Back to Business as Usual

After the scenes, limbs and euphoria of a McTominay overhead bicycle stunner, a Tierney peach and a Kenny Fekkin MacLean whopper, there's a more mundane task ahead as Queen of the South are our visitors on Saturday. It's scheduled for a 17:30pm kick-off in League1 as we endeavour to consolidate our position at the top of the table. We managed that without playing last weekend but Queens can be a difficult proposition at times and are not to be underestimated. Queens will be looking to get involved in the race for a place, currently only five points behind the Caley Jags. Weather wise it's been a pretty chilly week with snow showers leaving a fine blanket on the surface and we are taking nothing for granted by getting the covers down early before the frost gets any worse.

The late kick-off time can mean only one thing. Get yer Gaelic phrase books out as BBC Alba will be covering this one live. We are on the telly!

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Match/Ticket/Hospitality/Info

Scottish Cup v Tranent

KDM TROPHY v Dumbarton (a)

🎅Festive Friends Hamper🎅

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Our last XI to take to the field was on the 11th of November against Dundee United 'B' in the KDM Trophy.

Since we last met all games:

1. QotS 0-2 ICTFC

2. KDM v DeeB 6-0

3. ICTFC 4-1 E Fife

4. Accies 3-1 ICTFC

5. KDM v Forfar 1-4

6. ICTFC 2-2 Kelty

7. P'Head 0-1 ICTFC

8. ICTFC 1-0 Monty

9. ICTFC 1-0 Cove

10. KDM v Arabs 6-0

That KDM fixture resulted in an emphatic rain soaked 6-0 win with Chanka Zimba notching a hat-trick, a brace for Alfie Bavidge and one for Jordan Alonge.

With Saturday’s game being a late kick off at 1730, to let you enjoy your afternoon and the build up to the game, Bar 94 will open at 1400, with last orders at 1700. The bar will reopen at full time and remain open until 2100. 

Billy Mckay and Ross Millen are still recovering with Jake Davidson out long term although Millen could return to the squad and Billy is making good progress and is ahead of schedule.

The Stagecoach matchday bus service will leave the Bus Station at 1515 and 1645, returning from the Stadium 10 minutes after the full time whistle and at 2030.

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.

And please don’t forget that, following the success of the “Johndo Away Day” to Kelty last season and requests from members, we are running a Supporters Trust Coach to the away game at East Fife on Saturday 6 December. O2O2BO2BA JAGGY

The coach will leave the Stadium at 0930, returning after the game. The cost is £20 per person>>> To book and pay for your seats

Queens at Kelty last Saturday which ended 1-1 with Kai Kennedy scoring a penalty to open the scoring just after the break with Diack levelling five minutes later.

Since we last met L1

1. QotS 0-2 ICTFC

2. Monty 2-1 QotS

3. QotS 1-0 Alloa

4. P'Head 3-0 QotS

5. Accies 1-2 Qots

6. QotS 1-1 Stenny

7. QotS 3-0 E Fife

8. Kelty 1-1 QotS

Some great results in there beating Accies (1-2) and East Fife (3-0) but countered by a couple of disappointing ones at Montrose and Peterhead.

Top scorer is Kurtis Guthrie with 4, Kennedy and Jack Stott with 3 apiece.

Pos	Team	Pld	Gd	Pts
1	ICTFC	13	14	26
2	Alloa	13	9	23
3	Stenny	14	4	23
4	E Fife	14	-1	22
5	Queens	14	2	21
6	P'Head	14	-2	20
7	Accies	14	16	18
8	Monty	14	-16	12
9	Kelty	14	-16	9
10	Cove	14	-10	8

🏆 Scottish Youth Cup

• U 18s face Killie U18s

• Youth Cup 4th Rnd.

• Fri 21st kick-off at 2pm

• Highland Footy Academy

• Dingwall

• <POSTPONED

Thank you as always for the preview.

Please don't forget that the ICT Community Development Trust will be in Bar 94 from 1400 until 1700 receiving hamper and cash donations for Festive Friends. full details are in this thread:

https://caleythistleonline.com/forums/topic/37031-ict-community-development-trust-festive-friends/

Also, we will be showing a full rerun of Tuesday's amazing match between Scotland and Denmark.

Come down early: Bar 94 will be open from 1400.

We hope to see you there.

I’m looking forward to this but just hope it being on tv doesn’t reduce the size of the crowd.

We’ve hard to work hard for recent league results but I’m hoping we turn it on for the cameras tonight and get a great performance and result.

1 hour ago, ICT Supporters Trust said:

Thank you as always for the preview.

Please don't forget that the ICT Community Development Trust will be in Bar 94 from 1400 until 1700 receiving hamper and cash donations for Festive Friends. full details are in this thread:

https://caleythistleonline.com/forums/topic/37031-ict-community-development-trust-festive-friends/

Also, we will be showing a full rerun of Tuesday's amazing match between Scotland and Denmark.

Come down early: Bar 94 will be open from 1400.

We hope to see you there.

Thanks. It was added to the full report that we published and is also on the facebook preview. This one was posted shortly before the full articles were published.

Cheers, good reminder for all.

Keep up the good work.

Inverness Caledonian Thistle FC

Game on ✅

Covers off and no issues with the pitch ahead of this evening’s match against Queen of the South at the Sarens PSG Stadium.

Pitch looks great👍

Accies, Stenny and Monty take early leads...

Monty game was suspended due to an injury to a match official. Back underway now 1-1.

Stenny & Monty ahead at the break.

FT SCORES

• Head 1-4 Sten

• Accies 3-1 Kelty

• Cove 0-0 Kelty

• Mont 2-1 Fife

6 hours ago, Robert said:

I’m looking forward to this but just hope it being on tv doesn’t reduce the size of the crowd.

We’ve hard to work hard for recent league results but I’m hoping we turn it on for the cameras tonight and get a great performance and result.

I’m fully expecting a smaller crowd Robert but think the 5:30 kick off time on a bitterly cold dark night will have as much effect as the tv. It’ll take a very determined hardcore supporter to make the journey north from Dumfries even without the temptation of watching it from a cozy armchair with warming Bovril in yer hand (other drinks of your choice are available)

Ross Millen was on the bench after returning from injury. Chanka Zimba started with Alfie Bavidge on the bench. Supplier Kai Kennedy started with Kurtis Guthrie the big danger up front for the visitors.

A couple of early opportunities for the hosts with Ross Stewart having to save from David Wotherspoon in the opening exchanges but we didn't have to wait long for the opener, and what a strike it was from Liam Sole. Chanka Zimba set it up with a superb spin on the left wing to leave the defender in his wake. He drilled his cross back to the edge of the eighteen yard line where Liam Sole met it without breaking stride 15 yards out to volley spectacularly behind the keeper. Great goal, great start for the Caley Jags. A Paul Allan free kick was tipped round the post by Stewart as we looked for a second in the twentieth minute. After a bit of a lull, we eased further ahead after half an hour when Sole won a free kick wide right. Joe Chalmers found Adam MacKinnon's head and he flicked it on for Zimba to react quickest to put the ball into the net a la Lawrence Shankland. Calum MacLeod went close as he met a ball inside the box but the keeper and defender managed to divert it just wide for a corner. It remained that way to the interval with Inverness dominant and Queens sporadic in their forays forward.

HALF TIME 2-0

After the break the Caley Jags continued their possession game before extending their lead after some patient ball retention. Paul Allan and Mitchell Robertson combined for the latter to drill a low ball across the face of the goal where MacKinnon met the ball at the back post to punch it high into the net to give us the cushion to relax. No relaxing for Alfie Bavidge though as one minute after coming on he got on the end of a neat reverse pass from MotM MacKinnon to clip the ball behind the keeper. Queens were bedraggled by now and had we scored another four they could have no complaints. MacIntyre almost manufactured a last second goal for himself after getting through a couple of tackles, his parting shot bobbling across the face of the goal and just wide.

FULL TIME: 4-0

I seem to have got a whole topic all to myself. Yay!

2 minutes ago, tm4tj said:

I seem to have got a whole topic all to myself. Yay!

Everyone else will be making their way home from the ground

From 500 miles away, it looked like a surprisingly(?) easy win, with the the lads barely having to break sweat.

Looked very impressive, well drilled and knocking the ball about beautifully. But I couldn't help thinking that there won't be games like that in the Championship!

And I expect more of a challenge on Tuesday night.

I wasn't able to make it to the ground but I did get to watch it on BBC Alba. I thought we were really good throughout the team although QOS made it easy for us with a surprising lack of intensity. On that performance we really should expect to start to stretch clear at the top of the league.

9 minutes ago, tm4tj said:

I seem to have got a whole topic all to myself. Yay!

Busy doing the stats A great game well done to all the team and staff, not forgetting the supporters more of the same on Tuesday.

I think the gaelic translates into - feckin great goal

Faced with the choice of a 240 mile round trip broken up by a 2 hour sit-down in a freezing stadium, and watching the game on a 42" screen in front of a warm fire with a dram in my hand, I opted for the latter!

So good to see the stats "shots on target" backed up by a decent amount of goals for a change.

But the big one for me was the quality of the passing, which was pretty dire at the beginning of the season. Now the team runs like a well-oiled machine - accurate passes and maintaining possession. Reminds me of the early Yogi days when we all moaned about the "tippy-tappy football" which eventually became our hallmark in the SPL when nobody could get the ball off us! This should stand us in good stead in the Championship next season if we can hang onto the majority of our players, assuming we win promotion!

I enjoyed that!

A commanding performance and I think we made Queens look a poor team as we were really good.

Four goals, Sole’s one the pick, but a lot of good play.

Some slack passes that could have cost us but we were comfortable and it was good to see us on the front foot all game.

I’m happy with MacKinnon as MoM but I thought Allan was pulling all the strings in midfield, and great to see Bavidge on the score sheet.

I hope those who can’t make many or any of our games enjoyed the TV experience too.

If we can get a result at Alloa on Tuesday the table will look really good indeed.

Edited November 22, 2025Nov 22 by Robert

45 minutes ago, DoofersDad said:

I wasn't able to make it to the ground but I did get to watch it on BBC Alba. I thought we were really good throughout the team although QOS made it easy for us with a surprising lack of intensity. On that performance we really should expect to start to stretch clear at the top of the league.

Ditto,

Rotten time for a match (teatime). Caught a bug and didn’t want to sit 3 hours and risk making things worse. Anyway, proper and full performance from the boys today. Smashing first goal, well crafted by Zimba and topper of a finish by Cole.

Set the stall for the rest of the game. Knocked the wind out of Queens and never looked like they weren’t anything more than just wanting to get back down the A9.

Good to see Zimba and AlfieB get on the scoreboard. McKinnon my MoM for his around game and goal.

Real statement tonight, Alloa will want to knock us of our stride in Tuesday but we should fear no one !!

bc

Edited November 22, 2025Nov 22 by big cherly

What has happened to Queen of the South?

Offered very little, even when our wayward passes were intercepted they barely threatened.

We've played better for a one nil, so I'll happily take the 4 goals & clean sheet.

Edited November 22, 2025Nov 22 by Satan

Enjoyable game, crowd was announced as 2003 but that is official attendance counting all season ticket holders not there also.

I usually gripe about something but only a 10 minute spell 2nd half at 2 nil where we started the sideways stuff casing a few moans to be heard. As I was moaning to my grandson about it we scored the 3rd. So let them off seeing we scored 4.

So nothing to complain about……… apart from my fish supper on way home has risen to over 12 quid. Was in Pitlochry last week and a fish supper with 2 big haddock’s is 11.50 and a single fish supper is 8 quid.

And me a pensioner too. 😪

Question, why can’t I edit a post anymore. I tap the 3 dots to edit and nothing happens. Just curious why it has stopped working for me.

From where I was sitting in South London that was great performance, Sole was good value for money and what a terrific goal, Zimba is rapidly becoming a favourite of mine and he dominated their defence, the game time is showing in his overall performance and that assist for Sole's goal was very impressive. Mackinnon excellent, and worthy MotM, but Allen, Chalmers and Robertson all impressed, the defence looked totally in control. And Bavidge getting his goal with some smart movement and a quality finish just what we need coming off the bench

Thought 2000 was a good crowd for a 5:30 televised game.

Overall an excellent football Saturday for me, Palace up to 4th, Sutton United out of their relegation zone [having looked dead and buried a month ago].

1 hour ago, Robert said:

I’m happy with MacKinnon as MoM but I thought Allan was pulling all the strings in midfield,

BBC Alba commentators always biased towards a fellow islander! 😂

I was disappointed his interview wasn't in Gaelic - maybe that's no his thing.

21 minutes ago, bishbashbosh said:

So nothing to complain about……… apart from my fish supper on way home has risen to over 12 quid. Was in Pitlochry last week and a fish supper with 2 big haddock’s is 11.50 and a single fish supper is 8 quid.

And me a pensioner too. 😪

I’ve been at that chippie and made the mistake of not reading the menu and realising before I ordered that a large fish supper had two big fish whilst a small one just had one…..

Next time it’s a small one for me as the big one was far too big for me (and my wife).

If you can eat a large one, then respect!

2 minutes ago, buckett said:

BBC Alba commentators always biased towards a fellow islander! 😂

I was disappointed his interview wasn't in Gaelic - maybe that's no his thing.

He was the sponsor’s MoM too.