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Inverness CT -V- Livingston - Report

Grim Stuff
 
Inverness slumped badly against Livingston who were able to win the game 1-3 without having to try too hard.
Our defensive frailties were exposed once more as we struggled to clear our lines with any authority. Nikolay Todorov was given the freedom of the box to slot home from a corner. Connor Bell scored a beauty from a tight angle to level matters three minutes later. Scott Robinson restored the visitors lead after some shoddy defending and it was no surprise when Craig Halkett benefitted from a couple of poor clearances to sweetly volley home and end the scoring.
Connor Bell started with Ricardo Calder missing out through injury and the game kicked off on a sodden surface with just over 2000 fans looking on.
John Baird should have opened the scoring inside a minute as he was slipped through by Iain Vigurs, but Neil Alexander blocked the strikers effort. It was looking good for the hosts as they stroked the ball around with Livi looking second best for long spells.
It was a bit of a false dawn however as despite plenty of possession, we never really troubled Alexander thereafter.
The sucker punch came after a corner from Livi. The home defence parted like the Red Sea. The ball landed on the foot of Todorov who found himself totally unmarked and he knocked the ball home from ten yards to open the scoring.
The lead was short lived as Connor Bell chased a ball down the left side of the box from Vigurs. He turned inside and and from a pretty tight angle he caught Alexander out as the ball flew high into the net for a tremendous equaliser.
Moments later we should have been ahead when Bell nodded home. However, the linesman flagged him offside, a poor decision by the official that would set the tone for the rest of the game.
Unfortunately, that was about the only action of note in a half we dominated, but failed to get the upper hand.
Half Time 1-1
The second half should have seen us take the game to Livi. Instead we were treated to a third rate display and more schoolboy defending. This time the finger will not be pointed at under fire keeper Mark Ridgers, but the whole defence should hang their heads in shame.
Sloppy defending of the highest order gave Livi the opportunity to get back in front and they duly accepted the gift with Robinson poking the ball home from close range, again, without much attention from the creaky defence.
The fans were expecting some sort of urgency. The fact that it never materialised made the game flat and it was no surprise that it was Livi that took advantage of another poorly cleared ball. Nothing wrong with the strike though as Halkett drilled a volley home from the edge of the box to part empty the ground.
Many fans had seen enough by this time. It's not just the comedy defending, it's the lack of desire to do something about it and a complete dearth of quality that is cheesing most people off.
I don't recall us troubling the keeper in that second 45 and the players looked resigned to defeat long before the end.
Full Time 1-3
It looked promising early on but that never lasted. Livi were there for the taking but we were not capable of sustaining any sort of challenge and the table is beginning to take on a rather  sinister look with Falkirk unlikely to struggle for much longer. Connor Bell was our liveliest performer with Vigurs, Trafford and Polworth controlling the midfield for long spells without causing too many problems for the visitors, who were much more streetwise and their no nonsense approach turned out to be for the best.
This was a great opportunity for Inverness to settle into the Championship table, but a weak second half performance and defensive blunderland cost us dearly. It's clear that on this evidence it's going to be a long slog this season with far too many players not of the required standard to get us out of the League at the correct end of the table. At the moment, they look quite capable of getting us back to back relegation's.
That's a mere 4 points out of a possible 18. It's not looking good at the minute.
 
A dejected looking Robbo interviewed after the game.
 
Date: 16/09/2017  Venue: Caledonian Stadium Attendance: 2007 Referee: Craig Charleston
 
Inverness CT: 1
Lineup:  Ridgers; Raven, Mckay, Warren, Chalmers (Tremarco, 78), Trafford, Polworth, Vigurs, Bell, Cooper (Oakley, 64), Baird (Mulraney, 71). Subs (not used): Esson, Elsdon, Calder, Donaldson. Booked: Trafford, Vigurs. Scorers: Bell (27) Booked: Trafford (35), Vigurs (67) Sent Off: none Livingston: 3
Lineup:  Alexander; Lithgow, Halkett, Todorov, Mullin, Byrne, Longridge, Pittman, Robinson (McMillan, 64), Mullen (Penrice, 74), Mackin (Cadden, 59)Subs (not used): Maley, Jacobs, Carrick, De Vita. Booked: Mullen, Lithgow, Byrne. Scorers: Todorov (24), Robinson (52), Mackin (72) Booked: Mullin (43),Lithgow (45+2),Byrne (54),  Sent Off: none a
By tm4tj in Reports 2017-18 ·

Inverness CT -V- Livingston - Preview

The Eagle versus the Lion.
 
The visitors this weekend are Livingston, a side we have had some great tussles with over the years as we came through the ranks together. Some common denominators are, Robbo once managed Livi, Barry Wilson played for both sides as did Davide Xausa, Mark McCulloch, Steve Hislop, Liam Fox, Coll Donaldson and the talented David Bingham.
Just as we have come a long way since the amalgamation of Inverness Thistle and Inverness Caledonian, Livingston have also made an arduous journey since beginning life as Ferranti Thistle in 1943 and making their way to Livingston via Meadowbank Thistle.
The clubs have had mixed fortunes since the heady days back in the late 90's. Both have tasted European football, both have dabbled in the Premier Division, both have had Barry Wilson, and both are back in the Championship. Livi almost tasted liquidation in 2009 and Inverness are noted for their ability to survive on a shoestring, but they will meet on league business for the first time since April 2006 when Inverness won 0-1 thanks to a Barry Wilson goal. Livi were so good in those days that not even Robert Snodgrass or Graham Dorrans could get a start. Richard Brittain and Wes Hoolahan did though. Inverness boasted some great servants of their own, with Dennis Wyness, Craig Dargo, Darren Dods and Ross Tokely all starting. Rory McAllister was a sub, (whatever happened to him). There was a league cup game at the same venue in 2015 where Inverness ran out 0-2 winners with Miles Storey and Danny Devine both scoring.
Livi came up at the end of last season after winning the League 1 title. They will be without 27 goal Liam Buchanan who has opted to remain in that league with Raith Rovers (how strange). He is the biggest loss for Livi and it could be argued that keeper Neil Alexander will be their best signing for this season. The former Rangers and Hearts keeper returns to Livingston after a 16 year exile. His longest spell was at Cardiff City where he made 213 appearances.
The form guide for this season shows that Livi have one win, three draws and one defeat. Unlike us, they have remained competitive in every game, their only loss was a 3-1 defeat to St Mirren. That results give them six points from the five games played, and they sit one place above us in the league. Josh Mullin and Dylan Mackin were the men on target in their last outing when they drew 2-2 with Queen of the South.
Our last game against St Mirren went pear shaped as we gifted a couple of goals. We showed good character to get back on level terms twice, but eventually were beaten by the better side. Whilst it was pleasing that a striker scored (John Baird), it's a tad worrying that the defence once again contrived to throw away goals like they are going out of fashion, with Mark Ridgers not covering himself in glory once more. It's been a torrid start for Ridgers, but the whole defence need to give him a bit more assistance as he is seen as the scapegoat for numerous blunders in the final third of the pitch.
John Robertson has three long term absentees, Aaron Doran, Zak Elbouzedi and Collin Seedorf. Carl Tremarco has returned to the squad after a couple of cameo appearances from the bench although he did not get on the pitch at Paisley, the intensity of that game maybe coming just too soon for our enigmatic left back given the length of time out after ligament damage. Gary Warren returned last week but even his appearance failed to steady the defence. Ricardo Calder is a doubt.
David Hopkin, the former Scotland international has taken Livingston forward with a purpose. Winning the title last season by a massive nineteen points. The Livi Lions last line-up looked like this. Alexander, Lithgow, Halkett, Gallagher, Longridge, Byrne, Mullin, Pitman, Jacobs (Carrick 78), Todorov (Makin 61), Mullen (De Vita 78)
tm4tj prediction:- As we all knew before the season started there will be no easy games in the Championship. Forget what has happened in previous years, this is a new build team where getting to know each other is a priority. Until that happens, we will not see the best of our new look squad although there are some signs that we are beginning to head along the right track. Livi have competed well in all their games so far and could easily have turned a couple of draws into wins. We will need to cut out the schoolboy defending and comedy keeping before we can contemplate winning games. The midfield is beginning to take shape and Liam Polworth is flourishing in a more direct role which will hopefully create more space for the main strikers to work. John Baird did score last week, so that particular monkey is off the back. We need to get bodies forward in numbers, especially at home and if we can cut out the errors, then we could reap the benefits and take all three points. I'll stick my neck out here and go for a 3-1 win, and that's allowing for the given comedy goal for our opponents. If the comedy is overpowering, then it could be a long day.
The club are firing out Previews in style at the moment and here's the official one with some finer details from the ICTFC Website.
Here's a bit of nostalgia for you. Cast your mind back to the old second division in 1999.........

 
By tm4tj in Previews 2017-18 ·

St Mirren -V- Inverness CT - Report

Defensive woes the big issue.
 
Inverness' defensive frailties allowed St Mirren to run away with the game in the second half as they notched a 4-2 victory over the Highland club. A first half goal from young sensation Lewis Morgan gave the Buddies the lead at the interval. The second half exploded into life around the hour mark when a phenomenon known as strikers goal afflicted Inverness. John Baird was the scorer. However that seemed to annoy the Buddies and they replied a minute later through Buchanan. Five minutes later Liam Polworth levelled again only for St Mirren to kick on once more through Smith and McShane, two goals in a minute and our defence exposed once more. 
That crazy spell of five goals in thirteen minutes ended the scoring and the result puts St Mirren to the top of the league where they will be difficult to shift. We remain in seventh place.
Immortal Howden Ender will have a full report for us later......................
 
POOR PAISLEY RETURN
It actually felt good going back to Paisley. No re-match drinks in the Alamo, presumably avoiding the fly ridden buffet ?!!  Often criticised as a Legoland stadium but I would have a similar set-up in Sneck in a feckin second. There was a good atmosphere and only 3610  in attendance – they pack their wee Ultras into the corner by the away end. That works a feckin treat as well. We mustered 150 and it was more of a case of the Under70’s than the Under 17’s !!
Jack Ross mentioned that his team were “enjoying their football” and that was clear to see. They are young, pacey, eager, energetic and confident. That apparently was the first time that Midden scored more than 3 against us. It could have been 6 or 7 but the same could be said to us – yes we could have scored 6 or 7 as well. We suffered from poor finishing whereas they benefitted from poor defending.
We came out of the blocks at the start of both halves. For 15 minutes of both we looked good and in charge. Our heads do appear to go down easy but the way that we conceded the goals must have infuriated anyone outside of our back four.
Baird was unbelievably amateur in the 2nd minute when he fell for the Midden offside ploy. All he had to do was to look and hold back. However I also thought that Calder could have fired in a shot also. Minutes later Calder misfired from a similar position.
And then we took a breath and Midden came back into the game. Warren mistimed. Mckay went on his back foot without a thought of a direct challenge. Where was Raven. They allow Morgan to run and run and shoot. Shure it deflect off McKay but that was there to be stopped by Ridgers. 31 minutes and we are behind when we could have been 2-0 up. Enuff said.
So lets move on to the second half and we start in 5th gear again. Polly misses an utter 1 on 1 sitter, Warren misses a very good headed opportunity and instead of being 4-0 up we are still 1-0 down.
Then we take on Bell for the “injured” but wholly ineffective Calder and his flick ends up with Baird equalising in the 61st minute. But it is 1-1 NOT 5-0 !! And then we blow it again. 3 mins later in the 64th. Trafford is turned 3 times, falls on his erse, we do not compete against the cross, Ridgers does not compete or focus and we are behind again to a gift.
But then we get a bit of luck on 69 minutes. Polly drifting offside is abetted by a ridiculous touch from a Midden defender and this time he nets the 1 on 1. So what do we do – we feckin give away another goal 4 mins later in the 73rd minute. Warren, Chalmers and McKay enact a scene from a Keystone Cops movie and Smith puts Midden ahead. Cue our heads going down and Midden smelling blood.
And it does not take them long to kill us off. 2 minutes in fact. In the 75th minute Raven falls over this time and the ball eventually is cracked in by the ex-Tink McShane.
Cue substitutes methinks. Completed by Midden but not by Robbo. Unbefeckinleivable Jeff. The game then petered up. Polworth looked shattered but so did Vigurs. One for effort and the other for not being feckin fit enuff.
SMILEYMOMETER
RIDGERS   Possibly one of the worst ICT goalkeeping performances that I have ever seen. Not only the goals but his distribution was equally shocking. He has clearly lost confidence and so have others in front of him – in themselves and Ridgers.
RAVEN   Love the man. Will always be a fave but he is fading fast. He can still think a game but does not have the required energy or pace required. Given zilch help from Cooper though.
CHALMERS   Again not helped at all by Calder but another who looks wholly lacking in confidence. Pity as he does appear to have a pretty sweet left foot.
WARREN  No lack of determination from another old warhorse. Unbeatable most of the time in the air but as with Rave looks susceptible to pace. Misses Meekings or a likewise defensive partner.
McKAY   Can’t believe how much he dithered today and was hardly seen in the game, apart from mistakes.
POLWORTH   Would be surprised if any poster picked any else for MOM. 120% and literally ran himself in to the ground.
TRAFFORD  Liked the look of him BUT he appeared to be given the role of providing defensive cover fer Polly and Vigurs.
VIGURS    Great vision, great touch, great left foot but sussed by Midden and dealt with - although this resulted in him chastising others and losing his focus.
CALDER   Simply nothing other than a wing back (Please  note Robbo). Could he not reminded that he is required to shoot and defend. Injury was a way out ?!!
COOPER   Did ZILCH apart from make Raven look even worse.
BELL  Put it like this. He more that deserves a start next week. Would prefer him out wide in the place of either Cooper or Calder.
 
Have to agree with a lot of what Robbo said after the game. It could have been so different but you do not win games with our frailities at the back. But his attempt at a 4-5-1 simply did not work. You simply cant havea defence like ours and starve it of cover. It looked like the ploy was to play Calder and Cooper in advanced positions to assist Baird. Vigurs to sit and be a lazy playmaker, Polly to have a free, roving role – leaving Trafford to try and sit in front of the defence. Robbo stated that he wanted to push Midden wide. Well that totally fecked us as they ran feckin riot. And the decision not to take on Treamrco and Oakley – Well.
And to end with – Willie Gollum was absolutely shocking and both sets of fans joined in to Anti-Gollum chants.
 
Footage of the goals from Caley Jags TV and Robbo's post match reaction.
 
 
Date: 09/09/17  Venue: St Mirren Park, Paisley Attendance: 3610 Referee: Willie Collum
 
St Mirren: 4
Lineup: Samson, Demetriou (Kirkpatrick 85), Irvine, McGinn, Buchanan, Morgan (Duffy 92), Smith (Todd 87), Baird, McShane, Reilly, Eckersley Subs (not used): R.Stewart, Sutton, R.Stewart, Whyte Scorers: Morgan (31), Buchanan (63), Smith (73), McShane (74) Booked: Buchanan (6) Sent Off: none Inverness CT: 2
Lineup:  Ridgers, Raven, Chalmers, Warren, Polworth, Baird, Vigurs, Calder (Bell 56), Cooper, Mckay, Trafford Subs (not used): Esson, Tremarco, Elsdon, Oakley, Mulraney, Donaldson. Scorers: Baird (61), Polworth (69) Booked: Vigurs (33), Mckay (89) Sent Off: none a
By Scotty in Reports 2017-18 ·

St Mirren -V- Inverness CT - Preview

Meeting up with old Buddies
 
We lock horns with an old foe this weekend as we visit the Paisley 2021 Stadium (what's that about) to take on the Buddies. If you believe Alternative Maryhill then it could be a Victorian Architectural dream day out. Otherwise it will be a return to old haunts to renew the joys and banter of Paisley.
I'm sure their followers will miss Ross Tokely, they really loved him, but we have a new villain of the piece for them to slaver over in Charlie Trafford. I'm sure he can fill that void.
It's our biggest test yet as we take on St Mirren who ended last season in fine form after looking like certainties for the drop as late as March when they were in pole position for automatic relegation. They have made a solid start to this campaign despite a 4-1 derby defeat to Morton. That game hinged on a sending off and a couple of penalties. Since then they have easily beaten Livingston and Dundee United scoring six goals in the process.
Our season began in earnest in our last Championship game when we beat Brechin City 4-0 at Glebe Park. That was our first League win of the season. The only downside of that scoring spree was that we are still waiting for our strikers to make an impact which is a tad worrying.
Carl Tremarco made his long awaited return to action as a second half substitute last Saturday against Aberdeen Colts in the Fizzy Pop Challenge Cup. He came through that unscathed and kept up his habit of scoring goals, notching our final goal in a 4-2 win.
St Mirren sit third in the table but just one point from top position which is occupied by big hitting Dunfermline Athletic. Our win last time out saw us jump a couple of places to seventh, five points behind the Buddies after four games.
Inverness will be bolstered by the return of Jake Mulraney from International duty. It is hoped that Gary Warren should return after missing the last couple of games. Charlie Trafford is available after his red mist card last week, his ban only for the Irn Bru Cup competition. Longer term casualties are Aaron Doran, and Zak Elbouzedi with Collin Seedorf added to that list after injuring himself in a bounce game with possible ligament damage. It looks as though out of favour David Raven will continue to play a part with Seedorf out. Felitziano Zschusschen is out for another couple of weeks. Carl Tremarco made a scoring return last week and is available for selection but a place on the bench might be where he will find himself at this stage of his comeback in what will be a gruelling 90 minutes.
St Mirren could have Liam Smith available. Gary MacKenzie, Harry Davis and Kyle Magennis are all reported to be struggling. St Mirren's player of the year Lewis Morgan was with the young Scottish team that beat Holland 2-0 in midweek and was in impressive form.
Off the field of play, the young team have had their knuckles rapped as the board attempt to clean up their act and ban the culprits who are undermining the great work done by the rest. C'mon lads, the club needs your support, they can do without the aggro and damage that appears to follow you. Get behind the team in a manner that everyone will appreciate. Ultra fan behaviour is so last year! Latest board statement
tm4tj prediction:- This is the toughest test yet and is possibly just too early for our restructured side. Gary Warren is a big influence on the park and the young defenders around him need his leadership and direction on the field. That is the area of most concern at the moment. Midfield has definitely improved with Charlie Trafford taking over seamlessly from Ross Draper and Liam Polworth flourishing in a free role. Strikers appear to be lacking goals at the moment but Robbo is confident that will come as others find the back of the net for now. St Mirren have an excellent squad just now and I fear that they might be the real favourites for promotion, certainly a play-off place is theirs for the taking. I don't see us winning this one although we have previously had a decent record against the Buddies. However, it's a whole new ball game now. A point would be a good return from a difficult fixture.
Another excellent preview on the Official Website giving more detail.
Here's a bonus video for you as Inverness defeated Banks O' Dee 6-1 in the youth cup.
 
By tm4tj in Previews 2017-18 ·

Aberdeen Colts -V- Inverness CT - Irn Bru

King Carl's crowning comeback.
 
Inverness breezed past the Dons u20 side at Glebe Park, Brechin to score their eighth goal at the same venue in just eight days.
Riccardo Calder scored as early as the fourth minute and Liam Polworth added a second, with David Raven also scoring before the break. The young Dons stuck to the task and were rewarded with a goal when a short pass back saw the keepers clearance cannon off Seb Ross. Comeback king Carl of Tremarco was a second half sub and he crowned his day with a late goal. A bit of naughtyness and afters saw Frank Ross and Charlie Trafford go for an early bath before Bruce Anderson scored a last minute consolation for Aberdeen.
Hardly a game to get the pulses racing, but it was great to see Carl Tremarco (@tommytremarco3) make his comeback, and he topped his day off by scoring the fourth for Inverness. It turned out to be a decent game though with opportunities at both ends of the park.
Disappointing that the main strikers are still not scoring, but the win will breed confidence which is something that has been lacking recently.
There's a full detailed report in the Highland News
 
ymip from the middle aged team made these observations based on what he saw today.
Very much a game of two halves.  First half we looked pretty comfortable and had all but put the game to bed against a pretty shaky Dons side. Second half was very disappointing and highlighted how weak we are in defence. We also appear to lack a cutting edge up front. The goals we're scoring are coming from midfield. 
 As far as I can see we have signed some very average players and look particularly fragile at the back. Communication  between a very unconvincing keeper and similarly limited defenders looks very suspect and needs to be addressed as a matter of urgency.
Good to see Tremarco back and scoring. 
One player I do like the look of is Trafford but his needless reaction to an appalling tackle from Frank Ross which led to a red card for both players was totally unnecessary and hugely frustrating. 
I'm praying for an away game in Ireland in next round. Only chance of European football we're likely to experience for the foreseeable future. 
 
Robbo gave his thoughts
 
And here is the Comeback King...........
 
Date: 02/09/2017  Venue: Glebe Park, Brechin Attendance: ???? Referee: Alan Newlands
 
Aberdeen U20: 2
Lineup:  Mair, Harrington, Wells, Campbell, Mbayo, Roscoe, Hutchison, Frank Ross, McLennan, Seb Ross (Antoniazzi 79), McLennan.  Subs (not used): Craddock (GK), Dangana, MacPherson,, MacKenzie, Ethan Ross. Scorers: Seb Ross, Bruce Anderson. Booked: none Sent Off: F Ross Inverness CT: 4
Lineup:  Ridgers, Raven (Elsdon 84), Chalmers, Polworth, Baird (Oakley 81), Vigurs (Tremarco 72), Calder, Cooper, Mckay, Donaldson, Trafford.  Subs (not used): Esson (GK), Foy. Scorers: Calder, Polworth, Raven, Tremarco. Booked:  Trafford      Sent Off: Trafford a
By tm4tj in Reports 2017-18 ·

Aberdeen Colts -V- Inverness CT - Irn Bru

Back to Back at Brechin.
 
Inverness are in action again at Glebe Park on Saturday in the Irn Bru Challenge Cup against Aberdeen Colts. This game could see long term injury victim Carl Tremarco make a return to competitive action. The tenacious left back has been out for four months after suffering a cruciate ligament injury against Motherwell back in April. Looks as though he will start on the bench.
Gary Warren will sit this one out and Zak Elbouzedi and Aaron Doran remain sidelined. Coll Donaldson will get a start as will Alex Cooper.
There's a full and detailed Preview on the official ICTFC Website.
By tm4tj in Previews 2017-18 ·

Brechin City -V- Inverness CT - Report

Off And Running
 
Inverness belatedly got their season off and running with an ultimately convincing 0-4 win at Glebe Park, Brechin. First half goals from Iain Vigurs and a Brad Mckay header were added to after the break by Alex Cooper and Vigurs again. This win lifts Inverness off the bottom of the table. Brechin remain at the foot alongside surprise strugglers, Falkirk.
Gary Warren missed out with a recurring ankle injury which paved the way for frozen out David Raven to return to the back four. Alex Cooper and Connor Bell started up front with John Baird, George Oakley was on the bench.
Darren Dods named himself on the bench and had made three changes from the side that went down 3-0 at Inverness in the League Cup.  Jordan Sinclair, Finn Graham and James Dale started with Gary Fusco and Ally Love on the bench.
The Hedge was in pristine condition as the game kicked off with an enthusiastic away support backing the Caley Jags to get their first win of the season. They wouldn't be disappointed. Unfortunately, some of our more hyper juvenile fans never made it to the end to witness this first win. Let's hope they grow out of it.
It was a low key opening quarter to the game with both sides struggling to create anything of note, other than a yellow card for the reckless Matt Elsdon. 
The deadlock was broken after 26 minutes when Iain Vigurs lashed a shot into the top corner with the aid of a slight deflection, the ball always looking destined for the back of the net anyway. Liam Polworth was the provider on that occasion.
Soon after the goal, Connor Bell forced Smith to deny him his first Caley Jags goal, the keeper saving one handed from the wee striker.
A second goal came along when Brad Mckay firmly planted his header back across goal and into the top of the net from an Alex Cooper corner.
Liam Polworth was prominent in his free role and causing problems for the Brechin defence and he almost scored before the interval but his shot went wide.
Half Time 0-2
Brechin felt a bit hard done by after making the visitors work hard in the first 45, but after the break Inverness imposed themselves on the game, but not before the aforementioned Matt Elsdon was removed from the field of play before he was sent off for persistent fouling, much to the chagrin of the home bench.
The third goal duly came along when goalless striker John Baird neatly set up Alex Cooper who beat his marker inside the box and tidily stroked the ball early into the bottom corner, taking the keeper out of the equation with his brisk strike.
Iain Vigurs was the unlikely scorer of the fourth goal when he raced to the front post to glance a superb corner from Polworth behind Smith to give the visitors a more convincing win. It was no more than we deserved as Brechin wilted.
There was still time for Brechin to try for a consolation, but Paul McLean hit the post with his glancing header. That was enough to keep Mark Ridgers and his defenders on their toes and they saw out the game with the minimum of fuss. In fact, they almost notched a fifth but Graeme Smith blocked with his legs to keep the final score at 4-0 to the Caley Jags.
Full Time 0-4
Just the result that John Robertson was looking for after the thrashing at East End Park a couple of weeks ago. Inverness were best served by two goal MotM Iain Vigurs with Liam Polworth and Charlie Trafford showing up well. Still a bit of work to do defensively, but the midfield now look capable of driving the team forward. I'm sure the return of Gary Warren will resolve some of the issues at the rear and Carl Tremarco is hopeful of a comeback soon, a possible outing in the forthcoming Challenge Cup game against Aberdeen U20's.
Positive off the park with the Chairman addressing many of the issues and more positivity on the park with a comfortable win at Brechin. However, let's not get carried away with this result, but from small acorns etc, etc. A sterner test awaits in our next Championship game as we visit Paisley to take on high flying St Mirren, who trounced Dundee United 3-0 at the weekend.
Here's a couple of observations from a pair of well respected fans who made the journey to Glebe Park.
Alternative Maryhill went along with a touch of trepidation:- I was nervous about this after the absolute car crash of a performance at East End Park, but in the end it was more comfortable than I could have hoped. There wasn't a great deal in the first half - we probably had slightly more of the ball, but chances were pretty even. Looks like Vigurs got a bit lucky with a deflection for our first, and Mckay wasn't really challenged for his header back across goal for the second. We pretty much controlled the second half, though, and it was good to see the likes of Polworth playing with freedom and confidence. 
The key to our improvement over the past couple of games seems to have been the introduction of Charlie Trafford. I wasn't up for the Morton game, so this was my first look at him. He seems a very unfussy player and just sits in front of the defence, looking to break up attacks and then hold the ball until he can send someone away, but having him there allows Vigurs to try to dictate play a little further forward and allows Polworth, who looked much improved yesterday, to drive forward. Connor Bell also impressed, playing in a left-sided attacking role for most of the game before moving to the right when Calder game on, and I'd have him starting on one of those sides in place of Mulraney from now on. On the other side, Cooper contributed less, especially in the first half, but his movement and composure for his goal were excellent. I'm still unconvinced by our defence: Raven had a solid game, but Elsdon, Mckay and Chalmers are all capable of looking hasty in the challenge and uncertain in possession. They weren't troubled all that often, but against teams with tricky, pacey attacking players such as Cardle, they will struggle. Having Gary Warren and particularly Carl Tremarco back should make a difference, however, as much for their leadership qualities and presence as their defensive ability. 
It was great to see another decent travelling support getting right behind the team. The stewarding of the young team looked pretty heavy-handed to me, as if they were expecting trouble from the start. Otherwise, it's a cracking set-up at Brechin, with the wee bar beneath the stand and the ability to move easily between stand and terraces. A bit of a faff to get to from Glasgow if you don't drive, though, so I won't be bothering going up for this Challenge Cup nonsense against Aberdeen colts next week. Looking forward to the rest of September: intriguing fixtures against clubs I have't seen us play for a few years - St Mirren, Livvy, Dumbarton and Queens - and we should have a much clearer idea of how the team is developing and how we match up in this division by the end of the month.        
Caley Stan was yer man with these observations:- Good 2nd half performance after a shaky start. We reverted to a back 4 with Trafford sitting in front. Vigurs played further forward & Polworth was again given a lot of freedom. Connor Bell came in from the left to support Baird when we attacked. The 1st half was scrappy with few chances at either end. Although Brechin didn't create much, they had Elsdon & McKay flustered on a couple of occasions & must've returned from the break thinking they could still take something from the game. How wrong they were. We dominated them completely & should've scored more. Vigurs & Trafford bossed the midfield, repeatedly sending Polworth off to drive into space through the middle. Robbo's got him playing in his best position now, & the centre of midfield looks to have a nice balance. 
 
 
 
 
Date: 26/08/17  Venue: Glebe Park, Brechin Attendance: 703 Referee: Mat Northcroft
 
Brechin City: 0
Lineup:  Smith, McLean, Dyer, Dale, Graham (Love 67), Layne, Lynas, Spark (Watt), Orsi, Crighton, Sinclair (C.O'Neil 85) Subs (not used): P.O'Neil, Fusco, Dods Scorers: none Booked: none Sent Off: none Inverness CT: 4
Lineup:  Ridgers, Raven, Chalmers, Elsdon (Donaldson 49), Polworth, Baird, Vigurs, Bell (Mulraney 79), Cooper (Calder 74), Mckay, Trafford Subs (not used): Esson, Oakley, Foy Scorers: Vigurs (27, 72), Mckay (32), Cooper (62) Booked: Elsdon (17), Cooper (63), Mulraney (92) Sent Off: none a
By Scotty in Reports 2017-18 ·

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