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Warriors head North Second top Stenhousemuir come North to face the Caley Jags in this re-arranged fixture on Tuesday night, 11th of March. Kick off is 7:45pm and you can get to the Stadium on the Footie Bus at 17:45 or 19:00 from the bus station in the centre of the City. Bar94 will open from 17:30. We are now into phase 4 of the League season and the only team we play twice in the run-in is Stenhousemuir. The only team we don't meet again is Dumbarton. After beating Dumbarton on Saturday and Stenhousemuir beating Annan, we have now crawled out of the relegation play-off zone for the first time since we entered administration. Great achievement by Scott Kellacher and his mostly young side and this has not gone unnoticed by the fans. Kellacher has gone on record as stating that the home games will be crucial over the next few weeks with five out of the nine games remaining played at the Caledonian Stadium starting with this one on Tuesday night. Of these five sides only Arbroath play on grass. That will be his focus as the season reaches boiling point. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Match/Ticket/Bus/Bar94/Info ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Venue H2H Pld Won Drn Lst For Agst + / - Home 4 3 1 0 11 3 +8 Away 6 4 1 1 11 5 +6 Neutral 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Total 10 7 2 1 22 8 +14 Only the ten competitive matches against Stenhousemuir and this is the third one this season. We first crossed swords with the Warriors in a Scottish Cup tie in 1996 when we recorded a narrow one goal win, going on to play Rangers in the next round. A tremendous victory for the Inverness side and a place in the last 8 of the cup. We 'scored' in 2 minutes through Thomson but Christie was offside. After that their defence had to withstand tremendous pressure. Mathieson was a real handful and he came close on 3 occasions - chances also fell to Brannigan, Sprott, Roseburgh, Aitken & Bannon. Caley Thistles only other first half chance was a shot from Thomson in 15 minutes but it went past. In the second half Caley Thistle took control and in 53 minutes Thomson was unlucky when his 25 yard shot was tipped over. In 60 minutes Stewart beat the offside trap but keeper McKenzie came off his line well. 2 minutes later a great shot from 18 yards by Christie was held by McKenzie. On 75 minutes Teasdale set off on a run down the right wing and sent a low cross to Brian Thomson just outside the penalty area - his shot into the corner was unstoppable. With a minute to go Stenhousemuir had the ball in the net but it was chalked off. Caley Thistle held out for a famous victory and the prospect of Rangers at home in the next round. ***We did of course play Rangers at Tannadice going down 3-0 in the Quarter Finals. Starting XI McKenzie Sprott Bannon Armstrong Brannigan Roseburgh Aitken Fisher Mathieson Hutchison Little Jim Calder Mike Noble Richard Hastings Iain MacArthur John Scott Graeme Bennett Charlie Christie Mike Teasdale Alan Hercher Iain Stewart 75mins Brian Thomson Subs Haddow Hunter Scott Dave McGinlay Davie Ross Colin Mitchell 2024 Dec 21st League (League 1) 1 - 0 A 719 Sep 28th League (League 1) 0 - 0 H 1,601 2012 Sep 25th League Cup (Rd 3) p 1 - 1 A 705 1999 Jul 31st League Cup (Round 1) 3 - 1 A 534 1998 Apr 11th League 2 - 1 H 1,414 Feb 28th League 3 - 0 A 463 1997 Nov 8th League 4 - 1 H 1,669 Aug 30th League 2 - 3 A 400 Aug 2nd League Cup (Rd 1) 5 - 1 H 1,735 1996 Feb 17th Scottish Cup (Rd 4) 1 - 0 A 2,300 INVERNESS CT The Season So Far D L D D W D D D L / W L(11)D W W W L W L W W L W W L W D W / ? 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 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 last week and we went down losing three without reply. The Stenhousemuir fixture was postponed and is 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 Saturday with Alfie Bavidge scoring his 6th goal in 9 games and that takes us back home to face Stenhousemuir on Tuesday night in the first of our final nine fixtures with another two home games to follow. Scott Kellacher will be without Luis Longstaff who has a hamstring injury and missed the game at Dumbarton. Ben Brannan came into the starting XI and did well, helping set up the late winner with his ball into Charlie Gilmour. Brannan went to right back which allowed Keith Bray to take up Longstaff's role. Kellacher has said we have one or two other niggles. Hardly surprising given the state of the surface at Dumbarton after heavy rain during the Arbroath fixture and only a couple of days to get the body back to manageable levels. Team Pld Gd Pts 1 Arbroath 28 17 52 2 Stenny 27 15 47 3 Cove 27 14 44 4 Alloa Ath 28 6 40 5 Kelty Hearts 27 4 35 6 Queen of Sth 28 -6 35 7 Montrose 28 -7 32 8 Inverness CT 27 2 29 9 Annan Ath 28 -24 27 10 Dumbarton 28 -21 0 Warriors Last Six: L W W W W W The best run in the League at the moment, winning their last five on the bounce. They started with a crushing 4-0 defeat at home to Cove Rangers. They bounced back winning the next five starting with a 3-0 win at Montrose. Next was a 2-1 home win over Queen of the South then a 2-0 home win in the top of the table clash against Arbroath. A 3-1 win at Dumbarton and a 2-0 win at Annan sets them up nicely for their third away fixture on the trot at the Caledonian Stadium. Corey O'Donnell is top scorer with nine League goals. Blair Alston has seven. It's been a good season so far for Stenhousemuir and in the first game at the Caledonian Stadium back in September it was a no scoring draw. We nicked the return fixture in December with a 1-0 win thanks to a late Charlie Gilmour strike when he nicked the goal off Paul Allan. Some unusual 'facts' on wikipedia: In 1890, the Warriors moved to Ochilview Park following spells at Tryst Park and Goschen Park. In the early 20th century the club had a brief spell of success, winning the Scottish Qualifying Cup twice in 1901 and 1902. In 1902–03, the club reached the Scottish Cup semi-final, losing 1–4 at home to Rangers. The 1921–22 season saw Stenhousemuir compete for the first time in senior Scottish League Football. In 1925–26, Stenhousemuir goalkeeper Joe Shortt was offered a £50 bribe to throw a match against Broxburn United, but he rejected the offer and the Warriors won the match 6–2. A bookmaker from the Bainsford district of Falkirk, was subsequently jailed for attempted match fixing. In 1928, the wooden grandstand at Ochilview Park burnt down in a fire , which led to a new stand being built in its place, although staircases reputedly had to be added later due to planning errors (was Scot Gardiner in charge). The 1936–37 season saw the club register a record victory – a 9–2 home win against Dundee United. More than a decade later in 1949–50, a Scottish Cup quarter-final tie against East Fife drew a record crowd of 12,525 – the highest ever at Ochilview Park. On 7 November 1951, the first floodlit game between two Scottish senior teams occurred at Ochilview Park, a friendly match between Stenhousemuir and Hibernian. The floodlights had been paid for three years earlier by Tommy Douglas, a butcher in King Street, Stenhousemuir.

And it's obviously working. After all, everyone went mental after Alfie scored on Saturday!

Simply fabulous night at the ground. Weird feeling at the outset with the late late kick off. Stenny were no mugs and looked dangerous on more than a few attacks. I wobbled a bit when Alfie B went off, but in reality the team gelled and played better when Billy came on. His experience was invaluable. Got to give him credit here as I thought this was as good as I have seen him this season. Second half was superb with a great football match and even better score line and result. Roll on Saturday! bc

What a brilliant weekend away that was! Got to Dumbarton from London Gatwick good and early [early enough to have breakfast in MacDonalds!] ...then took in the Scottish Maritime Museum [where a delightful lady told me all the history about the shipyard and Denny boat testing tank], a walk up the coast past the ground to the Castle [where an equally delightful lady took me around the castle and told me a great story about Robert the Bruce's heart!]... Enjoyed a drink in the bar, with a Manchester City supporter ticking off another Scottish football ground Anyway.... Always thought this was going to be a gritty match, the pitch hardly helped, it seemed almost impossible to play a true ball [esp for poor old Nolan!]. Generally we were much the better side, especially in the first half, yet Dumbarton had the more dangerous chances [in the second half], Dibaga and the bar saved us a couple of times, which made the last 10mins decidely nervy especially with Dumbarton winning late corners. But in the end Bavidge came up trumps and I experienced 'limbs' as everyone went bonkers with delight. It was lovely to share the full time celebrations with the team...and what a great turnout from our fans. Well done everybody Playing Brannan at the back to allow Bray to play further forward helped mitigate the absence of Longstaff. I must say we did very well to get Savage last year and Dibaga/Allan this, and Gilmour really is becoming a worthy successor to some quality midfielders we have had in the past...and obviously the signing of Bavidge is the one that saves our season [unless things go strangely awry] To cap off a great weekend both Palace & Sutton United won, I got upgraded at my hotel, and had the entire row to myself on my plane back home....A weekend of football doesn't get much better than that [other than winning the Cup]

We are now within 8 points of Alloa.............................haven't felt so positive since goodness knows when.

Just following on from above postings, the mindset has changed! We are no longer a team fighting a cause of recovering from a 15 point deduction to get above the relegation slots. We now need to change the mindset to not get dragged back into 9th place (Dumbarton are down IMO). Be interesting to see how we cope (team and fans) being in this place now! I’ll be there hoping for three points but will not complain about coming away with a draw tonight! bc

They are on a good run but we’ve been grinding out results. I’m sure the players will be grounded and we’ll get something from the game. To be honest, I’d take a point as long as we beat Annan on Saturday, particularly if we have players with niggly knocks. It would be wise to let them recover so we have our strongest squad for Saturday.

Sounds ideal Eagle. I always enjoy reading of your journeys and weekends away. You are a credit to the club support with your massive efforts to attend and Im glad you returned home having witnessed a victory.

Prior to this match Stenny had League 1’s lowest number of goals conceded. That honour now sits with us.

Really enjoyed that! It’s a long time since we’ve turned a team over at home, and Stenny were no mugs, particularly in a pretty even first half. If you weren’t there you missed some great goals and some very good play with a positive approach. Look out for Mckay’s clever assist for Allan in the highlights. The two early second half goals knocked the stuffing out of Stenny. Musa’s penalty save in stoppage time was the icing on the cake. I hope Bavidge is ok for Saturday. Picks for me were Allan, Brannan and Bray, not forgetting Dibaga. Roll on Saturday!

Don't think his injury was too bad. He looked as if he wanted to play on.

What a game and what a result. We've ground out a couple games recently but the team were on top for most of tonight's match and fully deserving of the win. 4 goals and 4 different scorers is great as well with Musa ensuring Stennie didn't take the shine off at the end by saving the penalty. Bavidge injury didn't look too bad and hoping his early removal was more precautionary than necessary. Need everyone to remain grounded going in to Saturday. While we should be looking ahead at the next team we also need to be mindful of the gap behind us. What we're doing is working and I'd hate to see us go gung ho and risk undoing the hard work so far. Isn't it incredible how a great game and result can ward off the cold. Gloves back on now for the rest of my walk home.

BBC match stats show Stenny had more shots on target than us, including the penalty, but Musa saved them all! MOTM?

What a result! Well done lads. I was nervous about this one pre match but the team have done us proud. Play offs not out of the question. Onwards and upwards

Don’t want to get carried away (still about 20 minutes to play after all) but it’s hard not to with the imminent prospect of going from 9th to 7th in a few days… …with Cove putting 4 past Kelty it completely changes the goal difference. Three points behind both Kelty and QotS with a way better goal difference it’s hard not to feel confident about chasing down Alloa for that playoff spot. Looks like we’re about to achieve our second target by overhauling Montrose so let’s get after that next pair now - haven’t felt a buzz like this for a long time!

…and Paul Allan on 51’ 4-1 maybe you can risk a peek at the table now Mee

I think you can do it now.......................4 -1

Longstaff out. Mckay benched. Brannan starts. MacLeod starts. Yates Aitken O'Reilly All start.

The issue is resolved so business as usual.

I’m not sure if there is any truth in it but like you say another knock to the academy players if true. I’m starting to think is it worth having a youth system? Even Ferguson gave Macleod and Walker starts and both looked very promising but the current coaching staff don’t seem to have much faith in the youth players.

At least he is a local boy, if you don't count crystal Palace or america. Its been said on here before it was time to start trawling the highland league again. Another knock to our academy boys looking for a contract though. Forres Mechanics FC are delighted to announce the signing of 25-year old midfielder Jordan Alonge from Rothes FC on a 2-year deal – subject to SFA approval. Jordan began his footballing career in the academy at Crystal Palace, before earning a scholarship in the U.S. where he played at the highest level in the NCAA division 1. Jordan has impressed in his short time with Rothes, and we couldn’t be happier to have added him to our squad.

Not something to worry about until the club are in a position to be able to do anything about it. Totally out of our hands.

Saw somewhere that Don McNaughton had been doing some work at the club so there is definitely focus being given to the mental side of the game.

Remember that Bar 94 opens at 1730 and is open after the match until 2245. Buses are operating from the Bus Station at 1745 and 1900, returning 10 minutes after the full time whistle and then at 2245. Its our first midweek game since the bar was refurbished and the improved bus service started, and it will be good if we can see both being well used.

The toughest challenge will be not getting over confident after moving out of the bottom two but the manager has been doing a great job of keep things real and I'd expect that to continue. Looking forward to an evening game under the lights on home soil. We don't do enough of them.

Following our Board Meeting last week, we have issued an update to our members, which is available to all fans. We have posted it in the Supporters Trust Forum, and you can access it here: https://caleythistleonline.com/topic/36668-update-to-members-march-2025/

Following the Fans Meeting on 1 March and our March Board Meeting last week, we issued this update to our members over the weekend: https://www.ictsupporterstrust.org/post/update-to-members-march-2025 It includes a link to the summary of the Fans Meeting, along with updates from the Board Meeting, including bar and bus information for tomorrow night's match. If you are not yet a member of the Trust, joining is easy (and only £5 or £1 for under 16s): https://www.ictsupporterstrust.org/join-us