Champions in waiting

 

 

Kilmarnock head North looking to wrap up their return to the Premiership as they visit the Caledonian Stadium on Friday night. The game is a 7:45pm kick off and can be seen on council TV. The crossing of the T's and dotting of the I's is all that prevents the trophy being handed over, but the real battle goes on for second, third and fourth. Killie will be taking a big crowd North looking to close out the title.

MATCH/TICKET/STREAMING INFO

SPORTS BAR OPEN AT STADIUM

The stats lean towards Inverness in this fixture but it's usually a tight affair. Home advantage could be crucial but Killie are hitting fine form at the right moment. We sometimes appear clueless, let's see what hat we wear on Friday night.

Venue Head2Head

Pld

Won

Drn

Lst

For

Agst

+ / -

Home	24	11	9	4	44	32	+12
Away	26	8	6	12	36	45	-9
Neutral	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Total	50	19	15	16	80	77	+3

Last 10 Competitive Meetings v Killie

0 - 1 (A)

1 - 0 (H)

1 - 0 (A)

1 - 2 (A)

1 - 1 (H)

1 - 1 (A)

1 - 1 (H)

3 - 1 (H)

1 - 2 (A)

2 - 1 (H)

This Season

It's advantage Inverness so far in the three meetings. Never more than one goal between the sides this season but Killie look to be rounding their season off in emphatic style whilst we are still trying to ensure we make the play-offs with some erratic performances, self belief not high on our agenda.

CTO Report August 28th -Table Toppers: Both sides had won their opening three fixtures with Killie having the better goal difference. Both sides had yet to concede a goal; something was going to give, and it did after five minutes. This game had the potential to be the toughest test so far in the Billy Dodds era and it was a tight affair but Inverness scored the only goal of the game when Michael Gardyne lashed the ball into the net via the keepers palms. That proved to be the winner. Blair Alston nicked one off the outside of the post before the interval and Mark Ridgers kept Killie out with his 4th clean sheet in a row in the Championship after denying Innes Cameron from point blank range to put the Caley Jags at the top of the table on their own.

CTO Report December 3rd - Table Toppers again: League leaders Kilmarnock looked determined to spoil the game as a spectacle and it was a first half of few chances. Mckay having a shot blocked for a corner by Hemming and Ridgers denying McKenzie. However, chances were at a premium and the half ended goalless. The goal that settled the game was a stunning strike from captain Sean Welsh and no more than Inverness deserved with Killie void of attacking intent. This result put Inverness back on top of the table for now.

CTO Report January 29th - Rugby Park Loss: Inverness made the long journey home with no points after Kyle Lafferty scored an early goal after good work by Daniel Mackay down the right wing. What a kick in the teeth that was. Very little to choose between the sides as neither side dominated and clear chances were at a premium with Killie probably having the better of them. Without five regulars, this was always going to be a difficult ask, and so it turned out, but our recent signings look like they could offer something once they are up to speed.

Pos Team Pld W D L F A Pts Inverness v Killie (Friday night) 1. Kilmarnock 33 19 6 8 46 23 63 2. Arbroath 33 15 14 4 45 25 59 3. Inverness CT 32 13 11 8 45 31 50 4. Partick Thistle 33 13 10 10 44 36 49 5. Raith Rovers 33 10 13 10 40 43 43 6. Morton 33 9 13 11 36 42 40 7. Hamilton Ac. 33 9 12 12 37 47 39 8. Ayr United 33 8 11 14 34 48 35 9. Dunfermline 33 6 14 13 33 49 32 10. Q.O.S. 32 6 8 18 30 46 26

SATURDAY 16TH APRIL

Arbroath v Queens

Dunfermline v Ayr United

 Morton v Accies

  Partick v Rovers

Last Time Out

Killie saw off Dunfermline with a goal in each half from Kyle Lafferty and Oli Shaw in a one sided affair. It might have been a cricket score had it not been for Pars keeper Jakub Stolarczyk pulling off a string of super saves.

The Caley Jags threw away a two goal lead against Ayr United last week with a less than impressive second half performance. Shane Sutherland opened the scoring with his tenth goal this season and Logan Chalmers curled in a beauty from twenty two yards. Alas once Ayr changed their personnel at the interval we were second to every ball and got what we deserved. In fact we were left hanging on somewhat and were lucky to claim a point after goals from Fraser Bryden and Markus Fjortoft. A better point for Ayr than it was for us.

Logan's super strike...

Latest Team News

Killie have the luxury of a strength of depth squad and should have no fresh worries ahead of this game. They will also have the luxury of a big away support for this one and that 12th man could prove decisive.

Billy Dodds welcomed Roddy MacGregor back last weekend with a substitutes appearance for the talented midfielder. Scott Allardice was the only missing player last week but Aaron Doran was replaced at half-time, presumably injured.

Here's Roddy talking about his time out

 

 

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A big game which had we not had such a disastrous mid season slump could have been a massive game.

Still, no point now on dwelling on what might have been. A win tomorrow evening, and we generally do well in front of the cameras, will all but secure our play off spot and put a bit of pressure on Arbroath for that second place finish.

All to play for.

Looking forward to this one and hopefully the team will play for the full 90+minutes securing the three points 

 

A touch of this would be nice...............https://www.killiefc.com/classic-matches/09-02-1985-inverness-thistle-a-scot-cup

We really ought to be approaching this game as a dress rehearsal for the play offs. 

1 hour ago, jed5697 said:

We really ought to be approaching this game as a dress rehearsal for the play offs. 

I say, I am quietly confident of success tonight. Have to keep Kyle Lafferty subdued though. The man's an utter menace to all opposition he comes up against. 

A good night for the game and the pitch was looking great when I passed earlier 😊 just need a great performance and three points 😬

Last nights rain should mean it’s a good surface and there is little wind.

We need to play the full 90 minutes tonight. I see us as underdogs but we’ve beaten them twice and there is no reason why we can’t again.

I’d imagine after the second half last week that we may make a couple of changes. I’d like to see Devine start at the back whilst it’s time for Ridgers to be recalled. Perhaps also a slot for MacGregor, maybe in the “no 10” role so Welsh and McAlear continue in central midfield.

We will know soon enough!

Good to see Ridgers and Devine starting. Samuels preferred to Doran and Duffy preferred to Carson.

Great conditions at the ground so roll on a good game and three points for us!

Killie by far the better side in the first half but we are still very much in with a chance of winning this.

Weve had chances. Thought Mackay chickened out when 1 on 1

I’d have taken McKay off instead of Samuels!

43 minutes ago, Naelifts said:

 

Play off place secured.

If we can continue to show that grit and determination we won't be far off.

As good a performance as I've seen this season.  We could easily have capitulated when we gave away that soft goal.  Carson made a huge difference when he came on, and we looked like a really good side for the last half hour.  Well done lads, that should be play off position secured.  We just need to carry this form on for the last few league games, and then, probably 6, play-off games, and we'll all be happy.  Not too much to ask for!

Credit to the large and vocal travelling support, impressive for a televised Friday night match. They will now have a 4 hour journey in which to reflect on the match. 😀

What a game, brilliant. Bring on the playoffs ⚽

Edited April 15, 20224 yr by TheCaleyOne
Spelling

That pink strip really is lucky!!   Great way to spend a Friday evening - atmosphere at the end was great.  

Good clean game Great win   I am happy again

What an impact Carson had when he came on.

Carson was great when he came on.

That second half was the best I have seen this season.Inspired subs putting on Carson and Doran,they changed the game.I thought we played lovely football at times.Great atmosphere added to by great number of travelling support

I have been critical of Billy Dodds tactics and subs throughout the season, but credit where credit is due, he got them right tonight. We were losing the midfield battle until Carson came on to give us a little more bite and drive, and Doran gave us a bit more composure when we needed it. Sutherland again impressed me with his desire to never give up any ball that others might. A fantastic win for the Jags, it's just a pity that this great run has come a little too late to challenge for the title. 

I say, it's a funny old game. We were sloppy, poor and limping along until Carson and Doran came on. 

From hell to heaven just like that.

No Viagra needed tonight!!

What an enjoyable Friday evening.

Two highlights: coming from behind to win and silencing the large, noisy away crowd.

It was great to be in the stadium with a decent crowd, a bit like the old days. Both sets of fans were making themselves heard, even those in the main stand.

Killie were the better team in the first half and I was happy it was 0-0 at the break, although we did have a few chances, notably Chalmers shot and Mckay was nearly in.

The goal we lost looked like sloppy defending to me but I’d need to see it again.

Dodds made good substitutions, which showed the value of Carson in midfield and after we equalised there was only one likely winner and up stepped Chalmers to get us the three points.

I feel we deserved the win, and it is good to be in the play offs, but I feel this season is a missed opportunity. If it was not for that 11 game winless run we could, possibly should, have been looking at automatic promotion.

Now we need to focus on finishing third and performing as well as we did in the last 30 minutes tonight. If we can do that, we need not fear any team in the play offs.

Killie were troubling us early on, but we seemed to work out how to neutralise them and, other than their goal, we were not troubled in the second half.

Bring on the play offs. Who knows what could happen!!

 

Edited April 15, 20224 yr by Robert