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Inverness CT -V- Morton - Preview

Teaser Paragraph:
Trick or Treat for ICT fans
After last weeks treat for Inverness fans, will Terry Butcher be able to perform the same trick this Halloween weekend?
Out to spoil the party will be the guisers of Greenock Morton. The Ton players will be dressing up in their away kit and will try to leave the Highlands with the spoils, or can the Caley Thistle management team unmask their opponents and keep all the points at the Tulloch Stadium.
The Visitors
Morton were founded in 1874 and play their home games at Cappielow, which has a capacity of over 11,600, with seating for 5,741 fans. Known as The Pride of the Clyde, their proudest moment came in 1922 when a Jimmy Gourlay goal was enough to defeat Rangers in the Scottish cup final, their only major cup success. They reached the final again in 1948 and it took a replay to see Rangers win the trophy by the same score. The two games in 1948 both attracted crowds in excess of 130,000, with the replay being a British record crowd for a midweek game at the time (133,629). In 1963 Morton made the final of the league cup, once again playing Rangers, in front of 103,000 fans. This time Rangers ran out 5-0 winners, although this was no disgrace at the time as Morton were a second division team in those days.
A blast from the past for Morton is the enigma that was Andy Ritchie. Ritchie scored 133 goals for Morton in 246 appearances spanning seven years. Known as the Idle Idol, Ritchie was noted for scoring unpredictable and spectacular goals. His pinpoint accuracy enabling him to score direct from corner kicks. He has been known to score from the halfway line and beyond, with Andy Ritchie, expect the unexpected. I suppose he was the fore-runner of David Beckham as he frequently bent free kicks round the defensive wall and into the net. Known more for his nonchalance than his athleticism, Ritchie looked like a pub player, with curly locks, incomplete dentures and the precursor of a beer belly. But once he donned his Morton strip and had a ball at his feet, he showed tremendous flair and no shortage of skill for such a big man. Something that is sadly lacking in the present day game. Ritchie received the Scottish Football Writers Association Footballer of the Year award in 1979 and is a cult hero down Greenock way.
League Season So Far Inverness have had a strange season so far. Unable to win a home game in the league, yet unbeaten away from Inverness. A measely two points from a possible fifteen at Tulloch Caledonian Stadium and losing ten goals whilst only managing to score five is not promotion material. In contrast our away form has seen us win four games and drawing the other two. Our goal difference on the road is plus nine. This was boosted by last weeks emphatic win at Ayr.
In the first encounter between the sides this season, Inverness triumphed 0-3 at Cappielow.
Morton by their standards have had a poor first quarter, especially at home. Losing four out of five games, and conceding seven goals in the process, while only scoring once in front of the Ton faithful. Their away form is slightly better, winning two from six matches, but losing fourteen goals in these six games. This is the worst away defensive record in the league by far. Morton's goal difference at present is minus fourteen. Their best result so far was a 2-3 win at Queen of the South. The indifferent start to the season has led to the downfall of Davie Irons and is the reason the Morton board are trying to prise Alan Moore from the Bino's.
Team News
Inverness manager Terry Butcher would do well to stick by the team that gave Inverness their best win of the season last week. The keeper and back four should be self explanatory. Esson, despite gifting Ayr their consolation goal, has been top notch this season and quickly put his error behind him last week as the away day fans sang his praises. Rossco has been solid since returning from suspension, and given a free role will bolster the attack when required, although he wasted no time in getting booked at Ayr. Bulvitus is benefiting from Grant Munro's leadership beside him in the heart of the defence. Stuart Golabeck is making the left back slot his own after his surprise return from feeder club County. He also picked up a yellow card at the end of last weeks match. The midfield is where the pattern changed last week with Butcher going for a 4-2-3-1 attacking formation. Russell Duncan was back on form linking defence, midfield, and attack, along with David Proctor who retained his place in the team after scoring in the previous two games. Dougie Imrie's return from injury is like having a new player in the squad and he helped himself to a goal last week. Sanchez allowed his creativity to shine at Ayr and Foran was one of the benefactors of the Spaniards vision, as he scored an excellent hat-trick. Leading the line admirably was Adam Rooney and he did his confidence no harm by getting on the score sheet as well. This left Jonny Hayes still probably nursing an injury from the Dunfermline game on the bench, along with Lee Cox, Barrowman, Stratford and Allison . Most ICT fans would like to see an attacking display at home and maybe Butcher will give these guys a second chance to consolidate their new found ability to press home an advantage. Good to see Eric Odhiambo and Andy Barrowman playing a bounce game this week with both scoring against an Aberdeen eleven. Maybe just too early for Eric to be unleashed on the first division yet. I expect to see Inverness line up very similar to last week, providing Russell Duncan recovers from the back pain that saw him subbed last weekend. Jamie Duff is still a long term casualty.
Inverness squad from last week:-
Esson, Tokely, Bulvitis, Munro, Golabek, Sanchez, Proctor, Duncan, Imrie, Foran, Rooney. Subs: Allison, Stratford, Barrowman, Cox, Hayes.
Morton hope to entice Stirling Albion manager Alan Moore to Cappielow after the departure of former Gretna gaffer Davie Irons. Irons and Morton parted company after some disappointing results. If this does not happen before the weekend, then James Grady and Allan McManus will continue as caretaker bosses until Morton appoint their new manager. The Greenock men have a plethora of injuries. Dominic Shimmin has tendon and hamstring problems and could miss the rest of the season, Kevin Cuthbert has a broken foot and will be out for three months, Alan Jenkins is about a month away from recovery after medial ligament damage, Alex Walker had a double hernia operation last Friday, Steve Masterton had a similar operation on the same day, (must have been a job lot), Neil Macfarlane, another tidy up operation this week on his meniscus cartilage, (that's knee to you and I), and last but not least, Brian Graham who will be out for several weeks after twisting his ankle against Dunfermline. Ouch, that's almost a whole team of injured players. Former County keeper Colin Stewart looks likely to play as a result of Cuthbert's injury.
Morton squad from last week:-
Stewart, MacGregor, McGuffie, McManus, Greacen, MacFarlane, Finlayson, Jenkins , Graham, Weatherson, McAlister. Subs:- Monti, Paartalu, Wake, Harding, McWilliams.
tm4tj Prediction
We will never have a better chance to break our home duck than this game against what looks to be an under strength Morton side due to numerous injuries. If Terry Butcher puts out a similar side to the one that thrashed Ayr United last week then I see no reason that ICT can not record their first home win of the season. The attack minded 4-2-3-1 formation certainly paid off last week and the home fans want a slice of this action as well. It's great to see Foran starting to build on his goal tally and with Rooney and Imrie chipping in as well it could be an entertaining ninety minutes. We are however, good at shooting ourselves in the foot and the favourites tag does not sit comfortably with us, especially at Tulloch Stadium. Nonetheless, I can see no further than a convincing win for ICT to banish the home blues and a welcome three points in the bag to close the gap on some of the teams above us who are playing each other this weekend.
Time to get the Monkey (nuts) off our back.
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By Guest in Previews 2009-10 ·

Ayr Utd -V- Inverness CT - Report

Clinical Inverness...
 
wiped the floor with Ayr through a stunning first-half goal burst.
Only Mark Roberts had a brief answer to Foran's early brace with further goals coming from Adam Rooney and Dougie Imrie before the Irishman completed the rout after the break.
Foran said: "I can play better and so can the team. There is definitely more to come. We believe we are one of the top teams in the league.
"It's my first league hat-trick and I've got the ball signed to take home. It was an important win and the boys have dedicated it to the gaffer."
Danni Sanchez played in Foran to slide the opener on 11 minutes before Roberts levelled with a tap-in after Ryan Esson's error four minutes later.
Then Inverness turned the screw with the excellent Sanchez setting up Rooney for a fine finish within 60 seconds.
With 21 minutes gone Craig Samson could only parry another effort from Sanchez and Imrie did the rest.
It was game over after just 25 minutes when Samson spilled David Proctor's shot allowing Foran to nod in for his second and his team's fourth.
Ayr boss Brian Reid made two half-time changes but his side's day got worse when a superb Ross Tokely cross gave Foran a back-post header to secure the match ball.
 
15th August 2009 - 15:00 Tulloch Caledonian Stadium, Inverness AYR UNITED
1 - Roberts (13)
Team: Samson, Gibson, N. McGowan (Connolly 46), A. Aitken, Campbell, Stevenson, Keenan, C. Aitken
(Gormley 46), R. McGowan, Roberts, Easton(Borris 61)
Subs: Grindlay, Cawley
INVERNESS CALEDONIAN THISTLE
5 - Foran (11, 25, 57), Rooney (15), Imrie (21)
Team: Esson, Tokely, Bulvitus, Munro, Golabek, Proctor, Sanchez (Barrowman 74), Duncan (Cox 58), Foran, Rooney(Hayes 83), Imrie
Subs: Allison, Stratford
Referee William Collum Attendance 1609      
Guest
By Guest in Reports 2009-10 ·

Inverness CT -V- Dunfermline - Report

ICTs Jekyll and Hyde form...
 
continued after they dropped more points at home when they failed to hang on to a 1 goal lead against the Pars.
David Proctor had scored his second goal in as many games just before half time but with 20 minutes left a header from Andy Kirk levelled the scores.
In the remaining 20 minutes neither team was able to find the killer second goal and the Home fans were left bemused as to why their team can perform so well on the road but continues to struggle in Inverness.
17th October 2009 - 3:00PM Caledonian Stadium, Inverness INVERNESS CALEDONIAN THISTLE
1 - Proctor (45)  
Team: Esson, Tokely, Bulvitis, Munro, Golabek, Cox, Stratford, Proctor⚽, Foran (Rooney63),
Imrie (Sanchez70), Hayes (McBain77)
Subs: Allison, Eagle
DUNFERMLINE
1 - Kirk (69)
Team: Fleming, Ross, Woods, Holmes (Bell63), McGregor, Dowie, Gibson, Burke, Bayne, Phinn (Cardle49), Graham
(Kirk58⚽)
Subs: Higgins, Paterson
Referee A Muir Attendance 3082 ICTs Jekyll and Hyde form continued after they dropped more points at home when they failed to hang on to a 1 goal lead against the Pars. David Proctor had scored his second goal in as many games just before half time but with 20 minutes left a header from Andy Kirk levelled the scores. In the remaining 20 neither team was able to find the killer second goal and the Home fans were left bemused as to why their team can perform so well on the road but continues to struggle in Inverness.
Inverness started with largely the same team that emerged with three points from Starks Park midweek. The only change was Danny Stratford returning to the midfield in place of Russell Duncan. Dunfermline welcomed Andy Kirk back from international duty but he started on the bench.
The first chance of the game fell the way of the visitors. In 8 minutes former ICT striker Graham Bayne picked the ball up on the right flank and drifted it in for Nick Phinn to power a header towards goal but he was expertly denied by Esson who pulled off a fantastic save, tipping the ball over the bar. The Pars were next to threaten when Gibson drove towards goal but his effort was pulled wide of Essons right hand post. Inverness struggled to carve out any significant early chances but one finally fell their way and, but for some excellent last ditch defending, they would have opened the scoring. Northern Irish winger Johnny Hayes scampered down the left and found Proctor who turned and shot goalwards but his effort was blocked and the rebound fell to Richie Foran who should have finished the move off but for a last second block by the Dunfermline defence.
The Pars forced a series of corners which culminated in a headed effort by Neil MacGregor who saw his powerful effort shoot across the face of the goal as the Home defence looked on anxiously. Tricky winger David Graham was next to threaten as he cut infield from the left wing and drove towards goal but his effort was blocked by the Inverness defence. And it was the Pars again who had the next effort of the game when Bayne beat the offside trap. As the Caley Thistle rearguard appealed to the linesman Bayne flashed a shot across the face of Essons goal and wide for a goal kick. A Hayes cross nearly lead to another goal for Proctor but his header sailed over. However the versatile Caley player did get his name on the score sheet on the stroke of half time. Despite Dunfermline creating the majority of the chances in the game so far, Inverness finally gave the long suffering Home fans something to cheer about by snatching a valuable lead. Stuart Golabek burst down the left hand side and his cross was nodded back into the box by Foran and hooked into the back of the net by Proctor who scored his second goal in less than a week. The celebrations showed how much getting the goal meant to the Inverness players who have had to deal with a lot of criticism concerning their home performances for some time now. Not long after the goal referee Alan Muir blew for half time.
Half Time 1-0
Keen to build on their one goal lead Inverness attacked from the off in the second period and Foran set up bustling midfielder Lee Cox who sent in a curling effort the looked destined for Flemings goal until a timely intervention from the Pars backline sent the ball looping wide for a corner.. Fleming then nearly landed his team in it when he blasted a clearance of a team mates back which left the Dunfermline keeper scrambling to get back into position but Caley Thistle couldn't take advantage of the keepers error. Another chance fell the way of Proctor after some neat interplay on the right between the ICT scorer and Foran but the Irishmans return ball was just too far ahead of Proctor and Fleming was quick off his line to claim the loose ball.
Inverness were to rue these missed opportunities as Dunfermline grabbed an equaliser in the 69th minute. A Gibson corner found an unmarked Andy Kirk who headed goalwards but didn't appear to get a good connection with the ball. Groans from the Dunfermline fans were heard as it appeared the chance had been fluffed but they soon turned to cheers as the ball somehow looped over everyone and nestled into the back of the net bringing Dunfermline right back into the game. Suddenly the heads went down from ICT and some supporters began to look uneasy in their seats dreading what the final 20 minutes might bring. However, they nearly regained the lead when substitute Adam Rooney broke clear and hared towards goal. As he looked to pass the ball to the left of Fleming the keeper spread himself well blocking the forwards shot with his legs and howls of frustration echoed round the stadium.
There was injury concern for Inverness when Hayes limped off in 77 minutes after a strong challenge. As the match edged towards full time Kirk nearly grabbed his second goal after his drive from a Bayne pass flashed narrowly past the post and Proctor again had another effort saved in spectacular style by Fleming as he tipped the ICT mans lobbed shot over the bar.
Full Time 1-1
In the end neither team was able to grab a winning goal and at full time whistle there was a mixture of boos and applause for the team from the Inverness supporters who continue to be frustrated at Home. A point a piece was definitely a fair result on the balance of play with Dunfermline having more of the ball than ICT but both teams created a decent number of chances with which they could have found the net.
Guest
By Guest in Reports 2009-10 ·

Raith Rovers -V- Inverness CT - Report

Proc lifts Inverness
 
Caley Thistle maintained their excellent away form with a 1-0 win over Raith Rovers at Stark’s Park, the Highlanders seventh successive victory over the Rovers.
David Proctor scored in the final ten minutes to secure the points for Terry Butcher’s men, pulling ICT to within five points of the league leaders.
Raith missed the chance to go top of the table but will surely be happy with their first quarter performance.
 
13th October 2009 - 7:45PM Starks Park, Kircaldy RAITH ROVERS
0 -
Team: McGurn, Wilson, Campbell, Murray, Ellis, Williamson, Davidson, Walker, Smith,
Russell, Weir
Subs: Ferry, O'Connor
INVERNESS CALEDONIAN THISTLE
1 - Proctor (83)
Team: Esson, Tokely, Bulvitis, Munro, Golabek, Proctor⚽, Cox, Duncan (Stratford87), Hayes, Foran (Rooney75),
Imrie (Sanchez65)
Subs: Allison, Eagle
Referee C Campbell Attendance 2014 Caley Thistle made two changes to the side that went down to Queen of the South on Saturday with David Proctor and Dougie Imrie coming into the side and Robert Eagle and Dani Sanchez dropping to the bench. Imrie started up front alongside Richie Foran while Proctor played on the right of midfield, with Hayes playing left and Duncan and Cox taking up positions in the centre. The back four consisted of Ross Tokely, Nauris Bulvitis, Grant Munro and Stuart Golabek, while Ryan Esson kept up his 100% appearance record for Caley Jags.
The match started relatively quietly, the only effort in the early stages coming from Lee Cox, whose bobbling shot didn’t trouble Raith ‘keeper David McGurn. There was a shout from the home fans in ten minutes when it looked as though Ryan Esson picked the ball up outside the left hand of the 18 yard box but referee Crawford Allan was having none of it. Esson was again involved after 16 minutes when Raith’s lively Johnny Russell was released by a quick free kick and his low shot was turned aside by the Inverness stopper.
Russell was giving Inverness problems and was again involved in the 20th minute when he tumbled after a challenge on the edge of the box. There were a few anxious glances from the away support towards Allan but the referee booked Russell for diving in a situation when many whistlers would have given a spot-kick. Caley had there own appeal turned down seconds later when Dougie Imrie appealed after he put pressure on the Raith back line to win a corner. Again, the referee didn’t countenance an award.
There were few real opportunities in the first half but Raith probably looked the more impressive of the two sides, with the youngsters in the Fifer’s midfield and attack linking up well and showing good movement. Caley Thistle were failing to create many chances and looked lacking in imagination as they went forward.
Half time 0-0
The second half started at a decent pace – Richie Foran played a short ball to Dougie Imrie and the former Clyde forward homed in on goal only to pull his shot wide of the Raith post. While the shot failed to trouble the goalkeeper, it was a harbinger of things to come. Johnny Hayes began to look livelier for Caley - the Irish winger picked up the ball five minutes into the second half after driving through the Raith defence his shot was pulled wide of the post.
Raith responded to the increased threat from Caley Thistle by upping their own game. A good passing move across the edge of the box shuttled the ball to Darren Smith and his shot forced Ryan Esson into a fantastic diving save. Esson’s save was of the highest order, again demonstrating his importance to the Inverness men. Johnny Russell again threatened but ballooned his shot over the crossbar from a promising position.
Terry Butcher made his first substitution at this point, removing Dougie Imrie in favour of Dani Sanchez. Imrie’s return didn’t wildly impress although he showed his usual endeavour to suggest that when he is back to full fitness he can be a real asset for his team. Sanchez, however, made an immediate impact, picking up the ball 30 yards out, turning and sending a long range drive inches over the Raith bar. It was the start of a very promising display from the Spanish forward, whose close control and ability to pick passes gave valuable potency to Caley Jags’s attack.
With just over twenty minutes to go Caley forced a corner and after Hayes floated a ball to the back post, a scrum of players sent the ball towards goal, only for a Raith defender to clear when the ball looked to hit the bar and bounce down towards the line. David Proctor when freed himself on the right and sent a testing ball across goal for Johnny Hayes, who was denied by a fine headed clearance. From the corner Grant Munro sent a shot in but could only direct it straight at McGurn. Sanchez kept the pressure up by flighting in a free kick from 20 yards out following a foul on Russell Duncan but his effort was too high.
Butcher threw on Adam Rooney for Richie Foran with fifteen minutes remaining and the Irishman had a hand in the winning goal. Rooney burst onto a loose pass in the Raith defence and when his effort was pushed away by the keeper, David Proctor cut in from the right and side-footed the ball home from 15 yards out. The Caley Jags players showed how much the breakthrough meant with wild celebrations in front of the delighted travelling fans.
The last five or so minutes saw Raith pushing forward without carving out any clear cut chances. Johnny Hayes almost doubled the Inverness advantage when he latched onto a clearance and attacked the heart of the Raith back four but his shot was touched away by the keeper and Caley settled for a vital 1-0 win.
Full Time
This match brought to an end ICTs first quarter back in the First Division and also marked the fifth league match unbeaten away from home for Terry Butcher’s side. The contrast to between the Highlanders away form (the best in the First Division) and their home showings (the worst in the First Division) is the talking point of the season so far for Inverness fans. Certainly this match wasn’t a vintage performance but the side showed fortitude to drag themselves back into the game after creating very little in the opening half. The side also managed to cut out the damaging defensive errors that have been costing points at home – although there were a few shaky moments the back line held solid for the most part. The challenge that faces Terry Butcher is to translate this form at home, give the majority of the Caley Jags support something to cheer about and increase confidence across the whole squad. Only then will a sustained challenge at the top of the league be possible.
Guest
By Guest in Reports 2009-10 ·

Raith Rovers -V- Inverness CT - Preview

Teaser Paragraph:
Inverness’ beleaguered players will feel a sense of relief at facing the journey South to take on Raith Rovers in Kirkcaldy on Tuesday night – after the clubs third home league defeat in a row home comforts are hardly top of any Caley Jags player or fans list of priorities.
The third straight loss of three goals at home has sent the patience of the Inverness support into meltdown and the fans, who have turned up in record numbers this season, have even begun to question the hitherto largely backed manager, Terry Butcher.
Raith, for their part, have excelled since their promotion from the Second Division last season and currently sit six points clear of Inverness and two off early pace-setters Queen of the South. John McGlynn must hope that Caley Thistle replicate their home form (the worst in the league) rather than their away form (the best in the league).
Past Meetings
Caley Thistle have met Raith Rovers 18 times in league and cup since the sides first met in 1999, with the Highlanders winning ten matches, the Fifers five and three draws. Initially when Steve Paterson’s Caley advanced into the First Division Rovers were something of a bogey team for the new boys. It took Caley Jags until the sides eighth meeting to record a victory, a run which saw Rovers rack up a few handsome victories. Rovers have a fine history of bringing players into the Scottish leagues and some of those who scored against Caley Thistle before going on to enjoy (with due respect to Raith) bigger and better things included Didier Agathe, Paul Tosh, Marvin Andrews, Craig Dargo, Nacho Novo and Alex Burns. Slightly less impressively ex-Celtic starlet Gerry Creaney scored his only goal during an uninspiring period at Raith against Caley Thistle.
After securing a maiden win over Rovers on the 23rd of March 2001, thanks to a Dennis Wyness double, Caley set about reversing the ‘bogeyteam’ status with a run of comprehensive victories in this fixture, including three five goal hauls in a row. The most impressive of these, at Starks Park, saw ICT come back after a Novo penalty in the second minute to triumph 5-1 thanks to goals from Bobby Mann, Charlie Christie, Ross Tokely, Paul Ritchie and Barry Robson. John Robertson’s men also scored a vital win during their inspiring run-in to take the 2004 First Division, when an early Paul Ritchie goal saw Caley claw back two points on then leaders Clyde.
Players to Watch
For Caley Thistle, all eyes will be on the back four as fans wonder what action Butcher will take with regards his leaky rearguard. Narius Bulvitis is probably looked at as the most likely candidate for the chop but Butcher has shown faith in the big Latvian before after errors. One possibility is that Brewster will re-introduce Ross Tokely at centre-back where he performed admirably towards the end of last season, aside from his red card in the relegation decider against Falkirk. Tokely certainly has the size and presence to beef up the back line but that move could leave ICT vulnerable at full back. Butcher will know that something needs to be done and as a former international centre-half the pressure is on for him to find a solution to the current issues.
Prediction
Caley Thistle have secured eight points from four away games this season but likewise Raith haven’t lost at home so far this campaign and will be filled with confidence, in contrast to the visitors from the North. Probably the best Butcher lad’s can hope for is a draw, although with every dropped point the promised land of promotion slips further away. Sadly Caley fans may have to start re-setting goals and expectations for this season.
Guest
By Guest in Previews 2009-10 ·

Inverness CT -V- Queen of the South - Report

Just when we thought it couldn’t get any worse…
 
Yet another home game, and yet another humiliating defeat.
Just when it looked like we had turned the corner with victory against Ross County, ICT crashed and burned to Queen of the South, conceding two late goals.
Derek Holmes was the hat-trick hero for the visitors, who comfortably soaked up pressure for long periods as Caley Thistle, level at the break thanks to a Jonny Hayes strike, toiled against solid defending and eventually went to pieces late in the match. The result, it is fair to say, heaps considerable pressure on Terry Butcher, who hardly helped his cause by berating fans as they left the ground early.
 
10th October 2009 - 3:00PM Caledonian Stadium, Inverness INVERNESS CALEDONIAN THISTLE
1 - Hayes (19)  
Team: Esson, Tokely, Bulvitis, Munro, Golabek, Cox, Eagle (Rooney76), Duncan, Foran, Sanchez (Imrie71), Hayes⚽
Subs: Allison, Proctor, Stratford
QUEEN of the SOUTH
3 - Holmes (1, 83, 90)
Team: Hutton, Reid, Harris, McKenna, Lilley, McAusland (McLaren38), Burns, Quinn, Holmes⚽⚽⚽, Wyness (Weatherston 46 (Kean67)), McQuilken
Subs: Roy, Wilson
Referee Iain Brines Attendance 3011 It took (by my watch) all of 35 seconds for the quiet optimism buzzing in the stands to be sucked away. To be fair, the strike from Holmes was worthy of any football match, but true to form for the season, ICT were their own worst enemy. Sanchez bizarrely passed straight to Wyness – bizarre Sanchez passes remained a theme throughout the match – and Denzil quickly fed Holmes who showed a technique which belied his physique to hook a sweet volley past Esson from 25 yards. Even a number of the home fans, including myself, felt the goal worthy of applause. Yet even then we were buoyed as the players responded well to the setback. Sanchez nearly redeemed himself with a bit of good fortune, as a defender’s clearance ricocheted goalwards off the Spaniard, only to be well saved. But soon the scores were level, as Jonny Hayes did his level best to produce an effort to match QOS’s opening gambit. From a free kick twenty-five yards from goal, out wide, Hayes chose to try his luck instead of crossing and he whipped the ball inside the near post with the surprised goalkeeper well beaten. Two wonderful goals and, for a change, a good match as well. So far, so good, we thought.
Fan clip of Hayes goal
By half time there was only one team that looked likely to win. Even though some of (no, let’s be honest – most of) the passing was dodgy to the say the least, and the likes of Sanchez and Eagle could be most diplomatically described as “passengers”, Inverness were well on top. Richie Foran was the fulcrum of everything good, taking the ball into feet and using it well, despite a glaring lack of support. Lee Cox came closest to scoring next when Foran played him in behind the defence, but his effort was blocked by Hutton in the away goal. The away team were camped in their own half. At the break, the verdict in the stands was unanimous – this match was for the taking. How wrong we were.
Denzil didn’t emerge for the second half – I don’t know whether he was injured or whether it was a tactical change. The relief at the fact he wouldn’t be putting us to the sword dissipated quickly, as it became clear that half-time had sapped our momentum. Where we had been tigrish in the first half, we were sluggish in the second. Hayes, often our most dangerous man, was double-marked in the second half and drifted out of the game, but his team-mates failed to take advantage of the extra space. As the gameplan became (predictably) the long ball to an isolated Foran, Queen of the South fought their way back into things. Even when Eagle and Sanchez were predictably hooked, things seemed to get worse, even though the long awaited return of Dougie Imrie from injury gave the fans a rare opportunity to cheer. All tactical shape disappeared and Gordon Chisholm’s side seized the opportunity. Ryan Esson had to tip one effort onto the post but, even as murmurs of frustration began to sweep through the home support, the defence failed to the heed the warning signs. With seven minutes left, a free kick from the left touchline was swung in and Holmes, quickest to react (in fact, the only one to react) glanced it into the bottom corner. It was a deadly blow. Heads dropped, shoulders slumped, and the Caley effort collapsed like a house of cards in a hurricane. The quiet discontent in the main stand became full-blown dissent, as the place emptied in a flash. The manager, stung by the heavy criticism (some over the top, but plenty justified), berated the supporters behind him for leaving, but in truth there was no reason to stay. It was clear the players had no fight left to attempt to salvage the situation. With gaps all over the park, a swift Queen of the South counterattack was finished once more by big Derek Holmes who was given the freedom of the penalty box to stroke the ball past the helpless Esson. Sub Adam Rooney did come close to a late, late consolation, but by that point it might not even have mustered a cheer. We had lost, again, against mediocre opposition. And Queen of the South didn’t even need to bring Barry Wilson off the bench to do it.
Butcher stormed straight down the tunnel at the final whistle, probably to avoid abuse. In truth there were not enough fans left to make a decent noise, but it’s clear that ICT’s management team are now hugely under pressure. The dream of a return to the SPL appears to be dead; whether we can keep well clear of the relegation dogfight, and whether TB and co. can turn this around are matters that are well open to debate. Caley have not won at home in the league since April, and there is no sign to suggest that this will change in a hurry. For the record, this writer has lost faith in the manager, but can we afford to chuck him?
The Patented Hislopsoffsideagain Man of The Match Award (the winner gets a free pint from me, if he ever claims it)
Yet again Richie Foran gave his all up front, holding up the ball for aeons despite having next to no help from his colleagues. How long till he ditches us for a team that deserves his talents?
The Patented Hislopsoffsideagain Waste of Space Award (the winner gets a slap from me if I ever run into him in the street)
Where do you start? Sanchez offers absolutely nothing – he couldn’t even stay on his feet half the time. Eagle was pedestrian at best. The defending was abysmal at best. Tokely looked unfit, Munro and Golabek just kept lobbing the ball forward aimlessly, and Bulvitis was slow, poor in the air and woeful in his positioning.
Guest
By Guest in Reports 2009-10 ·

Inverness CT -V- Queen of the South - Preview

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ICT fans can look forward to seeing two bona-fide club legends at the Tulloch Caledonian Stadium on Saturday – unfortunately, they’ll be playing for the opposition!
Queen of the South make the 470 mile round trip this weekend with none other than Barry Wilson and Dennis Wyness on their books. Bazza joined QOS when let go by Craig Brewster nearly a year ago, while Denzil arrived at Palmerston Park on loan from St. Mirren in September. It’s fair to say that there are a lot of home fans who wish the duo were still on our payroll.
Gordon Chisholm’s side lie second in the table, four places and five points better off than us, albeit having played one more match. However they were ejected from top spot last weekend, having crashed 3-2 at home to manager-less Morton. Just like in Caley Thistle’s last home league game against Partick, QOS found themselves 3-0 down at one point, and their late comeback fell short. ICT remain without a league win at home so far this season, but restored some much-needed confidence by beating Ross County in the Alba Cup semis, thanks to Robert Eagle’s somewhat fortunate strike. Despite winning only two of the first seven matches, we have lost only a little ground so far on our division rivals, but Terry Butcher and co. can’t afford anymore slip-ups on our patch for a while.
Inverness Caledonian Thistle Team News
The good news this week is the return of Dougie Imrie and Eric Odhiambo to training, though neither is likely to get further than the bench this week. Ross Tokely is also back from suspension. Apart from Rossco’s return to the side, it seems unlikely that Terry Butcher will otherwise change a winning team, though the performance against County did not match the result.
Out: Jamie Duff (knee); doubtful: Dougie Imrie (knee), Eric Odhiambo (broken foot)
Likely lineup: Ryan Esson – Ross Tokely, Nauris Bulvitis, Grant Munro, Stuart Golabek – Jonny Hayes, Lee Cox, Russell Duncan, Robert Eagle – Danni Sanchez – Richie Foran
Queen of the South Team News
Gordon Chisholm’s squad could be stretched to the limit after defenders Marc McAusland and Craig Reid caught the flu bug that kept midfielder Rocco Quinn out of the side last week. However, Quinn is fit again and could force his way back into centre midfield. David Hutton will continue in goal unless Ludovic Roy can recover from a thigh injury, while striker David Weatherston is struggling with a hamstring problem and long-term absentee Craig Barr is only recently back in light training and won’t risked. Steve Tosh and Neil Scally are definitely unavailable for the foreseeable future.
Out: Craig Barr (knee), Neil Scally (ankle), Steve Tosh (broken leg); doubtful: Ludovic Roy (thigh), Marc McAusland (flu), Craig Reid (flu), David Weatherston (hamstring)
Likely lineup: David Hutton – Craig Reid, David Lilley, Marc McAusland, Robert Harris – Barry Wilson, Paul Burns, Stephen McKenna, Willie McLaren – Dennis Wyness, Derek Holmes
Previous Meetings
According to (the occasionally inaccurate) Soccerbase, the two sides have met nineteen times, with Caley up 9-7 in wins. The last meeting between the sides came in April 2004 in the Highlands, with Barry Wilson striking for Caley in a 4-1 win. Ross Tokely, Stuart Golabek, Russell Duncan and Roy McBain all started for Inverness, while only Paul Burns and Jim Thomson survive from the QOS lineup.
The classic meeting between the sides came in November 2002, a 5-3 win for Caley in Inverness when Paul Ritchie grabbed a hat-trick against a Queen of the South side who included none other than Andy Goram in goal.
The Official Patented Hislopsoffsideagain Prediction
For all our woes at home this season, everyone should have got a massive fillip from last week’s win and, with our opponents stricken with injury trouble, I’m going to be positive and suggest a gritty 1-0 win for ICT.
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By Guest in Previews 2009-10 ·

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