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Weather Permitting... The Spiders will be back a week and a bit on from the no scoring Championship draw at the Caledonian Stadium. Not too much has changed within either camp although plenty has changed weather wise. There had been nearly a foot of snow dumped across the area since Monday into Tuesday over a week ago. That caused the original tie to be called off. Conditions have improved since then but there is a strong wind warning in force from this Tuesday night into Wednesday. The prize for the winner is an away tie at Livingston. The League game was as entertaining a goalless encounter as you will see with plenty of chances and big saves at both ends. However, this week it's Scottish Cup action. It's nearly eight years since the Caley Jags lifted the trophy. Spare a thought for Spiders fans, their last success in this competition was 1893, although they have won it 10 times: 1874, 1875, 1876, 1880, 1881, 1882, 1884, 1886, 1890, 1893. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Match Info/Tickets ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Mind you, plenty has changed over the last 150 years, although there was a lot of scurrilous goings on back in the day including Vale of Leven refusing to turn up for the final in 1884. Even the 1993 final had controversy surrounding it. I wonder why they never told anyone until half the game had been played. Final: 25 February 1893 (see Wiki links) Celtic 1 – 0 Queen's Park Towie Ibrox Park, Govan Attendance: 30,000 Referee: R. F. Harrison Match declared void due to frozen pitch (decided pre-match after inspection, but not announced to spectators until the second half) What, no undersoil heating? Cup Final replay (11th March 1983) From Wikipedia Queen's Park 2 – 1 Celtic Sellar Blessington Ibrox Park, Govan Attendance: 15,000 Referee: R. F. Harrison The winning goal was believed by some observers not to have fully entered the goal before being cleared, and Celtic protested but the score stood. Although their use would not have resolved that particular incident, this controversy and debate led to goal nets being introduced in the latter stages of the Scottish Cup from then on. Same old Celtic, always greeting I'm told Mantis and Gringo were at that replay. Anyway, nostalgia is great, but let's get back to the future>>> Last Time Out Inverness came from behind twice to earn a point at Raith Rovers. Not a great spectacle in the first half where Rovers went ahead when a Vaughan shot from near thirty yards caught out Ridgers who seemed to be wrong footed as the ball bounced into the net. A tidy move saw Billy Mckay feed Jay Henderson to rifle the ball home from outside the corner of the six yard box just after the interval. Rovers went ahead again when Aidan Connolly shot round Ridgers into the bottom of the net for another seemingly loose strike but a tremendous early run and head glance saw Mckay level the game from a Sean Welsh free kick. Queens Park got a sharp lesson at Dundee as the hosts scored three goals in a twenty minute period in the second half to run away with the points. Interestingly enough, only since Euan Henderson entered the game. The recent Championship draw was an entertaining affair with chances aplenty. More of the same would make for an entertaining game, if we could just add some goals to that all will be well. Latest Team News 2023 Billy Dodds has seen Nathan Shaw, Sean Welsh and Zak Delaney, return in recent weeks. However we have lost Max Ram for around a month. Scott Allardice and Cammy Harper returned to the squad at Raith Rovers on Saturday with Allardice getting nearly half an hour and Harper made his 100th appearance in a final ten minute cameo at the end. Austin Samuels still nowhere to be seen as the plot thickens. The Spiders may well be along the same lines as their Dundee defeat and Manager Owen Coyle has added a late arrival as the transfer deadline window drew to a close. He has secured the loan of Euan Henderson the 22 year old attacking left winger from Hearts who joined Queens on 27th January and came off the bench in the 3-0 defeat at Dens Park. It was 0-0 at the time...