball which is something we don't seem to do. According to the BBC both sides last night had roughly an equal share of the ball. The shots on and off target tell you which team was actually trying to create something when they had the ball. I know folk will say that we've got players out but the guys that are in the team now haven't just been plucked off the street. The majority of them have played most of the season for us so far so I don't believe injuries can be used as that much of an excuse. Our style of play is horrible. It's boring to watch. It's negative, slow and timid. We play with absolutely no width in the team. Polworth was free at least 3 or 4 times last night down the right and every time he was overlooked for a short pass back to either the defence or goal keeper. On the rare occasions we did get the ball wide the final delivery into the box was well below par. Williams would routinely scuff his crosses or not even beat the first man. As Chris rightly points out if you are going to play with a target man up front you need to offer him some support. Have midfielders running on to his knock downs and, given the formation we played last night, use your full backs to offer some width to cross it into the box for your target man. I don't think we did that once last night. Fair play to the Fair City Unity squad (:laugh:) last night. Never stopped signing all through the game. But what were Saint Johnstone playing at watering the pitch before the game? Were they trying to turn it into a bog? Date: 09/03/16 Venue: McDiarmid Park, Perth Attendance: 2157 Referee: Don Robertson St Johnstone: 1 Lineup: Mannus, Fisher, Anderson, Shaughnessy, Scobbie, Swanson (Craig 88), Davidson, Lappin, Wotherspoon, MacLean (Cummins 83), Kane Subs (not used): Doyle, Sutton, Clark, Thomson, Krachunov Scorers: Kane (84) Booked: Craig (94) Sent Off: none Inverness CT: 0 Lineup: Fon Williams, Polworth (Horner 88), Warren, Devine, Tremarco, D.Williams, Draper, Tansey, Vigurs, Roberts (Wedderburn 73), Hughes Subs (not used): Esson, R.Williams, Foran, Brown, MacLennan Scorers: none Booked: Warren (63), Tansey (94), Vigurs (94) Sent Off: Warren (68)

Grim Stuff. Our miserable form continues as Hearts swept us aside in a comfortable 2-0 win for the Jambos. It was another uninspiring performance from Inverness, although it's hardly surprising with nine players receiving treatment and Ross Draper suspended. A goal in either half from Jamie Walker and Abiola Dauda condemned us to life outside the top-six for now. With another trip to Edinburgh on Sunday for the Scottish Cup tie at Easter Road, it could be a grim week for the Caley Jags unless Yogi can lift he team for the defence of our trophy. Here's a report from a Hearts perspective: Jamie Walker on scoresheet again as Hearts beat Inverness: Jamie Walker continued his goalscoring streak as Hearts moved to 50 points for the season with a comfortable 2-0 win over Inverness. The midfielder netted in his fourth consecutive Ladbrokes Premiership game after latching on to Arnaud Djoum's searching pass to get in behind a packed Caley Thistle defence in the 35th minute at Tynecastle. Inverness had not got going as an attacking force before Abiola Dauda capitalised on Greg Tansey's mistake to give the home side a cushion within eight minutes of the restart. The victory moves Hearts six points behind second-placed Aberdeen while Caley Thistle remain in the bottom six. Inverness looked content to sit in from the start and they frustrated Hearts for long spells of the first half. The first chance fell for Dauda after Walker had brought down Alim Ozturk's diagonal ball, but Danny Devine threw himself in the way of the striker's shot. Hearts continued to probe patiently. Prince Buaben had a shot saved and right-back Liam Smith - deputising impressively for the injured Callum Paterson - played a one-two with Gavin Reilly and fired a left-footed shot from 20 yards which just cleared the bar. A touch of desperation crept into the home side when Ozturk shot from the edge of the centre circle, although Owain Fon Williams had to watch the bounce carefully before clutching the ball. The breakthrough came following another diagonal ball to Walker, who took down Djoum's 50-yard pass on his foot, kept it away from two Inverness defenders, nipped round Williams and squeezed a shot inside the near post. Caley Thistle had to come out and attack after the interval but they were caught out after one of their first attempts broke down. Tansey tried to play the ball back to Williams from the halfway line but under-hit the pass and Dauda pounced before rounding the goalkeeper and finding the empty net. Inverness, who missed the suspended Ross Draper, plugged away without looking like getting back in the game. Jordan Roberts shot weakly at home goalkeeper Neil Alexander and Dauda had a good chance to score his fourth Hearts goal, but side-footed straight at Williams after being set up by Sam Nicholson. Alexander was busier in the final 10 minutes, saving from Carl Tremarco and Iain Vigurs, but it was too little, too late from the visitors. Date: 01/03/16 Venue: Tynecastle Stadium, Edinburgh Attendance: 15767 Referee: Alan Muir Hearts: 2 Lineup: Alexander, Smith, Ozturk, Souttar, Rossi (McGhee 80), Nicholson, Buaben, Sutchuin, Walker (Zanatta 66), Reilly, Dauda (Cowie 78) Subs (not used): Hamilton, Augustyn, Pallardo, Delgado Scorers: Walker (35), Dauda (53) Booked: Sutchuin (54) Sent Off: none Inverness CT: 0 Lineup: Fon Williams, Horner (Hughes 82), Warren, Devine, Tremarco, Tansey, Polworth, D.Williams, Roberts (R.Williams 70), Vigurs, Storey Subs (not used): Esson, Brown, Maclennan Scorers: none Booked: Roberts (53), Vigurs (59) Sent Off: none

The sheep are not on fire Inverness came from behind to defeat Aberdeen 3-1 as the sheep were doused whilst Inverness burned their own smoke filled chimney. Apparently a wee fault with the central heating generator filled the stadium with smoke in the second half as goals from Vigurs, Tansey (pen) and Tremarco overshadowed Adam Rooney's opener. A bitter night in Inverness for the Monday night game which was also televised restricted the crowd somewhat. The Inverness fans had some bad news prior to kick off as Danny Williams would miss out due to family reasons and David Raven was carrying a knock and would not be risked. That left Lewis Horner at right back and Jordan Roberts started after his game winning cameo at Motherwell. Adam Rooney spearheaded the Aberdeen attack with Jonny Hayes one of the providers and former Inverness captain Graeme Shinnie was at left back with the Dons' armband. Andrew Considine and Willo Flood only made the bench with new signing Simon Church on from the start. Aberdeen made the brightest start to the game but both sides looked to get forward at every opportunity, Inverness winning the first corner of the game but it came to nothing. In the seventh minute Inverness had to thank Owain Fon Williams as he tipped a vicious Graeme Shinnie shot onto the top of the crossbar as the full back burst into the box on the left side. To top it all, drastic referee Willie Collum gave a goal kick. Maybe that helped Aberdeen as from the goal kick, Storey chested the ball down but Vigurs never got it. The Dons broke forward at pace and Craig Storie fed Rooney as the defence backed off and he rifled the ball through Devine into the net. The Dons looked to be buoyed by this and started to dictate the pace of the game, but Inverness were starting to get forward and saw a bit more of the ball. In the eighteenth minute Inverness got the break they were looking for as Ash Taylor made a hash of defending and Iain Vigurs accepted the gift, strolled forward and drove the ball behind the exposed keeper. This stirred Aberdeen into action again and McGinn fired over and did the same a few minutes later as the Dons looked to up their title challenge, but Carl Tremarco headed just wide at the other end. With almost half an hour gone one of Aberdeens main threats went off injured. Jonny Hayes left the field to be replaced by Peter Pawlett. Aberdeen target Greg Tansey fired a free kick wide as the game entered a scrappy phase with free kicks coming back in fashion as Collum stopped the game at every opportunity, however there was no more scoring as the half ended. Half Time 1-1 The second half began as the first ended, fouls galore, but one crucial one given to Inverness was deemed to be a penalty by Collum much to everyone's surprise. But hey ho; we have been on the wrong end of these many times. After Draper bit the turf, Greg Tansey, who else, strode forward and despatched the spot kick with ease to put Inverness ahead. Almost on the hour and Ash Taylor almost made amends with a header but he headed narrowly wide. Players were going down like ninepins and the crime count was mounting, but in 65 minutes Inverness went further ahead after some divine intervention by Willie Collum. Jordan Roberts clipped a ball in from the right and the cross was headed to the back post where Tremarco turned up to head home. The linesman flagged for offside thinking the head on was by an Inverness player, but it was off a defender, probably the hapless donkey that is Ash Taylor, and Collum rightly awarded the goal after a short discussion with the linesman. For the remainder of the game it was the hosts that looked likeliest to add to their tally as Aberdeen looked shell shocked, Miles Storey making a number of superb breaks forward and only the final ball denying Inverness a goal on a few occasions. Three minutes of added time came and went as Inverness denied the Dons with consummate ease and at the final whistle Aberdeens title challenge took a knock as Inverness went back into the top six. Full Time 3-1 Well deserved victory for Inverness with Aberdeen resorting to shouting for penalties every time they entered our box. Mind you, one or two of the challenges looked more worthy that the one Draper got. Baaa, what a shame Great performance all round from Inverness with the defence outstanding and in Miles Storey a tremendous outlet for the back line when under pressure. Jordan Roberts put in a great shift as well before being replaced and Carl Tremarco continued his good run and got a goal to boot. Gary Warren was immense and won the aerial battle along with his partner Danny Devine. Willie watch. Well, he got some things right, and some things wrong, but you won't find me complaining when he awarded the goal after the linesman flagged it offside. The linesman got it wrong and fair play to Willie for spotting that. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rS5IIhHgyhA Date: 15/02/16 Venue: Caledonian Stadium Attendance: 4544 Referee: Willie Collum Inverness CT: 3 Lineup: Fon Williams, Tremarco, Warren, Draper, Roberts (Mbuyi-Mutombo 80), Devine, Tansey, Horner (Hughes 88), Polworth, Vigurs, Storey (R.Williams 90) Subs (not used): Esson, Wedderburn, Brown Scorers: Vigurs (18), Tansey (pen.51), Tremarco (65) Booked: Tremarco (22), Roberts (53), Draper (61), Devine (63) Sent Off: none Aberdeen: 1 Lineup: Brown, Logan, Taylor, Reynolds, Shinnie, Rooney, Storie, McLean, Hayes (Pawlett 28), McGinn, Church (Smith 67) Subs (not used): Collin, Considine, Flood, Robson, Ross Scorers: Rooney (7) Booked: Taylor (45), Reynolds (67) Sent Off: none

Isn't It Ironic As Alanis Morrisette once said, "Isn't It Ironic". We produce an utter borefest of a performance (0-0), and still creep into the top-six once more as others around us falter. Some people say that not all 0-0 games are boring. Well, this one topped the table in terms of boredom, mistakes, lack of creativity, lack of incident and a total lack of entertainment. Yes it was simply rubbish, even if you did pay what you can, you might be entitled to a refund. A great initiative by the club undermined by the dreadful fare on display. Andrea Mutombo started again after a dazzling one man show against Stirling Albion in the cup and Danny Williams was in with Liam Polworth on the bench. The crowd initiative drew in a few extra bodies hoping to be entertained. Sadly, entertainment was not on the menu so they had to make their own, and fair play to them, they kept chanting and dancing to the end, something the players should be thankful for. To be fair to the Caley Jags, it was us that looked the more interested early on with Mutombo continuing where he left off, running and twisting his way towards the defenders, a one man box of tricks. He fired one high and wide six minutes into the game. Sadly, he would run out of tricks before the break as Thistle began to suss him out. Miles Storey tested the keeper soon after but it was all too easy for the keeper. We were dominating the early possession, but as per usual, with little threat to the opposition goal. Iain Vigurs also shot over in a rare moment of movement from the luxury midfielder, but chances were at a premium for the rest of the half as Partick seemed to know that we lacked any punch up front which was indicative of our pedantic style of possession boredom. Ten minutes before the break and Gary Warren found himself outside the penalty box. He elected to shoot, maybe not his strongest point and the ball went high over the bar. This was swiftly followed by a cushioned header from Mutombo that went wide, and at the other end Steven Lawless dollied a shot into the hands of the untested Owain Fon Williams. Vigurs was yellow carded before the break and Ross Draper passed up the best chance of the half but tamely headed over. That was about the last action of a lifeless first half and Partick would be better pleased to be going in level. Half Time 0-0 It had been a shocker of a first half, unfortunately, the second wasn't any better. If anything, it looked worse as Partick began the process of levelling out the possession percentages. Mutombo earned a booking probably due to frustration as he was not getting beyond the defenders any more as the game entered a scrappy phase. Not a lot happened until Miles Storey brought out a finger tip save just under the crossbar to tip over his 25 yard shot. That managed to get the crowd off their mobiles to look up and see what all the commotion was about. However it never lasted and most were back to looking at twitter or posting status' on facebook. Liam Polworth had entered the scene, but unfortunately for him he would not be best pleased by his contribution. Storey did well down the left flank, skinning the full back and cutting the ball back to the feet of Polworth six yards out. He took a touch but could not dig the ball out from his feet and he ended up sclaffing the ball just wide of the post in the games best opportunity to make the fans happy. Full Time 0-0 What an absolute anti football game that was. If clubs want to increase attendances, then they are going about it the wrong way as teams are frightened to open out and be a bit more creative. Partick got what they came for, Inverness got what they deserved. On the park, Inverness were best served by new extended contract Captain Gary Warren, with Miles Storey looking better after the break and Danny Williams doing his best to help out. Regardless, the young fans behind the goal in the North Stand did their best to liven the atmosphere and they can go home with their heads held high as they take the MotM award for singing, dancing and drumming up some semblance of an atmosphere, something that should have been created on the park. Let's get this game out of the system as Hearts come North next week. I doubt they will sit back and wait for something to happen, let's hope we are prepared for it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMi4XB-pNp4 Date: 23/01/16 Venue: Caledonian Stadium Attendance: 3556 Referee: Greg Aitken Inverness CT: 0 Lineup: Fon Williams, Raven, Tremarco, Warren, Draper, Devine, Tansey, Williams, Vigurs, Mbuyi-Mutombo (Polworth 70), Storey Subs (not used): Esson, Foran, Wedderburn, Roberts, Brown, Sutherland Scorers: none Booked: Vigurs (41), Mbuyi-Mutombo (52) Sent Off: none Partick Thistle: 0 Lineup: Cerny, Seaborne, Welsh, Booth, Osman, Amoo, Bannigan, Doolan, Lawless (Elliott 57), Frans, Dumbuya Subs (not used): Scully, Miller, Wilson, Leyden, Nisbet, Penrice Scorers: none Booked: Booth (87), Seaborne (90) Sent Off: none

Snow good enough Inverness lost 2-1 at a snowy Kilmarnock as we slid to defeat. This result leaves us looking down the table with trepidation instead of setting our sights on challenging for a European slot behind Celtic, Aberdeen and Hearts. Ross Draper scored a landmark 1500th goal for Inverness Caledonian Thistle, but it was not enough to save us from losing this game as Greg Kiltie and Craig Slater scored the goals to move Killie to within four points of Inverness. Slater's goal was an absolute belter, volleying home from the edge of the box via the underside of the bar, a goal fit to win any game. The snow did it's best to help Inverness out but despite a late flurry from the visitors, it was Killie that took all three points. Date: 16/01/16 Venue: Rugby Park, Kilmarnock Attendance: 2937 Referee: Don Robertson Kilmarnock: 2 Lineup: MacDonald, Findlay, Higginbotham (Robinson 87), Ashcroft, Slater, Kiltie, Syme, Balatoni, Carrick, Hamill, Frizzell (Obadeyi 77) Subs (not used): Brennan, Boyd, Barbour, Hawkshaw, Splaine Scorers: Kiltie (9), Slater (51) Booked: Slater (52) Sent Off: none Inverness CT: 1 Lineup: Fon-Williams, Raven (Sutherland 81), Tremarco, Warren, Draper, Wedderburn (Fisher 62), Tansey, Williams, Polworth (Mbuyi-Mutombo 61), Vigurs, Storey Subs (not used): Esson, Foran, Roberts, Brown Scorers: Draper (41) Booked: Tansey (28), Mbuyi-Mutombo (80), Tremarco (92) Sent Off: none

The Highlands are ours. Inverness won the New Year derby 2-0 with a thoroughly deserved victory over first footers Ross County at the Tulloch Caledonian Stadium, reclaiming the Highlands. First half goals from Miles Storey and Greg Tansey were enough to see off the visitors as Inverness closed to within two points of neighbours Ross County. The Caley Jags had Raven and Tremarco in the full back slots as they went seeking their 1500th goal. Ross County had a surprise omission with striker Liam Boyce out with an injured hand, Alex Schalk given the task of getting the County goals in the New Year derby. The home fans were in fine voice as the sides came out on a warm 2nd of January afternoon and the drums were beating a pulsating rhythm which would transfer onto the park to keep the players energy levels high. It was the visitors who looked sharper in the opening exchanges and Rocco Quinn might have done better than to fire over from an inviting position after seven minutes. David Raven did likewise a few minutes later at the other end but it was County that were making most of the early play. Quinn and Martin Woods missed in quick succession as we rode our luck a little and Craig Curran was replaced with Brian Graham before twenty minutes were up because of an injury, but the home side were beginning to get to grips with the pace of the game. With 25 minutes gone Inverness took the lead. A corner was knocked out of the box and James Vincent returned it goalwards. Miles Storey was alert enough to re-direct the ball beyond Scott Fox from close range to open the scoring. Tough on County maybe, but they were made to pay for earlier missed opportunities. With half an hour on the clock, Ross Draper failed to keep a header down from a corner as the ball went over the bar. Five minutes before the break, Andrew Davies had a header saved by Owain Fon Williams as County tried to get back on level terms, but it was Inverness that would go in at the interval much the happier side. Greg Tansey took a free kick wide on the left after Wedderburn had been fouled. He directed his cross come shot towards the danger area and with two or three missing the ball, it bounced through everybody and ended up in the net. That was the final action of the first half and Inverness had stolen a march on their rivals with that second goal in stoppage time. Half Time 2-0 Now then, 2-0 has been a dangerous lead for us in recent games but we were in no mood to let this one slip. We had rolled our sleeves up during the beak and came out snapping at the visitors heels, not allowing them to settle on the ball. Yogi hooked Wedderburn soon after the break looking to get Iain Vigurs to control the pace of the game. This seemed to work well and County would get little joy in the second half. Michael Gardyne was having little joy but he did get a shot away from a tight angle which Williams saved at the expense of a corner. Alex Schalk was ineffective as a replacement for Liam Boyce and he was replaced by Raffaele De Vita as Jim McIntyre shuffled his pack. Martin Woods had a couple of shots saved by Williams but it was Liam Polworth who should have scored the next goal. Great play by inverness around the box teed up Polworth who tried to guide his shot into the top of the net. Unfortunately he directed it past the top corner of the net. Vigurs also chose the wrong side of the post as the game raged from end to end and the drum beat got louder, the full repertoire unloaded on the fans ears. Miles Storey had been running the County back line ragged and he almost scored a spectacular third goal. He whistled a rasping shot high at the goal, but Scott Fox made a finger tip save to divert the ball onto the bar as Inverness looked to kill off the game. Gary Warren tried an acrobatic overhead effort but the keeper had it covered as Inverness played the game out in front of the North Stand, County reduced to speculative efforts and wayward free kicks. Mutombo came on and had time to lash a sot wide from an acute angle. Might have been better lifting his head and looking for a team mate but it mattered not a jot. The Highlands were ours once more. Full Time 2-0 Maybe a tad fortunate to open up a two goal gap in the first half, but our second half performance was tremendous and we ran out comfortable winners in the end. Miles Storey was my Man of the Match, giving the County defence a torrid time of it, scored one and almost added a second but for a great save by the keeper. Ross Draper was also impressive and another great display from Liam Polworth who should have scored as well. Defensively solid and the clean sheet was a massive bonus. We are back inside the top-six again and just two points behind County. Not bad for the Pride of the Highlands considering the start we made to our season. Next week it's cup action at Stirling, maybe the 1500th goal will come in that game. Date: 02/01/16 Venue: Caledonian Stadium Attendance: 5388 Referee: John Beaton Inverness CT: 2 Lineup: Fon Williams, Raven, Tremarco (Williams 82), Vincent (Mbuyi-Mutombo 88), Warren, Draper, Devine, Wedderburn (Vigurs 53), Tansey, Polworth Subs (not used): Esson, Lopez, Roberts Scorers: Storey (26), Tansey (45+2) Booked: Wedderburn (33), Raven (79) Sent Off: none Ross County: 0 Lineup: Fox, Reckord, Quinn (Franks 57), Boyd, Gardyne, Curran (Graham 17), Foster, Davies, Schalk (De Vita 66), Woods, Irvine Subs (not used): Woods, Fraser, McShane, Murdoch Scorers: none Booked: Boyd (54) Sent Off: none

Frankly Awesome Storm Frank did his best to disrupt this game but the plastic pitch at New Douglas Park stood up to the test and it was game on at a dreich NDP, and Inverness won a thriller 4-3. Eamonn Brophy made his first start of the season for Hamilton at the expense of Carlton Morris. Morris was joined on the bench by Daniel Redmond, Christian Nade and Steven Boyd amongst others. Inverness fielded David Raven once more with Carl Tremarco returning at left back. Still no sign of Josh Meekings. Jordan Roberts was on the bench along with Iain Vigurs, Dani Lopez and Danny Williams. As at Pittodrie, Miles Storey missed a one on one with McGovern coming out on top after nine minutes, deflecting the ball with his legs to keep the score level. Carl Tremarco lifted a ball over to Storey but his shot misses from the angle across the goal. Inverness were getting on top and won a free kick around thirty yards out. Greg Tansey took it and with Michael McGovern not covering himself in glory, the ball ended up high in the centre of the net. Half an hour gone and Frank opens up again, dampening the atmosphere, the players responding by taking shelter on the pitch. Devine broke the monotony, but his header from a corner goes just wide and five minutes before the break David Raven forced McGovern into making a save from close range. Half Time 0-1 So far so good, but can we manage to avoid the late goal syndrome that has afflicted us all season? 154 away fans made the journey in this weather. Absolute nutters to be honest. It's horrendous out there, let's hope they get rewarded for their nuttery. Five minutes into the second period and our new sensation Liam Polworth gave them more hope as he notched our second goal of the game, his third in a row. Raven sent him on his way and he made a bee line for the opposition box before rifling a shot low into the bottom corner. Miles Storey was giving the Accies back line a hard time with his powerful running, causing concern every time he sprints after the ball, and that's enough for some of the Hamilton fans as they leave the building. Carlton Morris replaced Louis Longridge as Accies looked to change things around, but Inverness were content to use the Miles Storey outlet to stretch the home defence. Fon Williams was eventually asked to work saving from Crawford after 65 minutes but they would not be denied moments later as Morris flicks home from six yards to reduce the deficit. Miles Storey caused more panic but was unable to find the net soon after as Inverness fans feel the pressure that comes with losing a two goal lead. Accies were now dominating the game and we were looking like frightened rabbits as the home side went searching for a leveller, Christian Nade coming on for Brophy. The inevitable happened though and ten minutes from the end Ziggy Gordon scored the equaliser with a header. Deja Vu. That was just the start of it though and a frenetic finish to the game would ensue. It looked as though Accies might now go on and win the game, but Tansey got the opportunity of another free kick in the 88th minute and some twenty five yards out. His first one was bludgeoned towards the goal, this one was curled brilliantly over the wall using the elements to fair gain and the ball whistled into the top corner, McGovern could do little about it. But, late goals R us and one minute later Nade was knocking the ball beyond Owain Fon Williams at the other end with his head from a corner. This sparked a mass argument in the Inverness defence amongst themselves, plenty of finger pointing as win bonuses looked to be disappearing once more. However, there was one more twist in the tale during the three minutes of stoppage time. Ross Draper fed Liam Polworth and our new superhero lashed an unstoppable shot across the keeper into the top corner. McGovern had little chance with Tansey's second free kick, he had not an earthly with this one. What a strike from 25 yards, the ball rocketed into the net. Scenes of joy in the away end as we finally ended a game on a high and the long knives were put back in the drawer for another while. Full Time, an incredible 3-4 Storm Frank turned this into some game and no doubt had a hand in some of the spectacular goals on show. I doubt you will see four better strikes in the same game. At one point we were facing throwing away a two goal lead for the second time in a week. Then we faced the prospect of another late, late, goal scuppering us. But, we never gave up and the winning goal was simply unbelievable. Full credit to all the players, Tansey and Polworth outstanding, but the real heroes were the 154 away fans who made the journey amid scenes of biblical proportions. Alternative Maryill, one of our more obsevant fans had this to say about our midfield battlers after yesterdays game. There was plenty to be encouraged by in addition to the final score. The midfield trio Tansey, Polworth and Draper was immense, key to us absolutely controlling the first hour of the game. After being one of our best and most important players last season, Tansey had seemed quieter and less confident in the early part of this season, but on the evidence of yesterday, he is starting to get back to his best. Draper drove us forward, as he apparently did against Aberdeen; we're simply a far better side with him in the team, and we need to get him tied to a new contract asap. And of course, the revelation of St Liam continues. For a good three months now, he has been the bright spot in the team: relentlessly industrious, and positive and dynamic in his passing and the runs he makes, where too many others have been timid and conservative. Yesterday's two goals encapsulated all these qualities and rewarded Polworth for what he brings to the team. The one concern, of course, is that if his ability and influence continue to develop at the pace they have done in the first half of this season, then he might be the next player to follow Christie out the door. Wedderburn also had a good game yesterday, commanding the area in front of the central defence and bringing the three aforementioned players into the game. Vincent, on the other hand, still looks like he doesn't quite know where he should be playing. Date: 30/12/15 Venue: New Douglas Park, Hamilton Attendance: 1555 Referee: Euan Anderson Hamilton: 3 Lineup: McGovern, Gordon, Kurakins, Gillespie, Imrie (Redmond 90), Crawford, Longridge (Morris 58), MacKinnon, Brophy (Nade 81), Tena, Tagliapietra Subs (not used): Martin, Sendles-White, Docherty, Boyd Scorers: Morris (66), Gordon (81), Nade (89) Booked: Gillespie (24), Imrie (87) Sent Off: none Inverness CT: 4 Lineup: Fon-Williams, Raven, Tremarco, Vincent, Warren, Draper, Devine, Wedderburn (Williams 87), Tansey, Polworth, Storey Subs (not used): Esson, Lopez, Roberts, Sho-Silva, Vigurs, Mbuyi-Mutombo Scorers: Tansey (18, 88), Polworth (51,93) Booked: Draper (25), Raven (70), Tansey (83) Sent Off: none

Tale of two penalties This game was decided by two penalties and a sending off as the sides had to settle for a point apiece in a 1-1 draw at the Caledonian Stadium. Rory Loy slotted Dundee's penalty home to take the lead after David Raven was sent packing, but Greg Tansey returned the favour just after the hour. That ended the scoring but not the chances, with Liam Polworth left pounding the turf after dragging a glorious opportunity wide late in the game. As expected, our injury situation dictated how we approached this game and the addition of Miles Storey to the casualty list saw Iain Vigurs start wide left with the versatile Danny Williams helping out up front. Gary Warren was a welcome addition to the bench, even if he might still be on crutches. Dundee began with the side that ended the Kilmarnock game. That meant there was no starts for Gary Harkins, Kane Hemmings or Darryll Meggatt. They made way for Thomas Konrad, Paul McGowan and Nicky Low. Heavy overnight wind and rain gave way to a pleasant Saturday afternoon and just under 3000 turned up to see if our fortunes could change. As is traditional, we started brightly without threatening and the game soon settled into a midfield tussle with neither keeper being troubled. There were a few half snippets, but everything would fizzle out before the keepers were made to work. We did find the net once our wide players worked out how to get the ball beyond the first defender, but unfortunately Josh Meekings was flagged for offside as he headed smartly into the net. I suppose the best chance of the half fell to Ryan Christie, but he elected to chest down a long cross rather than use his head, in doing so he was closed down before shooting. What were Dundee doing while we plugged away? Well, virtually nothing, that'll be why Hartley had them warming up on the pitch five minutes before the second half started. Half Time 0-0 Well, it seemed to work as Dundee raced to the opposition box right from the restart. Only five minutes into the second period David Raven tackled Greg Stewart as he was about to shoot and referee Brian Colvin who was handily placed had no doubt it was a spot kick and to make things worse, he sent Raven for an early bath for his troubles . Rory Loy converted from twelve yards as Fon-Williams tried to cover the opposite side of the goal frame. Things looked bleak for Inverness and we expected the worst. The sending off left acres of space for Dundee to exploit and we were now under the cosh. Nicky Low had a shot deflected for a corner and from he resultant ball into the box, Healey headed wide from a good position. Despite Dundee's dominance since Raven walked, Inverness drew level after 65 minutes. A decent break forward saw Polworth hitting the turf out wide in the box as he tried to cut back inside. It looked like a penalty, but play raged on and Ryan Christie spotted his chance. He burst onto the loose ball trying to head towards the corner flag, and before you could say for fecks sake ref, Colvin pointed to the spot as Christie was upended. Fair enough, one penalty from two shouts and when the dust settled, Greg Tansey tucked the ball into the bottom corner. That sparked Dundee into more activity around our box but again most moves were breaking down without Fon-Williams being pestered. Ricardo Calder and Kane Hemmings upped the pace when they were introduced and we did well to prevent Dundee from getting ahead. Healey and Hemmings had forced Fon-Williams into making tremendous stops but it was at the other end where the points should have been won. Josh Meekings saw the headlines in the Courier as he burst into the box wide on the right side, but he blazed his shot high and not very handsomely into the North Stand. Well at least that's where I thought it ended up. We received a boost when Gary Warren made a surprise return to action after his leg break and that locked the back door. We ventured forward, and after some neat interplay the ball looked to sit up nicely for Liam Polworth, but the midfielder dragged his shot across the goal from around twelve yards and that endeth the opportunities for the home side. Dundee would still pressure our defence, but with Warren in there we looked impenetrable and held on for a welcome point, much to Dundee's frustration, especially with us being reduced to 10 men for most of the second half. Full Time 1-1 It was a game of two penalties, simple as that. Neither side looked capable of carving out their own chances and it was probably fitting that the outcome was decided on penalties. Dundee will feel disappointed that they could not get the better of the ten men, but in all honesty they were atrocious in the first half and they could not take full advantage of a side reduced in numbers. Sounds familiar. A point each was probably a fair reflection on the overall play and neither side looked as if they were worth more than that. For us, it's a step in the right direction, even with more injuries to contend with and a sending off for Raven, but the biggest cheer of the day was reserved for ooooohhh Gary Warren. MotM could be nobody else but Ryan Christie, who at times looked like the only home player tying to achieve something. His work rate was simply tremendous and some of his touches were sublime, fitting that he won the penalty that gave us a point. He was well backed up by Owain Fon-Williams in goal and Josh Meekings at the back. One or two others need to up their work rate though and Iain Vigurs will need to know that his honeymoon period is over and he must knuckle down to some serious hard graft. We have no room for luxury players at the moment. James Vincent's goal in the cup final seems like a lifetime away now as he struggles to create anything. I'll put it down to a shortage of players and some guys having to play unaccustomed roles. Welcome back Gary. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lm8oRPZjnwo&t=11s Date: 31/10/15 Venue: Caledonian Stadium Attendance: 2940 Referee: Brian Colvin Inverness CT: 1 Lineup: Fon Williams, Raven, Tremarco, Vincent, Meekings, Devine, Tansey, Williams (Warren 79) , Polworth, Christie, Vigurs (Sutherland 66) Subs (not used): Esson, Wedderburn, Horner, MacRae Scorers: Tansey (pen.64) Booked: none Sent Off: Raven (50) Dundee: 1 Lineup: Bain, Holt, Konrad, Stewart, Low (Calder 70), Loy (Hemmings 71), Ross, McGowan, McGinn, Healey, Gadzgalov Subs (not used): Mitchell, Irvine, Meggatt, Harkins, Skelly Scorers: Loy (50) Booked: none Sent Off: none

Disappointment at Rugby Park Inverness went down 2-1 at Rugby Park as Kilmarnock scored in each half to continue their resurgence and halt Inverness in their tracks. Greg Kiltie scored right on half time and Josh Magennis added a second as Inverness wilted, with Killie running out deserved winners in the end. Johndo will have a full report for us in due course...........and here it is Well that was my first venture since the trip to Romania. Have to admit that Kilmarnock ain't Bucharest and the Portmann ain't the Old City but at least I remembered the game this time. Another enjoyable Juanjo Awayday, only spoilt by a tepid performance and a very disappointing scoreline. It wasn't that we actually played that badly but it was a case of looking good but with no end product. That was Killie's first clean sheet of the season and no wonder Jamie McDonald had a wry smile at the final whistle as he applauded the away support who had been goading him most of the afternoon. "You won us the cup" ditty evidently fell on deaf ears. The possession stats were 50/50 and only eight shots with five on target throughout the game pretty much sums it up. But it really could have been so different if we had pressed home our domination of the first 20-25 minutes. There was a lot of possession but of the tippy-tappy, Ray Wilkins variety. Killie threw seven men across the pitch and limited us to chances from crosses or dead ball situations. Perhaps it might have been different if either Devine, Draper or Meekings had placed their headers in the back of the net - but as was the case throughout the game - our final touch or attempted pass was atrocious. I haven't really criticised Yogi too much but I felt that he was at fault this time. Why he allowed Draper to stay on the pitch until half-time baffles me. Sure Draper is determined and did not want to go off but he was a passenger for the last 20 minutes and all that was probably accomplished was to make his injury worst. Yogi should have hooked him and took Vigurs on earlier. And then Mutombo for Williams was a strange decision. I thought Williams was having a good day and his pace was worrying Killie. Mutombo to me is a forward version of Djebi-Zadi. And the introduction of Sutherland was also too late. To me the difference in the sides was Magennis. I have never really been impressed by him but his mere physical presence appeared to upset Devine and Meekings. The second half felt far longer than 45 minutes and we appeared to rely on big punts looking to capitalise on the pace of Storey who had little if any support. So perhaps it was just a bad day at the office. Perhaps the Tannadice farce left its mark. At least ours wasn't the only surprise scoreline. And I ended my time in Kilmarnock visiting a hostelry whose name resembled some of the players on show earlier. Fon Williams 6/10 - Never really had that much to do. Thought that he could have done better with the first goal, sadly in added on time. Raven 4/10 - Thought that he had a shocker - was he fit ? Watching trying to chase a ball down the wing in the second half reminded me of Marius Niculae at Motherwell. Tremarco 4/10 - He was fit so he has no excuse. Sooner we get Williams ensconsed in that position the better. Devine 6/10 - Actually looked the best of the defence which sadly was not too difficult to achieve. Meekings 5/10 - Bad day at the office. I always feel that he is not as good without Warren beside him. Polworth 6/10 - Didn't really do anything particularly wrong but did little to impress either. Draper 4/10 - Well you simply cannot perform with an injury but you can come off when you have one. Tansey 4/10 - Again 2-3 lovely touches but otherwise anonymous. Played far too deep Christie 7/10 - The only one who actually looked like changing the game. Williams 6/10 - Not sure why he was hooked as he was beginning to look like a danger, especially if we had pushed him forward. Storey 7/10 - Full of running and determination but he is simply not a target man or a centre forward. Let him play off somebody and we have a real winner. Vigurs 8/10 - My MOM for his 45 minute contribution. He may look lazy and he may not be all action but he has a head for the game and some of his passing was one touch and inspirational. Motombo 3/10 - Headless chicken impersonation Sutherland 4/10 - No time to make any type of impact Yogi 4/10 - Tactically his poorest selection and poorest tactics - 4-5-1 with what looked like 3 holding midfielders played right into Killie's hands. Date: 17/10/15 Venue: Rugby Park, Kilmarnock Attendance: 3234 Referee: Stephen Finnie Kilmarnock: 2 Lineup: MacDonald, O'Hara, Balatoni, Findlay, Smith, Slater, McHattie, McKenzie, Kiltie, Higginbotham, Magennis Subs (not used): Ridgers, Hamill, Connolly, Boyd, Obadeyi, Ashcroft, Frizzell Scorers: Kiltie (45), Magennis (66) Booked: none Sent Off: none Inverness CT: 0 Lineup: Fon Williams, Raven (Sutherland 81), Devine, Meekings, Tremarco, Draper (Vigurs 46), Williams (Mbuyi-Mutombo 53), Polworth, Christie, Tansey, Storey Subs (not used): Esson, Wedderburn, Horner, Sutherland Scorers: none Booked: Miles Storey (69) Sent Off: none

Miles Better Inverness bagged their first win of the season against early pacesetters Hearts in an ultimately deserved 2-0 victory. It took a long time coming but we grew in confidence as the game went on and we were able to complete the job with a late clincher. James Vincent opened the scoring after 49 minutes and debut striker Miles Storey capped a whirlwind display with an Andy Shinnie like finish in the final minute. This was no more than we deserved as we finished the game with a flourish, Hearts on the other hand finished the game with ten men after Oshaniwa appeared to raise his fist against the napper of our other new face Tobi Sho-Silva. A very healthy away support swelled the attendance over the four thousand mark, no doubt looking to see if the Jambos could hit the top of the league, even if it might just be for one night ahead of the top of the table clash at Pittodrie. It was great to have James Vincent and Josh Meekings back in the side to stabilise the erratic recent performances and newbie Miles Storey was plunged in at the sharp end to address our lack of goals. On loan midfielder Ryan Christie started and Carl Tremarco was at left back with Danny Williams floating further forward. This looked to be our best starting eleven available given our injury problems. Iain Vigurs was on the bench along with another new signing, Tobi Sho-Silva and club captain Richie Foran. The visitors were pretty much at full strength and handed Danny Swanson his first start for his new club. Jamie Walker, Billy King and Gavin Reilly started on the bench. A bright evening saw Inverness strut their stuff on a well manicured pitch, and it was the home side that started better, but as in previous games, lacking any goalmouth action. One obvious difference was the pace shown by Miles Storey who was chasing balls, giving us another dimension that had been previously lacking. Hearts came more into the game after the first quarter and it looked as though it would be a repeat of the Hamilton game as errors began to creep into our play, offering Hearts the chances to get forward. If truth be told, whilst it was an entertaining enough encounter, the big away support was probably all that was keeping this game from slipping below mediocrity as both sides struggled to get behind defensive barriers and I imagine some stern words would be spoken by both managers at the break. Few first half highlights to report. Juanma tried to convince the referee he had been impeded in the box, aye right, and an appeal for handball against Ryan Christie who got in the way of a shot from a couple of yard distance on the edge of the box. Rightly dismissed and half time came without either keeper getting his hands dirty. Half Time 0-0 The pep talks seemed to get the message across that more was required and Inverness looked a yard smarter after the interval. We worked the ball down the left through Danny Wiliams but he was denied a cross into the box. He then back tackled the defender and Christie picked up the loose ball. He flicked it between two Hearts players and surged past them before arrowing a low ball into the box. Plenty to do yet, but James Vincent has done this before getting in ahead of the defender to ram the ball into the net for our first goal at home this season. Relief all round and joy in the North Stand. The game opened out after this but Fon Williams was still untroubled as Hearts were reduced to striking from distance, and striking them poorly at that. trundling a few wide of the mark. It was similar at the other end as we looked to add the killer second goal, but there were plenty of stoppages for niggly fouls and play was being repeatedly halted. At 1-0 there was always going to be the danger of losing the lead, something we have done twice already, but Yogi had other ideas and went for glory. Hearts sub Jamie Walker was lively when he came on and had a couple of attempts go wide and a jinking run into the box saw him prod the ball over. Yogi had seen enough and replaced Christie with Tobi in a bold move to get more out of this game. He had a dramatic impact after entering the fray, flashing a header over the bar when he could easily have scored. The tall striker certainly looks to be one to watch as he was winning headers and going on mazy runs, dragging the tiring defenders around the park. Hearts were still in it though and more misplaced efforts kept Inverness ahead as Iain Vigurs came on with fifteen to go, replacing scorer James Vincent. Ross Draper almost became an unlikely hero as he drifted forward, leaving defenders in his wake, but unfortunately he could not pick out Storey or get his shot away and the moment was gone. Great work by the big man though. You could sense something was going to give and it almost did in a goalmouth melee, Storey involved amongst others, but too many bodies got in the way and the ball was hacked off the line eventually. Oshaniwa saw red after clashing with Tobi on the goal line whilst waiting for a corner to be taken. I hope Gary Cornish has a better chin than Tobi, but no excuse for the defender pushing his fist onto Tobi's head. From the corner that ensued he almost headed the second, but Bauben got in the way in front of the line and the ball deflected off him just wide. We would not be denied though and Vigurs sent over a tantalising ball similar to Christie's for the opener and Storey picked up at the back edge of the six yard box. He shimmied and thrashed a left footer home from eight yards to settle the points and the jangling nerves. Still time for Hearts to salvage some pride, but Patterson headed wide and the game had passed the Jambos by as Inverness recorded their first win of the season. Full Time 2-0 tm4tj MotM:- Tough one to call with a few players performing well. James Vincent got the sponsors award, probably for his goal on his comeback from injury, but he did have a decent game. Most of the plus performances came in a better second half and Christie, showed why Celtic bought him as he set up the opener. Carl Tremarco was another who showed up well, linking defending with providing the extra man wide left. New strikers Miles Storey and Tobi indicated that they will be a handful for the best of them and look to be an exciting prospect. Storey might even be quicker than Marley Watkins, but for me, MotM goes to Ross Draper for his industry up front and at the back, not to mention his Diego Maradona impression where he burst through the Hearts midfield into the box. Deserved better, but he is my choice for Man of the Match. Date: 11/09/15 Venue: Caledonian Stadium Attendance: 4160 Referee: Steven McLean Inverness CT: 2 Lineup: Fon Williams, Raven, Meekings, Devine, Tremarco, Draper, Tansey, Vincent (Vigurs 76), Christie (Sho-Silva 72), Williams, Storey Subs (not used): Esson, Lopez, Foran, Wedderburn, Horner Scorers: Vincent (49), Storey (89) Booked: Devine (51), Tansey (82) Sent Off: none Hearts: 0 Lineup: Alexander, Paterson, Ozturk, Rossi, Oshaniwa, Buaben, McKirdy (Reilly 77), Nicholson, Sow (King 59), Swanson (Walker 67), Delgado Subs (not used): Hamilton, Augustyn, Pallardo, McGee Scorers: none Booked: Paterson (43), Delgado (90) Sent Off: Oshaniwa (86)

Rank rotten Hamilton Accies deservedly went home with all three points against a shambolic Inverness who are still under strength due to injuries to key players. Goals in each half where Hamilton profited from Inverness errors saw them leave the Caley Jags without a win since the Scottish Cup final. Carlton Morris and Louis Longridge did the damage after Inverness failed to capitalise on a bright opening where Dani Lopez failed to take any of his three excellent opportunities. A bright day at the Tulloch Caledonian Stadium would soon be overshadowed by the bleak display on the park as Inverness toiled whilst Accies spoiled. A small band of visitors would leave the ground merry, the majority would vent their anguish and frustration at another inept display. Read on. Yogi gave starts to Ryan Christie and Dani Lopez in the hope that they could ease our striking problems, but, as would be revealed, the broken record continues with no cutting edge in the final third. Hamilton had not beaten Inverness last season, that was about to change. The home side got off to the better start and it looked as though it was only a matter of time before we would open the scoring. Christie, Mutombo and Lopez were linking well and creating chances. Lopez fired a shot across goal in his first attempt, narrowly missing the target and soon after he headed a Draper cross goalwards, but his effort lacked the power and direction to beat McGovern who dived low to his right to save well. His third effort should have resulted in the opening goal but somehow he could not direct the ball into the net from close range after good work down the wing by Mutombo. The fans were applauding every move as we danced our way forward. Those same fans were not so pleased at the end of the game. Accies were starting to get to grips with our play after fifteen minutes and Grant Gillespie came close with a long range shot which had Williams diving across goal, but the ball fizzed past the wrong side of the post. That warning was not heeded though and after eighteen minutes, Hamilton went ahead. We gave away cheap possession half way up the park. Crawford set Morris on his way and he kept his head to slot the ball easily behind Fon Williams for the opening goal. That might have been harsh on Inverness, but the lack of a proven striker is damning to say the least. From there on in, Hamilton were never really troubled and Inverness would do well to keep the score to one at the break as we fell out of the game. Gramoz Kurtaj had a shot blocked by Fon Williams and Ali Crawford could not adjust his wee feet quick enough to tap the ball into the net and the chance was gone. Lucky break for Inverness. Half Time 0-1 Would the second half bring some joy to the fizzogs of the home fans. Well, no would be the answer. Lopez did try to curl one into the top left corner from outside the box, but it was all a bit choreographed as McGovern clutched the ball comfortably. Not enough pace on the shot to beat the keeper although it was on target and Dani had another on target later, but it was a trundler that the former County keeper collected with ease. Hamilton were content to hold their advantage and we did our best to keep it that way as time after time moves broke down on the right side with David Raven in particular having an off day. The wine must have been extra strong in the hospitality suite as they awarded him the sponsors man of the match. My word! We did have a bit more joy on the left side after Wedderburn and Tremarco were introduced but there were no takers for a couple of inviting crosses into the penalty box, not helped of course when a fresh air shot sums up our day. Meh! The icing was on the Accies cake when they caught us out again right at the end and Longridge put the final nail in our coffin, game over. Full Time 0-2 Plenty of room for improvement as our poor start to the season continues, and at this moment it is difficult to see when or if their will be any change to that. Injuries of course are the big talking point, but lack of firepower is lingering long. In truth, we matched Hamilton in most aspects of the game without causing them too many problems. Both goals were the result of our own mistakes and unfortunately for us we were punished on both occasions. Difficult to pick out anybody after such a poor overall performance, but I suppose Fon Williams did what he had to do and when Wedderburn and Tremarco came on we looked better balanced. Time to get Tremarco in at left back and let the more creative Danny Williams forage further forward. Plenty of disgruntled fans leaving the stadium and the boos are getting more audible as the plight darkens. Next up we are away to Nick Ross and Dundee. Oh dear, it looks like it's going to be a long season if our fortunes don't change soon. Last year is history, time to start this campaign. Date: 22/08/15 Venue: Caledonian Stadium Attendance: 3003 Referee: Euan Anderson Inverness CT: 0 Lineup: Fon Williams, Raven, Draper, Devine, Williams, Tansey (Tremarco 66), Polworth, Mbuyi-Mutombo, Christie, Vigurs (Wedderburn 76), Lopez (Horner 77) Subs (not used): Esson, Ferguson, Brown, Sutherland Scorers: none Booked: Devine (30), Tremarco (81) Sent Off: none Hamilton Acc: 2 Lineup: McGovern, Gordon, Tena, Tagliapietra, Kurakins, Gillespie (Docherty 63), Imrie, Crawford, MacKinnon, Kurtaj (Longridge 91), Morris (Nade 79) Subs (not used): Martin, MacDonald, Watson, Boyd Scorers: Morris (18), Longridge (91) Booked: Crawford (35), MacKinnon (43), Morris (60) Sent Off: none

Hooped Celtic swamped Inverness to race into a four goal lead before they took the foot off the gas and Inverness made the score more respectable by scoring a brace in the last twenty minutes through subs Ryan Christie and Dani Lopez, who notched his first goal for the club with a crisp strike from twenty yards. Christie and Lopez were benched with Iain Vigurs and Carl Tremarco in the starting X1. Celtic had captain Scott Brown fit enough to start but there was no place for Kris Commons as Celtic celebrated 100 years of hoops. And the hoops got off to a flier with two headers before the thirteenth minute as Mikael Lustig and Leigh Griffiths punished the rattled makeshift Inverness defence who were unable to cope in a frenetic opening spell. Celtic tore the struggling visitors apart time and time again and it was a relief to go in at half time only two goals down. Mutombo provided the only spark from Inverness as he turned brilliantly on the edge of the box just on the break and forced Craig Gordon to tip over his fierce effort. The only other effort of note had come earlier when Vigurs surged forward but elected to shoot from outside the box and his shot whistled wide. That was however, the only moment of respite for the injury ravaged Highlanders in a torrid first half. Stefan Johansen had smashed a shot off the bar and Ross Draper cleared the rebounded shot from Stuart Armstrong off the line as Celtic piled on the pressure. Griffiths was being a constant threat and could have notched a hat-trick in the first half but at 2-0 down there was still a glimmer of hope, albeit a very faint one. Half-Time:- 2-0 Inverness started the second period brighter, but with ten minutes gone, Inverness loon Stuart Armstrong scored an impressive goal firing high beyond Fon Williams from a cut back supplied by Griffiths. Super stuff from Celtic and game over for Inverness. Armstrong grabbed his second of the game when Devine's attempted clearance found the former Arab and he duly knocked the ball home to put Celtic four up and Inverness could have no complaints. Hughes introduced Ryan Christie at the start of the half and Nat Wedderburn and Dani Lopez had replaced Vigurs and Tremarco just before the fourth goal. Christie scored what looked to be a consolation goal after Wedderburn set him through and Dani Lopez scored a cracking goal from around twenty yards to get the fans heads up. Inverness were enjoying a good spell and Draper almost got a header on target as the home defence began to look more vulnerable as Inverness gained in confidence. Full-Time 4-2 In the end it was too little too late, a recurring theme from Inverness, but they will get a boost given the late revival that made the last quarter a bit tetchy for the hoops. Overall, Inverness were chasing the game at the break and were lucky to be only two adrift. At four behind we were fearing the worst, but a determined finish gave us some respectability given our injury situation and good for Lopez to get off the mark with a quality goal. Celtic:- 4 Lustig (8), Griffiths (12), Armstrong (55), Armstrong (69) Team:- Gordon, Izaguirre, van Dijk, Bitton, Brown, (Mulgrew 62), Griffiths, Armstrong (McGregor 69), Mackay-Steven, Boyata, Lustig (Janko 62), Johansen. Subs not used:- Bailly, Stokes, Rogic, Forrest. Inverness CT:- 2 Christie (71), Lopez (78) Team:- Fon Williams, Raven, Tremarco, (Wedderburn 67), Draper, Devine, Tansey, Horner, Williams, Polworth (Christie 48), Vigurs (Lopez 67), Mbuyi-Mutombo. Subs not used:- Esson, Brown, Sutherland. Referee:- Craig Thomson. Crowd:- 42,727

3 league games, and two Europa League games into the season and it is clear that Caley Thistle are certainly not firing on all cylinders up top ! After 270 league minutes and 180 European ones its a tally of only a single goal from Ryan Christie. This time last year we had amassed a solid 7 points from 3 games scoring 4 times in the process and conceding none. Its going to be a long hard season ...... @ICTRoughi provides the report from this game ..... Inverness shared the points with Partick Thistle which again like last Saturday could have been all three. Caley Thistle added to the squad before the game in the shape of former ICT player Iain Vigurs. Caley Thistle started the game well with a quick surge of attack but like most of the first half it didn’t really mount to much and we unfortunately had no end product in the final third. In the first 15 minutes Mathias Pogba was forced off due to an injury in which they replaced him with Kris Doolan who can be quite a handful up front but Ross Draper and Danny Devine like the St Johnstone game combined for a good defensive pairing. Since Gary Warren and Josh Meekings have been out of the side since their injuries, I have been particularly pleased with the performance that Devine has been giving - very intelligent defending. After Pogba went off, the game seemed to open up and the two teams looked evenly matched. Kris Doolan nearly made it a perfect start for him after found space to drill the ball however Owain Fon Williams was quick to react and pushed past the post. Where I was positioned in the north stand, it looked like an outstanding save. Half Time: 0-0 Caley Thistle again started the half in frantic fashion and then gaining a corner but unfortunately it never mounted to much. The two teams continued to battle in the middle of the park and Dani Lopez nearly got his first goal for the club with a shot outside the box but unfortunately went to the right of the goal. Partick Thistle nearly got the opener when Steven Lawless’s powerful shot forced Owain Fon Williams into another top notch save which bounced off the crossbar. On the hour mark, John Hughes made the substitution of bringing on Iain Vigurs replacing Lewis Horner. After 30 seconds of Vigurs being on the pitch, he received a booking for pretty much annihilating Abdul Osman - good start. Around about 10 minutes later, Inverness got a free kick in dangerous territory. Caley Thistle fans had previously stated that his free kicks will become an asset to the club and they were nearly proven right when his free kick was drilled low and fizzled past the post. For the final 20 minutes of the game Inverness started to bombard Partick Thistle with attack after after attack in which Danny Williams was the starting point of the attack. You would actually be forgiven if you thought that Graeme Shinnie was playing left back tonight because Williams was that good. Unfortunately like the game itself, chances were being wasted. Andrea Mbuyi-Mutombo done really well in the dying minutes of the game to get the past the Thistle defenders but unfortunately Tomas Cerny got the better of him, it just wasn’t going to be our night. Full Time: 0-0 I suppose it will only get better for us unless you have to go to Celtic Park after they themselves dropped points - gulp! Date: 12/08/15 Venue: Caledonian Stadium Attendance: 3141 Referee: Stephen Finnie Inverness CT: 0 Lineup: Fon Williams, Raven, Draper, Devine, Tansey, Horner (Vigurs 64), Williams, Polworth, Christie, Mbuyi-Mutombo, Lopez Subs (not used): Esson, Tremarco, Brown, Sutherland Scorers: none Booked: Tansey (63), Vigurs (66) Sent Off: none Partick Th: 0 Lineup: Cerny, Miller, Welsh, Booth, Osman, Amoo (Wilson 75), Bannigan, Lawless, Frans, Lindsay, Pogba (Doolan 18) Subs (not used): Scully, Seabourne, Stevenson, Hendry, Fraser Scorers: none Booked: Osman (34), Bannigan (48) Sent Off: none

IrnBru cheer for Inverness Inverness lifted the IrnBru Cup at McDiarmid Park Perth after a narrow 1-0 win over Dumbarton. It took a stoppage time goal from Carl Tremarco to settle the tie with Dumbarton putting up stiff resistance before substitute Daniel Mackay fired a challenging low cross into the box. Carl added the finishing touch to take the silverware North. This was Dumbarton's first crack at a national trophy for 121 years. Alas for them, it might take a bit longer to get their hands on a Cup, but it was not for the want of trying. Most of the hype in the build up was centered around the Rock with the Dumbarton marketing team winning hands down and that ensured a good following when the circus came to Perth. The Highland reserved approach tempted the regular followers along to watch Inverness in their fourth Challenge cup final, Robbo's second in charge. The merryment prior to kick off was held in hostelries in the Fair City and the Tulloch Institute hosted a pre-match gig which was well patronised by both sets of supporters in jovial mood with plenty of shouting juice passing over the lips. To the game.............. There's not a lot to be said for the first 92 minutes other than a missed penalty taken by Iain Vigurs late in the match and a shrewd substitution by Robbo bringing on superkid Daniel Mackay. The game itself seemed to pass everybody bye. There was little to choose between the sides in a dour first half where chances were at a premium and defences were well on top. The second period was a slight improvement and the impetus was trending towards Inverness when we were awarded that penalty after a clear McGlaughlin handball in the box from a Polworth cross. The penalty was easily saved with Vigurs hitting a dolly back to the keeper and murmurs spread throughout the Stands. Up stepped young Danny. He received the ball on the right side after Chalmers and Vigurs had passed forward. Promising so far but still plenty to do. Danny made a couple of yards for himself as he jinked past the defender and rifled a low ball into the box. The pace of the delivery caught everyone out and it reached the back post where Scottish Cup Final red carder Carl Tremarco popped up to smash the ball high into the net from three yards. You could see what it meant to Carl, and for that matter the whole team and travelling support who breathed a sigh of relief as the celebrations began. Dumbarton were crushed by that late goal and we might have added a second or third but one was sufficient to lift the trophy. Full Time 0-1 Don't let anybody tell you these guys don't want to win the Challenge Cup. It meant a lot to the players, fans and manager Robbo who has now won the trophy for a second time. He put his trust in young Danny and it paid off after he drove down south to collect him and ensure he made the game. Mackay had played, and scored in an international youth game at York against England on the Friday That's dedication for you. Inverness were best served by MotM Coll Donaldson, goal scorer Carl Tremarco and Gary Warren who at last got his hands on a Cup having missed the last couple through injury/suspension. And special mention to Daniel Mackay, that lad has a bright future ahead of him. To Dumbarton. Hard to take but thems the breaks. They thought they were taking the game to extra-time and possibly penalties, that may well have been their game plan, but sleep well knowing you all did your club proud. Unfortunately for you, there can only be one winner in a Cup Final and it's Inverness Caledonian Thistle who sip the IrnBru. Cheers! Summed up nicely by Celtic 1 Caley 3 on the forum...... The criticism on here is partly a disrespect to Dumbarton. They are a part time team who waited over 100 years to reach another cup final. They proved extremely resilient yesterday and were much more dangerous than us in the first half. Luckily our possession football paid off in the second half although only just. That said, cup finals are often cagey affairs whether world cup or champions league. That said, we needed a positive result this year and we now move forward to retain our status in the Championship before going again next year. The players will have learned a lot from their experience this year. We need to hang on to Donaldson and Mackay though. Warren has now learnt to avoid being banned for a cup final and quite rightly now has a winners medal with us. ictchris was in a positive mood:- Cup finals are games for winning. You have to win, that’s it. We won, thrillingly so. The performance was typical of this season in its limitations and positives. It says a lot that a 16 year old got into better positions, created more chances and threatened their goal more than than our three starting forwards did the entire match. Be interesting to see how we play Mackay for the rest of the season. I don’t think we can start him but he should be among the first ports of call from the bench. The management will have to take a call on how well he can cope with first team football physically - guys like Harry Cochrane are playing every week at his age. Overall though, it was a great day, good to get some good feeling back in the club after some diabolical seasons. And finally, our resident seer Immortal Howden Ender was in a feelgood mood; he must have seen that coming, surely? Well I enjoyed yet another memorable ICT away day. Those who I expected to see I met and saw. Nowt wrong with the atmosphere. As fer the game it was poor but both teams set up defensively. Loads of positives to me. Ridgers has cemented his place and really is a solid keeper. Donaldson was immense, Tremarco is the Duracell Bunny, Polworth ran his socks off as did Oakley and we appear to have unearthed a wee cracker in MacKay - simply has to be signed up - with sell on clauses - and given some real game time. We never looked troubled, defensively we kept it tight and shaped, thought we played some pretty stuff a times BUT as all season lacked the killer touch in the last third and lack of a proficient striker. We deserved to win. Our heads could have gone down after that deplorable penalty kick but we kept to the age old adage of keeping going to the final whistle. Respect to the team and the loyal away support. Just need to get out of the play off spot and start planning for next season. Cant believe that so many are whingeing. To me it was a last gasp winner, just as stimulating and enjoyable as the Vincent clincher at Hampden - and giving most fans a well deserved, albeit wholly unexpected cup winning experience in the worst season in years. We are still alive and kicking and the only way is up dudes. Have a nice day Well said guys and wise words from our prophetic sage and soothsayer. (bookings can be made via the website) How we won the Cup. Date: 24/03/2018 Venue: McDiarmid Park, Perth Attendance: 4602 Referee: Andrew Dallas Dumbarton: 0 Lineup: Gallagher, Smith, Dowie, Barr, McGlaughlin, Gallagher (Stewart 74), Carsewell, Hutton, Walsh (Burt 81), Handling, Russell (Froxylias 68) Subs (not used): Wilson, Gallagher, Hill, Ewings, Scorers: none Booked: Dowie, McGlaughlin, Gallagher Sent Off: none Inverness CT: 1 Lineup: Ridgers, Seedorf, Warren, Donaldson, Tremarco, Mulraney (Doran 70), Polworth, Vigurs, Chalmers, Bell ( D Mackay 78), Oakley Subs (not used): Esson, Calder, Elbouzedi, Trafford, Brown. Scorers: Tremarco (93) Booked: Donaldson, Tremarco Sent Off: none a

Season hanging by a thread. Match Postponed due to covid outbreak at Raith Rovers Saturday’s Scottish Championship match between Raith Rovers and Inverness Caledonian Thistle at Stark’s Park has been postponed after Raith Rovers informed the SPFL that they could not fulfil the fixture. SPFL Statement Should Nicola Sturgeon not shut down all sport in the aftermath of the ill advised and infamous Dubai debacle, then Raith Rovers should host Inverness on Saturday 16th January 2021 @15:00. As it stands, all football below Championship level in Scotland has been put on hold and all Scottish Cup games postponed until after the weekend of January 30/31st. If the Cup games do return to action, an eagerly awaited potential Highland derby could materialise should we first see off Buckie Thistle in a twice postponed tie. Anyway, frozen out in more ways than one at the moment. It barely seems justified or acceptable that I should be writing about a bunch of guys kicking a bag of wind around a frozen park in the middle of winter, but I suppose we need something to take our minds off the ongoing battle against coronavirus that has brought this and other countries to it's knees. We are not alone in this struggle, it's threatening the very existence of mankind so let's all try and do our bit to get back to some form of normality and do as we are asked. In the darkest days on this planet, world wars saw millions of people asked to go out and save our country by fighting the enemy, lying in muddy trenches, frozen, soaking and terrified, going to foreign lands, being apart from our families and the ones we love. Today, we are being asked to stay inside our own houses and wash our hands with soap and water. It's a small sacrifice, but one that is just as important as the previous battles that have killed millions around the world. I hope we can all help and ease the burdens on our Doctors, nurses, NHS, essential retailers and workers who are keeping the country going. So, over to you and let's beat the enemy you can't see. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Live Streaming from Raith TV Official Preview ICTFC Tribute to Ian Broadfoot Donation in memory of Ian Broadfoot ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Our last game was on 29th December when we drew 1-1 with Dunfermline in the Highlands. A stunning second half goal from Miles Storey cancelled out a first half strike from Kyle Turner. That endeth the scoring in a game both managers felt they deserved to win. Our previous game was on 19th December when we slumped 2-1 at Alloa having taken an early lead through the much maligned Brad Mckay. However a thumping free kick from Innes Murray and a gaffe from Mark Ridgers gifted the points to the Wasps as we simply crumbled. So, only one game in a month after the cup ties against Buckie Thistle were postponed firstly for a frozen pitch then the covid19 shutdown. Rovers see-saw season continues. High scoring yet also producing some stunning reverses. On boxing day they went to Alloa and came away with a 5-2 victory at what has been a difficult place for Inverness to pick up points. That game ended with a flurry of goals (Duku (17), Armstrong (33), Lokotsch (84), Ross (90, 90+3). Buchanan scored a brace for Alloa (75 & 89 pen). They followed that up with a surprising 2-0 home defeat by Queen of the South. The only certainty in the Championship is that there are no certainties, think Dundee 3-1 Hearts. We have played Raith twice already this season. A topsy turvy League Cup encounter at Stark's Park ended 3-3 with Raith taking the 'bonus' win after a penalty shoot-out. Back in November, we entertained Raith at the Caledonian Stadium in front of a covid restricted '300' fans. It was an excellent performance and James Keatings and Scott Allardice were the men that did the damage in what turned out to be a comfortable 2-0 win. Our record against Rovers has been tremendous over the years. Our last defeat was over twenty years ago when an understrength side went down 2-1 at the Caledonian Stadium. Fittingly, Ian Broadfoot was our reporter at the game on 28th October 2000. Here is his report: Injury-hit Caley Thistle lost this game because of a poor first half display. Despite this they nearly took the lead in 13 minutes when a David Bagan shot was blocked by Greig McCulloch and spun over the bar. Raith scored first in 16 minutes when Jim Calder failed to hold a Shaun Dennis cross and Jay Stein hit home the loose ball from six yards. In 21 minutes a poor headed clearance by Stuart McCaffrey was picked up by Andrew Clark and he set up Ivan Mballa and the Frenchman slammed the ball into the net from 12 yards. ICT had a penalty claim turned down in 38 minutes when Charlie Christie was brought down by Paul Browne. After the break the home side improved but Guido Van de Kamp denied them on several occasions. Paul Sheerin pulled one back in 79 minutes when he netted from close range after a good cut back by Roy McBain. Four minutes later Sheerin watched in frustration as Van de Kamp saved his low shot. As time ran out he came close twice more but Raith held on to win. Match report written by Ian Broadfoot Inverness would finish fourth that season with Raith ending up seventh. Last ten meetings between the clubs 2 - 0 (H) 3 - 3 (A) 4 - 1 (H) 2 - 1 (H) 1 - 0 (H) 4 - 3 (H) 4 - 0 (A) 1 - 0 (H) 1 - 0 (A) 1 - 0 (A) This time round, it will no doubt become known as the Kai Kennedy derby. The loan arrangers at Rangers have loaned the Ranger out to Raith Rovers after his loan spell at the Caledonian Stadium ended in January. He will be a huge miss to us with Aaron Doran having received a bang on the head and an enforced lay off because of it. Lewis Toshney and Kevin McHattie are out for around another month, but David Carson could be ready for a place on the bench. ***Latest Team News*** Wallace Duffy is set to return to action and Daniel Mackay and Nikolay Todorov are in pole position for a first XI start. Brad Mckay is available for selection as his suspension was only covering Scottish Cup games. Danny Devine took a knock at the end of the Dunfermline game but should be good to go for this one. Assistant manager Paul Smith is still in charge and Manny Duku is still banging in the goals, and along with Kai Kennedy and Ethan Ross they will be a handful for our defence. At the back, Mendy, Benedictus and Musonda are immovable objects so expect a tough day for our front men. Maybe Todorov will get the nod to combat the height of the Rovers defence. ***Even Later News*** Inverness Caledonian Thistle have a new Board Oh well, that's another preview in the bin. Best wishes for a speedy recovery to all affected.

Bore draw Defences were on top at the Caledonian Stadium as Falkirk came North with a clear game plan; do not concede. It worked as Inverness struggled to break them down with former Partick player Abdul Osman outstanding for Falkirk, and combined with our wayward shooting that ensured the battling Bairns went home with a point. Chances were at a premium in an instantly forgettable first half. The tempo improved in the second but despite some near misses around the Falkirk box it was left to Mark Ridgers to ensure we also took a point as he blocked a late effort from substitute Shayne Lavery from six yards. Some odd results today with County, Dundee United and Dunfermline losing we actually moved further away from the Pars in fifth place. A decent visiting crowd were on hand to see if they could lift the Bairns out of the relegation scrap with a total of over 2800 in attendance on a brisk and blustery afternoon in the Highland Capital. As mentioned above, it was an instantly forgettable first forty-five with the most apt description coming from AJS as he slithered and shivered down the stairs at the interval. Bland! Enough said Sandy. The only plus points for me were that Coll Donaldson was immense at the back for us mopping up every ball forward from Falkirk and Abdul Osman did likewise at the other end to ensure it was a total stalemate. In our defence, the Bairns probably had more to gain from keeping it tight and their tenacity and close shackling of our players made for a dull first half. The pace of the game quickened after the break as Inverness drove towards the North Stand and Charlie Trafford shot wide as more urgency came into our play. Harry Burgoyne saved from man of the moment Aaron Doran as he looked for his fifth goal in as many games, but like his team mates, most efforts were not causing the big keeper too many issues. Harry again denying Doran and a succession of three corners came to nothing. Kevin McHattie had one of our best moments when he flashed a volley just wide from the edge of the box when it looked as though it might find the bottom corner, the ball going agonisingly the wrong side of the post. Brad Mckay met a Chalmers corner from the right but it flashed just wide of the post with defenders relieved to see it miss, the ball rolling out for a corner off Edjenguele's shins . White directed a header well wide on the run under pressure from the two centre backs, the ball just not running for the big man today. Doran came closest of all when he appeared on the left side of the box as he collected a disguised pass from Polworth, but his goalbound shot was cleared away from inside the six yard box by Jordan McGhee. Polly then guided the clearance just wide under pressure from the defender. That could easily have been the opener but for a fortunate block by Edjenguele on Polly, the ball going for a corner. A wonderful jinky run into the box by Trafford almost set up a chance for Tom Walsh but he wanted to take an extra touch to be sure and his right footed effort was subsequently blocked. Would have been nice for Polworth to get one on his 200th appearance but he will need to be sharper if he wants to hit the back of the net. Too ponderous around the box for my liking although he was always looking to create something for others, especially in the second half. The customary late flurry brought little reward for Inverness and right at the death Falkirk almost stole it. Substitute Shayne Lavery pounced on the ball plumb in front of Mark Ridgers but the Inverness stopper stood firm as his shot went into his chest to avoid us losing another sore one to the Bairns. It would have been nothing short of robbery had defence minded Falkirk stolen all three points as they did last time they were here. It was miserable enough dropping two points but as it turned out we lost no ground and as for Falkirk, they actually dropped to second bottom after Partick whipped Morton 3-0. Man of the Match for Inverness was Coll Donaldson. Boy are we going to miss you in the Semi-Final. Abdul Osman was the same for Falkirk proving to be a big obstacle and dominated everything in the air at his end. He's a big unit. Here's the footage from Caley Jags TV Inverness CT manager John Robertson said on BBC Sport: "It was disappointing because we had by far the better chances in the second half. The first half was a total non-event. I don't think people realise how bad the wind was. It was really, really strong blowing straight through the park." Date: 30/03/2019 Venue: Caledonian Stadium Attendance: 2817 Referee: Gavin Ross Inverness CT: 0 Lineup: Ridgers; B Mckay, Donaldson, McCart, Tremarco, Trafford, Polworth, McHattie, Chalmers (Walsh 65), Doran, White (Austin 77) Subs (not used): C Mackay, Rooney, McCauley, D Mackay, Machado. Scorers: none Booked: Trafford (61), B Mckay (89), Sent Off: none Falkirk FC: 0 Lineup: Burgoyne, McGhee, McKenna, Edjenguele, Osman, Dixon, Paton, McShane, Petravicius (Jarvis 74), Keillor-Dunn (MacLean 62), Rudden (Lavery 86) Subs (not used): Mitchell; Waddington, O'Hara, Robson Scorers: none Booked: Dixon (28) Sent Off: none a

Arbroath -V- Inverness CT ***MATCH POSTPONED*** ***FROZEN PITCH*** Gayfield Park, Arbroath Saturday 2nd January 2021 @ 3:00pm Championship Football Covid restrictions apply Live Streaming available

Here's hoping for a better year Game put on ice! After a pitch inspection which was planned for 08:30 @Gayfield on Saturday morning the game has been called off due to a frozen pitch. They might have got away with it until the match official spotted Torvill & Dean practicing the Bolero near the penalty box. We first foot the Smokies on the 2nd of January 2021. It's a New Year, but unfortunately the same old shit as it's a covid restricted game with no fans allowed. The game kicks-off at 3:00pm on Saturday with Arbroath stuck at the foot of the table and Inverness in seventh place. Maybe more appropriate to take a roll of ShitBegone instead of a lump of coal! Who will win the real battle Football is a mere sideshow Stay safe everyone Championship after matchday 10 ******* All Championship fixtures 3:00pm Saturday Arbroath v Inverness CT Alloa Ath v Greenock Morton Pars v Raith Rovers Queens v Ayr United Dundee v Hearts Our last three fixtures against Arbroath have not been too encouraging only one win and two defeats. We suffered a heavy 3-0 defeat at Gayfield last season as we were smoked by the Red Lichties who also beat us 1-0 at the Caledonian Stadium. We got the better of them this term winning 3-1 at the end of October when Kris Doolan opened the scoring in the first half. However three second half goals through Daniel Mackay, Scott Allardice and Nikolay Todorov turned the game around and saw us ease home to take the points. 3 - 1 (H) 0 - 1 (H) 0 - 3 (A) OFFICIAL PREVIEW Arbroath went down 3-1 to table toppers Hearts at Tynecastle. No surprise really and nothing to see here, so move along. A seven minute hat-trick from Steven Naismith put Hearts in control. To their credit Arbroath battled hard and scored early in the second half through Kris Doolan but it was always going to be a difficult task for the part timers. Inverness drew with Dunfermline in the Highlands on the same night. Kyle Turner got the break of the ball to finish tidily in the first half for the Pars. It took a stunning left footed strike from Miles Story to earn a point for Inverness in what was an equally balanced game where both managers felt they did enough to take all three points. It's been a difficult start to the campaign for both clubs, Inverness' injury problems were well documented since the start of the season and just as we thought we were over it, a wee visit to Alloa soon brought us back to earth as we slumped to a 2-1 defeat. Dick Campbell does not have his troubles to seek and without being unkind, its difficult to see them being anywhere else in the table other that trying to stave off relegation along with Queen of the South and Alloa Athletic. In saying that, any team in this league can win on their day and no result is a given, apart from maybe Hearts who will be a certainty for promotion unless Dundee can get stronger throughout the shortened season. Just look at last season where part of our own downfall was losing games to teams in the bottom section of the table. We should be going to Gayfield with confidence and optimism, but try telling the fans that as we know all to vividly what can happen. Aaron Doran came off at half-time against Dunfermline and Danny Devine left the field as the game came to a climax. Maybe Wallace Duffy will come back in and Kai Kennedy should continue to replace Doran. We looked livelier once he came on against the Pars. David Carson is another who could be making an appearance soon, we miss his tenacity and box to box energy which is a better option than the stoic efforts of James Vincent, bless. Latest Team news Aaron Doran is out for at least two weeks after suffering concussion against Dunfermline. He will also miss the Scottish Cup clash against Buckie Thistle. More sad news so soon after Jim McLean, it was announced today that Tommy Docherty has passed away. Two great managers in the space of a handful of days. RIP. Take a bow Miles Storey.........OOOOFT Don't forget your weekly dose of The Wyness Shuffle. Allow The Wyness Shuffle to ease you through the pain of the post-Christmas lockdown with this bumper Yuletide episode. Alongside the usual reviews of recent matches and previews of games in a busy festive period, we find out who is the brains of the ICT dressing room. Great work once more from the Shufflers