ictchris

Raith win = title. Good enough for me. Come on Raith.

Four commentators for a First Division game? Having said that I was amazed to see two Gaelic commentators on a First Division game on BBC Alba tonight. Wonders never cease.

I remember the great days of cracking open a few tins on the 0646 train south. :D

Here are the players we signed after winning promotion in 2004 Liam Fox Paul McMullan Darren Dods Graham Bayne Juanjo Richard Hastings Ian Black Bryan Prunty Prunty and McMullan were pretty much bit part players (last minute levellers at Ibrox excepted) - the rest of those players were all brilliant signings, some of whom were rocks (not literal rocks though) for the rest of our time in the SPL. We will do well to get players like this in again. One question about next season is what formation are we going to play? The 4-2-3-1 has done us well in our run in but can it sustain the more serious pressure of an SPL campaign? If we did play like that I think we'd need to seriously reshape our back four - I'm not sure Proctor is an SPL class right back, Golly is perhaps a bit long in the tooth for another season in the top flight and is everyone confident about Bulvitis playing at centre half in the SPL? Further up the park, could we justify having four attacking players on the pitch in the higher league? Previous experience tells us that the SPL requires more scrapping, a more dogged and defensive mindset - do we have that with Rooney, Hayes, Forna and Eric on the pitch? I'd love to see us keep Foran and Hayes next season and perhaps try to continue the way we're playing but with a bit more solidity about us, maybe more of a 4-3-3 in the John Robertson style than the current system. Would anyone complain if we line up next season with a forward line of Foran----Rooney-----Hayes? Also, Butcher showed last close season that he's prepared to take a risk on young lads from England - it paid off with Cox and Hayes, less so for Eagle. What gems can we dredge up in the close season, providing we get a point on Saturday?

It's worth watching, an absolute balls up.

All upward flights from Dundee have been cancelled. Caley promotion bandwagon will be proceeding as advertised. Choo choo.

I'd rather Killie went down, it's a far worse trip than either St Mirren or Falkirk.

------------------------Esson--------------------------- ---Proctor----Tokely-------Munro-------McBain------- ----------------Duncan------Cox------------------------- ---------Hayes-------Odhiambo-----Foran---------------- ------------------------Rooney-------------------------------

Tense first half - we had all the play but didn't really create any chances. I was far away from the two decisions on the 'goals' but the flag was up early for the offside and the handball was clear, according to those who were looking from a better angle. The fact that Phinn was booked for it suggests it was pretty blatent. Second half we stepped it right up and really blitzed the Pars. Hayes started tormenting McCann and the front players all looked to find more space. Odhiambo did well I thought, protected possession well and made a few good passes. Rooney did his usual ginger Torres act, what a player he has been for us - it's easy to forget that he didn't start starting regularly until November. Foran is just a beast, my vote for best player in the division. In midfield, the forgotten Roy McBain was absolutely magnificent, perhaps our best player. His tackling, workrate and distribution were excellent. Russell also had a good game for us, another giant in the run we've been on. The first goal was a great finish from Rooney - Tokely (magisterial at centre half again) sent a long ball forward and Rooney got onto it before the keeper and lobbed him from outside the area. It was an Iain Stewart special, with the ball seeming to spend half an hour in the air before hitting the net. The second came a few minutes later with Odhiambo moved forward before releasing Foran to slot home a neat finish. Rooney almost added a goal of the season effort when he hit a stunning volley from 25 yards, only for Woods to get a hand to it. Dunfermline looked OK going forward and had a couple of chances towards the end, but Esson dealt calmly with anything that came his way. In the end there was a slight sense of anticlimax as Dundee pulled it back against MOrton, after a party atmosphere when they went 2-0 down. Shame but I think it would take a miracle for us to lose it now.

He was absolutely brilliant. What a performance.

If we beat Dunfermline and Dundee don't beat Morton we can't be caught by Dundee. If we beat Dunfermline and County don't beat Airdrie we can't be caught by County.

County in 2010 are a much bigger, wealthier, more established team than ICT were in 2000. We had just come up from Division 2 with a team and manager largely from the Highland League, rather thanthe SPL origins that form the base of County these days. County have been battling for promotion, ICT back then were happy to be steering clear of relegation. Perhaps the question has been answered by the media coverage. County's win is the backpage headline today, whereas ours was the front page, everywhere. I note that on the BBC news last night, yesterday's result wasn't even the main sports story. Celtic losing, and losing to lower league teams is par for the course these days, and a first division team reaching the cup final isn't a novelty any more after Gretna and Queens managed it in very recent years. County raised eyebrows across the land, but there are no shock waves. Good point. Our XI that beat Celtic at Celtic Park were mainly drawn from the Highland League - Jim Calder, Mike Teasdale, Stuart Golabek, Mark McCulloch, Richard Hastings, Ross Tokely, Barry Wilson and Charlie Christie were all either signed from the Highland League or started out there, most played the majority of their careers there before signing for us. We also had Pele, who came from the Highland League. We were just into the First Division and were completely skint. County, while they've been a bit topsy turvy over the past few seasons, have spent nine of the last ten seasons in the First Division - they are an established presence in the top half of Scottish football. Of the players they had on Saturday around half had significant experience of the SPL: Michael McGovern, Scott Morrison, Richard Brittain, Steven Craig, Iain Vigurs, Andy Barrowman. So I'd say that our result in 2000 was a bigger shock than the result on Saturday but from the other perspective County are in Scotland's flagship cup final, so it's perhaps a bigger result. In the final analysis, it hardly matters to the fans as both will enjoy their own clubs results. I'm not hugely bothered about them getting to the cup final - winning the league is the main goal for First Division clubs and if we manage that then it'll have been a great season for us. However, I will permit myself a wee laugh if they get comopletely mangled in the final by Yinted.

It would be a rash move from Hibs or Aberdeen to get Adams in - he's unproven at that level. If County had another good season next term then sides like those, and perhaps Championship/League One level clubs in England, would probably be interested.

Does anyone actually use beachballs for seaside-based entertainment anymore? The only place you ever see them these days is when football fnas qualify for Europe or play a game near the coast.

WHA'S IN CHARGE?

Early start for this one - whats the best way to go from Edinburgh to Dumfries using public transport? Edinburgh-Glasgow-Dumfries or Edinburgh-Carlisle-Dumfries? Thanks in advance.

I can't make this game.

Many Ross County have noticed this. Many. They are currently building an effigy of him in Alness.

Saturday 3rd April We beat Raith Ayr beat Dundee Pars and County draw. ICT ARE 7 CLEAR OF DUNDEH, 8 CLEAR OF PARS, 13 CLEAR OF COUNTY Tuesday 6th We beat Morton County draw with Queens ICT ARE 10 CLEAR OF DUNDEH, 11 CLEAR OF PARS, 15 CLEAR OF COUNTY Saturday 10th We beat Queens Ayr beat Pars Partick beat Dundee ICT ARE 13 CLEAR OF DUNDEH, 14 CLEAR OF PARS, 18 CLEAR OF COUNTY PARS AND DUNDEH CAN NO LONGER CATCH US Tuesday 13th Morton beat County County now 18 points behind with four games left - can't catch us - we win title If this happens, I will give everyone on the forum a million quid.

The OTB forum mentioned someone getting lifted for calling Butcher an 'English cvnt'. Hopefully he gets convicted - disgraceful behaviour.

How's the weather holding up? I am nervous.

Full time now would be fine.

This is certainly the biggest Highland derby I can remember - none of the previous games in the First Division have been so pivotal to the title race at this stage in the season. Having said that, if we draw tonight I don't think that's a terrible result.

Who cares about Barrowman. If he scores tonight I'll be disappointed but only because of us conceding a goal.

-----------------------Esson------------------------- ---Proctor------Tokely----Munro-----Golly------ ---------------Cox---------Duncan------------------ -----Hayes---------Sanchez----------Foran-------- -----------------Ginger Torres-----------------------