Matchday 3

The Warriors are the visitors this weekend for Matchday 3 at the Caledonian SarensPSG Stadium with kick-off scheduled for 3:00pm. The Caley Jags have won their opening two League1 fixtures netting five without reply against Kelty Hearts and Peterhead. Stenhousemuir went down 1-2 to Alloa Athletic on day one but bounced back last week to beat Cove Rangers 1-0. Both teams featured in the Challenge Cup in midweek. Inverness beating Elgin 1-4 and Stenhousemuir beating Rangers 'B' 2-1. Shaping up to be an open encounter in the Highlands.

This comment on Stenhousemuir's own preview should be all the incentive needed to dish out a good spanking.

"Manager Duncan Ferguson’s side have been clinical in front of goal and solid at the back"

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Match/Ticket/Bus/Info

Supporters Trust Meeting

NoS Cup v Strathspey Th

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Fans Meeting at 1230 in Bar 94, at which Alan Savage and 10CC give an update on the club and answer questions from fans.

🚍 All are welcome, and Stagecoach will be operating an additional matchday bus from the Bus Station at 1200 to get you to the ground in plenty time for the meeting.

Bar 94 will open at 1200, with last orders at 1430 (the bar must be fully vacated by 1445).

The bar reopens at full time. Man of the Match Presentation to take place Post-Match in the Bar. 🏆

More Info for you>>>

🎟️ Match Tickets available from HERE
🍺 Bar 94 open from 1200 and post-match
🗣️ @ICTSupTrst: Fans Meeting with Alan Savage
🚗 Parking £5 for cars
🛍️ Club Shop open 10:00am
🚌 Stagecoach Service Bus Info: leaving Bus Station at 1200, 1245 and 1415. Returning 10 minutes after the full time whistle and at 1800. The bus fare is £2.70 single (contactless payments or cash accepted), and Over 60 / Disabled and Under 22 Concession passes are valid, giving free travel on the service to passholders. Bus from ICT Social Club leaves Greig Street at 2.30pm. £5 return.

Good start to the season for the Caley Jags beating Kelty Hearts away 3-0 then winning 2-0 over Peterhead at home. Billy McKay scored the first goal of the season at Kelty with Luis Longstaff adding a second before the interval. Wotherspoon with a clever finish on the hour completed the scoring in the opening game. Wotherspoon and Sole were the scorers against Peterhead either side of the interval. We fielded a fairly strong XI in midweek against Elgin City in the Challenge cup, despite making ten changes from the starting XI against Peterhead with only Remi Savage starting, and captaining the side to a 4-1 victory at Borough Briggs. Good workout for those not regularly starting and it was great to see Adam MacKinnon getting some game time. Alfie Bavidge is getting up to speed with a couple of goals and another great strike from Robbie Thompson who will be knocking on the door for a start. Paul Allan banged in a penalty as well with Mark Gallagher thrashing in a tremendous strike for Elgin from over 25yards high past Logan Ross in goal. Chanka Zimba also started. I doubt we have ever had a stronger bench with most of the regular starters sitting on it. Hopefully Liam Sole will be fit enough to play a part this weekend. He is an entertainer and will excite fans with his slaloming runs at defenders. Fingers crossed.

Scott Kellacher: Is well aware of the threat provided by Dale Carrick. Mathew Aitken is also a threat and he played over an hour in midweek as he comes back to full fitness.

This was the Warriors squad that beat Cove Rangers last weekend with Dale Carrick scoring again. Not much in it according to the match stats, but when you have a player with the quality of Carrick, then sometimes that's all you need. He also scored an early goal (15m) in their opening game in a 1-2 defeat to Alloa Athletic. Carrick joined the Warriors from Stirling Albion having scored 44 goals for the Binos. I'm sure he has scored a couple of these against us in recent years. (Scottish Cup 2022 3 - 2). Notice that Nat Wedderburn has gone to Cowdenbeath.

In: Oliver Simpson, defender (Dundee United); Archie Graham, defender (Queen's Park); Dale Carrick, forward (Stirling Albion); Finlay Gray, midfielder (Dumbarton); Finn Robson, midfielder (Forfar Athletic); Yan Gromov, goalkeeper (Cumbernauld Colts); Peter Mendy, forward (Albion Rovers). Loan in: Olly Whyte, midfielder (Motherwell).

Out: Corey O'Donnell; Josh Walker; Kyle Banner; Nat Wedderburn; Kyle Jacobs,(retired); Blair Alston; Matty Yates; Joe Ellison; Cameron Rowley; Ryan Duncan; Max Guthrie. Loan ended: Bobby McLuckie; Joe Morrison; Sam Fisher; Scott Tomlinson; Ben Black.

From the ICT Supporters Trust

Dylan Williams continues his brave cancer battle. His latest round of treatment has been tough. We’d like all supporters to show their support for Dylan and join in with an applause in the 14th minute and let him know that the whole ICT family wish him well with his ongoing treatment. ❤️

14 minutes ago, big cherly said:

This seems to be our go to default position in just about every match just now. When we don’t get the result we want it’s the failure of the referee. 😄

It’s part of the enjoyment of the game and I partake in condemning some decisions taken. However these guys are simply applying the rules of the game. These rules don’t have a team preference.

bc

Exactly this, I had a little smirk when I started to see the ref comments getting thrown in yet again.

"It’s part of the enjoyment of the game and I partake in condemning some decisions taken. However these guys are simply applying the rules of the game. These rules don’t have a team preference."

Unfortunately they don't always apply the rules of the game. They get it wrong all too often.

The referee spoiled the game constantly whistling every time someone went to ground. McIntyre was booked because he was not happy about a 'foul' given against him. That ultimately led to the penalty goal one kick later. It could have got worse had he been booked again for a minor shove or looking the wrong way at the referee.

It's nothing new for referee's to make mistakes, it's been going on since the game was invented. However, as said before, that was not the reason we lost, but it contributed to it.

It didn't make me smirk, it p155ed cheesed me off.

Penalty for them seems unbelievably soft going by the highlights? Thought Munro in goal should have done far better for their second goal.

Sounds like a bit of a reality check given the great start to the season.

I can't comment on the game as I wasn't there, but it will do no harm for players to be reminded that more is needed than just showing up, and/or fans need to be reminded that sometimes you're on top in games, play well, and still lose.

If we were a dozen games into the season and making the same mistake over and over, I'd be worried....but we're not, and we haven't.

Frustrating....yes. Worrying....no.

On the subject of refs. They can absolutely spoil games, but I don't believe they are in any way corrupt or biased*. No real excuse, but we also need to remember that we're not getting the highest rated refs at this level.

*If you want to see what corrupt/biased officiating looks like, watch 'Untold: Operation Flagrant Foul' on Netflix.

40 minutes ago, KennySim93 said:

Penalty for them seems unbelievably soft going by the highlights? Thought Munro in goal should have done far better for their second goal.

I've been guilty of using the 'soft penalty' description in the past, but just questioned myself over it because if it's a penalty, it's a penalty. How hard or soft it is only really matters in regard to what, if any, cards may accompany it.

Edited August 17, 2025Aug 17 by CaleyD

4 hours ago, big cherly said:

This seems to be our go to default position in just about every match just now. When we don’t get the result we want it’s the failure of the referee. 😄

The nearside linesman gets a lot of stick too, whoever he happens to be!

There were 7 guys sitting in front of me up from England, 2 of them arrived about 20 mins after KO as they got lost looking for the ground. Must have been stragglers from the pub they were in.

Conversation started when one asked is there anywhere to get a pint, I pointed them to bar 94 explained why it was called that and is open after game. What about half time, not in Scotland I said unless it is a rugby game.

They were amazed at the location of the stadium at the side of the sea. They clapped their hearts out in the 14th minute although not knowing what it was for. Lucky I had read TM4TJ preview and told them why.

One asked who the blonde guy was who was having a good game. Louis longstaff I said to get the reply “ he was at liverpools academy.”

Crikey at halftime a couple of them were dancing in the aisle to skippinnish blasting out over the tannoy.👏

They were really enjoying the game chanting with the crowd.

Halfway through the 2nd half I could see the outcome, don’t take your chances, get hit with the sucker punch.

At full time one guy turned round and sighed “ AH well enjoy the rest of your weekend.”

I felt really sorry for them as a win would have made their day, but I am sure they would have drowned their sorrows in bar 94 and in town later on.

With regard to fans complaining/blaming the referee for our result yesterday. The referee did influence the result by the ridiculous award of the free kick that led to the penalty. I didn't think it was a penalty but was sitting in the main stand so if Devine did push their player, then fair enough. However, numerous examples of blatant pushes and holding throughout the game that the referee didn't punish. What gets fans is the inconsistency of referees and that I'm afraid is down to the referees and how they are told to referee the game. As for not getting as good referees at this level, these are allegedly the referees of the future but even when you look at our "top" referees, are they really any better.

14 minutes ago, bishbashbosh said:

There were 7 guys sitting in front of me up from England, 2 of them arrived about 20 mins after KO as they got lost looking for the ground. Must have been stragglers from the pub they were in.

Conversation started when one asked is there anywhere to get a pint, I pointed them to bar 94 explained why it was called that and is open after game. What about half time, not in Scotland I said unless it is a rugby game.

They were amazed at the location of the stadium at the side of the sea. They clapped their hearts out in the 14th minute although not knowing what it was for. Lucky I had read TM4TJ preview and told them why.

One asked who the blonde guy was who was having a good game. Louis longstaff I said to get the reply “ he was at liverpools academy.”

Crikey at halftime a couple of them were dancing in the aisle to skippinnish blasting out over the tannoy.👏

They were really enjoying the game chanting with the crowd.

Halfway through the 2nd half I could see the outcome, don’t take your chances, get hit with the sucker punch.

At full time one guy turned round and sighed “ AH well enjoy the rest of your weekend.”

I felt really sorry for them as a win would have made their day, but I am sure they would have drowned their sorrows in bar 94 and in town later on.

Did they not mention the referee per chance?

Anyway, i'm thinking that Cherly must be or was a ref / ass. ref or something! Of course we can in reality blame ourselves for not scoring, thats not the refs fault, However some decisions can and do change a game rightly or wrongly.

The pen situation was very very soft, as there is always shoving and pushing in the box before corners etc. are take, The Stenny guy was pushing Devine away, (seeing it from where i sit behind the goal) he bundles into his own player and they both fall over, this what gave the ref a decison to make, And at this level they love using their authority.

This ref was in error giving a free kick at the stand touchline and you could see the frustration in the players most of the game as this clown made it the Gavin ego platform.

So referee's can alter games, The pen game them a huge lift and certainly showed in the second half by taking their one chance.

4 hours ago, tm4tj said:

"It’s part of the enjoyment of the game and I partake in condemning some decisions taken. However these guys are simply applying the rules of the game. These rules don’t have a team preference."

Unfortunately they don't always apply the rules of the game. They get it wrong all too often.

The referee spoiled the game constantly whistling every time someone went to ground. McIntyre was booked because he was not happy about a 'foul' given against him. That ultimately led to the penalty goal one kick later. It could have got worse had he been booked again for a minor shove or looking the wrong way at the referee.

It's nothing new for referee's to make mistakes, it's been going on since the game was invented. However, as said before, that was not the reason we lost, but it contributed to it.

It didn't make me smirk, it p155ed cheesed me off.

Just watched the highlights and agree that referees make mistakes and get it wrong. Watching Scottish premier league and English premiership they are made to look foolish when VAR intervenes to change their on the spot decisions.

Slowed down the highlights for our penalty. the stenny gk came out, held his ground and billy jumped up and over him. He didn’t go through billy. What else could the gk do. I would be aggrieved if a penalty was given against us for that.

No flack please, happy to take the decision, just the way I see it.

4 hours ago, bishbashbosh said:

Just watched the highlights and agree that referees make mistakes and get it wrong. Watching Scottish premier league and English premiership they are made to look foolish when VAR intervenes to change their on the spot decisions.

Slowed down the highlights for our penalty. the stenny gk came out, held his ground and billy jumped up and over him. He didn’t go through billy. What else could the gk do. I would be aggrieved if a penalty was given against us for that.

No flack please, happy to take the decision, just the way I see it.

You’ll not have people come on and slag the ref for giving us a penalty though, only for decisions that don’t go our way…..

The referee has held his hands up to the MacIntyre free kick decision in the lead up to the penalty.

However, we should have been out of sight and had the game won before the controversy happened.

You might not want to read all of the report

"In a first half dominated by the hosts our profligacy kept the visitors in the game. All we had to show for it was a Paul Allan penalty. In stepped Gavin Duncan, allegedly a referee, to then award a penalty to Muir in their only attack of the first half for Matty Aitken to net from the spot."

"One up going on four. However, Gavin Duncan offered Stenny a lifeline with a soft free kick in midfield and compounded our frustration by eventually booking McIntyre. When the ball was launched forward, he then gave a foul for Devine's hands on attempt to get above the attacker. That foul was adjudged to be inside the box and despite protestations from the defence, a penalty was given which Matty Aitken dispatched easily. That seemed to take the wind out of our sails as half time approached."