Nemesis Time

On Saturday at 3:00pm it's nemesis time as we face Queens Park at Hampden Park. The Spiders have had the beating of us since getting back into the Championship in season 2022/2023. We did, ahem, put them out of the Scottish Cup last season by default on our way to the final, however we have always struggled against teams who are willing to hit fast on the break and Queens have been guilty of that. We, on the other hand, are somewhat ponderous and shot-shy, and that's something that needs addressed.

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Match/Ticket info

Supporters bus

Buses for rest of 2023: 9th Dec Queens Park leaving stadium 10.30 - 12th Dec Morton leaving stadium 2pm - 23rd Dec Partick leaving stadium at 10.00 - picking up Aviemore and Pitlochry. £20 a seat. Buses filling up fast so book early through Facebook or on 07462218717 to avoid disappointment.

 BACK THE TEAM 

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Queens have our card marked since they popped back up into the championship in 2022 to draw 1-1 at the Caledonian Stadium. That was as good as it got against the Spiders since then as we failed to record a win on the park in all six meetings since then. However, off the park we seem to be a bit smarter than the average Spider. 

1 - 2 (H)

1 - 2 (A)

0 - 2 (H)

0 - 0 (H)

1 - 2 (A)

1 - 1 (H)

It was an opening day defeat at the Caledonian Stadium this season: 1 - 2 Here's the CTO report:- In a brisk opening to the game Wallace Duffy headed over from a corner in the second minute and at the other end Mark Ridgers was brought into action to deny Jack Thomson. Nathan Shaw also had an effort saved by Callan McKenna in the top corner. A good move forward ended with Charlie Fox blocking Charlie Gilmour after seventeen minutes and Billy Mckay went close but he dragged his effort wide of the mark. Queens were enjoying the majority of the possession and on the half hour they opened the scoring when Barry Hepburn fed Dom Thomas who scored into the top of the net. Inverness responded and Shaw saw McKenna save his free kick. Ridgers then saved from Jack Spong as Queens dominance continued. However we were still able to carve out chances and McKenna did well to deny Mckay just on the interval from a Jake Davidson cross. 

HALF TIME: 0-1
Austin Samuels shot high and wide at the start of the second half but it was Queens who added a second three minutes into the half through Tommy Robson, shooting into the bottom corner to leave us chasing the game. Thomas had an effort saved minutes later as Queens dominated play. Ridgers then saved from Louis Longridge at the expense of a corner kick as Queens Park threatened to run away with the game. Robson was then denied by the overworked Ridgers as QP looked to kill the game off. Substitute Keith Bray was denied by McKenna as we probed for a way back into the game. Samuels blazed another shot high and wide and that brought about the introduction of Harry Lodovica. With time slipping away Davidson scored with a close range header from a Cammy Harper cross. Alas it was too little too late for Inverness who went down to an opening day defeat. FULL TIME: 1-2

Last Time Out

Ferguson tasted defeat at the eighth time of asking after we let a one goal lead slip away in time added on as Jamie Gullan smashed home a penalty for Raith Rovers. Billy Mckay had given Inverness the lead after the break when he stole in between two defenders to nod an inviting Wotherspoon cross down into the net, but Lewis Vaughan netted five minutes before the end to kick start the late surge. Disappointing to throw away this lead and Big Dunc must shoulder some of the blame for this as we sat back and invited Rovers to come at us. Learning curve for everyone.

Last Five in the Championship: W D W D L 

Queens Park's last Championship game was on 11th of November. They too went down to a late show from Raith Rovers, they too lost a late lead, in the 89th minute, and they too went down to a time added on penalty scored by Ross Milllen, with only ten men. Extraordinary stuff from Rovers to be honest. They should buy a lottery ticket right away. Turner and Paton were the goalscorers for the Spiders in this one. No wins in their last nine games going back to a 1-0 win over Arbroath back on the19th of August. Incidentally that was the second win over Arbroath in a week, a 2-1 win the previous weekend. However, their last game was a 3-0 away defeat in the Scottish Cup to high flying Partick Thistle on 25th November.

 Last Five in the Championship: D D D D L 

Big game at the top end of the table on Friday night as Raith Rovers take on Partick Thistle.

***It ended 4-3 to Rovers to put them on top of the table for now.

Congratulations to Novembers Championship Manager and Player of the Month. Big Dunc & Spoony

Congratulations to ICTFC Manager Duncan Ferguson, as he has been named the @GlensVodkaLLG @SPFL Scottish Championship Manager of the Month for November 2023.

@TMPfoto

https://t.co/EkOsviusDP pic.twitter.com/Gx4kAQU8rx

— Inverness Caledonian Thistle FC (@ICTFC) December 8, 2023

Latest Team News

Usual suspects missing in the longer term but the news that Roddy MacGregor is back training on the park is a bonus. Danny Devine limped off last week against Raith Rovers and David Carson is still out on parental leave. Shaw, Ujdur and Boyes are all nursing their own fitness and aches and strains.

Ajax have appointed Queen's Park director of football Marijn Beuker to the same role at the Eredivisie club. The Dutchman joined Queen's Park in 2021, having previously been head of football development and strategy with AZ Alkmaar for eight years. Top scorer this season is Ruari Paton who is way out on his own with 11 goals. Nearest to him is Jack Turner with four.