No Hiding Place

 

It's Play-Off time:  There's no hiding place now as we enter the first leg of the Premiership Play-Offs at Firhill to take on fourth place Championship finishers Partick Thistle. After a Championship campaign that saw more ups and downs than fair fortnight on the Big Dipper at Blackpool Pleasure Beach, it's now crunch time for all the Premiership contenders. Arbroath await the winners of this two-leg tie after they fell just two points short of automatic promotion with Killie making the step up. What a season for Dick Campbell and his Smokies though. However, it's one game at a time and let's see how far that will take us.

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We come into the play-offs on the back of a resounding 4-0 win over Hamilton Accies in the final game of the regular campaign. With one or two rested, it was a great opportunity for others to stake a claim for a start in this important finale to the season. Not much was anticipated ahead of that game with Accies also a bit understrength, but Inverness blew Accies away with a four goal first half blitz. Gone were the long hopeful punts forward to be replaced by slick interplay and incisive passing and clinical finishing. A joy to behold at times as we bemused hapless Hamilton. Tremendous team goals from Walsh (2), Sutherland and a first for wee Joe Hardy enabled us to cruise through the second half without getting out of second gear. 

Partick also rested players ahead of this one but they were turned over 3-1 by Ayr United. Expect them to be at full strength though when we visit as thorns in our side Brian Graham and Scott Tiffoney missed out at Somerset Park.

Venue H2H v Partick (all)

Pld

Won

Drn

Lst

For

Agst

+ / -

Home	22	9	6	7	36	33	+3
Away	21	5	6	10	21	29	-8
Neutral	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Total	43	14	12	17	57	62	-5

 

One win apiece and two draws is the tale of the tape this season.

CTO Sep11th 3-1: After a difficult first half, Inverness ran out comfortable winners against Partick Thistle in a second half goal blitz. The visitors dominated the first forty-five and Scott Tiffoney drilled the opener out of nothing as the defence backed off. Manny Duku was denied by a combination of keeper and post but it was Partick that should have scored a second, however Mark Ridgers did well to deny Brian Graham. Harsh talking at the break saw Inverness come out for the second half with the bit between the teeth and Kirk Broadfoot was the unlikely hero as his twenty yard shot evaded the outstretched fingertips of the keeper to level the score. Shane Sutherland did well to drill in the second from an angle after the keeper fluffed his lines allowing Shane to slot in from twenty yards. The third was a peach as Duku stepped over the ball and Aaron Doran fired high into the net for a brilliant goal and game over. That's five wins out of five and the run goes on...

CTO Oct30th: Caley Jags pay the penalty 0-0:  Partick Thistle survived to earn a point after the woodwork saved them twice and keeper Jamie Sneddon denied Sean Welsh from the spot after guessing the right way. Inverness were well on top but it's only a point which means Killie pull further away at the top. Performance of the day was from Arbroath who came from two down to beat Dunfermline Athletic 4-2.

CTO Feb9th: Late Leveller 3-3:  Partick Thistle struck early to add to our gloom through Brian Graham but Billy Mckay squared the game after twenty minutes with a close range finish from a Carson cross. Graham scored his second with a header soon after, Scott Tiffoney once again the provider and he almost scored one for himself but for a fine save from Ridgers. Shane Sutherland equalised just on the interval with a header from a McAlear corner. With twenty minutes left Deas conceded a stone wall penalty and Graham notched his hat-trick. Substitute Cammy Harper drove into the box but Sneddon blocked his shot and moments later Pearson appeared to hit the bar with an angled drive from twelve yards and Mckay rolled one past the post. We got the draw with the last head of the ball deep into stoppage time when Broadfoot headed in a cross from McAlear.

CTO Mar4th: The slide goes on: 1-0  On a pitch resembling the aftermath of the battle of the Somme, Inverness blew any lingering hopes of promotion with another unacceptable performance at Firhill. Billy Dodds keeps telling us that training is going well. Stats will show something like nineteen shots with only one on target. What the hell do we actually practice? On the plus side, a cut and paste of his post match report will suffice as it's been the same story for almost three months now. Absolutely abysmal, the lifeblood seems to have been sucked right out of the whole team, management and long suffering support. Kevin Holt scored the only goal in the 85th minute after a low corner was driven through a ruck of bodies in the penalty box into the centre of the goal. Game over, season over and surely Dodds over and out!

Apologies to Dodds and the team  we have managed to turn it round again and here we are, ready for the play-offs, but that 11 match run was a nightmare.

***Dates for your diary***

CINCH PREMIERSHIP PLAY-OFFS

Tuesday May 3
Quarter-final, 1st leg 
Partick Thistle v Inverness CT
Live on BBC Scotland, kick-off 7.05pm

Friday May 6
Quarter-final, 2nd leg
Inverness CT v Partick Thistle
Live on BBC Scotland, kick-off 7.45pm

Latest Team News

Scott Allardice is the one long term casualty and Wallace Duffy took a knock in midweek against Hamilton. Some legs were spared in midweek but I would be expecting them to feature in the play-off games. 

Brian Graham and Scott Tiffoney missed the loss to Ayr United but will be important players for Partick in these games.

Fans Player of the Year David Carson 

 

Some of these would be much appreciated

 

 

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6 minutes ago, IBM said:

Just need to put one in!

And keep Partick out!

I thought that Partick were going to maim half our team.  At one point nearly every challenge was dangerous.  Took the ref a long time to find his yellow card.

And that was a penalty against Chalmers.  Replay from behind the goal clearly shows the defender pushing Chalmers away with his arm, having tripped him up - and also a very guilty reaction straight afterwards.

Very impressed by the way Chalmers has come on lately.  He's putting in a lot of work up and down that left side.

1 minute ago, snorbens_caleyman said:

I thought that Partick were going to maim half our team.  At one point nearly every challenge was dangerous.  Took the ref a long time to find his yellow card.

And that was a penalty against Chalmers.  Replay from behind the goal clearly shows the defender pushing Chalmers away with his arm, having tripped him up - and also a very guilty reaction straight afterwards.

Very impressed by the way Chalmers has come on lately.  He's putting in a lot of work up and down that left side.

The Ref will not be getting top marks this week 

3 minutes ago, IBM said:

The Ref will not be getting top marks this week 

At least he didn’t send Chalmers off there….

We need to do this the hard way. 1 down. 

Samuels on for Hyde. 

That looked offside.

Shane! 1-1!!

In right place after keeper spilled Mckay shot. 

Edited May 3, 20224 yr by Robert

Hardy and Harper on for Mckay and Chalmers. 

Wow! 2-1. Samuels from great Sutherland cross. 

Was worried at 1-0 but we came back and deservedly won. Sutherland definitely MOM for his goal and tremendous assist.

We now need to finish the job on Friday.

The worry for me was some slackness at the back. A couple of issues in the first half but how we got away with Carson’s error I don’t know.

None of that matters as we won and are in pole position. Credit to them all, particularly after losing Walsh so early.

And great to hear the noisy travelling fans.

What a fantastic result and can I say big respect to that excellent away support. 

Great win, and ,on balance deserved.  That second goal was good enough to win any match.  My worry for the remaining matches is that we won't have enough fit players.  Several took nasty looking knocks tonight.  But well done to everyone, they played with heart and quite a bit of skill tonight.  Just have to cut out the silly mistakes (Carson, take note).

I am so glad we won that.

A pitch that was a disgrace, and a danger to both teams.  A cynical team committing foul after foul.  A referee who let them off with so much.  Two self-entitled prima donnas in Graham and Tiffoney.  And BBC Shortbread's biased commentators.

Ah well, at least there will be a decent pitch on Friday.  Do we have the same officials, or different ones?

Not to dampen the mood of any Inverness fans, but a courteous reminder that away goals do not count. Still, you'd take 2-1 wouldn't you?   Trust the good old BBC to put this online match comment

Great attitude to turn the game around with a goal and a superb assist from the Player's Player of the Year who, on that form, would hold his own in the Premiership next season.

The injury to Walsh is a concern as is the non appearance of McGregor in the squad. Hopefully both will be available again soon if not in time for the second leg.

What wonderful backing from the 'twelfth man (and woman) who outsang the home fans even when we were behind.

No room for complacency, the job is only half done, but that was a big step towards the next round.

An equally commited team backed by a large and vocal crowd now has every chance of completing the job on Friday evening. Can hardly wait.

2 minutes ago, standbydave said:

Not to dampen the mood of any Inverness fans, but a courteous reminder that away goals do not count. Still, you'd take 2-1 wouldn't you?   Trust the good old BBC to put this online match comment

Away goals don't count, does that mean it's actually 1-0 to Partick ?....

5 minutes ago, snorbens_caleyman said:

I am so glad we won that.

A pitch that was a disgrace, and a danger to both teams.  A cynical team committing foul after foul.  A referee who let them off with so much.  Two self-entitled prima donnas in Graham and Tiffoney.  And BBC Shortbread's biased commentators.

Ah well, at least there will be a decent pitch on Friday.  

Totally agree they are a dirty side with a whingeing manager, we have to stuff them on Friday night!

1 hour ago, IBM said:

Just need to put one in!

Two would be better!

Terrific game with Caley playing some nice football and what a goal that second was.The pass from Sutherland was sublime.

They were dirty players (Partick) and it looked like they were told to be hacking our players down.

What a miss by Alegeria or similar name.

Well done ICT support at the game.Lets finish it off Friday

Amazing result, I would have taken a 1-1 at the start of the game, so coming away with a victory is terrific. We must now get our tactics right on the next game, and not defend from our 18 yard box for the majority of the match. Sutherland has certainly grabbed his second bite at the cherry at ICT and goes from strength to strength. Well done to all the team and travelling support.

34 minutes ago, IBM said:

Totally agree they are a dirty side with a whingeing manager, we have to stuff them on Friday night!

...and make sure there are no open paint tins.

Excellent result with a superb 2nd goal.  It was a great pass from Hardy for Sutherland to run onto in space and his cross was inch perfect.  Samuels then did really well to get on the end of it. 

Hope we don't carry too many injuries into Friday's game.  For a while in the first half I thought Dougal Sim might end up as MOTM.

12 minutes ago, DoofersDad said:

Excellent result with a superb 2nd goal.  It was a great pass from Hardy for Sutherland to run onto in space and his cross was inch perfect.  Samuels then did really well to get on the end of it. 

Hope we don't carry too many injuries into Friday's game.  For a while in the first half I thought Dougal Sim might end up as MOTM.

I say, I agree. Great win, but concerned for Friday night if we are looking like going through Partick will put the boot in with Brian Graham leading the thuggery!!

Just saw a Tweet from journalist Andrew Henderson saying Tom Walsh left the stadium in crutches :( so that probably means Doran will replace him if fit otherwise we'll start with the midfield we finished the match with tonight. 

 

Hopefully Billy goes attack minded into Friday then sits back if we go a goal up but tbh, he's got it spot on for a while now so let's trust the man eh :P.