Halloween Trick or Treat

The Gable Endies come North on Halloween Saturday as we head into a spooktacular Matchday 12 in League1, where dookin for apples and guising for nuts will be the order of the day. The Caley Jags sit in second place with Montrose slipping up recently losing their last three games which has dropped them to third bottom of the League1 table and shipping ten goals in the process. We picked up a valuable three points at Peterhead last week after a couple of uninspiring performances to get back on track and sit just one point behind Stenhousemuir who face a testing visit to Palmerston and East Fife heading to cash strapped Hamilton Accies. All to play for!

The big question is: Will it be a Trick or a Treat... 💀👻🍒

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Match/Ticket/Bar/Bus/Info

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3rd Round tie at Foresters Park v Tranent will be ALL TICKET.

• 🎫Ticket Prices for tie to be played weekend of 29th November

• Adults - £15

• 👵 Concessions - £10

• 🧒Under 15s - £5 (must have a ticket and be accompanied by an adult)

• Tickets will be available to purchase soon - stay tuned for on-sale details and make sure you don’t miss what’s set to be a massive afternoon at Foresters Park! 👊

Our starting XI at Peterhead. Gritty performance in horrendous conditions and a hard earned win thanks to Billy Mckay's birthday present to us. That win got us over the sticky performances against Accies and Kelty.

Since we last met:

• Mont 0-2 ICTFC

• ICTFC 1-0 Alloa

• Cove 0-1 ICTFC

• QotS 0-2 ICTFC

• ICTFC 4-1 E Fife

• Accies 3-1 ICTFC

• ICTFC 2-2 Kelty

• P'Head 0-1 ICTFC

Luis Longstaff sat out the last couple and we await news of his injury situation. Mathew Strachan is the latest youngster to head out on loan. He is off to Brora again on loan until January 2026. Matthew, 20, is an ICT Academy graduate and has made 34 first-team appearances for the club.

ℹ️ Matchday Info: Montrose
🎟️ Tickets available HERE
🚗 North & South Car Park Open

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

• 🍺The bar reopens at full time.

• 🚍Buses will leave the Bus Station for the Stadium at 1245 and 1415.

• 🚍Buses return from the Stadium to the Bus Station 10 minutes after the full time whistle and at 1800.

• 🚍 💰 £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.

Montrose squad at Cove.

• Since we last met:

• Monty 0-2 ICTFC

• Monty 2-1 P'Head

• Alloa 0-1 Monty

• E Fife 1-1 Monty

• Monty 2-1 Queens

• Stenny 3-1 Monty

• Monty 0-4 Accies

• Monty 3-0 Cove R

After our last meeting, Montrose went on a formidable run with 10 points from a possible 12. Unfortunately for them, their losing streak was extended to three following defeat at Cove.

Top scorer is Graham Webster with three League goals and he has made over 400 appearances for the club.

Pos	Team	Pld	Gd	Pts
1	Stenny	11	5	21
2	ICTFC	11	12	20
3	E Fife	11	1	18
4	Alloa	11	2	17
5	P'Head	11	0	16
6	Queen	11	-1	16
7	Accies	11	14	14
8	Monty	11	-11	11
9	Kelty	11	-13	7
10	Cove	11	-9	5

Trick or Treat

Q: What did the parent say to the baby ghost?
A: Don’t spook until you’re spoken to.

Q: What do you call six witches in a jacuzzi?
A: A self cleaning coven.

Q: Did you hear about the guy who got behind on payments to his exorcist?
A: He got repossessed.

HT: 0-0

FT: 2-0

ICT: Sole

‘Rose: Webster

Crowd: 2175

Tricked the Canary. He's posted on the wrong topic. What a treat. 🐦

At least we don't have Gardyne to booo at now, thank goodness!

Jeez, Pouring rain at the mo' 🌦️☔ forecast says it will clear up after 1pm.

Forecast was right, nice now...

Michael Tidser has departed Montrose today to become Kelty assistant manager.

Waiting for Montrose team lines. Better late than never...

No sign of Billy!

2 hours ago, snorbens_caleyman said:

No sign of Billy!

No sign of anyone else, either. Lonely here

FT 1-0. Sounds like it should have been all over by half time, but it’s a win and another good day for us.

Looking good, well done again today!

Edited November 1, 2025Nov 1 by IBM

That was a hard watch after we scored. Yet again, we just seemed to stop playing, could pass to each other and lost most of the second balls. It's worrying as it's not the first time this has happened. Either we lack fitness or players are carrying knocks.

I don't think Kellagher escapes criticism either as, at times, he seems incapable of changing the game with his substitutions.

What is more frustrating is that up to the goal, we created plenty chances and had it not been for the Montrose keeper, we would have been out of sight.

Typical poor performance from the referee as usual.

Fully agree with all of this. No intensity in the second half at all

That was a hard watch. We rattled the woodwork in the first half and their keeper had several good saves.

I thought the early goal after half time would galvanise us but we stopped playing and invited Montrose onto us and we could easily have ended up drawing.

Our pitch is normally excellent but I lost count of how many times our players slipped (Montrose players didn’t seem to) and that could easily have cost us dearly.

Our passing was very slack at times.

At half time, I thought MacKinnon, Sole and Macleod were our best players but the first two were hooked early in the second half. I assume MacKinnon is being protected after his injury, whilst Sole was out doing exercises at half time so presumably had picked up a knock.

Allan was the stand out in the second half with Zimba taking his goal well and Munro having some decent saves.

In previous seasons we’d probably not have seen the game out, but we should not have had the tense ending we had, and it was self inflicted.

But let’s remember that we got the job done and are top of the league so let’s put a poor performance behind us and enjoy where we are!

Could have lost a goal late on playing way too deep passing was very sloppy. But hey ho 3 pts need to finish off teams quicker though. Maybe Alonge should be given the nod he can come on and change the style of play

Absolutely agree with everything that has been said by other posters. Should have been out of sight by the interval but good saves from the Montrose keeper and poor finishing kept the score level. Once we got the opener instead of pushing for a second we seemed to retreat and gave Montrose the opportunity to press for the first time in the game. Fortunately we held on for the three points

Like everyone has said; we were totally comfortable until we scored. The performance after that was shambolic ! 🤯

I'm not sure hammering the ball repeatedly at the keeper counts as good saves. Once or twice we worked him maybe, but apart from that just poor finishing.

We seem to lose cohesion after the substitutions, play becomes very scrappy and we end up on the wrong side of possession, desperately chasing the ball.

Still plenty of things to work on in training.

Precious Points

(CTO INITIAL MATCH REACTION)

Despite some heroics from Montrose keeper Harrison Sharp, especially in the first half, it was the hosts that took all three points thanks to a low strike from Chanka Zimba shortly after the break. Paul Allan, Liam Sole and David Wotherspoon were all denied by the Montrose stopper in the first five minutes with some great saves. Euan Louden might have done better but appeared to scuff his attempt allowing Ross Munro to eventually pull off a brilliant save with Graham Webster also involved. Spoony was foiled again by the keeper before he hit a stunning 25 yard shot that smacked the bar, before Sole had another effort saved and there was still fifteen to go before the break with Zimba denied before the Interval. He wouldn't be denied five minutes after the restart after a bit of pressure around the visitors box, Sole kept the ball alive and fed Mackinnon who laid it back for Robertson to drive a low ball into the six yard box and ended with big Chanka meeting the ball first time to drill low and hard behind Sharp from six yards. Here we go we all surmised. Wrong. We seemed to lose our focus and Montrose were invited to come forward. Fair play to the Gable Endies as they ended the game looking more like the full time team with their endless supply of energy whilst we failed to create much more meaningful contributions with misplaced passes and losing out on so many second balls. We failed to put the game to bed which would have encouraged Montrose to have a go and they did. We were left hanging on precariously for the last quarter of the game. Mitchell Robertson might wonder how he missed the target with a header at the back post. The fans certainly did. We all held our breath when Webster's shot from distance skidded just wide as we waited for the net to bulge behind a diving Munro.

A game we should have wrapped up before the interval but ended the game a bit bedraggled after a revitalised Montrose realised they were still in with a shout. At the end of the day, whilst it was not aesthetically pleasing, it was a great three points as we hit the top of the table with Stenhousemuir drawing at Palmerston.

FULL TIME: 1-0

Paul Allan was the sponsors MotM, but for me, Calum MacLeod did a great job at right back breaking up numerous attacks, especially in the second half. Lack of clinical finishing at home once more took the gloss off what should have been a routine win. And, we looked like we were playing in slippers, falling around all over the park. Sort it!

More match reaction to follow>>> 

Pos	Team	Pld	Gd	Pts
1	ICTFC	12	13	23
2	Stenny	12	5	22
3	Alloa	12	5	20
4	P'Head	12	1	19
5	E Fife	12	1	19
6	Queen	12	-1	17
7	Accies	12	14	15
8	Monty	12	-12	11
9	Kelty	12	-16	7
10	Cove	12	-10	5

We’re top of the league and they’re no 💪🏼

A win is a win and 3 points is very welcome! But, Feck what happened after we scored? Seems that we mentally turn off! That last 20 mins was frankly ridiculous! Which team was the full time pro ?

Cove next week and will our shocking home form mean we scrape a 1 0 and hang on, Wonder how Kell will explain the 2nd half collapse?

Anyway, for me the best players were Chalmers, Savage and Allan.

3 hours ago, Satan said:

I'm not sure hammering the ball repeatedly at the keeper counts as good saves. Once or twice we worked him maybe, but apart from that just poor finishing.

From where I was, I’d say two, maybe three, of their ‘keepers saves were very good.

Equally, Munro did well several times to keep them out.

Courier running a story that Billy Mckay could be out for the rest of this year (2025) with a hamstring injury.

Oh dear, that’s bad news, and leaves us a bit short of attacking options.

13 hours ago, caley100 said:

A win is a win and 3 points is very welcome! But, Feck what happened after we scored? Seems that we mentally turn off! That last 20 mins was frankly ridiculous! Which team was the full time pro ?

Cove next week and will our shocking home form mean we scrape a 1 0 and hang on, Wonder how Kell will explain the 2nd half collapse?

Anyway, for me the best players were Chalmers, Savage and Allan.

Pretty much this, such an odd game, Montrose had one shot in the first half and we looked totally safe, it did look like the Montrose goalie was keeping them in it, but Zimba's touch had him fox'd. After that we went backwards seemingly inviting Montrose on to us, with sloppy passing and too much backwards stuff. I felt we were one slip away from a gifted goal. [why did we need to water the pitch?]. In addition to the players you mentioned, I rated Zimba, an awkward player but he kept the defenders busy, and he will improve with more game time. I do wish Sole would cross earlier, we often had quite a few players around the box waiting. Bavidge seemed a bit lightweight when he came on. Anyway 3 points is 3points, winning ugly is not a bad thing.

Long day for me...up at 5pm home by midnight, but lovely to see the place again

38 minutes ago, tm4tj said:

Courier running a story that Billy Mckay could be out for the rest of this year (2025) with a hamstring injury.

That’s bad news as Billy has been having a good season. I hope it’s not as bad as is feared and he recovers quickly and fully.

However, Zimba is showing he has an eye for goal, and this could be the chance for Bavidge to be as influential as we all expected him to be.

It’s time for the depth of the squad to prove its worth!