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No, I'm retired too

No Hiding Place   It's Play-Off time:  There's no hiding place now as we enter the first leg of the Premiership Play-Offs at Firhill to take on fourth place Championship finishers Partick Thistle. After a Championship campaign that saw more ups and downs than fair fortnight on the Big Dipper at Blackpool Pleasure Beach, it's now crunch time for all the Premiership contenders. Arbroath await the winners of this two-leg tie after they fell just two points short of automatic promotion with Killie making the step up. What a season for Dick Campbell and his Smokies though. However, it's one game at a time and let's see how far that will take us. TUESDAY - MATCH/TICKET/SUPPORTERS INFO SUPPORTERS BUS 07462218717 FRIDAY - MATCH/TICKET/HOSPITALITY INFO We come into the play-offs on the back of a resounding 4-0 win over Hamilton Accies in the final game of the regular campaign. With one or two rested, it was a great opportunity for others to stake a claim for a start in this important finale to the season. Not much was anticipated ahead of that game with Accies also a bit understrength, but Inverness blew Accies away with a four goal first half blitz. Gone were the long hopeful punts forward to be replaced by slick interplay and incisive passing and clinical finishing. A joy to behold at times as we bemused hapless Hamilton. Tremendous team goals from Walsh (2), Sutherland and a first for wee Joe Hardy enabled us to cruise through the second half without getting out of second gear.  Partick also rested players ahead of this one but they were turned over 3-1 by Ayr United. Expect them to be at full strength though when we visit as thorns in our side Brian Graham and Scott Tiffoney missed out at Somerset Park. Venue H2H v Partick (all) Pld Won Drn Lst For Agst + / - Home 22 9 6 7 36 33 +3 Away 21 5 6 10 21 29 -8 Neutral 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Total 43 14 12 17 57 62 -5   One win apiece and two draws is the tale of the tape this season. CTO Sep11th 3-1: After a difficult first half, Inverness ran out comfortable winners against Partick Thistle in a second half goal blitz. The visitors dominated the first forty-five and Scott Tiffoney drilled the opener out of nothing as the defence backed off. Manny Duku was denied by a combination of keeper and post but it was Partick that should have scored a second, however Mark Ridgers did well to deny Brian Graham. Harsh talking at the break saw Inverness come out for the second half with the bit between the teeth and Kirk Broadfoot was the unlikely hero as his twenty yard shot evaded the outstretched fingertips of the keeper to level the score. Shane Sutherland did well to drill in the second from an angle after the keeper fluffed his lines allowing Shane to slot in from twenty yards. The third was a peach as Duku stepped over the ball and Aaron Doran fired high into the net for a brilliant goal and game over. That's five wins out of five and the run goes on... CTO Oct30th: Caley Jags pay the penalty 0-0:  Partick Thistle survived to earn a point after the woodwork saved them twice and keeper Jamie Sneddon denied Sean Welsh from the spot after guessing the right way. Inverness were well on top but it's only a point which means Killie pull further away at the top. Performance of the day was from Arbroath who came from two down to beat Dunfermline Athletic 4-2. CTO Feb9th: Late Leveller 3-3:  Partick Thistle struck early to add to our gloom through Brian Graham but Billy Mckay squared the game after twenty minutes with a close range finish from a Carson cross. Graham scored his second with a header soon after, Scott Tiffoney once again the provider and he almost scored one for himself but for a fine save from Ridgers. Shane Sutherland equalised just on the interval with a header from a McAlear corner. With twenty minutes left Deas conceded a stone wall penalty and Graham notched his hat-trick. Substitute Cammy Harper drove into the box but Sneddon blocked his shot and moments later Pearson appeared to hit the bar with an angled drive from twelve yards and Mckay rolled one past the post. We got the draw with the last head of the ball deep into stoppage time when Broadfoot headed in a cross from McAlear. CTO Mar4th: The slide goes on: 1-0  On a pitch resembling the aftermath of the battle of the Somme, Inverness blew any lingering hopes of promotion with another unacceptable performance at Firhill. Billy Dodds keeps telling us that training is going well. Stats will show something like nineteen shots with only one on target. What the hell do we actually practice? On the plus side, a cut and paste of his post match report will suffice as it's been the same story for almost three months now. Absolutely abysmal, the lifeblood seems to have been sucked right out of the whole team, management and long suffering support. Kevin Holt scored the only goal in the 85th minute after a low corner was driven through a ruck of bodies in the penalty box into the centre of the goal. Game over, season over and surely Dodds over and out! Apologies to Dodds and the team  we have managed to turn it round again and here we are, ready for the play-offs, but that 11 match run was a nightmare. ***Dates for your diary*** CINCH PREMIERSHIP PLAY-OFFS Tuesday May 3 Quarter-final, 1st leg  Partick Thistle v Inverness CT Live on BBC Scotland, kick-off 7.05pm Friday May 6 Quarter-final, 2nd leg Inverness CT v Partick Thistle Live on BBC Scotland, kick-off 7.45pm Latest Team News Scott Allardice is the one long term casualty and Wallace Duffy took a knock in midweek against Hamilton. Some legs were spared in midweek but I would be expecting them to feature in the play-off games.  Brian Graham and Scott Tiffoney missed the loss to Ayr United but will be important players for Partick in these games. Fans Player of the Year David Carson    Some of these would be much appreciated     View full article

Over the 2 legs we need to prove ourselves just a bit more sharp and thorny of the 2 Thistles.

Picking this thread up but focussing on his football after his recent performances and him winning the Players’ Player of the Season Award last night. He seems to have gone from strength to strength in the wide right role. His effort can never be faulted and he seldom gives possession away. Looking at the BBC stats, which exclude Challenge Cup games, he is our highest scorer (11) and has had the most assists (6). I know Mckay’s 5 Challenge Cup goals mean he is our overall top scorer, but Sutherland has played a part in 17 goals this season. He got some criticism during our bad run, but has come through that strongly and, in my opinion, his contribution is under rated by many fans. I’m not sure when his contract expires (was the extension he signed just for this season?). If he is out of contract this summer, I hope we are speaking to him about an extension.

It appears that Hamilton were not quite as concerned about maintaining the gap over Morton as you were.