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  • tm4tj
    tm4tj

    Inverness CT -V- Hibernian - Preview

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    They think it's all over.....

    .........It is now! It's all over in the SPL bar the shouting. Hibernian relegated Dunfermline on monday night with three goals in a four nil win, (don't ask). That could be good news for Inverness on the park this weekend as I doubt they will be wanting any of their star players injured ahead of the landmark Scottish Cup final against Edinburgh rivals Heart of Midlothian.

    So, let's quickly run through who did what. Surprise surprise, Celtic won the SPL, Dunfermline were relegated. Motherwell finished third with Dundee United grabbing the other European spot in fourth. Govan FC are in yoyo administration and our own Inverness are safe for another season. Kilmarnock won the League Cup and cheered up everybody, well most people, and that's about it. Next season will see Ross County participate in the SPL for the first time and local interest will be intensified as the much anticipated derby rivalries resume.

    But we are here to discuss this weekends game, and Cup Finalist's Hibernian will provide the opposition. This season has seen Hibs overcome their Highland Hoodoo and start winning games in Inverness. Prior to this season, Hibs had gone nine games in Inverness without winning, and into the bargain they had only scored 3 goals in that period. Inverness had racked up 19 goals in those games. Lately they have bucked the trend and fashioned out two wins at the Tulloch Caledonian Stadium, so coming here for a third visit will hold no fears for them.

    This season Hibs fortunes changed, and a late Garry O'Connor goal saw Hibs take all three points south at the end of July. Ryan Esson will feel disappointed not to have stopped his mishit trundler that rolled wide of his outstretched arms to find the net. Inverness spurned numerous chances to win the match comfortably but were caught on the break with Hayes being upended and Hibs transferred the ball forward swiftly, O'Connor doing the needful. The last fixture in Inverness was on April Fools day. A rare occurrence saw Greg Tansey ably smash a penalty home, but the joy was short lived as Hanlon stooped to head home an equaliser. That man O'Connor put Hibs ahead before Jonny Hayes swerved a cross behind Stack for a deserved late leveller. Inverness though still managed to shoot themselves in the foot and Leigh Griffiths restored Hibs advantage two minutes later. Defensive lapses have cost us dear this season and losing goals so soon after scoring leans towards a lack of concentration being our downfall in this game. We did, however, secure a draw at Easter Road in late December, going behind to once again, a Garry O'Connor strike, this time a spanking free kick. Jonny Hayes scored a spectacular solo goal to earn a point, which was also Pat Fenlon's first point as Hibs manager.

    How has the season fared for both clubs? Well for Inverness it has been a total write off. Injuries, suspensions, referee's, managerial decisons, sending off's, we've seen it all this year. Report card will say, "must try harder". Thank you St Mirren for providing us with ten points, that's more than a quarter of our total for the season, and for Dunfermline being utterly gash and being bigger favourites than us for the drop, and so it proved.

    If our season has been rubbish, then Hibs season has been a total disaster. For a club with the pedigree of Hibernian to have struggled for so long this season then something was awry. Colin Calderwood was relieved of his duties mid-season and it has taken Pat Fenlon until the penultimate game of the season to mold his undoubtedly talented squad into a team. He must have thought the omens were against him, when his managerial debut for Hibs was disrupted with the game at Motherwell being abandoned after the floodlights failed. He only managed one point in his first five games, but last Monday saw his side safe from relegation and he now has a cup final to look forward to. Not any old cup final of course. The first all Edinburgh one for over a century. These don't come along too often, like trams on Princess Street I suppose.

    So, it's the last game of the season, and some will be moving on. Jonny Tuffey has indicated that he will be leaving at the end of the season as he needs first team football to further his international career. He has served this club well when called upon but the lure of first team football will see him leave Inverness, with Ryan Esson poised to remain as number one choice. The biggest mystery will surround star player Jonny Hayes. He will undoubtedly be able to command a higher wage elsewhere, especially if he were to move to the English Championship. Aberdeen have shown their cards early in an attempt to procure Jonny from the Highlands, and rumours abound about St Mirren having a sniff as well. Gregory Tade has already been offered a contract, and Butcher has stated his case for keeping Greg Tansey and Billy McKay for another season. Golobart and Williams are both on loan and will require to be prised from their parent clubs for another season.

    That leaves superman, AKA Ross Tokely. A club legend, but could he be the last link to the past to be removed from this club. Last season saw a surprise when Grant Munro and Russell Duncan were released, could this be the last remaining 'supercaley' hero to be shown the exit door. I firmly believe that Rossco still has plenty left in the tank and he has been one of our more consistant performers in an error strewn season. We have unfortunately become less parochial in our efforts to sustain SPL football and more cosmopolitan in recent times. A couple of weeks ago we had no Scottish players in our starting eleven. A sign of the times I'm afraid and possibly one of the reasons the passion has ebbed from the club. I sincerely hope that Mr Butcher has learned from his mistakes and views Rossco as an integral part of a well oiled Caley Thistle machine.

    tm4tj Prediction:- I don't see Hibernian exerting themselves too much this weekend with a big day out at Hampden looming. Inverness will be saying goodbye to one or two that will not be returning for next season and the term 'end of season game' springs to mind. Unless Hibs win by three clear goals, then they will remain in eleventh place and we will stay above them, therefore with all that in mind, I will sit on the fence and go for a 1-1 draw, but will be hoping for a finish with a flourish.

    The last game of the season will see special offers for under 12's as they will get free entry with a paying adult. See the official website for details http://ictfc.com/new...s-go-free-offer

    Saturday will also see the end of the Highland March #10. The guys set off from Paisley last Saturday and have walked back to Inverness, as you do. Give them a huge cheer as they enter the stadium as they put a lot of effort into this. You can read all about it at http://www.highlandmarch.co.uk/ See you all on Saturday.

    Latest Team News

    Inverness could be bolstered by the return of Tokely and Willams to the squad. Both suffered knocks and missed the win at Paisley last week. That put's paid to rumours that Rossco had mysteriously returned to the planet Krypton. Chris Hogg is out, hopefully, I won't be printing that next season, good luck with the rehab. Aaron Doran was subbed at St Mirren, and this was a precautionary move, but will be assessed before risking him in an end of season encounter.

    Hibernian will unsurprisingly field an understrength side in view of next weeks occasion at Hampden. James McPake (groin), Tom Soares (Achilles), Pa Kujabi (hamstring) and Jorge Claros (foot) will no doubt be 'rested' along with the injured Danny Galbraith (groin) and Graham Stack (thigh). Leigh Griffiths and David Wotherspoon are available again following suspension, I wonder if they will be risked? Club captain Ian Murray is on his way after the summer and this could be his last appearance for Hibs.




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