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Kilmarnock -V- Inverness CT

Pre Cup-Semi Wobbles


Kilmarnock deservedly defeated a lethargic Inverness who played with one eye on next weeks league cup semi-final. That's not to say we never created anything, Billy McKay squandered a hat-trick of chances himself, but proven striker Kris Boyd showed no mercy lashing home a second half goal to ensure the points stayed at Rugby Park. Lee Ashcroft glanced home a header in the first quarter to set Killie on their way as they ease themselves out of the play off position and Inverness stutter along in the top six for now.
Killie hit the woodwork twice and Brill made a couple of excellent stops but they did enough overall to make Russell Latapy's dugout debut one to forget, and this performance leaves the management duo plenty to ponder ahead of next weeks league cup semi-final against Hearts, who notched an impressive away win at Dingwall.
Let's hope there's not a touch of Deja Vu about this as we tumbled out of both cups last season and lost our way in the league momentarily, all within a week, and at exactly the same time of the season.
 From Scotsman
This was arguably Killies best display of the season. While they were less impressive in the second half than they had been in the first, goals by Lee Ashcroft and Kris Boyd gave them a deserved victory that lifts them to eighth in the Premiership.
Boyd’s 13th of the season comes amid speculation that Blackpool, now managed on a caretaker basis by Barry Ferguson, are keen to sign him. “We cannot afford to lose somebody like Boydie,” said Allan Johnston, the Kilmarnock manager. “It’s as simple as that. He is too big a player for us.”
Kilmarnock, in fact, were on the front foot from the moment Muirhead’s early shot, which took the slightest of deflections, forced Dean Brill to save with a low dive. No sooner had that danger been averted than Boyd was exchanging passes with Rory McKenzie and thumping a left-foot effort straight at the goalkeeper.
The breakthrough arrived after only 16 minutes, courtesy of a devilish free kick. Sammy Clingan’s inswinger from the left, expertly slid behind the visitors’ back four, enabled Ashcroft to steal in and direct a glancing header into the far corner of the net.
With a little luck, Kilmarnock might have added to their lead before the interval. Boyd blazed high and wide after another clever one-two with McKenzie. Then, when Clingan’s free kick from deep was headed back across goal, Muirhead sliced a left-foot volley against the post.
Inverness were making little headway, save for the odd long-range effort and a foray into the box by Liam Polworth. After he had beaten two men and flicked his cross along the edge of the six-yard area, Billy McKay couldn’t get enough on the header, which drifted wide.
In the early part of the second half, Inverness were stronger in possession and quicker with their passing, although it was a defensive mix-up that almost gave them an equaliser. When a pair of Kilmarnock defenders contrived to let McKay loose on a bouncing ball, the Inverness striker found himself with only Craig Samson to beat, but he tried to chip it in with the outside of his boot, but the goalkeeper reached high enough to block.
It proved to be a crucial miss. Just when Kilmarnock needed an old hand to steady them, Boyd obliged with a goal that allowed them to breathe easy. When Muirhead stroked the ball into his path, the striker executed a crisp finish from 16 yards.
As the game stretched, Boyd might have grabbed another. This time it was McKenzie who set him up, but the striker’s left foot proved to be less effective than his right. From the same position he had scored, he fluffed it wide.
As Inverness grew desperate, a shot by Graeme Shinnie dropped onto the roof of the net, and McKay’s close-range effort was cleared off the line, but in the end, they left Ayrshire with no less than they deserved.
 

Date: 25.01.2014 Venue: Rugby Park, Kilmarnock Attendance: 3035
Referee: Willie Collum
 
Kilmarnock: 2
Lineup: Samson, Irvine, Pascali, Ashcroft, Tesselaar, Clingan, Slater, Kiltie, Muirhead, McKenzie, Boyd.
Subs (not used): Reguero, Maksimenko, Nicholson, Johnston, Gros, Clohessy, Gardyne
Scorers: Ashcroft (16), Boyd (74)
Booked: none
Sent Off: none

Inverness CT: 0
Lineup: Brill, Raven (Draper 77), Meekings (Devine 68), Warren, Tremarco, Shinnie, Doran, Polworth, Williams, Ross (Watkins 69), McKay
Subs (not used): Esson, Tansey, Vincent, Christie
Scorers: none
Booked: none
Sent Off: none
 
 
By tm4tj in Reports 2013-14 ·

Kilmarnock -V- Inverness CT - Preview

Teaser Paragraph:
Chance to shine
 
It's the last chance to catch the managers eye before the League Cup semi-final as Inverness make the long haul to Kilmarnock, home of the Killie pie and venue of some good times for us. A new face will be in the away dugout as Russell Latapy has joined up again with Yogi to become our new management partnership. The talented former Trinidad and Tobago international midfielder made 79 appearances for his country, and has teams like Boavista, Porto, Hibernian and Glasgow Rangers on his CV.
 
AJS is our wordmonger this week with this preview for you..............................
 
Caley away with Yogi and Russ - Chapter 1
 
ICT Players, staff and fans make the 395 mile all round trip to Kilmarnock this weekend with John Hughes and his side looking to build on the monumental three points gathered from Aberdeen the week before. The performance as well as the result will have put a great deal of promise back into the season following a bleak winter. With a threadbare team and poor form on the stats sheet we travelled to Pittodrie to face a near full strength Aberdeen side who hadn't lost in their last 8. History kicked in and with our backs to the wall we stepped up and delivered a resounding performance, a stunning goal and well taken 1-0 win back to the Highlands to bring a combination of relief and gladness to all associated with the club. 
 
While Yogi may seem to have turned a corner, it seems as though his counterpart this weekend is also beginning to find his way. Allan Johnston has endured a frustrating beginning to top flight management as a host of problems have disrupted the Ayshire side this season. Injury, lack of funds and a selection of unwanted holdovers from previous regimes left Johnston with a lightweight and somewhat disjointed squad and despite some impressive performances the results did not reflect and nor did the league position as only Hearts and their deduction separated Killie from the bottom. The build up to Christmas saw a change in fortune and now results look more favourable with just 3 defeats in 8 and a shift up the table to 9th, their last result being a point well snatched at Firhill 
 
With the January window now open both sides have also been active in the transfer market. Greg Tansey made a surprise return north to ICT following an 18 month spell with Stevenage. He signed a contract till the end of next season and was thrown into the match at Aberdeen, showing flashes of what he's capable of with some sharp passes and a strong presence in a midfield that was lacking numbers. Yogi has stated he is still in the market for a striker with Billy McKay the only senior frontman in the side. Bringing in someone else is an absolute must with the end of the window approaching.  We cant put that amount of pressure on wee Bill for the rest of the season, especially if he gets injured.
 
Killie have been active themselves. Retaining the services of loanees Jackson Irvine and Michael Gardyne for the remainder of the campaign while also securing a loan deal for Brighton defender Vitalijs Maksimenko. One name linked with a move to Killie is their former player Alexei Eremenko. The Finnish midfielder was a revelation during his stay at Rugby Park, getting nominated for player of the year as a result of some classy performances. ICT fans will be hoping that negotiations for his return to the club carry on over the weekend.
 
Fixtures between the sides have always served up goals, especially at Rugby park and the form reflects well for us as visitors. The last two visits have seen ICT pick up 2-1 wins consecutively while the last win for Killie was an enthralling 4-3 encounter two seasons ago. That same season saw without doubt our greatest win over Kilmarnock and arguably our greatest away day triumph in the top flight. The 5th November 2011. On the back of a crushing defeat to Motherwell we travelled to Rugby Park deprived of form and a defence courtesy of injuries and suspensions. Kilmarnock grabbed an early lead against a Caley defence leaking goals. Andy Shinnie equalized on the stroke of half time and what followed was one of footballs magical moments served up that every football fan deserves in their life. The 2nd half kicked off and in no time at all Jonny Hayes had turned the game on its head with a lethal 25 yard strike, before we had time to worry about a Killie comeback Shinnie had doubled his tally and the advantage before a solo run and finish from Gregory Tade made it 4 and the 5th was happily rounded off with Shinnie completing his hat trick, latching onto a great run from David Davis (remember him?). Killie pulled one back before Tade scored a 2nd...yes Tade scored 2 goals in this game to make it 6-2. Killie got a 3rd in the last minute by which point most home fans had cleared the stadium and following the full time whistle the small band of loyals that braved it and made the journey were sent into raptures and partied on into the night. 
 
With such inspiration to draw from past games I'm hoping this Saturday will be equally as enthralling. Both teams have danger men that are capable of producing on the day. The likes of  youngster Chris Johnston and Gardyne for Killie are well matched by Doran and Williams, who in particular seems to be finding his feet which is pleasing. Both teams have a potent goal threat with Kris Boyd being a proven name in this league, while Billy McKay is joint top scorer and both are keen for a result, one looking to secure top six and chase Europe and one chasing survival. It doesn't matter what the distance is between the teams, both have quality and both need 3 points, there is little excuse for a slack game. My only hope is that we keep the Semi Final out of our thoughts as much as possible. John Hughes has used it as a motivational key for those who are playing on Saturday, that those who impress will feature in the game. That's probably the most sensible way to balance it out, its bound to play on the minds of some of the lads but with that incentive thrown to them by the manager and the wise heads such as Foran and Esson keeping them grounded I see no reason why we can't come away from Rugby Park with a well earned 3 points on Saturday. 
 

 
To end I would like to welcome Russell Latapy to the club as Yogi's assistant. I was absolutely delighted at this appointment, being a huge fan of him as a player. He was classy on the park and he brings domestic, European and even World cup experience to the table as well as sharing a good working relationship with the gaffer. He will surely have a lot to pass on to our players in terms of coaching and I look forward to seeing our new management team finally get to work as a duo.
 
Inverness will be boosted by the return of Gary Warren and Ross Draper from suspension and Marley Watkins should be fit for this one along with James Vincent who started on the bench last week. This should all add up to a selection headache for the new management team although Richie Foran remains out. Kilmarnock have defender Vitalijs Maksimenko signed in time for him to play tomorrow and Ismael Bouzid could return but fellow defender Darren Barr is out long term while David Silva will sit this one out.  
AJS prediction :- It will be a tight game I think, both teams have goals in them and will be eager for a result but I'm hoping our quality in the final third will see us through, as well as our ability to hit teams on the break - I'm going for a 3-1 win. 
By AJS in Previews 2013-14 ·

Aberdeen -V- Inverness CT - Report

Dons tamed by Williams belter
 
Inverness defied the odds to turn the tables on in form Aberdeen. Danny Williams scored the only goal of the game to halt the Don's recent four game winning streak, smashing a shot off the underside of the bar in the 22nd minute.

Aberdeen had been firm favourites to continue their run of wins at the expense of out of sorts Inverness, but make us underdogs at your peril.

Greg Tansey and James Vincent made the bench as Yogi kept faith with the players that drew with United last week, minus the suspended Gary Warren whose place was filled by Danny Devine.

A good crowd of over 12,000 turned up to see if the once famous Aberdeen could continue their good run or could Yogi be the party pooper and upset the odds, Inverness looking for their first win in six games.

Rig was at the game and here is his thoughts............Full report to follow..............

Fantastic result against a team which I view to be the best in the rest of the league. I'm no fan of Hughes but even I have to say that was a very impressive showing so well done to him and the team.

Our goal was very well taken. A quick counter attack down the right ended with Doran knocking a ball across the goal. Mckay stretched for it but only managed to get a faint touch on the ball which luckily found its way to Williams at the back post who lashed it into the net off the bar.

Whilst Aberdeen had a number of chances they were all from set pieces and there were very few which were clear cut. ICT on the other hand seemed to be doing their best to try and keep the game close by not putting away the better chances which fell our way, particularly in the second half. Mckay and Shinnie passed up great chances to secure the game for us but Mckay pulled his shot wide after being played through, by Tansey I think, and Shinnie hit the bottom of the post with a lovely curling effort.

Aberdeen were at their most threatening from corners with Robson getting some really dangerous balls in on top of Brill with the conditions making it really hard to deal with high, lofted balls. Vernon Crespo should have done better in the first and I think Considine or Anderson also had a good chance from a header as well.

The defence was, at times, struggling to cope, and the midfield occasionally got over run but that can be expected with the players we have out. But the guys who did play today really put in a great shift (© John Hughes) and battled for every ball they could get near. Shinnie especially was fantastic in the middle of the park. MotM by an absolute mile with other great performances from Mckay and Williams who was a real live wire down the left hand side. Tait really struggled with him and had to be subbed off in the second half.

Tansey and Vincent came on and both offered us a bit of freshness to carry the ball away from defence. Indeed it was Tansey who was setting up some of our chances late on with some clever balls in behind the Dons defence. It might be interesting to try him in behind Mckay once Foran and Draper return and take up the CM slots.
Full Time 0-1

   

All in all a great performance, despite some very nervy moments, and one that all of the ICT guys can be very proud of. Now for the long trip down to Killie..........................
 
Aberdeen: Langfield, Tate (Shaughnessy 58), Considine, Jack, Anderson, Reynolds, Pawlett, Flood, Vernon (Magennis 65), Robson (Hayes 59), McGinn. Subs not used: Zola, Smith, Storie, Rodgers.
 
Inverness CT: Brill, Raven, Tremarco, Shinnie, Meekings, Devine, Doran (Tansey 65), Williams, Mckay (Evans 88), Ross (Vincent 75), Polworth. Subs not used: Esson, Greenhalgh,  Pepper, Christie.
 
Referee: Iain Brines.
 
Attendance: 12,021.
By tm4tj in Reports 2013-14 ·

Inverness CT -V- Aberdeen - Preview

Teaser Paragraph:
Greg's back


It's A96 time this weekend as Aberdeen host Inverness with both sides vying for a Euro spot at the business end of the table. Second take on fifth in what is a six-pointer this early in the season.

Inverness' depleted squad received a boost as news of Greg Tansey's return to the Highland Capital was greeted with much anticipation. We have lacked a dead ball expert recently, (well for a few years), and Tansey has a reputation for striking a decent free kick and I'm sure he could give the odd penalty some welly if required. Greg has signed a one and a half year deal since Stevenage released him early from his current contract. Russell Latapy has been lined up as Yogi's second in command, so will we be in for a laid back calypso style of soccer at the Tulloch Caledonian Stadium?

Seems like a good bit of business for Inverness and Greg had this to say on his return:- “I am very happy to return to Inverness I know the lads and I thoroughly enjoyed my last spell at the club. We have some exciting games coming up and I look forward to helping the club continue their magnificent progress over the past couple of years.”

This is the third meeting between these clubs this season and Aberdeen are looking for a hat-trick of wins over Inverness. The first game at Pittodrie was tight, but Aberdeen edged it thanks to a superb Scott Vernon turn and strike. The second game was the proverbial game of two halves. Aberdeen were afforded a seemingly comfortable 4-0 half time lead, but by full time they were hanging on to a 4-3 lead which could easily have been overturned, but it was not to be for Inverness as the Dons held on for their second win over us this season.

So, here we are, Inverness without a whole midfield and centre back and Aberdeen on a high just now. It looks like it could be a long day for us on Saturday. Aberdeen sit ten points above Inverness although we have two games in hand. Aberdeen have suffered only one defeat in eight games whilst Inverness have only one win in their last seven games. Both teams have lost 19 goals this season, but the Don's have moved 5 goals ahead in the scoring stakes.

Inverness will be missing the suspended duo of Ross Draper and Gary Warren. Add to that the Injured James Vincent and Richie Foran and the struggling Marley Watkins, it's clear to see why bringing in a ready made replacement was vital at this stage of the season. Greg Tansey ticks most boxes and Danny Devine will no doubt deputise for the missing Warren. Danny Williams is picking up the pace after a slow start and Ben Greenhalgh is champing at the bit for some first team action. Nick Ross missed a penalty last week, but his overall game was decent enough, although Tansey will provide us with a bit more dig in the engine room. Dean Brill did not cover himself in glory last week and Ryan Esson will be waiting in the wings should he be relieved of his duties.

Aberdeen's Andrew Considine returns for the visit of Inverness after his recovery from a calf injury. Full-back Clark Robertson remains out and Nicky Low is out for the second game of a two-match ban.
 
  
 
tm4tj Prediction:- Damage limitation is something that springs to mind, but in adversity we are at our best and it doesn't come much tougher than playing a form team away from home without some of your most influential players. If Tansey were to start then that will go some way to lessening the blow of Draper, Foran, Vincent, Warren and possibly Watkins being unavailable. Danny Devine has been an able deputy previously, but he's no Gary Warren although he has played with Josh Meekings before. Some of the others need to step up to the plate and more is required of the likes of Danny Williams Aaron Doran and Nick Ross, three players with plenty of talent but so far, no end product. Billy McKay needs assistance up front, and while he is still here, we still have a chance, but for me it's a slim chance this weekend. A draw at best and minimise the damage at worst. 2-0 for the home side is my best guess.

 
Here's a wee calypso to welcome Russell Latapy to Inverness

 
By tm4tj in Previews 2013-14 ·

Inverness CT -V- Dundee Utd - Report

Point apiece about right
 
Inverness and Dundee United shared the points as two early goals were all to show despite plenty of endeavour from both sides. United hit the woodwork twice while Inverness passed up a goalden opportunity to win it with a late penalty, but Nick Ross shot tamely at Cierzniak in the United goal. Billy McKay opened the scoring in the fifth minute but Keith Watson rose unchallenged to power home the equaliser after ten minutes and that was the end of the scoring, but not the entertainment.
The previously reliable Dean Brill provided the comedy with a series of blunders that could have been more damaging but he just about got away with it, however the watching TV audience will not forget his show in a hurry. John Hughes was the warm up act, cracking his forehead open as McKay scored the opener, much to the muted delight of the Inverness bench.
AJS will have a full match report for us...............................
Point gained but Yogi still yearns for home win
John Hughes search for a first home win as Caley Thistle boss continues as both ICT and Dundee United had to settle for a point and stretch their winless runs to 5 games a piece. Hughes has had plenty to contend with in recent games following a host of injuries and also the loss of Ross Draper to suspension and with a United coming into town looking to put to bed their own poor form it was always going to be a hotly contested game. 
Following the poor performance against County Yogi shuffled the pack. David Raven was restored to the starting 11 with Graeme Shinnie reverting to holding midfield following the loss of Draper, Danny Williams moved from the middle to left wing, his natural position. United had the luxury of calling upon new signing Farid El Alagui who joined on loan from Brentford during the week. The Moroccan striker arrives at Tannidice bragging an impressive 28 goals in 44 games during his season long stint with Falkirk but struggled to find regular form and games following a move to Brentford, he was looking to make an immediate impact. 
The match itself got off to a fast start with ICT racing into the lead within the first 5 minutes. Billy McKay won a corner out on the left which was swung in by Williams. It was well won in the air by Warren and fell to McKay who reacted before Cierzniak could to rifle it into the bottom corner from just a few yards out. It was the perfect start for the home side who were looking to put to bed a run of form that had seen 3 consecutive defeats at TCS. Almost immediately following Aaron Doran found time and space to set himself for a shot from distance but unfortunately from himself he dragged it well wide of the mark.
United sniffed out their first chance of the game when Graeme Shinnie was judged to have fouled Chris Erskine on the edge of the box. The angle was tight but Stuart Armstrong struck a powerful, low drive that Brill could only parry and following a brief scramble the ball was thumped out for a corner by Liam Polworth. The first one was cleared by Shinnie but the 2nd proved fatal as United snatched a quick leveller through Keith Watson. Gary Mackay-Steven drifted it in and Watson lost Tremarco to power his header into the net beyond a despairing Brill, Watson, a full back has 4 goals to his name this season, two of which have been scored at the same end at TCS.
It was anyone's game now with both sides looking to get the next goal. Both sides were doing their bit to get their wide players on the ball as much as possible, Mackay-Steven was digging out some nice crosses for the away side while likewise Williams and Doran were for the hosts but struggling to find anyone in space. 
The hosts almost found another opening. Graeme Shinnie seized upon a poor clearance from Cierzniak and following an exchange of play with Ross he found Billy McKay on the wing, his knock down almost fell perfectly for Shinnie on the edge of the area but Gavin Gunning was alert to the danger and hoofed the ball clear. 
United then passed up a golden chance to turn the game on its head through Brian Graham. A corner from Mackay-Steven forced Brill to punch it clear, but it only fell as far as Rankin who's fizzing shot was heading to the bottom corner only to be diverted away by Gary Warren, his clearance fell to Graham and with Brill already committing himself to Rankin's shot he had an empty net at his pleasure but somehow managed to only steer his shot onto the post, following a brief scramble the ball was cleared and the big man's chance was gone. 
Gary Mackay-Steven was next to test the home goal, Stuart Armstrong's neat reverse ball found the diminutive, little winger with a shot at goal on his stronger left foot but with the angle tight it was well gathered by Brill. 
Billy McKay almost doubled his tally for the match only to be thwarted by a terrific save from Cierzniak. Aaron Doran was fed the ball by Raven and he picked out a delightful cross to the back post which was met well by McKay who rose well and thought he was surely finding the corner only for United's Polish stopper to pull out a wonderful fingertip save. Nick Ross also came close when Ravens low ball in found him at the edge of the area, he managed to turn his man but on his weaker left foot he struck it straight at Cierzniak who gathered it with little fuss.
Not before too long the first half was brought to an end in what was a well contested encounter between both sides.
Half Time - 1-1
In the early stages of the 2nd half it was ICT who began the game stronger, much as they did in the first half. Billy McKay had another header that he would perhaps feel he could have got a goal from. The opportunity came in rather unorthodox circumstances. David Raven won a 50-50 challenge with Robertson and despite being on his backside managed to feed a cheeky flick on to Aaron Doran who's teasing cross was met by the head of MacKay once again but his swerving header was held by Cierzniak. 
The game was then brought to a halt after Brian Graham suffered what appeared to be a rather serious injury. Having gone up for a header with Josh Meeking's the Tangerines big number nine appeared to land awkwardly and seemed to be in a great deal on pain. Following a lengthy spell on of treatment and the need for a stretcher his afternoon was brought to an unfortunate and premature end. Replacing him was Farid El Alagui  who was brought on to make his debut for the away side. 
With play resumed ICT had another chance to regain the lead and what a golden opportunity it was. Danny Williams in swinging corner was met at the back post by Gary Warren. He scored a bullet header in the cup tie between the two sides back in October but this time he saw his header fall wide of the post despite being only a couple of yards out. The man knows himself...he should have scored. 
Dean Brill almost gifted United the lead in what would have been rather humiliating circumstances to say the least. Many who are fans of football bloopers on Youtube will remember Peter Enckelman's missed touch in the Birmingham derby several years ago. Poor Deano was very close to replicating it when he misjudged the bounce on Shinnie's back pass but much to the relief of himself, his team and his supporters pride he managed to dash back and force it clear before it could cross the line.
ICT then spurned chance of the game just after the hour mark. A lovely exchange of passing between Shinnie and Ross saw the latter produce a lovely through ball back to Shinnie who had a sight of goal only to be tripped by John Souttar and earn the home side a penalty. Nick Ross stepped up having converted his last 2 penalties but today was not to be his day. He struck it powerfully enough but did not get enough direction on it and after Cierzniak got a firm punch to it the ball was cleared and the chance was gone.
The away side were beginning to see more of the ball and grow in confidence with John Rankin flashing a 30 yard drive just wide of Brills goal. Chris Erskine came even closer for the visitors when Mackay-Stevens low ball gave him a great opportunity to find the net but United's day was to be foiled by the woodwork as his curling, side foot effort came back off the post before Warren hooked it clear. 
With ICT having had a penalty, United felt they should have had spot kick themselves when Mackay-Steven was locked in a chase for the ball with Warren. Warren appeared to be pulling at GMS's shirt but the wee man did his best to stay on his feet and get a shot away and in fairness to him did not complain at the decision to award a corner instead. El Alagui came close from the corner with a header but with a lack of purchase his effort was gratefully cradled by Brill. 
With the game entering the final stages both sides made changes. United bringing on teenage sensation Ryan Gauld while ICT also threw on fellow youngster Ryan Christie who will be surely looking to make similar headlines now he has made the first team picture. Ben Greenhalgh was also brought on for Danny Williams as the home side looked to make a move to win the game and with a lengthy amount of stoppage time added on it was understandable.
Following a lot of pressing the ball eventually fell back to Tremarco who did well to pick out Doran with a chip cross, Doran turned to shoot on his left foot but could only find the side netting. Ben Greenhalgh also turned out to be an unintentional match winner when his deep cross appeared to be hitting the back of the net and forced Cierzniak to parry it out and from the resulting corner he gathered well among a see of blue and orange. Ryan Christie was nearly a super sub once again when Tremarco skipped past a challenge and found him with a nice cross but Christie's header floated over and with that the game was brought to an end.
Full Time 1-1
To summarize :- it was an entertaining game, lots of corners, lost of scrambles and lots of chances. Both teams would have liked to win given recent form but in the end I think neither it became more about not losing, though a missed penalty is always rather gutting and given the ease of some chances served up both sides will feel they could have won. Given that our team was decrepit without the likes of Foran, Watkins, Draper and Vincent I'd say we coped very well. In particular it was very pleasing to see Polworth and Christie blooded into the first team, both look promising prospects and their progress will be monitored with great interest. Yogi tactically got it right, restoring Raven was the right move and shifting Williams back to his natural position saw a much improved performance from the Lancashire lad compared to recent weeks, though Greenhalgh showed some neat touches when coming on. Plenty positives to take and the rot has been stopped - onwards and upwards from here. 
 
 
 
AJS MotM - David Raven - shored up the right back position, put in some cracking tackles and was unlucky not be providing some goals for his team mates. Its essential that he stays in the starting 11 from now on.
 

 

Date: 12.01.2014   Venue: Caledonian Stadium    Attendance: 2980
Referee: John Beaton
 
Inverness CT: 1
Lineup: Brill, Raven, Warren, Meekings, Tremarco, Doran, Shinnie, Polworth, Williams (Greenhalgh 87), Ross (Christie 81), McKay
Subs (not used): Esson, Devine, Gorman, Pepper, Evans
Scorers: McKay (5)
Booked: McKay (86)
Sent Off: none
 
Dundee Utd: 1
Lineup: Cierzniak, Watson, Souttar, Gunning, Robertson, Rankin, Paton, Erskine, Armstrong (Gauld 84), Mackay-Steven, Graham (El Alagui 51)
Subs (not used): McCallum, Dillon, Butcher, Gomis, Dow
Scorers: Watson (10)
Booked: none
Sent Off: none
By Scotty in Reports 2013-14 ·

Inverness CT -V- Dundee Utd - Preview

Teaser Paragraph:
Xmas turkeys meeting
 
 
Inverness host Dundee United for Yogi’s second home match in the Highland capital for 2014. The first is one that we all want to forget as our neighbours staged a smash and grab raid, robbing us of three points. It was a dismal showing against County and the sending off of Ross Draper combined with the Motherwell game being called off means that Draper misses this clash.
 
Inverness and United fans have been as happy as turkeys at Xmas with their clubs poor points tally over the last few games, giving Aberdeen and Motherwell a bit of a cushion to rest on.

Ginger Jaggy has this preview for us..........

This game is crucial for both clubs with Aberdeen’s 1-0 victory over Hibs on Friday night taking them 11 points clear of both teams even though we have 3 games in hand. Also with Motherwell beating basement side Hearts 0-1 on Saturday it leaves us 13 adrift of the last European spot. Yogi is slowly trying to stamp his mark on the team and that could be complete next week with the appointment of an assistant. The UK weather is atrocious at the minute, but Inverness, may see a more tropical Caribbean front with media reports suggesting that former Falkirk player Russell Latapy will add a little spice to our season.

Since the defeat to Partick, our home form has gone a little wayward after turning the Tulloch Caledonian Stadium into a fortress in the earlier part of the season. That result had nothing to do with John Hughes but since his arrival all the points have come on the road with three successive home defeats to Aberdeen, Celtic and the 'Shadows'. It is crucial that Inverness start to find their home comforts again especially against a rival top six club. In fact this game begins a crucial run of games with Aberdeen to come next weekend before the little matter of our second league cup semi-final in a row at Easter Road. But first it is the visit of Jackie McNamara’s young charges. Both teams are out of form which means there is no clear winner for this game.
 
Inverness’ chances are further hit by missing Ross Draper with long term absentees Richie Foran and James Vincent still missing. This will lead to more reshuffling in the centre of our midfield. But a little of bit of good news is that Marley Watkins could return after a period on the side-lines with a dead leg. The omens are good for us in this match up so far this season as we hold a 100% record with two wins in league and cup so far. Hopefully that will continue on Sunday lunchtime in front of the Sky cameras (where we don’t have a great record) as we have to start winning again to keep our European dream alive with Motherwell and Aberdeen moving ominously clear.

United meanwhile are in a slight flux after a superb run of results in December had seen them rocket up the table. United were playing some stunning football with many of their young guns being linked with big money premier league moves. But a surprisingly heavy 4-1 defeat at St Mirren has ended with the Arabs picking up just one solitary point from four matches over the Festive period. The defeats were also hard for their fans as one was a heavy defeat in the Tayside Derby in Perth. Bragging rights were also sent to Aberdeen after surrendering a 1-0 lead to lose the New Firm derby in front of a sold out Tannadice.  The point they did pick up was a battling recovery from 2-0 down to draw with in form Hibs. We have all heard of the young starlets at Tannadice with Ryan Gauld and Andrew Robertson being the stand out players at the moment. But they could be missing some crucial players for tomorrow. Nadir Ciftci will want to forget his last visit to the TCS, and he may have to wait for a chance to redeem himself as he is struggling with a groin injury. At the back Mark Wilson is definitely out and Gavin Gunning is struggling to be fit with a knock on his leg. This may be David Goodwillie's last game before he heads back to Blackburn, but they have replaced him with the loan signing of former Falkirk striker Farid El Alagui, who could make his debut tomorrow.

This will be a tricky game with both teams having excellent starts but not having great festive periods. With Aberdeen flying in second place and Motherwell consistently staying in the mix this is crucial for both teams. I would hope it would be an open game with both teams playing attacking football but it may be one of those tight games. So I think it may be decided by the odd goal and I will say that Yogi will finally lift his home hoodoo with a 1-0 win.


By gingerjaggy in Previews 2013-14 ·

Motherwell -V- Inverness CT - GAME OFF

Teaser Paragraph:
There is a God after all: GAME OFF


A precautionary 08:00 pitch inspection has been arranged for Fir Park ahead of Inverness' visit after strong winds and heavy rain swept across Scotland, the Motherwell pitch not known for keeping the water away at the best of times. However Motherwell officials are confident the fixture will go ahead despite the weathers best efforts to disrupt the schedules. The game is an early kick off at 12:45 for those brave enough to make the trip. Unfortunately referee John Beaton has deemed the pitch unplayable and the game has been called off. Meh!

Inverness travel to Motherwell on Saturday with plenty of trepidation after their poor festive account has failed to produce more than one point from four games, three of which were at home.

Missing James Vincent since the end of September and Captain Richie Foran over the festive games was bad enough, but we will now be without the red carded Ross Draper and possibly even Marley Watkins for the trip to Fir Park. It doesn't get much more difficult does it!

Our Xmas campaign has been a disaster in terms of points gained, league position, team confidence and managerial honeymoon. We have lost ground to two of the current form sides in the division and unfortunately we face both of them in the next few games away from home when we are at our lowest ebb of the season. Great!

Inverness have only one win in their last six games, a 2-0 triumph in Edinburgh over the inexperienced Jambos. On the other hand, Motherwell have won five on the bounce since a 5-0 thrashing from Celtic on the 6th December, a run that sees them sit second in the league, our dismal streak taking us down to fourth, our game in hand against County away not such a good idea now.

John Hughes is getting plenty of stick for the current problems on the park at Inverness but in all honesty a lot of this is out of his control. He has stuck to the tried and tested formulae that got Inverness into the top end of the league, but with Richie Foran out of the running with a shoulder injury lean times have hit the Caley Jags. One issue he could resolve is getting David Raven back in the starting eleven and returning Graeme Shinnie to the left side of the park. Danny Williams has been tried in Foran's absence and is starting to get the hang of it, but Richie Foran he aint. Aaron Doran has gone off the boil at the same time, and the supply Billy McKay requires has dried up. Our once reliable defence has been conceding goals at an alarming rate, and Dean Brill won't be too pleased with his attempt to stop County's second goal on New Years day.

One bright light at the end of the tunnel was the introduction of Ryan Christie in the Celtic game. He only had a few minutes on the park but he carried his dazzling footwork from the u20's games into the first team and might be worth a few more minutes over the coming weeks. Liam Polworth is another knocking at the door and big Toby Agdestein had a decent substitute appearance against County and could be a help to McKay in his quest for the ball.

Motherwell don't really need a boost at the minute, but Lionel Ainsworth has extended his loan until the end of the season. Four goals in four games is a great return from the 26 year old midfielder who packs a ferocious shot, scoring a couple of spectacular goals already this season. With the likes of James MacFadden in their side and the powerful Henri Anier available for at least another couple of weeks this will be a tough nut to crack.

Inverness will be without the red carded Ross Draper for the trip to Fir Park. Wide midfielder Marley Watkins is a doubt, while captain Richie Foran and midfielder James Vincent are out.

Motherwell goalkeeper Gunnar Neilson returns after on-loan Dan Twardzik returned to Dundee after his emergency loan expired. Lee Hollis remains out, as does forward Lee Erwin.

tm4tj prediction:- I'm a bit worried about this clash. We did manage to turn Well over in the first meeting of the season, Foran and McKay doing the damage. Unfortunately without Foran and McKay not seeing enough of the ball times are hard just now. Motherwell on a roll, Inverness pedalling backwards and an understrength squad, the omens are against us. Strangely enough, we are most dangerous when the odds are stacked against us. I'm not sure this time though and we could be looking at damage limitations. My cup is half empty now and I am hoping we keep the score respectable, 2-0 for the Steelmen I'm afraid.
 
By tm4tj in Previews 2013-14 ·

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