Scotty

Penalty Drama as Inverness edge it. A wet and breezy night in Stenhousemuir saw the SPL side struggle to get to grips with the conditions early on but with twenty minutes gone Billy McKay headed the visitors in front. Stenhousemuir equalised from the spot after Raven brought down Brown Ferguson who took the kick himself. Stewart Kean almost nudged them ahead before half time but he hit the woodwork. No more goals after the break took the tie to extra-time and that came and went without any further goals. A dramatic penalty shootout was concluded when Ryan Esson saved Darren Smith'spenalty to win the tie for Inverness 6-5 on penalties. Richie Foran miss 0-1 Brown Ferguson score Graeme Shinnie score 1-2 Andy Rodgers score Gavin Morrison score 2-2 Bryan Hodge miss Aaron Doran score 3-3 John Gemmell score Andrew Shinnie score 4-4 Ross McMillan score Ross Draper score 5-5 Stewart Kean score Philip Roberts score 6-5 Darren Smith miss ICT WIN. old caley girl faced the elements and the penalty shoot out to provide us with this report. The Gods didn't appear to be very happy yesterday. During the day the stormy weather appeared to be of biblical proportions but the artificial surface at Ochilview ensured the game went ahead. A small band of hardy ICT fans left Inverness for Stenhousemuir full of optomism despite the weather. After a short stop at the ICT adopted chippy in Auchterarder we eventually arrived in Stenhousemuir. It's no secret to anyone that knows me that I much prefer the traditional football ground to modern all seater stadia, so there wasn't much of a choice to be made between the terrace or the stand. The only disappointment was that there was no way of swapping ends at half time. The larger clubs could also take lessons from the courteous staff and stewards. It wasn't long until the terrace started to fill up with familiar faces, with the central belt fans arriving such as Govan Jaggie, Capital Caley, Red Card and Top Six Next Year. The ICT faithful congregated behind the goal, and as the game kicked off the wind and rain were still relentless. Stenny started in lively fashion and looked like they were a confident, competent team having dumped Killie out of the cup in the previous round. Billy McKay returned to the Caley Jags team replacing the injured Andre Blackman and took up his usual role as loan striker with Graeme Shinnie dropping back. This was my first time watching a competitive game on an artificial surface and it soon became plain that staying on your feet and getting a pass on target was a bit of a problem for the ICT lads. After 15 mins we had our first chance when Connor Pepper passed through to Doran who then shot straight at the young Stenny keeper. However in 23 mins a great high ball through from Meekings bounced to Billy McKay who headed past the keeper straight into the net. So we were in front and all was going to plan. Unfortunately though 15 mins later David Raven didn't stick to the script and was adjudged by ref Bobby Madden to have tripped Ferguson and he also earned himself a yellow card. We couldn't see too well from our end was it stonewalled or not so look forward to seeing the highlights. Ferguson took the penalty and drove the ball low and hard past Esson's right. 1-1. Things almost went from bad to worse just on half time when Kean got straight through but hit the crossbar. Half-Time 1-1 Main talk at at half time was the presence of Ally McCoist in the stand and also how well Stenny were playing and how this was going to be a bit of a battle. The second half didn't see much improvement to be honest. Both teams had opportunities to win but didn't take them. Morrison eventually replaced Pepper and Foran moved up front. This made us look marginally more dangerous and it was clear that players and fans alike wanted to avoid extra time. However it was Stenny that could have settled it when Kean managed to get straight through again one on one with Ryan Esson but shot into the side netting. Everyone braced themselves for extra time but neither team produced a winner. Roberts replaced McKay and annoyed the home support with a body check on one of their players and thus earned boos for the remainder of the game. Penalties arrived and standing right behind the goal gave a keepers view of the penalties but most of us seemed to watch through our hands! Up stepped Richie Foran, who struck the ball confidently and hit the post! Groans all round. The next few were scored competently until Hodge shot over the bar. We moved to sudden death until eventually hero Essson saved from Darren Smith. Full Time 1-1 Inverness win 6-5 on penalties A much relieved Caley Jags faithful left Ochilview happy to have gained a win, any win, even if it had been done the hard way. To summarise we huffed and puffed but eventually got the job done. The 4th round draw beckons and the dream of a cup run goes on. It's going to be hard but whisper it one more round to Hampden! Thanks to old caley girl for that report from a wet and windy Ochilview, I hope it was worth it and maybe a favourable draw in the next round awaits. 25th Sep 2012 Scottish Communities League Cup Ochilview Park, Stenhousemuir Stenhousemuir 1 - Ferguson (pen40) TEAM: R.Thomson, Ross, Buist (Rodgers 96), McMillan, McKinlay, Ferguson, I.Thomson (Anderson 103), Hodge, Dickson (Smith 69), Gemmell, Kean SUBS: Shaw, Lawson Booked: Rodgers (105), McKinlay (119) Sent Off: none Inverness C.T. 1 - McKay (23) TEAM: Esson, Raven, G.Shinnie, Warren, Meekings, Doran, Draper, A.Shinnie, McKay (Roberts 101), Foran, Pepper (Morrison 79) SUBS: Reguero, Cooper, Oswell Booked: Warren (113) Sent Off: none Referee Bobby Madden Attendance 705

Capital Comeback Kings strike again Inverness staged another dramatic comeback in the capital to spoil Hibernians' plan to top the table. Hibs had come flying out of the blocks and raced into a two goal lead with just over half an hour gone. Eoin Doyle got the break of the ball to stroke Hibs ahead after 23 minutes and Wotherspoon lashed a ferocious volley past a stunned Ryan Esson with 31 minutes on the clock to put a rampant Easter Road side on easy street. A dash of Pepper saw young Conor throw Inverness a lifeline before the break and Richie Foran sealed the comeback with an equaliser with ten minutes remaining. A bright day in the Capital for this clash saw Inverness boss Terry Butcher hand Conor Pepper a start with Welshman Owain Tudur-Jones sitting this one out after his red card against the Dons. Josh Meekings continued in defence with David Raven as Simon King missed out with an operation pending on his ankle. For the homesters, Leigh Griffiths failed to recover in time and youngster Ross Caldwell filled his place. Hibs started the game in brisk fashion tearing forward at every opportunity, and there were plenty of them as the fragile Inverness defence continually gifted them the ball at will. Josh Meeking inexplicably lifted his leg like a dog taking a piddle as a Wotherspoon cross rolled across a stunned Esson's goal and missed the post by inches. Almost a calamitous moment for Josh, but he would play a more important role later in the game. The Hibs wingers were flooding forward making incisive breaks and constantly getting behind the inverness back four, and from one of these attacks Caldwell should have made Esson work but he thumped the ball into the side net from the angle of the six yard box. Hanlon shot over as the game opened out and Doran forced Williams into a full length diving save as he turned and shot smartly after a Foran lay off along the edge of the box. But the Hibs goal was coming and as Pepper gave the ball away cheaply near the Hibees box, Doyle was released on the left side at the halfway line. He showed good pace to leave Warren trailing in his wake and as he entered the box he shot low across Esson who spilled the ball and unfortunately as Warren slid in the ball ricocheted of Doyle and into the net despite the best efforts of Blackman to keep the ball out on the line. Probably no more than Hibs deserved at that moment and their tails were up. Paul Cairney crashed a twenty yarder off of Esson's left hand post with the keeper beaten and Hibs made a hash of capitalising on the rebound with Caldwell miscueing his attempt. Inverness were stung into action and Warren headed wide but it was Hibs who increased their lead with as good a strike as you will see all season. Once more Inverness were the architect of their own downfall conceding the ball cheaply in the middle of the park. When the ball arrived at Wotherspoon some 27 yards out, it sat up nicely and he thrashed home an unstoppable volley into the rigging high behind a motionless Ryan Esson. That one even brought about a begrudged ripple of polite applause from some Inverness fans, great goal. Half an hour gone and we looked down and out at this point but we are Inverness and we don't do walking away......... We needed a goal and we needed it soon. With six minutes left of the half we got ourselves back into the mix. Ross Draper lofted a ball forward and captain marvel Richie Foran timed his jump to perfection to nod the ball towards Alan Maybury. Unfortunately for him, Conor Pepper was lurking with intent and the younster outmuscled his more experienced opponent and dashed towards the box. He still had plenty to do but he hit a low twenty yarder across Williams and in off the far post from the inside right position. Superb strike to match Wotherspoon's wonder goal and the lift Inverness needed. We almost went in level at the break when after a spell of sustained pressure, a Doran chip was headed goalwards by Shinnie, but Williams made a tremendous one handed save, clawing the ball away from the target. Half Time 2-1 Hibs flew out of the blocks once more and Caldwell shot over from 12 yards after Andre Blackman had been dispossessed out on the flank. Caldwell will feel he should have done better. Our injury list grew even longer as Blackman limped out of the action to be replaced by Gavin Morrison just before the hour. Ryan Esson became a hero as Hibs tried to assert themselves once more. McPake found space in the box and he swivelled and volleyed a fierce shot from seven yards, but Esson produced a wonder save to deny the Hibs captain, as his colleagues held their heads in disbelief. That save proved crucial to the outcome of this match. We were now enjoying much more of the play and Hibs were reduced to playing on the break, but they were still dangerous when they pushed forward. Hanlon, Doyle and Claros all tested Esson but he was equal to them and Inverness stunned the Edinburgh side with a brilliant equaliser with ten minutes left. Foran tried his luck from Wotherspoon range but his effort was straight down Williams' throat. The Inverness pressure was beginning to get to the Hibs defence and we enjoyed the better of the second half. Could another capital comeback be on the cards? The answer would soon be revealed. Josh Meekings suddenly turned into Johan Cruyff. He left two defenders facing the wrong way after picking up Billy McKay's lay off inside the Hibs box. His cross come shot was fired goalwards by Warren who had pushed forward. Williams once more clawed the ball out brilliantly only for Richie Foran to react quickest and rifle the loose ball into the roof of the net from three yards. This was no more than Inverness deserved and the introduction of young Phillip Roberts was another reason to be cheerful as he looks like an exciting prospect, drifting past players with ease and good in the air to boot. Hibs tried to salvage the game and a flurry of corners ensued but the by now confident Inverness defence held firm and saw out the remaining minutes relatively unperturbed. Full Time 2-2 tm4tj Man of the Match:- A few contenders for this accolade. Connor Pepper showed power beyond his years and scored a great goal. Gary Warren is proving to be one of our best signings along with Ross Draper, but my choice was captain marvel Richie Foran, who led by example today and scored his third goal in as many games. tm4tj Moan of the Match:- The form of Aaron Doran and Andrew Shinnie is a tad worrying. Two of our most talented players have been bit part bystanders recently and with our limited resources we need these guys to give us a little more on matchdays. 22nd Sep 2012 Scottish Premier League Easter Road, Edinburgh Hibernian 2 - Doyle (23), Wotherspoon (31) TEAM: Williams, Clancy, McPake, Hanlon, Maybury, Wotherspoon, Deegan, Claros, Cairney, Doyle, Caldwell. SUBS: Antell, McGivern, Stevenson, Sproule, Stanton, Handling, Kuqi Booked: McPake (43), Cairney (53), Williams (82) Sent Off: none Inverness C.T. 2 - Pepper (39), Foran (81) TEAM: Esson; Raven, Meekings, Warren, Blackman (Morrison 59), Doran, Pepper (Roberts 70), Draper, G. Shinnie, A. Shinnie (McKay 70), Foran. SUBS: Reguero, Oswell, Brislen-Hall, Cooper Booked: none Sent Off: none Referee Euan Norris Attendance 9,908