KDM @ FIRHILL

We try again

Weather permitting, the Caley Jags will face the Harry Wraggs in the last 16 of the KDM Trophy at the Wyre Stadium at Firhill on Tuesday night. The snow was aplenty up North but Partick managed to play against Morton at the weekend with a stirring three goal comeback in a five goal encounter whilst we were snowed off in our home game versus Peterhead. However, don't fret if you are snowbound in the North. Should the game go ahead, the full match will be shown live on BBC Alba with a 7:45pm kick-off.

The original fixture was scheduled for 6th January but was postponed due to weather and travel conditions but the big thaw is on and we should be going ahead a week later on Tuesday 13th of January with a 19:45 Kick-off. It was also due to be screened live by BBC Alba but that is unlikely now. Since the original date, Partick went down 2-0 at Dingwall last Friday night with former Caley Jag Jay Henderson bagging two first half goals.

We faltered again away to Cove Rangers on Saturday afternoon and had Ross Munro to thank for a 96th minute penalty save to earn a point in a 0-0 draw. No wins in three for the Caley Jags but Chanka Zimba returned to the starting XI after a thigh injury.

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Match/Ticket/Bus/Info

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That was our team we put out against Montrose in League1 action although we have previously tweaked our side for KDM games. Logan Ross usually gets the gloves but we are in with the big boys this time so Kells and Billy will make the call on that one as we look to progress.

Our last KDM game was a bit of a mismatch as we thrashed Dumbarton 9-0 at the Rock, a record breaking score for the Caley Jags. However, we were found wanting in our next two League1 games going down away to Stenhousemuir and Montrose.

Partick will be another step up in quality and if we are serious about progressing, then we need to put a strong starting XI on the park. We gave them a game in an early pre-season encounter, but we can't read too much into that.

Two early goals from Trialist 'A' believed to be Destiny Ojo, got Inverness off to a great start at Petershill in this pre-season game against Partick Thistle. He scored in the 9th minute when Partick lost possession in midfield and Wotherspoon advanced before slipping a pass through to Ojo who found the net with a tidy finish. Another error and it's another goal for Ojo. He benefitted from the error and he took the ball round Budinauckas before rolling it into the net. It remained that score up to the interval.
HALF TIME 0-2
Three quickfire goals from Stanway, Chalmers and Stanway again put Partick ahead within 8 minutes of the restart. Stanway knocked in from close range and a minute later Chalmers, from the edge of the box, found the back of the net with an excellent finish high to the keeper's right. It got worse two minutes later when Stanway received the ball from Crawford on the right and and he fired high into the top right hand corner of the net. Three in three minutes, and that's how it ended. Looks like most subs from both sides got a game. FULL TIME: 3-2

Partick's team that beat Morton 3-2 coming from 2-0 down to take the three points at the weekend. Stanway, Turner and Tony Watt with a 94th minute strike rounding of the comeback at the death.

Against County Oisin Smyth replaced Fitzpatrick in the starting XI but he has since returned to parent club St Mirren. Partick went down 2-0 at Dingwall last Friday night with former Caley Jag Jay Henderson bagging two first half goals.

Let's not forget that despite an erratic set of results recently, Partick are still second behind St Johnstone in the Championship despite just one League win in their last six and three draws and two losses.

Mark Wilson bemoaned at Dingwall:

"If you start a game like that then it's incredibly difficult to get a foothold... We just didn't deal with those two moments well enough and gave ourselves too much of a mountain to climb."

Logan Chalmers and Alex Samuels are both at Firhill.

Partick edged out Cove Rangers 1-2 in the last round with Kyle Turner and Alex Samuel getting the goals.

Here's who started in that one

Partick Thistle
Goalkeeper
1	Lewis Budinauckas
Defender
2	Cammy Logan
3	Patrick Reading
19	Luke McBeth
20	Daniel O'Reilly
Midfielder
4	Scott Martin
6	Kyle Turner 24‎'‎ ⚽
26	Ben Stanway
Forward
9	Alex Samuel 27‎'‎⚽
10	Logan Chalmers ‎
11	Steven Lawless

34 minutes ago, CaleyCanary said:

You’d make a great statistishun Mantis 😄

Did you watch it? They battered us for the first 20 minutes, missed a penalty and 2 or 3 decent chances. Our goal came against the run of play but we adapted to the pace of the game and finished the half the better side. Second half was wide open. Worth mentioning that Ross Munro has grown into the position.

A great game and it makes a change to be in a game where BOTH sides were trying to win…

Magnificent guys!!

Very, very happy.

43 minutes ago, Caley Mad In Berks said:

What a good win, even against a less than full strength Partick side. That should build our confidence after a few poor results, and get us on winning ways again, starting on Sat v Spartans.

I just hope that we have enough strength in depth over the next few weeks with our fixture backlog.

Let's not lose site of the fact that we made 7 changes from our starting XI at Cove. These guys were all on the bench tonight.

• Devine

• Millen

• Stewart

• Alonge

• Longstaff

• Zimba

• Spoons

9 minutes ago, tm4tj said:

Let's not lose site of the fact that we made 7 changes from our starting XI at Cove. These guys were all on the bench tonight.

• Devine

• Millen

• Stewart

• Alonge

• Longstaff

• Zimba

• Spoons

Millen, Stewart, Alonge started.

Our squad is so equally strong at the moment you can make any change outwith maybe Alonge and Logan Ross and it looks like a full strength side.

Yeah, I started out by naming those who did not start at Cove then looked at it in reverse and added those that did start at Partick and thats when it got messy. A bit like CorrieDale to be honest. However, by my weird calculations, It was still 7 changes.

Should have read these guys all started at Cove but not tonight🤣

• Devine

• MacLeod

• Zimba

• Longstaff

• Spoons

• Chalmers

• Millen came in from the cold

  In tonight to add to Cove survivors

Munro, Robertson, Savage, MacKinnon

• Millen

• Billy

• Sole

• MacIntyre

• Stewart

• Bavidge

• Alonge

Gets complicated once you srart

Think that is near eenuff now.

https://spfl.co.uk/news/date-set-for-kdm-evolution-trophy-draws

Quarter and Semi Final draw details

9 hours ago, tm4tj said:

Let's not lose site of the fact that we made 7 changes from our starting XI at Cove. These guys were all on the bench tonight.

• Devine

• Millen

• Stewart

• Alonge

• Longstaff

• Zimba

• Spoons

8 hours ago, tm4tj said:

Yeah, i started out by naming those who did not start at Cove then messed up. It was still 7 changes.

Should have read these guys all started at Cove but not tonight🤣

• Devine

• MacLeod

• Zimba

• Longstaff

• Spoons

• Chalmers

• Millen came in from the cold

In tonight to add to Cove survivors

Munro, Robertson, Savage, MacKinnon

• Millen

• Billy

• Sole

• MacIntyre

• Stewart

• Bavidge

• Alonge

Gets complicated once you srart

Think that is near eenuff now.

Having a “ senior moment” is what it is called

Last night’s result was encouraging and a sign that we can compete with teams at a higher level, but we need to keep our feet on the ground.

Partick made 8 changes from the team that lost at County and had two debutants. They did strengthen their line up when they made the substitutions.

They also outplayed us in the first part of the game.

However, we made seven changes, but it was still a strong starting line up.

We also weathered the storm and matched them as we grew into the game.

There’s no doubt that we need to strengthen our squad if we get promoted, but equally there’s no doubt that many of our players can make the step up.

Now let’s beat Spartans and then get our league campaign back on track against East Fife on Tuesday.

I am really interested in our fringe players as we manage the next 5 weeks.

Will we almost be playing two different teams.

Really pleased that Alonge was ok against Partick as I really want him to fully develop and I thought that might have been our weakest area.

Partick are going well in the Championship and may well end up being promoted. It may not have been their first choice XI but then it wasn't ours either.

Assuming (and it's still open to question) we go up then an away draw at a team near the top of the table is certainly a result you'd take next year, especially with goals being scored (not just a backs to the wall 0-0).

It may not mean much other than the immediate advance to the QF, but I do think it's a positive omen for next season (still making that promotion assumption).

Here's the proof of the pudding>>>

KDM Trophy draw live @ 1:00pm: 1/4 final & Semi-Final draw

1. St Johnstone

2. Ayr United

3. Raith Rovers

4. Queens Park

5. Airdrie

6. Arbroath

7. ICT

8. Stenhousemuir

Quarter Final ties to take place midweek of January 27/28th

ICTFC v Stenhousemuir

Queens Park v Raith Rovers

St Johnstone v Ayr United

Arbroath v Airdrie

Semi-Final ties to be played on the midweek of February 24/25

Arbroath/Airdrie v QP/Raith

St John/Ayr v ICT/Stenny

Nice to get a winable home tie for the quarter, However, the semi is bit tougher!

2 minutes ago, caley100 said:

Nice to get a winable home tie for the quarter, However, the semi is bit tougher!

Stenny won't be a walkover but winnable as you say. It looks like St Johnstone in the semi which is a whole different ball game. That said winning away at 2nd place Partick will make them regard it as a tricky tie (assuming that's what it works out as).

I’m glad it’s a home draw. Queens Park or Airdrie would have been my picks but we are due revenge on Stenny and this is an ideal opportunity.

I hadn’t realised until I listened to Billy’s post match interview just what a run of away games were are on. By East Fife on Tuesday, 9 out of 10 games will have been away, with only one home game since 22 November, that being 13 December against Hamilton. Little wonder we’ve had a wobble or two.

We are now also on a run of 7 games in 3 weeks between 10 and 31 January.

28 minutes ago, Robert said:

We are now also on a run of 7 games in 3 weeks between 10 and 31 January

This is where i am so interested in our squad depth and our youngsters.. i really like the number of games our second team have played. We are building potential every game they are exposed to.

4 hours ago, The Hammer said:

……….That said winning away at 2nd place Partick will make them regard it as a tricky tie (assuming that's what it works out as).

Maybe not.

Cove knocked them out of the proper cup 2-1 aet in Perth last round. They would have regarded that game highly. Will they have the same focus in this diddy cup? Winning the league is top priority. Will they make the 7 or 8 changes in personnel teams have been doing each round.

But we have to see off stenny who are a bit of a bogey for us.

20 hours ago, tm4tj said:

Quarter Final ties to take place midweek of January 27/28th

ICTFC v Stenhousemuir

Queens Park v Raith Rovers

St Johnstone v Ayr United

Arbroath v Airdrie

Semi-Final ties to be played on the midweek of February 24/25

Arbroath/Airdrie v QP/Raith

St John/Ayr v ICT/Stenny

If we get through, the Peterheid game will have to be moved again.