Hamilton Hammer Hapless Hackers 

The season begins in earnest now with most sides having recruited in the January sales and squads should now be optimised for the last third of the season. For Inverness that's not so much about bringing new players in, it's more about getting injured players back on the park. This game is the first of a double header against Accies with six points up for grabs, but we have found Hamilton difficult to get point from of late.

Billy Mckay was in a rich vein of form lately, 8 goals since New Year and just like magic, Austin Samuels appeared on the bench alongside Robbie Deas. Accies had Connor Smith on from the start after he had been cup-tied since his loan deal from Hearts and Rheagan Tumilty started as well.

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First Half

Inverness started the game on the front foot with Nathan Shaw involved in most things good, however the final ball would be elusive. Unbelievably,  Billy Mckay of all people missed an open goal from around six yards after being teed up by Daniel Mackay, his simple roll into the net hit the post when it was easier to score. Accies eventually grew into the game midway through the half without troubling Ridgers. In fairness, Fulton in the Accies goal wasn't over exerted either and it was little surprise that it was goalless at the interval.

HALF TIME:0-0

Two minutes after the interval Accies took the lead and once more it was self inflicted. Nathan Shaw who had been prominent in the first half passed the ball to the opposition around the halfway line. Lewis Smith and Jean-Pierre Tiehi burst forward but they were blocked and Lucas De Bolle got the break of the ball after the initial burst forward broke down and he buried the loose ball behind Ridgers.

First professional goal for on-loan @NUFC man Lucas De Bolle!

Accies with a huge win in the Highlands ️#cinchChamp | @acciesfc pic.twitter.com/QSTC926bw1

— SPFL (@spfl) February 20, 2023

We were still in the game at this point but showed little urgency to get forward quickly. Sean Welsh missed an opportunity when he sliced a fizzed cross well wide from a good position. Welsh also tried his luck from a tight angle but Fulton parried away for a corner. From that corner, Fulton pulled off a great save to deny a powerful Danny Devine header as we started to up the urgency.  However in true Accies encounter fashion we shot ourselves in the foot again. As the ball ran towards our goal line on the Accies right side, our defenders all seemed to leave the ball to each other. That allowed Winter to knock the ball into the middle for Jean-Pierre Tiehi to knock in. Worse was to follow in the dying minutes when Wallace Duffy was adjudged to have fouled Scott Martin as Accies countered again. I was convinced he was about to be booked for diving when referee MacDermid pointed to the spot. Exit the fans as Connor Smith slammed the spot-kick high into the net and few were left to see Accies miss a fourth through Dario Zanatta and Winter in the final minute.

FULL TIME: 0-3

An absolute shocker of a result that will have us looking over our shoulder rather than upwards to the top four. And the bad news is we have to travel to Hamilton in three days time. Think I'll go into hiding.

 After last weeks cup result at Livingston, many were expecting better things. However the Caley Jags have the knack of ruining the weekend with another horror show against a poor Accies side who seem to be able to beat us whenever they want these days. In truth we were the architect of our own downfall with misplaced passes, defence at sixes and sevens and was that really a penalty. Difficult to pick a MotM from that performance but David Carson was one of the few who made himself available all the time and was willing to get forward.

Just when it looks like we might be turning a corner we come up with a performance like that. It defies logic to be honest and even the diehards are wondering why they bother.

For those like me that couldn't stomach it anymore, here's the smashing penalty

️️ https://t.co/D9Dm6qfyMY

— Connor Smith (@connorsmith_88) February 18, 2023

Match Reaction on CTO

Every week I think to myself, this is rubbish, it can't get any worse than this, and every week ICT manage to do it. I have watched football in Inverness for around 50 years, and I can honestly say that I've never seen such rubbish. Dodds needs to resign if he has any degree of respect left for the club. To be beaten at home by the bottom club is unacceptable. We started well, first 20 minutes I thought if we keep this up we could win this, then we went to our default position, lose the ball cheaply, can't string passes together, defend badly, don't work their keeper and revert to Hoofball. I really can't wait for this season to be over. We need a total clear out in all departments, starting with Dodds and his coaches. 

Abysmal result. Defeat was fairly predictable as we usually struggle against Hamilton - 3 wins for them in their last 4 trips here - but the margin of this defeat is an absolute shocker. 

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