This Saturday, we welcome last season’s division one Champions, Hamilton Academical, to the Tulloch Caledonian Stadium for their first game here since February 2003. Hamilton and Inverness are being heavily tipped by pundits and so called “experts” to be fighting it out at the bottom of the table at the end of the season, so it is with more than a little irony that this is a top of the table clash with ICT having recorded their first ever competitive win over Aberdeen last week and Hamilton beating Dundee Utd who are favoured in some camps to be pushing for third spot in the SPL this season.

INVERNESS CT v HAMILTON ATH

Tulloch Caledonian Stadium, Inverness

Saturday 16th August, 3pm

OTHER SPL FIXTURES

16/08/08 Hibernian v Falkirk Motherwell v Aberdeen Rangers v Hearts St Mirren v Kilmarnock 17/08/08 Dundee Utd v Celtic (14:00)

PAST MEETINGS

The teams have met each other on only 3 occasions in the past, twice in the Scottish FA Cup and once in the League Challenge Cup and Inverness CT currently lead 2-1 on victories with no games drawn.

22/02/03 – Scottish FA Cup - ICT 6 v 1 Hamilton

The last game back in 2003 produced seven goals with ICT running out convincing 6-1 winners after conceding an early goal to the Accies. Martin Bonnar scored for Accies while some fondly remembered heroes settled the Scottish Cup tie in favour of Inverness. Doubles from Dennis Wyness and Barry Robson and single strikes by Paul Ritchie and Stuart McCaffrey ensured an easy victory for the Highlanders.

Changed days for both clubs as Accies were in the second Division then and Inverness were on the up in the First Division. From the Inverness squad that day, only four remain playing at the club, Tokely, Duncan, McBain and Grant Munro, who has gone on to captain the club for the second consecutive season.

24/08/99 – League Challenge Cup - Hamilton 0 v 3 ICT

25/01/97 – Scottish FA Cup - ICT 1 v 3 Hamilton

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Dougie Imrie (ICT) – It’s hard to believe that this guy was only playing for Junior side Lanark Utd back in 2006 before being signed for Clyde. Whilst at Lanark he scored an amazing 79 goals in 138 games, something not repeated during his time at Clyde, but when he did score they were top drawer. Imrie scored his last goal for Clyde in a match v Hamilton before signing for ICT and we’ll be hoping to see a repeat of that. Imrie carries a bit of history with the Hamilton fans following an accident involving McCabe back in 2006. Whilst most accept that the incident involved no malice, this is football and I’m sure some of the visiting fans will want to try and remind him of what happened.

Richard Offiong (Hamilton) – Started his career as a youth at Newcastle United. He was capped for England at U20 level and has been round a few clubs, including a loan deal to Motherwell in 2003 where he made 9 appearances. He joined Hamilton in 2006 and has scored 32 goals in 62 appearances. Offiong netted his first senior hat-trick when Hamilton ran out 3-0 winners at New Douglas Park against Dunfermline Athletic in 2008.

TEAM NEWS

Inverness CT – David Proctor is still unavailable for selection as he’s serving the second of a 2 match ban. With Grant Munro also in doubt after receiving a knock in last weeks match then Djebi-Zadi could be handed his first competitive start for the Caley Jags at Tulloch Caledonian Stadium this weekend.

Craig Brewster can choose from a likely squad of :-

Fraser, Tokely, McGuire, McBain, Black, Barrowman, Imrie, Duncan, Cowie, Hastings, Esson, Djebi-Zadi, Sutherland, Wilson, McAllister, Wood, Vigurs…

With the possible addition of Adam Rooney who looks set to join the club any time now.

Hamilton Ath – Billy Reid has a full squad to pick from with new signings Joel Thomas and Sebastian Sorsa pushing for first team starts. However, with Stevenson, McArthur and Graham all bagging goals for Hamilton last week then making any changes could prove difficult to justify. Billy Reid can choose from a likely squad of :-

Cerny, Stevenson, Easton, McLaughlin, Swailes, McCarthy, McArthur, Neil, Mensing, Offiong, Graham, Corcoran, Akins, Sorsa, Elebert, Thomas, Taylor, Murdoch.

CALEYD’s PREDICTION

This could prove to be a very entertaining and open game if last weeks results are anything to go by. Both teams seem more than willing to take the game to their opponents and both wasted very few opportunities in front of goal. ICT were the new boys themselves not all that long ago and we’ll know only too well that underestimating Hamilton would be dangerous, hopefully we’ve taken notes from their last game against Dundee Utd and won’t allow them the space and time on the ball that they had then. If we set out to upset their game plan and it works then I see no reason why we can’t come away with a 2 goal victory for the second week running.