1st Leg Play-Off

 

As Dunc said, "It is what it is, isnt it". The dreaded play-offs are here and we find ourselves with more work to do if we want to retain our Championship status. Standing in our way are Montrose. A side we have not played against since 2009, prior to that we locked horns with them in the lower divisions until we were promoted after 1997. A man we all like to hate, Michael Gardyne has been a prominent player for them and Kane Hester is top scorer at Links Park. A mixture of old heads, journeymen and promising players against our bunch of mercenaries. The return leg is this Saturday at the Caledonian Stadium. Who will make it into the final showdown. Accies or Alloa are the other options. We will do well to not underestimate a Montrose team who do not lack some very experienced players.

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Match/Ticket/Streaming Info

***AWAY FANS: Entry is strictly by online ticket only £17***

Supporters Bus

Second Leg v Montrose

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Venue H2H

Pld

Won

Drn

Lst

For

Agst

+ / -

Home	5	2	1	2	6	10	-4
Away	4	2	1	1	6	5	+1
Neutral	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Total	9	4	2	3	12	15	-3

We don't have that great a record against Montrose to be honest, albeit our last meeting with them was a Challenge Cup game in 2009 which went to penalties before Inverness progressed scoring all five spot kicks. Summary: In the end, it was a set of 5 flawless penalties from the home side that forced the tie in their favour. Rooney, Tokely, the captain Munro, Duncan and Djebi-zadi scoring for Inverness, while Ryan Esson saved well from Hegarty. Davidson, Crighton and Gemmell all dispatched their penalties for the Gable Endies, but in the end it proved fruitless. For many the final whistle and the final penalty was the highlight of the match, although Lionel’s celebratory dance certainly forced some entertainment into a poor showing from the 1st division side. The home gathering left grateful to have snatched victory from their surprisingly tough 3rd division opponents, while the small but vocal away support left with heads held high. Montrose put up an admirable fight but a ring rusty ICT eventually forced their way to the end of the match and into the next round for a home tie against Stranraer.

All nine Competitive Meetings v Montrose ***click on first score on left for full report on above game, or any other.

1 - 1 (H)

3 - 2 (H)

2 - 0 (A)

2 - 0 (H)

2 - 2 (A)

0 - 3 (H)

1 - 0 (A)

0 - 4 (H)

1 - 3 (A)

Prior to that early season Alba Cup game, our encounters with Montrose started in October 1994 up until we left them behind in 1997, a 3 - 2 League win, Promotion, an Iain Stewart hat-trick and a customary lob in front of 3036! On our Way Up: A great day for Inverness as the home side won promotion with a superb hat trick from Iain Stewart. They started well and Charlie Christie hit the bar in 4 minutes. They took the lead in 13 minutes when Iain Stewart took a pass from Daisy Ross and slid it home from 8 yards. It all began to go wrong in 23 minutes when Colin McGlashan equalised from the penalty spot after Mike Noble pushed Craig Mailer. Shaun Smith made it 2-1 for Montrose in 42 minutes with a shot from 6 yards after a cut back from David Fisher. The home side came back strongly in the second half and were rewarded in 67 minutes - a Brian Thomson free kick from the left was turned in by Iain Stewart at the far post. The winner came in 81 minutes - a Brian Thomson through ball found Iain Stewart who ran 20 yards before chipping it over Jim Butter under severe pressure from Mark Haro. 
The Division Championship can be won next week - the only team that can overtake them is local rivals Ross County.

Inverness find themselves in the play-offs after one of our most frustrating seasons ever, with many believing this is our worst ever squad. Injuries have been a big part of our last couple of seasons and this one was no different. Billy Dodds was relieved of his duties after winning just one point in our opening six games. Big Dunc the celebrity came in and it looked like we might be saved, despite his shocking track record in management. However, we soon reverted to type and constantly struggled to gain points at home, and on the field that is one of the main reasons we are up to our eyes in sh1te. Add in the continuing off field antics of our board and CEO, then the mismanagement from above is dragging us down. These play-offs are not about them though. This is about the players and the fans who have tried to lift us out of this gloom. Should we avoid the drop, and unless anything changes higher up the chain, then the same problems will exist within the club next season wherever we find ourselves. We did end the regular season with a home victory, unfortunately a bit of a hollow one with QP confining us to the relegation zone despite amassing 42 points and a positive goal difference (just).

Montrose are here by virtue of an excellent season and finishing fourth in League1. 53 points; 15 wins, 8 draws and 13 defeats with 58 goals scored and 57 conceeded, that was enough to qualify for the play-offs despite a less than impressive end to the season with only two wins from their last six games L  D L  L  W W . They look likely to have rested some legs once safe in fourth, the likes of Gardyne not used last week in the 3-2 comeback win over QotS. Familiar names in their ranks are Michael Gardyne, much hated around here. Matheus Machado the young Brazilian prospect once at Inverness and Kane Hester formerly at Elgin City. Sean Dillon, the former Dundee United defender is a player coach at Montrose, plenty experience there. No surprise that Gardyne tops the assists table with 10.

Three players are well in front of the rest in the goals scored department:

• Kane Hester: 11
• Blair Lyons: 10
• Graham Webster: 10

Here's their team lines from the home defeat to Hamilton Accies three games ago.

Starting XI:  Gill; Williamson, Steeves (c), Graham, Dillon, Quinn, Gardyne, Shrive, Lyons, Batchelor, Webster
Subs:  Hester, Hermiston, Emslie, Callaghan, Craig, Matthews, Brown, Machado, Davies.

Latest Team News

Inverness: I doubt Ferguson has much wiggle room within his squad. Alex Samuel took a heavy knock last Friday and might be a doubt, will have to wait for Duncs pre-match spiel. Sean McAllister is struggling as is James Carragher. The good news is Alex Samuel is fine, he only got a whack on the face so he is good to go. Longstaff is also ready after feeling a twinge in his knee. Much of these knocks are dependent on their plastic pitch.

Montrose: They appear to have a solid squad and I have no news of any issues within. (and it's a bank holiday)

 

Play Off Schedule

Tuesday May 7th
Championship play-off semi-finals, 1st leg
   Montrose v Inverness CT
Alloa Ath v Hamilton 

Saturday May 11th
Championship play-off semi-finals, 2nd leg
Inverness CT v Montrose    
 Hamilton v Alloa Ath

Wednesday May 15th
Championship play-off final, 1st leg
Lowest-ranked team at home in 1st leg
Live on BBC ALBA, kick-off 8.05pm

Saturday May 18
Championship play-off final, 2nd leg
Highest-ranked team at home in 2nd leg
Live on BBC ALBA, kick-off 5.30pm

Turgid!!!!!

Look like we wanted the win handed to us, no urgency, no desire to put a team (believe it or not, who were worse than us) to the sword.

Got to want to stay in the League, absolutely embarrassing.

An utterly shameful performance tonight. Mortifying to be in this position but to approach the game with such little intent or urgency is unforgivable and up there with one of the most insipid performances I can recall in such a crucial game.

We finished the game with 6 defenders on the park and showed little or no desire to actually win the game. The tactics are garbage, players bang out of form start and play far too long. Substitutions are predictably bizarre, negative and far too late to make an impact. Ferguson was up the tunnel almost before the final whistle. Gardiner also disappeared extremely quickly.

Genuinely one of the most depressing experiences in 30 years of watching ICT. I simply cannot see us staying up with this group of players and management.

Beyond grim.

Just got home and realised that instead of travelling to Montrose and enduring that p1sh, I could’ve stayed at home and watched the Eurovision semi-final!

 

Oh and Big Dunc - nul points!

This was my first time at Links Park. Decent stand, giving us a great view of our team’s dismalness and complete lack of cutting edge.

Hopefully Lawal gets the start on Saturday perhaps ahead of Anderson because it sounded from the P and J report, he was our best player tonight. 

It's likely we'll see Carragher in for Devine too seeing as we're back on grass this weekend, I also expect Sean McAllister in ahead of Louis Longstaff as he seems to make things happen for us and finally, hopefully Billy McKay and Alex Samuel were taking off with 10mins to go to protect/keep them fresh for Saturday too!

It's clear that we need a MUCH better performance than tonight if we're to have any hope but it's certainly going to be a nervy affair so hopefully there's a good crowd willing them on and not on their backs if things aren't going well!

15 minutes ago, CaleyTennis85 said:

Hopefully Lawal gets the start on Saturday perhaps ahead of Anderson because it sounded from the P and J report, he was our best player tonight. 

Yeah Lawal did quite a lot of good stuff, whereas Anderson did not. 

4 hours ago, IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER said:

From who ? any exceptions?

Lawal gets pass marks from me...

3 hours ago, ymip said:

An utterly shameful performance tonight. Mortifying to be in this position but to approach the game with such little intent or urgency is unforgivable and up there with one of the most insipid performances I can recall in such a crucial game.

We finished the game with 6 defenders on the park and showed little or no desire to actually win the game. The tactics are garbage, players bang out of form start and play far too long. Substitutions are predictably bizarre, negative and far too late to make an impact. Ferguson was up the tunnel almost before the final whistle. Gardiner also disappeared extremely quickly.

Genuinely one of the most depressing experiences in 30 years of watching ICT. I simply cannot see us staying up with this group of players and management.

Beyond grim.

Hard to disagree with any of that sadly 

Surely there's never been a more godawful result in our history? Getting papped by County is one thing, but having no worthwhile shots (bar Lawal's) in a game where we realistically should've left them dead and buried has to be even worse. Playing the way we played tonight makes me doubtful about Saturday, let alone a full strength Hamilton Accies team...

Would like to believe it's some mad 4d chess being played, to preserve our energy for the next game and potentially the final? That would definitely be giving the management team far too much credit though 

Ferguson's thoughts.

Looks like a rabbit in the headlights to me. 

 

10 hours ago, IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER said:

From who ? any exceptions?

Lawal looked like the only player who could cause problems on the ball and also got stuck in and competed well off the ball. 

On 5/6/2024 at 8:10 PM, bdu98196 said:

We will absolutely batter these part timers and show them why the seaside leagues is no place for a club like ours.

2nd leg incoming folks!!!

Clean sheet, still in the tie and heading to the home leg - if this was in Europe everyone would be raving about tactics being spot on. Clearly Caley playing like a big team which is showing our and Duncs ambitions 🤪

 

 

18 minutes ago, bdu98196 said:

2nd leg incoming folks!!!

 if this was in Europe everyone would be raving about tactics being spot on.

Aye, the Montrose tactics against the "bigger" club   Don't lose the first leg, then hit them at home where their form is abysmal. 1-0 is all that's needed.

Awful game.  Caley were outplayed and outfought all over the pitch.  As others have said, only Lawal gets pass marks - the only one to show a bit of urgency and desire. (perhaps Samuel, too, but he was just so isolated).  Lawal's run down the left with a great little turn gave us the only thing to cheer about, and then his shot off the bar, of course.  That was it. 

It was pass, pass, pass along the back, followed by a punt up to Samuel.  Savage absolutely killed the game and atmosphere.  He'd roll the ball a yard with his studs, stop, maybe take another step, and then pass to the left, or up to Anderson, who'd pass it straight back to Savage, and repeat.  It was enough to send anyone to sleep.  That flatness just rubbed off on everyone - nobody could be bothered to change gear out of that lethargy.  Fighting for survival?  What a laugh.  

20 years ago today, Clyde 1 ICT 2. Scorers Keogh and Hislop. SPL football beckons. 

4 minutes ago, The Mantis said:

20 years ago today, Clyde 1 ICT 2. Scorers Keogh and Hislop. SPL football beckons. 

Aye  some game and atmosphere!   Dunno how many but we had filled one stand.  That was some team, they would rattle this lot.

17 minutes ago, caley100 said:

Aye  some game and atmosphere!   Dunno how many but we had filled one stand.  That was some team, they would rattle this lot.

With a bit of help from some Partick fans in the top corner!

10 hours ago, Yngwie said:

Yeah Lawal did quite a lot of good stuff, whereas Anderson did not. 

Imagine if we had a former Scotland U21 midfielder who had played for the club on over 100 occasions, born and bred in Inverness and brought through our youth system. Imagine he’d been available since January. I doubt he’d be as good as the loanees though so no point imagining anything apart from life in League 1 

We were down last night and we all reckon its part of a secret - even to Duncan-  masterplan - pretend we are crap then score four on Saturday.   Toughest watch in a long long time.  

As has been the case for years, no entertainment. 

Until there is a complete change in mindset,  nothing is going to change. 

The great work and results over the first 20 years of our history us a distant  distant memory. Ferguson seems to be clueless. 

 

 

3 hours ago, alwaysblue said:

We were down last night and we all reckon its part of a secret - even to Duncan-  masterplan - pretend we are crap then score four on Saturday.   Toughest watch in a long long time.  

Really??

I have been to quite a number of away matches over the past few seasons: win, draw or lose, I can't remember a match when a decent standard of football was on offer.

10 hours ago, bdu98196 said:

Clean sheet, still in the tie and heading to the home leg - if this was in Europe everyone would be raving about tactics being spot on.

Aye but it was Montrose not Monaco!

We'll laugh about it one day...