Xmas Brief


I'll be brief here. Forget the Xmas shopping, there's something more important going on this Saturday at tea-time. Fourth take on second at the Park'n'Ride stadium on the outskirts of Inverness, a five-thirty kick off for those in doubt.

The festive frolics begin in earnest this weekend as Inverness look to gain revenge against the team that ended their unbeaten start to the season with a 1-0 win at Pittodrie in August, seven games into the campaign. An excellent Scott Vernon strike separated the sides that day with the Dons always looking the likeliest to end our run, but in truth, there was little between the sides.

Inverness sit three points above Aberdeen and the main reason for that is our miserly defence, the tightest in the SPFL having conceded only eleven times in fifteen games. Brill and Co are on a five game unbreached run, Kilmarnock the last side to score against us on the 2nd November. There's little to choose between the sides in the scoring stakes. Aberdeen have scored one more than us, but they have played a game more as well.

Billy Mckay scored his 14th and 15th goals of the season against Hearts last week but there is more to his game than simply scoring goals. His hold up play for a short guy is simply fantastic, constantly holding off much larger defenders and his ability to link with fellow players a joy to behold. Marley Watkins being the latest talent to provide for Mckay with two assists at Tynecastle, and his pace will be a valuable asset in the heavy schedule to come.

No fresh problems for Inverness with James Vincent the only one missing although reserve player Curtis Allen has left the club after an injury hit time North of the border.

Cammy Smith is hopeful of making the squad for the Dons, but Clark Robertson remains out.

  

tm4tj prediction:- Tough game to call this one. Aberdeen are on a decent run of form, only three defeats in the last sixteen games. We are on a high as well, three defeats in eighteen games. I expect defences to give little away although the extreme conditions could play a part in deciding this fixture. A draw would not be a disaster and a defeat would not end our season as we still have a game in hand over most teams. Victory would be sweet, but it might be too much to ask for given the magnitude of the task in difficult circumstances. I'll go for a share of the spoils, possibly 0-0.