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Down to the last five league games starting with the visit of Arbroath on Tuesday night for a 7:45pm kick-off. That's two of the current form teams clashing, somethings going to give. After successive victories over Partick, Morton and Raith Rovers, we have brought our own fate back into our own hands with a late run. It's still a big ask, but win our remaining games and we will be in the play-offs. Who saw that coming a month ago? Mind you, we still have to play Hamilton, and that gives me the fear.

Up to 5th: Jay Henderson was deemed fit enough to start but Danny Devine only made the bench. Wallace Duffy and Roddy MacGregor missed out again. That made it the same starting XI that won at Cappielow. Raith had a sparse bench with only three outfield players, but their starting XI still carried plenty of threats, making four changes from the side that lost to Hamilton in midweek. With Partick thrashing Queens Park last night this was a must win for both sides. In the end it was first half goals from Henderson and Shaw that gave Inverness all three points.

Raith Rovers head North this Saturday for a 3:00pm kick-off at the Caledonian Stadium looking for their first win over the Caley Jags since October 28th, 2000. Yes, it really is that long since they beat us over ninety minutes. Once upon a time, Raith were one of the benchmarks for a rising Inverness Caledonian Thistle. Since we started beating them there has been no going back. However, there are no easy points at this stage of the season and this amazing run will come to an end one year, Let's hope it's not this Saturday. If this is not seen as a must win game, then it's certainly in the category of must not lose, and that applies to both teams.

Vital three points at Morton: Robbie Muirhead had a shot blocked by Zak Delaney and with five minutes left he hit the bar with a long range free kick from around 38 yards. Some strike and a let off for the Caley Jags. After that break, David Carson popped up with the winner in the 88th minute to take a valuable three points North. Nathan Shaw did well to win the ball in his own half before sending a long diagonal ball forward that was helped onto Carson by Boyd for the wee man to finish well from inside the box after a great run forward.

That win moves us to within a point of fifth placed Morton.

With only seven games left to salvage something from an error strewn season, we go searching for that elusive three points from Morton, something we have yet to achieve this season. Two wins and a draw so far against Dougie Imrie's team. The 4-0 loss at Cappielow at the end of October prompted the start of 'Ridgersgate'. How ridiculous does that look now given Mark's stunning performance last Friday in the ten man win over Partick Thistle. Not one of Billy Dodds' better decisions made in the heat of battle as Morton cuffed us and resigned Mark to the naughty step at half time and over the next seven games until Partick put five past Cammy on Xmas Eve. That period saw us win two points from a possible fifteen. It's just as well they don't do that to managers as Doddsy would have been sitting in the stand for months. However, all has hopefully been forgiven and Mark produced the performance of the season on telly to remove any lingering doubts about his ability. 

Ten Man Inverness beat Partick Thistle: Mark Ridgers was MotM with a confident display including one absolutely superb save from Brian Graham in the first half, and when the backs were against the wall he commanded his area taking the pressure off his overworked defenders. Welsh red card looked to be harsh, not heard the last of that yet. Tremendous workrate by everyone who blocked Partick time after time in a desperate second half.

Yay, It's a home game: It's five games since we last played at home in the Championship and that one never went well, a 0-3 loss to Hamilton Accies. In fact our League form has been abysmal over the last 19 games as we have only managed a mere sixteen points from a possible fifty seven. That's a poor return in any language. 28%. These statistics have not gone unnoticed by the long suffering Caley Jags fans who have seen their club plunge deeper into trouble on and off the field. I'm sure Billy Dodds will be grateful for the second chance in the Scottish Cup, but is that simply papering over the cracks? Friday nights visitors at 7:45pm have already pumped us 4-1 and 5-1 this season although we did win the home game 1-0. However, that was not good enough for the Partick board and Ian McCall was relieved of his duties in February as Partick fell off the pace slightly and Kris Doolan has replaced him to good effect. Looks like the jobs for boys pact at Inverness is alive and kicking though and despite protestations from many quarters, Billy Dodds is still hanging on by a thread as we look set for another season in the Championship with a Premiership play-off place looking highly unlikely if not virtually impossible.

Euan Henderson Appreciation Encounter: After the heroics of the Scottish Cup win over Kilmarnock and the anticipation of the semi-final draw for Hampden Park it's back down to earth with a bang and a trip to Ochilview Park to take on league leaders Queens Park in the Championship. Queens will be hurting after beating Inverness on the park in the Scottish Cup, but off the park it was Inverness that progressed and subsequently went on to dispose of Livingston and Kilmarnock to reach the semi-finals of the Cup. If only, if only.... Anyway, it's back to league business and this is another tough game on Saturday with kick-off due at 3:00pm. The Spiders might find us better equipped this time round as injured players return and our bench fills up. Could be a bit of a grudge match to add some extra spice to the occasion. Thanks Euan.

Scottish Cup Semi Final - Fixture Details and Ticket Prices confirmed

Our Scottish Cup Semi Final against Falkirk will take place on Saturday 29th April at Hampden Park with a 12.15pm kick-off. 

Full Info  https://ictfc.com/scottish-cup-semi-final-fixture-details-and-ticket-prices-confirmed


Inverness Caledonian Thistle Support

·       South Stand Lower Section I                Adults £38        Over 65 / Under-16 £18

·       North Stand Section D                         Adults £38        Over 65 / Under-16 £18

·       East Stand Section F                             Adults £28        Over 65 / Under-16 £13

·       North Stand Wheelchair Users             Adults £20        Over 65 / Under-16 £10

·       South Stand Wheelchair Users             Adults £15        Over 65 / Under-16 £8

ICT Season Ticket holders will have priority once the on-sale date is confirmed and general sale dates will be announced at the same time.

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Rangers v Celtic -----------Sunday @ 13:30

What a performance from the Caley Jags. Heroes to a man and well deserving of their trip to Hampden again. For me, Scott Allardice was tremendous with Jay Henderson having a field day in the first half and unlucky not to score at the start of the second. Sean Welsh does likes a strike against Killie from around twenty-seven yards. On another day we might have scored four or five, but for now, two will do. Big shout out for the young team, great noise all night. Come again please.

Well hello again.

We will play the Bairns at Hampden after they beat Ayr United 2-1 to book their spot in the semi-final of the Scottish Cup. The other semi will pair Rangers against Celtic.

🏆 Scottish Cup Semi Final games to take place weekend of 29th & 30th April 2023.

Last time we met at Hampden Graeme Shinnie lifted the Cup for the Caley Jags  after a nailbiting 2-1 win for 10 man Inverness.

Killie Cup Action: It's Scottish Cup quarter final action this weekend when Scotland's second oldest club Kilmarnock come North on Friday night @ 7:45 looking for a place in the semi-finals of the second oldest Cup competition in the world. However, it's the oldest trophy as it's still the original trophy that is up for grabs. At 2ft high the silver trophy was not cheap back in the day, costing £56/13 shillings and was commissioned to Glasgow silversmith George Edwards & Sons. The first ever event started in 1873 and the final in 1874 saw Queens Park beat Clydesdale 2-0 in front of 2,500 fans at the original Hampden Park. Incidentally Kilmarnock played in the first ever Scottish Cup tie, losing 2-0 to Renton in 1873. Standing in their way this season are our very own Caley Jags, Scottish Cup winners in 2015. Kilmarnock have won the Cup three times (1920/29/97). The last time they lifted the Cup in 1997, like us, they also defeated Falkirk in the final. The result was 1-0 at Ibrox in front of 45,000 fans with Paul Wright scoring the only goal.

Inverness got a vital three points on the road against 10 man Ayr United to move up a place in the table as Partick beat Raith Rovers 3-0

On the Road Again: After a battling 1-1 draw at Dundee, we are off on our travels again, this time it's even further afield as we visit Somerset Park, an often fruitful venue over the years. On Saturday, it's a 3:00pm kick off as points become difficult to collect at both ends of the table. Inverness are still bottom of the recent form table with only 4 points from a possible 18. Ayr have faltered recently but have 8 points from their last 6 games. Talismanic striker Billy Mckay will return after being red carded at Hamilton a fortnight ago. Billy is still seven goals short of being level with Dennis Wyness as our all time record scorer. Reece McAlear is now at Somerset Park but Logan Chalmers' loan spell has ended and the experienced Michael Moffat is at Glenafton. 

Unfortunately events off the park are overtaking events on the park.

Dens Point: A battling performance from the Caley Jags earns a point at Dens Park. That keeps Inverness ahead of the relegation battle with Cove and Hamilton losing and Arbroath drawing with Partick. Queens Park stretch their lead at the top after that 4-1 win at Accies. How do they do it?

Six bookings for Inverness as we defended our lines. Way to go!

The downside for Dodds is the fans have not forgotten how rank rotten we have been lately and chanted his name throughout.

After the poor result at the Caledonian Stadium on Saturday, many fans are asking this question: Do we have to play them again? Unfortunately the answer is yes, and it's only three days after the rubbish we were subject to at the weekend. Hamilton away on Tuesday night is the venue, 7:45pm is the kick-off time. Dodds said after the game that he could "see the life being drained out of his players". For many supporters the enthusiasm is draining from their very souls making it difficult to back the present regime. Only three home wins this season has left Inverness hovering just above the relegation tussle. If things get any worse we will be involved in that tussle. The optimist in me is saying a good run of results could see us scrape into the play-offs at the top end of the table, however that seems a long shot at the moment. Many fans that venture onto the forums are questioning their sanity. Sitting out in the open air on bitterly cold Saturday afternoons watching error strewn frustratingly poor quality football is not encouraging them to splash their hard earned cash on another season ticket. The big talking point is how can we beat Livingston, who are fourth in the Premiership 3-0, then one week later get turned over by the same score by bottom of the Championship Hamilton Accies at home. Something we are getting used to now as we have only two wins in our last eleven games against Accies. Of course we live in eternal hope but even the most ardent of fans will be looking to this game with trepidation rather than anticipation. The only good news from Saturday is that Austin Samuels made a twenty minute appearance, so that's another one ticked off the list. Sutherland, Walsh, Woods, Ram and MacGregor still to make a return.

 After last weeks cup result at Livingston, many were expecting better things. However the Caley Jags have the knack of ruining the weekend with another horror show against a poor Accies side who seem to be able to beat us whenever they want these days. In truth we were the architect of our own downfall with misplaced passes, defence at sixes and sevens and was that really a penalty. Difficult to pick a MotM from that performance but David Carson was one of the few who made himself available all the time and was willing to get forward.

Just when it looks like we might be turning a corner we come up with a performance like that. It defies logic to be honest and even the diehards are wondering why they bother.

Back to Business: After a weekend of Cup action it's back to League duty this weekend as the hunt for points at both ends of the table intensifies. Forget the previous twenty-odd games, the season begins in earnest now with most sides having recruited in the January sales and squads should now be optimised for the last third of the season. For Inverness that's not so much about bringing new players in, it's more about getting injured players back on the park and it was great to see Robbie Deas in the squad at Livingston, a sign that we are slowly getting back to full strength with Scott Allardice and Cammy Harper also having taken part over the last three games. This is a home game on Saturday and is scheduled for a 3:00pm start at the Caledonian Stadium. We then visit Hamilton three days later in a re-arranged fixture from before Xmas on 21st Feb at 19:45.

Top Quotes so far on CTO: Snorbens_Caleyman: One for the historians - has anyone ever won the cup after being knocked out of it? 😂
CaleyCanary: Well my gast is well and truly flabbered! Don't know where that came from, don’t really care where it came from, was not expecting anything like this result. A huge well done to everyone, definitely one to add to our classics. 

Championship Player of the Month for January Billy Mckay scored two superb goals against Livingston in the Scottish Cup today and was MotM. Billy is now on 94 goals for Inverness and is closing in on Dennis Wyness' all time record of 102 goals. Sean Welsh chipped in with a header to complete the scoring as Inverness go into the Quarter final draw along with Hearts, Ayr United, Kilmarnock, Raith Rovers and Celtic, with two ties still remaining. Rangers v Partick Thistle and Darvel v Falkirk.

Mid Table Ton of Trouble: It's the struggle for mid table supremacy once more as Morton head North where they will fancy their chances against a team they have already beaten home and away this season. Saturday at 3:00pm is the scheduled start for this one with George Oakley likely to be in the Morton line-up. Until fairly recently, we had only ever lost once at home to Morton. How times change, and not for the better. The 4-0 thrashing at Cappielow was one of the low points of this season so far and a sign that all was not right behind closed doors. Add that to the 1-0 loss at the Caledonian Stadium and it's easy to believe that the downward spiral is incoming. Thankfully, we have perked up a bit since 2023 arrived but we are far from the finished article yet.

Outcome in the balance: Queens had new signing Euan Henderson starting in Murray's absence. And that may yet be their downfall. The rules clearly state that a player has to be signed before the date of the original tie. That was 21st of January. Henderson was only signed on the 27th of January and came on as a sub against Dundee in the Championship the following day. In all honesty Queens Park deserved to go through but as they say, thems the rules. Maybe the Spiders will be caught in their own web of deceit. We should find out on Friday who will face Livingston. Either way it's a bloody mess.

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 last time Raith Rovers beat us at Stark's Park, it was jumpers for goalposts, three corners a penalty, Donview and Mantis had cranial hair and Groovejet by Spiller featuring Sophie Ellis Bextor topped the charts. Well, are we still waiting? Yes we are and here's why.

Jamie Gullan saw an early header come off the crossbar as the hosts bossed the early pace of the game. Lewis Vaughan opened the scoring on the half hour after a period of home pressure when the ball fell to him outside the box after a succession of corners and he shot low beyond Ridgers. Inverness would need to up their game if they wanted to preserve that record. Jay Henderson levelled the game shortly after the break scoring from a tight angle. Unfortunately for Inverness Aidan Connolly restored their advantage with an hour gone. Scott Allardice returned to action after months out and after a couple of near things for Raith, Billy Mckay popped up to level the game once more seven minutes from the end with a header from a Sean Welsh free kick. That's how it ended and the wait goes on for Raith Rovers fans.

It seems like forever since Raith Rovers beat Inverness in a League Game. In fact the reality is almost longer than the legend. This Saturday Rovers get another chance to see if they can win all three points as we head to Stark's Park in a Championship encounter that is scheduled for a 3:00pm kick-off. We have an incredible near 23 year record to uphold. Can we continue or will depleted squads eventually take their toll? We missed out because of the weather last week in the Scottish Cup but Raith moved into the next round after beating Linlithgow Rose. in midweek. Mid table supremacy or staying clear of the relegation scrap is up for grabs: Bring it on!

Spiders draw a blank: League Leaders Queens Park came North in fine form to face Inverness who had also started the new year well. Simon Murray had scored four in his last game against Cove; that's 18 for the season, and Billy Mckay had put three past them the week before. Who would come out on top today? All will be revealed at ten to five. A great afternoon for a game of football saw an even first quarter with half chances at both ends. Calum Ferrie denied Billy Mckay with a great save from a close range header as the hosts forced the pace of the game. Aaron Doran lashed a great opportunity to score on the half hour just wide of the target. Ridgers saved at the back post ten minutes before the break as the visitors began to show more intent. As half time approached the game was now more even. H/T 0-0. Ten minutes after the restart Danny Devine blocked Simon Murray and at the other end Ferrie saved well from Billy Mckay, he would save from Mckay again ten minutes later. Plenty of effort and plenty of half chances, but with 18 goals between them over the last two games, alas this one ends goalless.