A Rose by any other name

Bonnyrigg Rose are the visitors in our second Group D League Cup game. Both sides lost their opening games and will be looking to get back on track. Only one competitive fixture between the sides and that was in last seasons League Cup group stage in which Inverness struggled to get the better of the Rose before edging it 2 - 1. We were fortunate to have someone on the park to inject that bit of extra quality to get us the win. That will be difficult to replicate this season. His name was Aaron Doran, our very own rose, and now abandoned by the club in his hour of need. Shameful stuff from the club, knee surgeon and all. Plenty of discussion around the club looking for new investors and you can read all about it on the link below.

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Match/Ticket Info

Dundee Tie Moved

Knee Surgeon Statement (no mention of Aaron)

Investment Topic on CTO

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Jags a thorn in the Rose:  2 - 1 The first ever meeting between The Caley Jags and the Rose was played out during a thunderstorm. Torrential rain of biblical proportions fell half an hour before kick-off and that dampened the grass somewhat. Inverness were quick off the mark and opened the scoring after four minutes when Aaron Doran took advantage of a defensive error to score from ten yards. No pun intended, but the floodgates never opened as Inverness made heavy weather of the next thirty-five minutes before Doran curled in his second of the game from just outside the box. What a beauty! HALF TIME: 2-0
Big chance right at the start of the second half for Rose but Cammy Mackay saved with his feet from Smart to deny the visitors who are far from out of this tie. A raft of substitutions on the hour saw the hosts tighten their grip on proceedings as the heavens opened once more with Billy Mckay and Austin Samuels passing on great opportunities. Doran also denied his hat-trick by Martin's reflex save. Keiran McGackie headed home in the 90th minute following a set piece but it was too little too late for the Rose who gave a good account of themselves as Inverness fiddled with their line-up. FULL TIME: 2-1

<<Image painted by local artist and ICT fan Sophie Robb>>

To put it all into context, here's our starting XI from last season. Lewis Nicolson is currently recovering from injury and Charlie Gilmour and Adam Brooks are the only starters currently in the squad.

Starting XI: Cameron Mackay; Lewis Nicolson, Wallace Duffy, Zak Delaney, Charlie Gilmour, Roddy MacGregor, David Carson, Aaron Doran, Austin Samuels, Nathan Shaw, Adam Brooks.

Just a reminder from last season what we will be missing>>>

Bonnyrigg Rose

<<This was their team v Dundee last week.

Players IN: Aaron Arnott, midfielder (Raith Rovers, loan to permanent); Bradley Rodden, midfielder (Stenhousemuir); Kalum Higginbotham, forward (Tranent); Sean Murphy, midfielder (Tranent); Kieran Somerville, midfielder (Tranent); Ben Scarborough, midfielder (Luncarty).

Players OUT:  Reis Peggie, defender (East Fife); Sam Gormley, defender (Edinburgh City); Jason Jarvis, midfielder (Edinburgh City); Jonny Stewart, midfielder; Declan Byrne, forward; Conor Doan, midfielder; Jason Jarvis, midfielder; Robbie McGale, midfielder; Ross Gray, midfielder; Bradley Barrett, midfielder

Starting XI from last seasons fixture:- Paddy Martin; Josh Grigor, Neil Martyniuk, Conor Doan, Robbie McGale, Jason Jarvis, Jonny Stewart, Ross Gray, Reis Peggie, Dean Watson, Smart Osadolor.

Rose drew 2-2 with Annan on Tuesday night and lost the bonus point (if you believed the BBC report) in the penalty shoot-out (7-6). Brad Barret scored an early goal for Rose before Annan struck back through Paul McGowan and Paul Smith before a late strike from substitute Brad Rodden took the tie to penalties. As it turns out, Bonnyrigg won the penalty shoot-out 7-6 after Annan's Ryan Muir had his spot kick saved by new loan signing keeper Tom Ritchie from Aberdeen FC.

That result will give us an indication that Rose won't be just turning up to make up the numbers. Kallum Higginbotham was a sub and provided the assist for the 87th minute equaliser.

That's their starting XI from Tuesday night at Annan>>>

Dundee beat Arbroath 2-0 on Tuesday night to top Group D.

Into the Unknown

It's a journey into unchartered waters as the rebooted Caley Jags travel to Galabank Stadium, Annan, for the first competitive game of season 2024/2025. It's going to be a difficult season for pennyless Inverness unless a wealthy benefactor appears out of the Highland mist or the Battery Farm Project takes a massive U turn. I'm no holding my breath for a quick decision on either happening anytime soon. As they say around here, it is what it is, but it beats training at Kelty and and being dictated to by the very people who are responsible for the situation we find ourselves in. We will try and concentrate on events on the field and keep our fingers crossed that a resolution can be sought for the off-field issues.

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Match/Ticket Info

Panos pleads for patience

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We have only met twice in competitive games with both ending in resounding wins for the Caley Jags. Last meeting was in 2009 though and Annan have bedded themselves in to the Leagues well. However, given our current demise I would imagine Annan will be feeling confident about this one as Ferguson has little to choose from since our financial demise and mismanagement.

This was Ian Broadfoot's report from the first meeting in 1998: 8 - 1  The home side demolished a determined Annan side after an early fright. A loose ball found Norman Montgomery clear inside the Inverness half and he lobbed the ball over Jim Calder. Caley Thistle stormed upfield and scored 3 goals in a 6 minute spell. In 16 minutes Barry Wilson was set up by Iain Stewart just inside the area and he drove the ball low past Robert McColm. Three minutes later Brian Thomson slipped it to Stewart on the 18 yard line and he sent a low ball past the keeper. On the 20 minute mark Thomson was fouled just outside the box. He took the kick himself and sent it into the top corner. A fourth goal came in the 38th minute. Thomson and Stewart set up Barry Robson down the right and he headed straight for goal. Under strong pressure Robson hit it home. In 55 minutes Mark McCulloch cleared upfield from the half-way line and found Stewart who ran through the defence and slipped it to the side of the keeper he unselfishly sent it across to Thomson who only had to tap it in. In 74 minutes it was 6-1. A Vetle Andersen cross from the left went in off the head of defender Stanley Leslie. 10 minutes later Wilson got the seventh with a low drive from 15 yards and with 4 minutes left substitute Duncan Shearer rose above the Annan defence on the penalty spot and headed in an Andersen cross to complete the 8-1 record score. Annan's bad tempered tackling was finally punished in 86 minutes when Stanley Leslie was sent off. 

Annan Athletic: They finished 8th in League 1 last season and will be facing us at least another four times this season. New additions: Wullie Gibson (Manager) Paul Smith (midfielder, Ayr United) Paul McGowan (midfielder Cove Rangers) Josh Todd, (midfielder Queen of the South). Max Kilsby and Ryan Muir are signed on again. Loans in: Jamie Smith (GK Hamilton Academical).

Who to look out for: 

• Striker Aidan Smith became the clubs leading SPFL goalscorer last season when he passed Peter Weathersons goal total. His great work ethic and attacking running has seen him become the first name on the managers team sheet. The lively, left sided attacker started his career at Queen of the South before moving to Annan then onto Peterhead FC.
• Striker Tommy Goss joined the club from Queen of the South in the summer of 2021 and has become a firm fans favourite. The 6ft 4″ striker grabbed 28 goals last season and became the clubs record scorer for goals scored in a single SPFL season.
• A man with a wealth of experience at hailing taxis, Paul McGowan joined Dundee in June 2014 and became a mainstay and a key player for the side throughout his 9-year tenure there, making over 300 appearances for the Dark Blues. He joined Dunfermline Athletic on loan in 2023 and won both the Scottish Championship and the Scottish League One in the same season. After leaving Dundee he then spent a season with Cove Rangers.

Inverness CT: Much has been made about our plight, and the way the club has handled it. Danny Devine, Charlie Gilmour and Billy Mckay were the only big names not to be disconnected from the club. Add a couple who struggled for game time last season in Luis Longstaff, Adam Brooks and Jake Davidson and the rest of the squad is made up of fringe players and youths. Yes, that is the reality we are facing this season in League 1. It's going to be a long season methinks unless a miracle happens to come our way.

Injuries are starting early this season and we have doubts over Billy Mckay, Danny Devine Robbie Thompson and Adam Brooks, so nothing new there.