Relegation Fight Intensifies

Given our circumstances, our relegation fight looks likely to go down to the wire with Annan Athletic, and Kelty Hearts our main adversaries over the final five games. We still have to play Kelty, but our other games feature Cove (a) this weekend followed by Kelty (h). It's then a final three of Stenhousemuir (a), Arbroath (h) and a final game at Montrose (a) that will make or break our Admin season. All this will happen without Luis Longstaff, Alfie Bavidge and the rest of our longer term casualties. Paul Hartley's Cove will be without the suspended Mitch Megginson. Declan Glass and Arron Darge are facing a fitness battle.

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ICTFC Monthly Magazine

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This issue contains:

• The latest from Head Coach Scott Kellacher
• Focus on feature with Danny Devine
• Charlie’s Chat – The latest from Interim CEO Charlie Christie
• Scott Young on the 30th Anniversary Dinner
• Staff Insight with groundsman Dale Stephen
• Loan Watch: Sam Nixon at Forres Mechanics
• ICT Academy Update
• ICTWFC with Karen Mason
• Meet the Player: Alfie Bavidge
• ICT Community Trust Column
• ICT Supporters Trust news

You can see when the power shift started in earnest and that is all down to Administration as Cove have picked us off easily in the last two meetings since we caught them late in the League game back in November. Only half a dozen games ago we were banging in six and four goals at the Caledonian Stadiums. How quickly times can change

1 - 4 (H)

0 - 2 (A)

2 - 1 (A)

1 - 1 (H)

2 - 1 (A)

6 - 1 (H)

1 - 0 (A)

4 - 1 (H)

1 - 1 (H)

1 - 3 (A)

Happy New Year: Inverness began 2023 with a crushing win against Cove. Two from Billy Mckay and one from Danny Devine countered the opening goal from Jack Sanders. Two quickfire own goals within five minutes of the restart put the hosts 5-1 ahead. Mckay notched his hat-trick from close range as we ran away with the game. Big win to start the year, just what we needed. Jay Henderson started in his first game for the Caley Jags after a signing on loan for the rest of the season. Zak Delaney returned after injury but he was the only returnee with a sparse bench, Oakley and Boyd were the only senior outfield players on it with returning loan players. Gilmour and Logan missed out for Cove who had Iain Vigurs on the bench. 
After a minutes silence for the legend that was Pele, the game got underway on a crisp afternoon in the Highlands. Billy Mckay struck the post in the first minute from twenty yards. Megginson flicked a header just over five minutes later and Longstaff shot over after fifteen minutes as Cove got to grips with the pace of the game. Doran has a shot blocked by McKenzie and Billy Mckay put the rebound just wide. Hyde then saw McKenzie block with his legs as Mckay put him through on goal. Jack Sanders headed in the opener after twenty two minutes. Doran went close soon after, his deflected shot sliding past for a fruitless corner. Just after the half hour Billy Mckay drew Inverness level with a diving header from six yards after a Sean Welsh cross. Danny Devine put Inverness ahead five minutes before the break with a half volley into the bottom corner, Sean Welsh again the provider. A minute before the half time whistle, it was 3-1 when Billy Mckay netted from the spot after hand ball by Jack Sanders. Just after the interval a Dan Mackay shot/cross ended up in the net via Kyle McClelland. It's raining own goals now and Scott Ross was next to put through his own net. Mark Ridgers denied Fraser Fyvie and Luis Longstaff with excellent saves and Dan Mackay went close on the hour. Billy got his hat-trick and Dan Mackay went close to number seven. The three returning youngsters came on for the final ten minutes and more followed as we saw out the game. Who saw that coming??? And a Billy Mckay hat-trick

INVERNESS CT  The Season So Far

Since Scott Kellacher was handed the reins in game 11, there has been a more positive approach to our matches which has resulted in improved performances and a more enjoyable matchday experience all round. Alas we were brought back to earth with a disappointing result in our last game of 2024, a crushing 1-4 defeat at home to Cove Rangers. We'll have to put that one down to a bad day at the office. However, we bounced back in our first game of the second half of the season in the six pointer against Dumbarton with a hard fought 2-0 win. That win over Dumbarton was a vital one and the introduction of Alfie Bavidge was a welcome one as he opened the scoring early in the first half. Charlie Gilmour slotted in the clincher in the second half to give us a cushion over the Sons and to narrow the gap on Annan to seven points. We took part in the only League1 game the next weekend and came away from Annan with a resounding 3-0 win, Alfie Bavidge netting again with Keith Bray and then Billy Mckay from the spot.  It was then on to Palmerston on the Tuesday night but in a five goal encounter we went down 3-2. Alfie Bavidge notched his third goal in three games and Keith Bray added a second but goals from Adam Brooks (2) and Jordan Allan kept the points in Dumfries. We bounced back with a resilient 1-2 win at Alloa in our third away game on the bounce, Dunfermline bound Keith Bray with his fourth of the season and Alfie Stewart. We got our revenge at home to QotS (1-0) with Alfie Bavidge scoring his fourth goal in five appearances. Alas it was a bridge too far at Arbroath and we went down losing three without reply. The Stenhousemuir fixture was postponed and was re-arranged for March 11th. We went to Kelty and came away with a narrow 1-0 win thanks to Alfie's 5th goal in 7 appearances. Montrose proved to be stubborn opponents and it took a superb diving header from Keith Bray to rescue a point in a rather turgid encounter after Sandilands had opened the scoring in the first half. A last gasp win at Dumbarton on the Saturday with Alfie Bavidge scoring his 6th goal in 9 games. Unfortunately Alfie was injured early on against Stenhousemuir in midweek but that didn't stop us running up a 4-1 win with goals from Brannan, Gilmour, Bray and Allan. Annan came North on Saturday in a six-pointer and it was a disappointing defeat after Annan parked the bus after scoring in the third minute. Next up was a 1-1 draw with Alloa despite hitting the woodwork twice and missing a penalty. Another bad day at the office last weekend at a wet and windswept Palmerston after Queen of the South blitzed us with three second half goals to run away with a 4-1 win in Dumfries.

One win each and a draw in the League games so far this season but Cove also won the Scottish Cup tie 2-0 at Balmoral Park. They hammered us 4-1 last time out at the Caledonian Stadium

Scott Kellacher was dealt a massive blow with the news that he will be without Luis Longstaff and now Alfie Bavidge for the remainder of the season. That's massive as we enter the final five.

Latest Updates from Scott Kellacher talking to Paul Chalk @ P&J: Unfortunately Alfie Bavidge's second scan results will mean he will miss the last five games. Calum MacLeod returned last week coming on as a second half sub but he has a hip injury and Musa Dibaga was back in goal after his international trip abroad. Remi Savage was badly missed at Dumfries but will return for this one. James Nolan came off injured at Palmerston but no info regarding this although he has been seen training with the squad, so hopefully he is fit and good to go.

Casualty List

1. Luis Longstaff (groin op recovery)
2. Alfie Bavidge (hamstring recovery)
3. Lewis Nicolson (knee op recovery)
4. Jake Davidson (knee op recovery)
5. Calum Davidson (hip)
6. Ethan Cairns (appendix post op)
7. Jack Walker (tonsilitis)
8. Shae Keogh (calf)
9. Ben Corner (knee cartilage recovery)

Pos	Team	Pld	Gd	Pts
1	Arbroath	31	18	57
2	Cove R	31	17	49
3	Stenny	31	11	49
4	Queen Sth	31	-2	42
5	Alloa Ath	31	4	41
6	Montrose	31	-4	39
7	Kelty	31	-1	37
8	Caley Jags	31	1	33
9	Annan Ath	31	-24	33
10	Sons	31	-20	13

LAST SIX: L  W W D D L  

Six games in March for Cove starting with a 2-1 defeat at Alloa followed by a 3-1 home win over QotS and a big away win over Kelty (0-4). A 2-2 draw at Montrose and a no scoring home draw v Stenhousemuir was followed by last weeks top of the table clash at Arbroath that ended with a 1-0 defeat and a red card for Mitch Megginson. He will be a big miss for Cove, being the joint top scorer in League1 with 12 goals. Fear not Cove fans, Adam Emslie has bagged 9, Findlay Marshall has 7 and Fraser Fyvie 6. Defence wise, both sides have conceded 35 times, the big difference is that Cove have scored 16 more goals than the Caley Jags. Will Gillingham and Quinn Coulson are back in the squad while a late decision will be taken on the fitness of both Declan Glass and Arron Darge.

One win each and a draw in the League games so far this season but Cove also won the Scottish Cup tie 2-0 at Balmoral Park. They hammered us 4-1 last time out at the Caledonian Stadium in one to forget. We did win here back in November. Caley Jags Get Vital Win:  Top versus bottom ended in victory for the Caley Jags who climb into positive numbers at the foot of the table. Cove had made one change from the win at Dumbarton as they looked for their fifth win on the trot. Findlay Marshall replaced Arron Darge. For Inverness, graduate Sam Reid took his place on the bench with Lewis Nicolson missing. On the field, Charlie Gilmour returned to midfield to bolster the squad with Connal Ewan out injured and boss Scott Kellacher would be looking to get into positive numbers with his positive team talks. However, it only took Cove ten minutes to get in front through top scorer Mitch Megginson. Megginson failed to convert a first half penalty with Dibaga saving and two minutes later it was all square when Adam MacKinnon drilled high into the net. With 25 minutes left, Keith Bray popped up with a much needed and deserved winner.
This was a great result played out at Cove, sharpened at Inverness but made in the Isle of Lewis.

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