Hughes the Daddy

Inverness' cup winning manager John Hughes is now the man in charge at East End Park with the unenviable task of lifting the Pars up the table. The Caley Jags should be turning up in midweek, weather and covid permitting, the game is scheduled for a 7:45pm kick-off on Wednesday night. It's an early opportunity for both clubs to get back on track after festive flops and the stakes are high at both ends of the table.

OFFICIAL PREVIEW & STREAMING INFO

Last time out

Inverness failed to play on Boxing Day but our last game was a dismal failure as Accies won 2-1 in the Highlands before Xmas. Second defeat to Accies this season who have been struggling but seem to be able to cancel us out and win, not always with eleven men.

Dunfermline went down 3-0 at home to team of the season so far Arbroath. Their previous game was abandoned at Kilmarnock just after the hour with the score tied at 1-1, the fog making it impossible to continue, a real thick pea souper. Could have done with some fog in Inverness that day.  That game was Tommy Wright's last one in charge of Killie as he was sacked after it.

Other fixtures on Wednesday night

Killie v Morton

Partick v Ayr Utd

Arbroath v Accies & Raith v Queens postponed. 

First game between the sides this season saw Dunfermline get their second point of the season in a goalless draw at East End Park. They went one better in November with a 2-1 win at the Caledonian Stadium as we imploded. Here's our summary from that game: Under Par: Inverness opened the scoring after probing well for over twenty minutes. M****** G****** drifted inside and the Pars defence opened up allowing him to get a shot away. It came back off the woodwork and Billy Mckay reacted first to knock the ball into the net. However, Dunfermline got their first win of the season as Inverness fired blanks thereafter, and goals from Kevin O'Hara assisted by a massive Danny Devine deflection and a great solo effort from Dom Thomas won the points for the Pars. Meh!
Despite that result, after fourteen games, the Pars were still bottom of the league on ten points with Inverness third on twenty-five.

Latest Team News

We had to pull out of our Boxing Day fixture against Partick Thistle due mainly to an outbreak of covid and the related isolation process. As Dodds alludes to in his pre-match interview we have some back although I think that might be a bit of a smoke screen  and we could still be seriously depleted. Only time will tell and see what Wednesday night brings. Sean Welsh has been injured and may still be receiving treatment, but it would be a bonus to have him back. Bit of deja vu from the November game with a diluted squad - Inverness were somewhat depleted with only five on the bench and Sean Welsh, Shane Sutherland, Manny Duku and Wallace Duffy all missing. On the bright side, David Carson returned to action at right back and Reece McAlear was in midfield. The Pars had a full bench which included Nicolay Todorov Ryan Dow and Craig Wighton. John Hughes was watching over his new side with Greg Shields taking charge of his final interim game as gaffer.

Yogi made his first signing in the experienced Steven Lawless from Motherwell

Dodds looking tentatively ahead to Wednesday night