Less than three days to go. How are we all feeling: confident, nervous?

I know there is a theory that, after being reinstated, our name is on the trophy. I don’t subscribe to that. Saturday will be tough as Falkirk could hold their own in the Championship and probably be in a similar position to us. Their recent form is mixed so we are clearly favourites.

Mckay and Donaldson, along with on form Kennedy, add some spice.

If we approach the game correctly, and do not under estimate Falkirk, we should be good enough to get through this, but it won’t be plain sailing.

Without Carson, we need to see the best of Duffy and I think it is a game for Doran: he will invite fouls from Mckay and Donaldson.

I’d start with:

Ridgers

Duffy Devine Deas Delaney

Henderson Welsh Allardice Shaw

Doran

Mckay

The hotel is booked so either a celebration or a drowning of sorrows will follow the full time whistle (whether after 90 minutes, 120 or even penalties). Hopefully a celebration!

Edited April 29, 20233 yr by Yngwie

Good game. Was worried until the penalty award as Falkirk started well, but after that it turned our way. Daniel MacKay's header was a great one and the third goal from Billy was taken very well. Apart from Ridgers' moment of madness, which he made up for with solid stopping on the few occasions he was called into action, Falkirk didn't look likely to score. Still dont know how the second Shaw attempt that hit the post stayed out. Thought it would hit the inside of the other post and in to make it 0-4 but that's football for you. Welsh and Allardice solid in the middle. Lots of positives today. 

 

Billy had only the two today the middle one was from Mac Kay 

21 minutes ago, northstandfan said:

looking forward to going to another final. someone will probably know better than me but with his goals today is that Billy on 100 for us?

101 I think?

9 minutes ago, Scotty said:

Good game. Was worried until the penalty award as Falkirk started well, but after that it turned our way. Daniel MacKay's header was a great one and the third goal from Billy was taken very well. Apart from Ridgers' moment of madness, which he made up for with solid stopping on the few occasions he was called into action, Falkirk didn't look likely to score. Still dont know how the second Shaw attempt that hit the post stayed out. Thought it would hit the inside of the other post and in to make it 0-4 but that's football for you. Welsh and Allardice solid in the middle. Lots of positives today. 

 

All good stuff, Shaw was as unlucky as an unlucky thing. See you at the Final?

 

Correction, just checked.  Billy is on 100.

Well done to all, superb effort from everyone!

 

 

What a fantastic result. Falkirk started well, and had lots of possession, but you don't win games with possession, you win it by putting the ball in the net, and ICT did it three times, while Falkirk didn't. Some great performances today, Welsh and Allardice in the middle and Devine and Deas at the back, and the front three all put a shift, but everyone played their part.

Well done all the lads, and hopefully I'll be able to attend the final. 

😬

Another final to look forward to. Excellent win. Let Falkirk knock it about and bumped them when required. We could have paid the price for two defensive mix ups if the falkirk players had been sharper. However another famous victory and looking forward to the final. Well done to players and management for masterminding it 😃 now to mastermind the final 😃

Who’d have thought that the bombscare moments would be at OUR end?! 😮

A result that exceeded our expectations and ended up pretty comfortable - but really, it was a much tighter game than the score suggests and it all came down to taking chances. We took ours, Falkirk will be wondering how they missed all of theirs.

Job done and a good day out for the players and fans.

Bloody hell. One of the weirdest 3-0 games I’ve ever witnessed. But what a result 

The SFA might as well leave our badge up for the next 5 weeks.

 

Great Result buzzing for the Final.

Has anyone got an update on the supporter that fell ill at the end of the game when we were leaving? Looked in a bad way. Really hope he pulls through

A great team performance, great goals, great support, great result, home and delighted after having a fantastic day out  

I hope this is coherent as just back at hotel after a celebratory afternoon and evening!

On a sample of 1, I like VAR! Watching it back, it was a penalty and taken well by Mckay.

Falkirk then troubled us and should have equalised but hit the post at an open goal after Ridgers and the defence got in a muddle, but the second came at the right time. A great ball by Henderson and perfect finish by Mackay, who loved it! Probably his best game for us this season too.

The third also came after a spell of Falkirk pressure, and another lucky escape for us, with Mackay picking out Mckay who finished well.

Shaw hit the post twice and was unlucky with both.

A more comfortable result than we maybe deserved but a thoroughly deserved win.

Well done to all 16 who played and to the backroom team.

A shout out to the singing section also.

I just hope everyone there today comes on Friday evening for our must win game against Ayr.

Now time for sleep!

Edited April 30, 20233 yr by Robert

Of all the parts of a football pitch to hit, the same post was hit three times in this match. We were lucky that it saved us conceding when Ridgers miss kicked his clearance, and Shaw was so unlucky not to be on the scoresheet when he struck the same post twice. How his second attempt never went in is baffling, you'd really think the momentum would have carried it over the line.

I was up to the wee small hours watching all the highlights and interviews multiple times, amazing.  When you look back on it, we are in our second Scottish Cup Final in our short history, while some clubs with histories three times as long as ours have never been to one, it is some achievement. 

I was talking to some Hearts fans who were next to me at the game - they said they had come along to support us, financially and vocally, because they are grateful for the stance ICT took in 2020 against the decision to relegate Hearts. 

Brilliant day out and a great performance from players and fans alike.  We were helped by an early intervention from our first experience of VAR.  Without it there would have been no goal, but under the present ridiculous handball rules it was probably the right decision.  One of Billy's better penalties gave us an early cushion and probably settled a few nerves.  One balance, we deserved our win.  Falkirk had periods of possession but never created much.  We were more incisive with our attacks and scored 2 excellent goals as a result with Shaw being desperately unlucky not to score with 2 excellent efforts.  We also created 2 excellent chances for Falkirk who failed to capitalise on our defensive howlers.  

With the enjoyable and profitable distraction of the semi-final, the team now needs to put the final to the back of their minds and focus on the more important task of trying to get back into the premiership.  Following yesterday's league results, our game on Friday is now a must win just to get into the play-offs.  Hopefully the excitement of yesterday's game will encourage a large and vocal support on Friday for the most important game of the season so far.

1 hour ago, Jaggernaut said:

 

I was up to the wee small hours watching all the highlights and interviews multiple times, amazing.  When you look back on it, we are in our second Scottish Cup Final in our short history, while some clubs with histories three times as long as ours have never been to one, it is some achievement. 

Watched it back via the bbc recording and the coverage was just as bad as we had heard with all the blackouts. Also my recording finished at 2pm with a few minutes to go so no interviews etc.

25 minutes ago, TheMantis said:

Watched it back via the bbc recording and the coverage was just as bad as we had heard with all the blackouts. Also my recording finished at 2pm with a few minutes to go so no interviews etc.

I watched the interviews on YouTube, Welsh, Billy Mckay, Dan Mackay and Billy Dodds. Watching the game live in Inverness was such a frustrating watch, it kept cutting out, even the prerecorded interviews at half-time where interrupted, we said we bet it wouldn't have happened if it was the other semi final!!!!!

1 hour ago, Yngwie said:

I was talking to some Hearts fans who were next to me at the game - they said they had come along to support us, financially and vocally, because they are grateful for the stance ICT took in 2020 against the decision to relegate Hearts. 

I should add that they also said Scottish football needs more people like Scott Gardiner. STFU will be seething! 😀

 

Delighted that we have reached another Cup final. It was a very bizzare game. If Falkirk took there chances it might have been different. Friday v Ayr is our real cup final though.