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Look what the big bad ball did!

Uncultured oaf.

We might have been beaten, but I will continue to support Caley Thistle. Just like my father and his brother Charlie. I will continue to support Caley Thistle, in the name of Jesus!

Oh and the biggest No goes to Mr Finnie who produced one of the worst and most inconsistent decision making performances that I have witnessed in years.

Well there were a few firsts yesterday. The Lansdowne Bar has to be the poshest feckin pre-match venue ever and Mary Hill was clearly not dressed for the occasion. And there was more discussion about feckin politics than there was about feckin fitba. Thank feck I can't vote, am stuck in Lancashire and do not have to choose between wearing a Yes or No badge. And then Naelifts arrived and full of feckin confidence !! I should have known then that it was going to be one of those days. YES - We were "stunning" fer 20 minutes and IF we had deservedly scored a second and settled then YES we would have murdered them. And YES even then if we had taken our chance then it could have been 5 or 6 - 3. The first goal started with a Brill, a fantastic touch by Raven, a scintillating move and an impressive finish by Doran. And after the first goal we began to - from my perspective - started to be too feckin cocky and sprinkled with a fair degree of feckin showboating which was a big NO NO fer me. We simply underestimated Partick and payed the price. NO - Graeme Shinnie - when you are playing against a player who clearly has a favoured left foot - you do not allow him to glide inside you. NO - Gary Warren and Josh Meekings - You pick your marker for any dead ball situation and you stick to it. nO you feckin do not stand off. NO - Ryan Christie - you do not drift back in to your own half to pick up the ball and try to hurry things up. NO - Greg Tansey - you do not play as the deep midfielder when you have limited options in front of you and NO - Gary Warren - you do not give away needless penalties with amateur tackles. So YES there were positives and NO we should not be so cocky again this season and YES we can learn lessons and YEs we can improve. BUT the biggest single worry fer me is that Billy McKay is looking like a feckin Alex Salmond in a promising set up. what the feck has happened to him ? To me his head has gone down and he is a shadow of what he was and could be. He simply looks feckin pished off with the manner in which he is being played, he looked a forlorn figure at times yesterday, with little if any support and bereft of movement around him. Tansey, Christie and Doran were simply far, far, far too deep. I will give my MOM to Dean Brill who created our goal, saved a penalty and, in the end saved our goal difference from a bashing, Raven and Shinnie were solid - apart from the first goal which Shinnie did learn from. Warren was commanding but fecked up twice. Meekings too looked solid. We really missed Draper who got a knock when he was booked and possibly should have been hooked earlier. Tansey played far too deep and we looked to him too often but again we should learn from that, Doran to me is still not fit. Watkins has the look of being a new Barry - either Wilson or Robson. Christie annoyed the feckin shitt out of me and I would have hooked him a lot earlier and totally hol licked him, there is NO I in team - but he is a considerable talent and will learn - or YES be feckin told. And I have said it all about wee Billy - who like the team needs a supporting forward and a Plan B which was needed yesterday but was it available - NO - and that is a big worry. But YES - that lesson was probably needed and YES we will benefit from the experience - and let us hope it begins to show on Tuesday when we will not think that all we have to do is to turn up and look pretty, And NO I do not have a vote and NO I will not go into my politics and YES I will be happy when the referendum is over and NO I ain't going back to the Lansdowne Bar unless I am taking Kylie Minogue to the next Plastic Whistle away day.

Ended up choosing Hurlford, thought the odds were still pretty decent for them. Auchinleck Hurlford Formartine Utd Wick Bo'ness Sadly it was Wick that let me down even though they were 1-0 up. No real surprises today. All Junior sides done well with Culter and Banks O'dee proving they are more than capable of playing in the HL. I'm calling for them to open up the trap door in the HL and let in the North Juniors.

These International breaks never seem to do us any good.

Here's a wee report for you. Afraid there's not much to enthuse over from an Inverness point of view, but this was a very good Hearts side. Trounced An impressive Hearts side trounced a youthful Inverness eleven in this Development League game. El Hassnaoui opened the scoring for Hearts early in the game with a thirty yard free kick. Almost number two five minutes later as a wicked deflection saw Esson stranded but the ball rebounded off the crossbar and the follow up shot was fired low across the face of the goal. It was clear to see that the youth side were trying to employ the same ball retention as the first X1 and most balls out of defence went through the only experienced outfielder for Inverness, Danny Devine. However, like the first team, this style will take a bit of time to materialise and too often Inverness gave the ball away as the Heart's midfield took control. A melee in the Inverness box almost resulted in Hearts doubling their advantage but the ball was hacked away for a corner as Inverness were starting to get pinned down Just after the half hour and Buchanan makes it 0-2 for Hearts. Inverness once more tamely lost possession in the centre of the pitch. Hearts burst forward on the left and a ball laid back across the box was hit first time from around fifteen yards high past Esson for a cracking goal. Inverness responded with a massive kick from Esson causing problems in the Hearts defence before Ferguson (I think) was blocked, the ball going for a corner. Number three came along before the break and El Hassnaoui had a simple tap in after Inverness never learned from their harsh lesson of giving the ball away. Another run down the left and a ball into the big number 10 who finished with ease. 3-0 down at the break and Inverness struck after four minutes when Ferguson finished off a great team move from back to front by rifling the ball into the net from 12 yards for a superb goal. Danny Devine was unfortunate with a 25 yard free kick a few minutes later which bounced back off the foot of the post. However, it was Hearts who were dominating the game and a diving header was blocked at point blank range by Esson, touching the ball onto the post and away to safety. Hearts were well in the driving seat and a great run down the left was halted at the expense of another corner. El Hassnaoui and Robinson combined well and the latter fired his effort across Esson when he should have done better. Esson saved again as he tipped a fierce shot from Scott over the bar and the Hearts procession continued with Esson saving a weak shot when the Jambo's striker should have done better. A rare foray forward from Inverness saw the Hearts keeper having to dive out to smother a dangerous cut-back inside the six yard box but still, it was Hearts that looked likeliest to add to their total. Esson to the rescue once more as he tipped a great shot onto the bar and over for a corner as the one way traffic continued, and soon he was in action again to block with his feet as the Hearts winger broke into the box. The Esson show continued right to the end as he dived to save another effort from distance, the ball almost squirming over the line but Ryan was alert enough to gather the ball calmly. No more scoring as the game ended with Inverness on the back foot and Hearts running out deserved winners. Positives I hear you say! Well, Esson will be a great replacement for Brill should he get injured and Ferguson took his goal well at the end of a slick move. Apart from that, not too much to have the first eleven quaking in their predators. Danny Devine was well involved and seemed to come through the game in one piece. Hearts looked to be a much stronger side than Inverness and their experienced players ran the show as they deservedly won the game. Ryan Esson was the big highlight for Inverness keeping the score in single figures with a string of excellent saves. Oh, nearly forgot, is it Blackett that's the doppelgänger for Aaron Doran? ICT X1: Esson, Maclennan, Howarth, Baptie, Brown, Horner, Wilson, Devine, Ferguson, Blackett, Sutherland Subs: Hoban, Hull, MacArthur, Macrae HMFC XI: Brown, Smith, Eckersley, Bauben, Mckay, McKirdy, Scott, Robinson, Buchanan, El Hassnaoui, Beith Subs: Mason, Flanagan, Smith, Roy, Page

Too short notice for many. It happens every season though and not for the benefit of the locally based fans either.