Scotty

Butcher Butcher what's the score On the park Inverness put the will he won't he enigma to one side and brushed a rudderless Hibs eleven aside with two early goals. Unlikely penalty taker Nick Ross sent his spot kick into the net via the keepers palm after fourteen minutes, but there was nothing iffy about Billy McKay's goal four minutes later as he rounded Williams and stroked the ball into the vacated net from an ever decreasing angle. Graeme Shinnie gave a cluicheadair of the match performance, witnessed on BBC Alba, setting up both goals and his overall play was as good as he has produced on a day where leadership was lacking elsewhere. "Butcher Butcher what's the score" echoed round the stadium as Terry, cloth cap and all enjoyed a bit of hospitality. It was difficult to say if he enjoyed the score as much. Let's just say that whoever takes on the Hibernian job has a massive task on their hands as they looked like a team with no confidence. The full time score of 2-0 flattered the Hibees who could easily have conceded half a dozen or more. It's maybe just as well for them that Hearts started on minus fifteen, but it's not over yet, and here's a thought. The last team that Butcher inherited before the end of a season were relegated. I know, because we were that team. Maurice Malpas was joined in the away dugout by Duncan Shearer as Butcher looked as though he had pulled a sickie, and Jimmy Nicholl looked after the interests of the home plodders, who looked like they would have difficulty scoring in a brothel the longer the game went on. On this evidence, the trams will be up and running before Hibs get any better. Our man at the match was AJS and he is on hand to deliver his scribbling with this composition........................ Football speaks louder than words Its fair to say as an ICT fan I had a dismal week. My phone was glued to my hand, twitter and CTO were on overtime and the constant question of "Is it officially confirmed?" was running through my mind every time I hit refresh. As the speculation carried on into the matchday I simply wanted it all over and done with as the news of our managers impending departure became the worst kept secret of the week. Terry Butcher said he would see out his contract after he nearly left to join Barnsley last season and it now looks likely that he will be confirmed as the new manager of Hibernian on Monday. This has taught me to take anything said by anyone involved in football with a pinch of salt, regardless of who they are. The twist in the tale was that Terry got to see his current side (technically) travel to play his new side (still to officially be confirmed) in a match that saw no manager in the dugout. The question was asked all week who would step in if and when Terry left. I must admit I was a bit surprised to see Maurice in there but the fact he was and the stories being put out in Sunday's papers leads us to think that perhaps his future remains in Inverness...make of that what you want. The reality of it was that the Caley Thistle players still had a job to do. For the 3rd game running it was an unchanged side for the trip to our nations Capital. Graeme Shinnie continuing in his role as the left footed right back while Carl Tremarco recovered from his knock and put in another solid display at left back. The match started with both side looking a bit rigid. It must have been a surreal atmosphere for both sets of players to be playing in with all the hype that had surrounded both clubs during the week and a few shaky moments at the back saw Hibs come close to grabbing the lead. A pass back from Shinnie saw Dean Brill slip on his backside and put the ball out for a corner but again from a pass back came the danger of Hibs going in front when Ross Draper's light pass back saw Deano fly into a 50-50 with Scott Robertson. Fortunately the big stoppers punt came straight of Robertson and out of play with ref Bobby Madden judging Robertson to have fouled Brill as well. ICT began to seize upon the game though and were soon handed an early chance to take the lead. Some fine link up play between Doran and Shinnie saw the ball go out wide to Marley Watkins who's lovely chip pass saw Shinnie latch onto the ball and race into the box before being bundled over by Hibs striker James Collins. Bobby Madden didnt hesitate in pointing to the spot. Nick Ross took responsibility with regular taker James Vincent out injured and struck a powerful spot kick into the keepers right hand corner of the net. Williams got a glove to it but it wasnt enough as the Caley Jags grabbed an early lead. The loyal band of away supporters who had made the journey to Easter road were to be well rewarded as ICT doubled their lead little over four minutes after gaining it. Again it all came from a fine, passing display. Doran and Shinnie passed and moved their way through the pitch before Shinnie's delightful through ball found Billy McKay. Our little striker beat the offside trap, before rounding Williams, riding McGivern's challenge and curling it into the bottom corner of the net to send both the players and the fans into raptures, mental raptures. Just 2 minutes later and it was a whisker away from being 3-0. Nick Ross picked up the ball in midfield and fed it out wide to Doran. The little winger had bags of space and raced into the area. He could have shot himself but he unselfishly squared it to Billy and he would have had a tap in were it not for Alan Maybury's interception. Maybury's vital clearance nearly turned into a massive blunder as he saw the ball rebound of the inside of the post, luckily for him Williams was on hand to gather. The ICT onslaught continued as Graeme Shinnie was seeing plenty of the ball and he also came close to adding to the lead. Foran intercepted the ball in midfield and his lofted pass over the defence found Shinnie on the run. He came close to replicating his goal from last week as he cut inside and curled his shot just wide of the post. Doran also came close with a similar effort. Hibs were struggling to get out of their half as Billy McKay almost doubled his tally in the game. Marley Watkins shrugged off McGivern before cutting the ball back to Shinnie, his shot cannoned off Robertson before falling to McKay but his low effort was well saved by the feet of Williams at his near post. With half time approaching Hibs finally began to see more of the ball but were struggling to create any clear cut opportunities. Robertson and Stevenson both saw efforts fly high and wide while Jordan Forster had what was probably their best effort of the game. Kevin Thomson's corner found Forster at the back post but his downward header fell just wide of the mark. Half Time 0-2 The beginning of the 2nd half saw Hibs enjoy their best spell of the game. They kept the ball well enough but were again relying on set pieces to record any chances of note. Kevin Thomson's sweeping free kick from about 30 yards eluded everyone, including Dean Brill but fortunately for him the ball bounced just past the far post. Rowan Vine was brought on to add some extra firepower to the Hibs front line. He nearly turned provider as his cross almost fell to James Collins. The big striker endured another frustrating afternoon as he found chances hard to come by, were it not for a cracking interception by Shinnie in this case he would have had that great chance he was searching for. As the 2nd Half reached the hour mark Hibs were beginning to run out of ideas and Caley Thistle were trying to sniff out a 3rd goal. The counter attack was proving key as Watkins, Ross and Doran were all finding space and time on the ball. Doran flashed a shot over having cut in and Watkins came close with a header that was scooped up by Williams. Watkins soon had another chance to add to the goals. Ross Draper's pass found Doran on the edge of the area and his smart flick fell to Watkins. He went for the speculative volley but while that flew high and wide the movement in the build up was typical of Caley Thistle's quality play throughout the game. Hibs were chasing the game by this point and more pockets of space were beginning to open up late on. Doran had another speculative effort which flew over and as stoppage time drew in Billy McKay came close again. Ross found Doran out wide and his ball across the face of the goal was met by Billy. He would surely have scored were it not for a well timed interception from Forster. The remainder of the game played out and the final whistle went. The away day crowd were well received as every ICT player came across to the away end to thank and applaud the fans. The Hibs fans by the 90th minute had dispersed as they were left disgruntled by another miserable performance at home. Full Time 0-2 To summarise :- It was a bizarre feeling going into the game not knowing who our manager was going to be by the time the game was on. The main focus for me personally as a fan, was to forget about the events of the past week and get right behind the team put out on the pitch, and it was clear that everyone was of the same mindset. We played our part but the real question was could the players step up without Terry and the answer can safely be said - yes. Football was free flowing, the potential for more goals was strong and the spirit in the team appeared stronger than ever. I fully expect Terry Butcher to be named Hibs manager on Monday and after that the buzz of finding a new manager begins. Whoever comes in will inherit a cracking team that plays great football but can also perform when questions are asked. Regardless of what happens in the coming weeks and months a wind of change is imminent at Caley Thistle. I look forward to it with great interest and anticipation. AJS MotM :- Graeme Shinnie - Foran was solid in midfield while Doran and Ross were industrious going forward but for a man playing on his weaker side and out of position Graeme Shinnie sure has a funny way of showing it and for this he gets my vote. He won the penalty, created Billy's goal with a lovely pass and was unlucky not to score himself with a nice effort. He was a constant threat going forward but he also made some crucial blocks at the back when Hibs were on the ball. Surely a Scotland call up is getting closer... Date: 09.11.2013 Venue: Easter Road, Edinburgh Attendance: 8750 Referee: Bobby Madden Hibernian: 0 Lineup: Williams, Maybury, Forster, Hanlon, McGivern (Vine 46), Robertson, Taiwo (Zoubir 46), Thomson, Stevenson, Collins (Cummings 61), Heffernan Subs (not used): Murdoch, McPake, Cairney, Tudur Jones Scorers: none Booked: Stevenson (56) Sent Off: none Inverness CT: 2 Lineup: Brill, Tremarco, Warren, Meekings, Shinnie, Doran, Draper, Watkins (Polworth 90), Ross, Foran, McKay Subs (not used): Esson, Raven, Devine, Greenhalgh, Pepper, Agdestein Scorers: Ross (pen.14), McKay (18) Booked: none Sent Off: none

Back to winning ways Inverness got back on track despite the Highland weather and moved back to second place in the SPFL with a deserved 2-1 victory over a resurgent Kilmarnock. A deflected Aaron Doran strike after seven minutes put the home side ahead and they looked to be on easy street when Graeme Shinnie rifled in the second in 52 minutes. But Inverness don't do anything the easy way and Darren Barr ensured a nervy finish for the home fans when he neatly tucked away a set piece to bring Killie back into play, but Inverness saw out the last fifteen minutes plus five minutes of added time to keep the points in the Highlands. AJS will have a full report for us after he thaws out and the feeling returns to his limbs. Warming to home comforts in a Highland winter ICT returned to home soil for the 2nd time in 4 days. Fresh as they could be from the 120 minute quarter final match against Dundee United that saw Terry and the boys reach the League Cup semi final for the second time in a row. With that epic encounter out of the way Premier League priorities were back on the agenda as we welcomed Kilmarnock to the Tulloch Caledonian Stadium. Allan Johnston has found his first job in the top flight a rather rough ride so far with his new look side hovering above the relegation area. However back to back 2-0 wins against Ross County and Hearts would have given the Killie boss a bit of promise going into this one as they went searching for their first win in Inverness since 2010. For Big Terry it would have been all about getting points back on the board. A combination of hard luck against Partick and our near neghbours forgetting to change their light bulbs saw us take no points from October. A barren spell without question but both the victory and the reward for it against United in the cup would have given the players the necessary boost going into this one. The starting 11 was unchanged with Graeme Shinnie staying in his unfamiliar role at right back while Marley Watkins and Carl Tremarco made their home league debuts. Amongst Kilmarnock's starting line up were a few recognisable faces. One being Kris Boyd (older and heavier) who has helped himself to several goals against ICT in the past and former Ross County midfielder Michael Gardyne. Also on Killies bench was former ICT stopper and fans favourite Antonio Reguero who returned to Inverness for the first time since leaving the club in the summer. Despite the torrential weather it was quite an open game to begin with. Kilmarnock probably looked the stronger in the opening stages. Keeping the ball well and putting our defence under a bit of pressure. Their first attempt of note fell to Jackson Irvine. Clohessy's deflected cross was headed up by Meekings as opposed to away and Irvine gathered it before attempting the half volley. From about 25 yards he generated plenty of power but his shot was well gathered Brill as it came straight at the big stopper. Despite being on the back foot early on ICT notched themselves an early lead with a combination of good work and the rub of the green. Foran picked out a good pass to Marley Watkins and following a good run down the right he sent the ball in to Billy McKay. His path to goal was well blocked but he held the ball up well before laying it back to Aaron Doran. With time to shoot he didn't hesitate but his effort looked to be heading wide before it clipped off Clohessy to both divert it on target and wrong foot Craig Samson as it rolled into the net. Kilmarnock didnt let up though and Kris Boyd came close to equalizing. Tesselaar took advantage of some slack play from Watkins before making a powerful run through the middle. He laid it out to Boyd who cut inside before unleashing a crisp drive that flew just over the bar with Brill at full stretch. Michael Gardyne was next to have a go for the away side who were enjoying a good spell of the ball. He made a weaving run towards the box with Warren and Meekings watching closely. He was forced onto his weaker right foot and saw his effort sail high over the bar. Dean Brill almost had another moment to forget as his pass out of the box fell straight at the feet of Gardyne but fortunately he could'nt find a way round the big stopper and he soon had Meekings, Warren and Richie Foran back covering. ICT responded to the Killie pressure and nearly doubled the lead in rather bizarre circumstances. Graeme Shinnie flighted in a free kick looking for someone to head it on but with the ball flying high in the air it was caught by the wind, so much so that it had Samson scrambling to his left hand post as it looked likely to drop into the net, fortunately for Kilmarnock's number 1 it fell just wide. With half time drawing near ICT were beginning to see some more of the ball, and Ross Draper, who was the extra time hero during the week had a golden chance to double the advantage going into the break. Some more good work down the right from Watkins saw him get past Tesselaar and eventually lay it back for Draper on the edge of the area. The big man struck it well enough but it flew just over the bar and was straight down the middle, Samson had it covered all the way. Half Time 1-0 With the 2nd half under way ICT soon doubled their advantage much to the delight of a soaked and frozen home crowd. Graeme Shinnie made the most of his new position and following neat one two between himself and Foran he beat his man and cut inside before striking a sweet, left footed effort across Samson and into the bottom corner of the net. Shinnie's first of the season. Ironically Shinnie scored his first ICT goal in a 2-1 win over Kilmarnock 2 seasons ago. ICT seemed to have the better of the second half. Aaron Doran and Billy McKay both had close range efforts that tested Samson's gloves. While Killie were trying from distance with Sammy Clingan's long range effort flying high and wide from about 30 yards. With about 15 minutes left Kilmarnock pulled themselves right back into the game. Sammy Clingan flighted in a free kick which fell right at Darren Barr who struck it wonderfully on the volley and curled it past Brill. His first goal for the club and in some style. ICT's response was almost immediate. A neat exchange between Doran and Shinnie saw the latter put in a wonderful in swinging cross that picked out substitute Danny Williams. He managed to get a decent header on the ball but unfortunately for him with Samson sprawling he saw his effort bounce off the base of the post. With the match drawing to a close Allan Johnston fired on William Gros to add some extra firepower but it was ICT who looked the more likely to score in the closing stages. Aaron Doran tried his luck from distance but his drive flew wide of the mark. Doran then picked out Billy McKay on the wing. Wild Bill endured another frustrating afternoon in front of goal but this was his best chance. He cut in on his weaker side and had a good sight of goal but saw his effort float over as injury time beckoned. The back four soaked up what little pressure Killie offered in the final minutes and the match drew to a close. Full Time 2-1 In summary :- The conditions did not help. High winds and heavy showers are never pleasant but you just have to buckle down and carry on. Our overall play is not as fluent as we would like to see. Part of it I think is down to the box to box presence of James Vincent being absent and the other part is that teams are shoring up defensively to close us down. The fact we can play a game of a scrappy nature and win is in a bizarre way reassuring for me. We can win playing well and win when not quite at our best. Common sign of a top team. As long as we win I'm happy. AJS MotM :- Richie Foran - Was excellent defensively. Mopped up so much at the back and also did all he could to start attacks. The 2nd goal paid tribute to that as it came from a fine move that he started. A great Captains performance. Date: 02.11.2013 Venue: Caledonian Stadium Attendance: 2948 Referee: Steven McLean Inverness CT: 2 Lineup: Brill, Shinnie, Warren, Meekings, Tremarco (Devine 88), Draper, Foran, Ross (Polworth 81), Doran, Watkins (Williams 72), Mckay Subs (not used): Esson, Greenhalgh, Pepper, Agdestein Scorers: Doran (7), Shinnie (52) Booked: Tremarco (74) Sent Off: none Kilmarnock: 1 Lineup: Samson, Tesselaar, Irvine, Barr, Boyd, Johnston (Clingan 60), Clohessy, McKenzie (Gros 80), Gardyne (Muirhead 88), O'Hara, Pascali Subs (not used): Reguero, Fowler, Ashcroft, Kiltie Scorers: Barr (76) Booked: none Sent Off: none

Inverness edge thriller Inverness edged out Dundee United after a pulsating cup tie which had more bookings than Eden Court, a red card, a mass brawl, Butcher and Jackson sent to the stand, extra-time and an injury time winner off the cross bar which means Inverness head for their second semi-final in as many years. Keith Watson opened the scoring in the fifth minute when he smashed a shot high into the net from fifteen yards giving Brill no chance. Inverness then knocked on the United goal for the remainder of the game and Gary Warren buried a header to level the scores before Ross Draper scored the winner via the underside of the bar in the 120th minute. Nadir Ciftci was sent off just before half time for his involvement in a mass scrum when Gary Mackay-Steven had hit the turf after being shot by a sniper. It would be easier to name the players who were not booked as the referee went card happy, seemingly flashing a total of 12 yellows and a red, but that might just be an estimate. When the dust settled, it was Inverness that deservedly go forward to another semi-final spot giving the home fans something to look forward to in the spring while the large away support, some 750 of them, went home to lick their wounds and reflect on what might have been had they kept their discipline. Immortal Howden Ender has the unenviable task of sorting this one out and getting a full report to us........... Well, Michael Fish got the forecast wrong yet again. The storms were supposed to be limited to Southern England but "Hurricane Clancy" encircled the Tulloch Caledonian Stadium and created chaos. Messrs Butcher and Malpas may not be allowed to say it but that was undoubtedly the worst officialdom display witnessed in Inverness for many years, if not ever. 12 bookings, a red card and Butcher and Jackson dismissed to the stand!! It was a niggly affair but Clancy and his crew (especially the stand side linesman) simply lost control and dished out cards like a game of Snap. Neither team can really complain though as the decisions were crazy in both respects - perhaps apart for the sending off. It was actually a rather enjoyable evening and prior to the sending off it was an end to end affair. ICT were taking control before the melee but it was one way traffic after that and there were more tired legs than bookings by the end. It all started off in the 5th minute when Ryan "how did I manage to stay on the pitch" Gaulds speculative cross reached Watson who launched a Scud missile at the goals and Brill had no chance. Possibly harsh but Aaron Doran may have closed him down quicker. After that it was attack after attack, half chance after half chance, for ICT and the Arabs looking dangerous on the break. We had efforts from Doran, Draper, Ross and Watkins which all went close but to no avail. Surprisingly the main "miss" culprit was Billy McKay - who looked a bit off the pace all night. The game turned just before half time when we were entertained in Royal Rumble fashion when Richie "The Rock" Foran allegedly axed McKay-Steven ("The Undertaker") and the wee man threw himself over the ropes and out of the ring, falling at the feet of "The Butcher" who gave him a few choice words of consolation. And then the handbags started flying, leading to Ciftci being rightly dismissed and Butcher and Jackson heading for the Coach park in the stands. It probably said a lot that McKay-Steven stayed in the dressing room at half time. Half Time 0-1 The second half started with more and more digs and fouls. Rankin picked up a booking for a silly trip on Watkins but paid the price as Graeme Shinnie delivered a peach of a cross and Gary Warren rose above all and fair leathered the equaliser off his napper. At that stage it felt like it was just a matter of time before we finished them off. But United were resolute and shut up shop. Clerzniak played a stormer although some of his play acting could get him a game in goals for Partick Thistle. McKay missed another chance and picked up a knock in the making. That goal was enough to extend the game into extra-time and the pattern remained the same, Inverness on the front foot and United defending in depth. The longer the game went it felt like penalties were again on the horizon. United were clearly playing for it and we were increasingly dreading it. We had two good penalty claims in the last 15. McKay's would have been soft but the foul on Foran was crystal clear - but not to Mr Clancy!! Just when it looked forlorn Williams hit the bye line and his excellent deep cross was met majestically at the back post by Ross Draper. We were spared the drama and agony of penalties and we were heading to our second league cup Semi Final on the trot. Full Time 2-1 (after extra time) To be fair it was slightly unjust on United and their impressive midweek support but they did just go in to negative mode. Warren was awarded the MotM and I have no problems with that. Ross and Doran were the other stand-outs for me. February 2014 is looking good. Inverness were joined in the semi-finals after Wednesdays games by Aberdeen, St Johnstone and Hearts. Should make for an interesting draw on Thursday at 15:00. Date: 29.10.2013 Venue: Caledonian Stadium Attendance: 2133 Referee: Kevin Clancy Inverness CT: 2 Lineup: Brill, Shinnie, Warren, Meekings, Mckay, Draper, Foran, Doran, Ross (Agdestein 100), Watkins (Williams 85), Tremarco (Polworth 107) Subs (not used): Esson, Devine Scorers: Warren (54) Booked: Warren (30), Tremarco (43), Mckay (90), Foran (90) Sent Off: none Dundee Utd: 1 Lineup: Cierzniak, Dillon, Robertson (Butcher 79), Watson, Gunning, Paton, Gauld, Rankin, Ciftci, Armstrong (Graham 46), Mackay-Steven (Gomis 46) Subs (not used): McCallum, Goodwillie Scorers: Watson (5) Booked: Gunning (41), Paton (43), Mackay-Steven (45+1), Dillon (52), Rankin (53), Robertson (61), Gomis (109), Graham (120) Sent Off: Ciftci (42) This post has been promoted to an article