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Back to business The domestic season opener arrives this Saturday with Motherwell the visitors to the Caledonian Stadium for a three o'clock kick off. Much has changed since Inverness won the Scottish Cup in May. Gone are second in command Russell Latapy, captain Graeme Shinnie, pacey frontman and Cup Final hero Marley Watkins, stopgap striker Edward Ofere and bit part midfielder and local lad Nick Ross. We also lost the services for the latter part of the season of striker Billy 'small k' Mckay. That's three strikers that have moved on and so far we have struggled to replace them. Andrea Mbuyi-Mutombo is the man targeted with filling the role vacated by our front three. Dani Lopez has shown that he is not an out and out striker and Yogi will turn his attention to the Congolese Belgian in a bid to find the goals that were missing in the Europa qualifiers against FC Astra. Motherwell did well to trounce the Rangers in the Premiership play-offs and retain their top league status. They have sealed the services of Scott McDonald for the season, not a bad bit of business for the Steelmen. David Clarkson is another returnee at Fir Park having left Dundee. Striker Wes Fletcher has signed from York City and will get the number 9 jersey left behind by John Sutton who is off to Perth. They have also added a pair of Louis' to the squad; striker Moult from Wrexham, who scored 23 goals in the Conference last season, and defender Laing from Nottingham Forest. Another defender Keiran Kennedy joins from Leicester City. They have also drafted in 22 year old keeper Connor Ripley from Middlesbrough, and he looks certain to go straight into the squad for Saturday. Motherwell will be looking to get off to a more promising start after last season saw them flirt with relegation before eventually seeing off the Ibrox club in the play-off. Inverness failed to progress in Europe mainly due to a lack of presence in the final third, however their build up play has shown the same qualities that we possessed last year and if we can add a proven striker to the squad then it should be another interesting season. Yogi's squad has changed and this will be a massive test of his drawing power as his trophy winning team is being rebuilt. Keeper Owain Fon Williams played in the Europa games at the expense of Cup winner Ryan Esson. Injuries to Carl Tremarco, David Raven, James Vincent and Dean Brill has curtailed our ability to cover all positions as we would have liked, but in has come the gigantic Ned Wedderburn from the Blue Brazil and he has acquitted himself well so far. Jordan Roberts has also been brought in although injuries have interrupted his participation, and Dani Lopez has been tried as a front man, but that needs addressing. Richie Foran has made a welcome return to the squad, but is far from the do or die player we once knew. All of these players need more time to get up to speed, but it's not a sprint, it's a marathon. Inverness have secured the services of attacking midfielder Andrea Mbuyi-Mutombo and he will be in the squad on Saturday. However, Jordan Roberts is struggling, along with Carl Tremarco and James Vincent. Richie Foran will be like a new addition and he will get stronger as his fitness returns to full throttle. Motherwell will be without Lionel Ainsworth who is carrying a two match suspension, and Craig Reid, but late addition, keeper Connor Ripley will be here. One man we all love to hate will be missing. Iain Vigurs has left Fir Park and was last heard of playing as a trialist for Inverurie Locos. Now that's a fall from grace. Incidentally, another former Motherwell player, Paul Lawson was trying his luck at Formartine. tm4tj prediction:- It's early doors as the league gets underway this weekend and with little to go on, I will be sitting on the fence for the season opener. No scoring draw on the cards, with Inverness strikerless and Motherwell looking to find their form. Go on, surprise me.

Astra scrape through It was Blue Danube for the Caley Jags fans as Inverness Caledonian Thistle bowed out of Europe after a goalless draw in Romania, by the banks of the majestic river, was not enough to get them through to an all British clash with West Ham United. Constantin Budescu's first leg goal was all that separated the sides as Inverness tried to draw the tie level, but despite an excellent performance, the lack of a proven goal scorer would haunt Inverness in Giurgiu in front of an amazing 550 touring fans who gave the club tremendous backing throughout. The fans made magnificent sacrifices to get over to Romania to back the Scottish Cup winners and the journey was enjoyed by everyone in the old city of Bucharest as red and blue took over the side streets of the Romanian capital, kilts aplenty. Most fans made it back in one piece and they were all a credit to Inverness and the club. The temperature at kick off had dropped slightly, but sufficient to say it was much hotter than Inverness on a good day. Astra were in a bit of turmoil, a 5-1 thrashing by ASA Targu Mures last weekend and a couple of their top players being poached by Steaua Bucharest gave Inverness hope that they could add further misery to the Romanian camp. David Raven replaced Ross Draper in the starting eleven, playing at left back. It was another cagey opening to the tie as expected, Inverness not wanting to give anything away and Astra content to sit on their first leg lead. The only notable attempt in the first half was a tremendous shot from Ryan Christie just before the interval that Silviu Lung Jr in the Astra goal brilliantly kept out of the top corner. Half Time 0-0 The first leg villain Owain Fon Williams had nothing to deal with in a low key first half but gathered a low shot from danger man Budescu almost ten minutes into the second period. Moments later Williams made an excellent save beating out a Budescu shot from 25 yards as the Romanian side came forward. A Junior Morais attempt was tipped over by Fon Williams as Astra looked to kill the tie and a header from Geraldo Alves went wide as the game came to life. The lack of a main striker was proving difficult for Inverness to overcome, Lopez dropping deeper to try and get on the ball and Inverness struggling to make headway in the final third. With fifteen minutes remaining, Aaron Doran spurned a great chance for the Highlanders when he hit a shot into the turf and that took the sting out of it as Lung gathered easily. With Inverness now probing for a leveller, Budescu should have done better as we were caught chasing the game but passed up two glorious chances to ensure victory. Foran and Draper made late entrances, but for Inverness it was not quite enough, but it wasn't for a lack of effort or class as Astra saw out the game, Lung booked for taking the proverbial eternity. It might have been different earlier in the game if Christie had been given the penalty his assault deserved, but alas the referee never looked interested. Full Time 0-0 Aggregate 1-0. Astra through to meet West Ham United, good luck to them. Ryan Christie shone bright over both legs and was our star player, with Budescu being the prominent driver for Astra. Ach well, great while it lasted and I'm sure everybody that went along will be looking for a repeat next year. Domestic business as usual starts again on 1st August with a home game against Motherwell. This team deserves a massive welcome home, so let's turn out in force. Full match video Fans footage from youTube from Ross Lyall Fan Footage from beatonio FC Astra:- Lung; Queiros, G. Alves, Gaman, Morais, Boldrin (Dandea, 84), Seto, Teixeira, Amorim, Enache (Florea, 80), Budescu (Lovin, 89). Subs unused:- Gavrilas, Oros, R. Alves, Stan. Booked:- Lung. Inverness CT:- Fon Williams; Meekings, Warren, Devine, Raven, Wedderburn (Draper, 79), Christie, Williams (Foran, 78), Doran, Tansey, Lopez. Subs unused:- Esson, Horner, Polworth, Brown. Booked:- Raven, Williams, Lopez. Venue:- Stadium Marin Anastasovici, Giurgiu. Attendance:- 3067 Referee:- A Kuchin.

Europa away day for Inverness Inverness take the high road to Romania in their first competitive venture into Europe as they try to overturn a one goal deficit to stay in the Europa Cup. Astra scored the only goal in the Scottish Highlands to take a slim advantage into the second leg of this match with the winners facing a possible game against West Ham United in the next round. The troops are on their way to Giurgiu, about 40 miles South of the Romanian capital of Bucharest, and a substantial following will be on hand to take in this game. Most will be taking in the delights of Bucharest before heading south to Giurgiu, a less hospitable destination than the old town of the Romanian capital with it's street cafes and bars waiting for the tourist. Inverness warmed up for this one by beating County 1-0 at the weekend. Nairn County that is. Comeback captain Richie Foran scored the only goal as we continued our pre-season at Station Park. Astra meanwhile, suffered a 5-1 hammering at home to League rivals ASA Targu Mures, Budescu scoring their only goal. This was their second League game this season, their first being a 2-2 draw at home to Concordia Chiajna. Budescu and Oros scored in that one. There was little between the sides in the first leg at Inverness and many felt that John Hughes' side could have at least earned a draw. However, with Astra scoring the away goal, it means that the Caley Jags must score in Giurgiu to have any hope of going further in the tournament, with the big carrot of West Ham being dangled in front them. Criticism of Hughes choice of goalkeeper for the first leg was intensified when Fon Williams looked suspect at the free kick, failing to keep out a routine strike from Budescu. Ryan Esson has done little to deserve being on the bench after his Scottish Cup heroics and Hughes will have a choice to make here. David Raven failed to start at right back leaving Josh Meekings to cover for him, and Carl Tremarco missed out at left back, Danny Williams deputising there with Graeme Shinnie away. Nat Wedderburn had a decent debut, but like Lopez, needs more games to get up to speed. This Euro adventure may have come too soon for Inverness, especially so soon after having to break up their Cup winning side, but them's the breaks as they say. The good news is that Richie Foran got more game time at Nairn and scored a goal into the bargain. That's something we seem to be lacking so far with no recognised striker in place at the moment. Great to have Richie back though, and his leadership will be vital. This is a tough game for Inverness and despite Astra getting thumped at the weekend, I will presume they were saving themselves for a wee Europa league adventure, and that may well come at our expense. However, underdogs, backs to the wall, and with something to prove, it would be dangerous to write us off yet. Out are Carl Tremarco, cup final hero James Vincent and long term injured Dean Drill. Our problems are in attack and Jordan Roberts could get more than the ten minutes he got in the first leg. Budescu and William were the main threat in the first leg and with home advantage we may see Astra come out of their shell a little more, and that could play into our hands. Difficult to call this game, it's a step into the unknown, but going by the first game, there's not much between the sides. With the Hammers favourites to play the winner, then that could be sufficient incentive for Inverness to spring a surprise. Good luck and safe journey to all the Caley Jags fans who have made the trip to witness this first historic away game on the banks of the Danube. Just a short walk over the friendship bridge would take them into Bulgaria, so go easy on the Ursus and Mastícă.

Astra Edge First Leg Inverness' first dabble at competitive European football ended in a first leg defeat at the hands of FC Astra from Romania. Maybe they should rename the club Astraturf as they spent plenty time lying on the grass for no apparent reason, although there is a decent football side lurking in there somewhere The visitors secured a valuable away win from a set piece where debut keeper Owain Fon Williams might feel he could have done better than to palm Constantin Budescu's on target shot high into the net. Despite plenty of effort, the home side could not get their first Euro goal with Doran going closest with a curling effort late in the second half. John Hughes sprung a Euro surprise by putting new signing, keeper Owain Fon Williams straight into the starting line-up at the expense of cup final hero Ryan Esson. Danni Lopez and Nat Wedderburn also made their competitive debut's in a much changed side. No starts for David Raven, Carl Tremarco, Jordan Roberts, Richie Foran or Liam Polworth. Josh Meekings played at right back and Danny Williams looked to be in Graeme Shinnie's position at left back. Danny Devine and Garry Warren were the central defenders. Doran, Tansey, Draper and Wedderburn were the midfield with Ryan Christie backing up new front man Lopez. Astra were mainly an unknown quantity but we had been warned about Constantin Budescu prior to the game. Bagpipes welcomed the 5,500 plus crowd and the stage was set for our Euro adventure to begin. There was little between the sides in a tentative opening to the game played in front of a healthy crowd and Christie and Doran looked lively in the opening jousting. Christie spun outside the box but his hasty shot was deflected wide as Inverness controlled the pace of the game. Our ball retention was decent, but the downside of this was a lack of penetration in the final third. Lopez looked comfortable with his back to the goal, but his lack of match sharpness was evident. Astra were reluctant to be drawn forward but when they did, they looked pacey enough to offer a threat, especially Brazilian wide player William. The goal we didn't want came after 24 minutes when Ross Draper, tracking back made a needless challenge when two other defenders looked favourite to clear the danger. Budescu took the free kick and lifted it up and over the wall and slightly right of debutant keeper Williams. He appeared slow to react and when he did, he only succeeded in palming the ball high behind him for a disappointing goal to lose, considering the shot appeared to be fairly tame and routine. It was a game void of opportunities and the half ended with Inverness toiling to make much headway, and Astra content to pick us off as we edged our way across the park, goal scorer Budescu the main threat and wide player William looking dangerous on the break. Half Time 0-1 The second half saw Inverness play towards a packed North Stand and they approached the game with more urgency from the whistle. Doran and Christie were still looking the most likely to carve open an opportunity for Yogi's lads and the Inverness corner count was mounting as Astra looked content to sit on their advantage. Visiting keeper Lung was fortunate when he made a meal of a low shot from Doran. He flapped at the bouncing ball and managed to divert it for a corner much to his relief, and the groans of the crowd behind him. Danny Williams fired a shot from distance that was always too high but with plenty of power as Inverness pressed forward but it was Astra that almost sneaked a second goal on the break. Left winger William was fed through by Budescu as they came out of their Hamilton Accies like shell and broke forward at pace down the left. William should have done better than hit the outside of the post as he bore down on Fon Williams. A let off for Inverness. Aaron Doran spurned the best chance for Inverness when he received the ball inside the box on the left side. From 15 yards he picked his spot with a trademark Doran curler. Unfortunately that spot was a yard wide of the post with the target at his mercy. Danni Lopez was sent through on the Inverness right but he shot as he entered the box on the angle and Lung easily gathered the effort. Oh how we were crying out for a bit of Marley's pace going forward. The game drifted away from us as Astra killed the tie down the touchline and despite our best efforts on the night, it was not to be. Full Time 0-1 It was not to be on the night as Inverness fell just short. Good effort by the hastily constructed side and still plenty to play for yet. Plenty of pretty passing but unfortunately a lack of penetration, and the goal from a set piece left a nasty taste in the mouth. Williams for Esson; I'm not convinced that was the smartest trick Yogi has pulled. Makeshift defence coped well for the most part, Meekings a bit like a fish out of water at times on the right. Wedderburn did well and looks like a heavyweight boxer. Match fitness will do him no harm, likewise Lopez on the fitness side. Draper will be disappointed at gifting the free kick from which they scored and some of his general play and passing was pre-season at best. Our best performers on the night were Doran and Warren with Ryan Christie being the pick of our players for a lively and intelligent European debut. Biggest cheer of the night was reserved for the return of Richie Foran. Good to see him back in the last six minutes, although the game was slowly running away from us as the Romanians were content to stay on the turf for an extra roll after tumbling over rather tamely. That's European football for you. Overall, Inverness can pat themselves on the back after their Euro debut where they matched a decent side who showed them some new tricks. It will be a difficult task to try and overcome the deficit, but at 1-0, there's still plenty to play for. By the way, the new strips look pretty kool. Onwards to Astra for the return leg where there will be a sizeable following making the trek. Win or lose, I'm sure everyone will enjoy the occasion. Inverness CT: 0 Owain Fon Williams, Meekings (Raven 80), Warren, Lopez (Foran 84), Draper (Roberts 80), Doran, Devine, Wedderburn, Tansey, Williams, Christie. Subs not used: Esson (GK), Horner, Polworth, Brown. FC Astra: 1 (Budescu 24) Guirgui: Lung, Geraldo, Seto, Enache (Stan 70), Budescu (Florea 82), Morais, Boldrin, Gaman (Oros 47), Fliipe, Pedro, de Amorim. Subs not used: Gavrilas (GK), Love, Dandea, Ricardo. Referee: Ken Henry Johnsen (Norway). Attendance: 5,534.

First European game on Thursday night and Inverness welcome Romanian side Astra Giurgiu. A lot has changed since Inverness won the Scottish Cup in May. Starting at the top, Russell Latapy has moved on, looking to get into management as a number one, good luck to him. Cup lifting Captain Graeme Shinnie has gone to Aberdeen. No offence Graeme, but may the curse be with you. Cup final hero Marley Watkins has left the building, opting for Barnsley over signing a new contract at Inverness. Nick Ross, the semi-final hero from our League Cup win over Hearts is off to Dundee. Billy Mackay's replacement Edward Ofere has moved on after filling the gap adequately in the run up to the final. Bit part player Tarmo Kink and young defender Ryan Baptie were also released. What have we done to counteract those losses. Well, it's tough to get the quality we have lost, especially Shinnie and Watkins, but shrewdness is our middle name and in has come Nat Wedderburn from relegated Cowdenbeath, Dani Lopez from La Roda and Jordan Roberts from Aldershot Town. Who, I hear you shout. Oh my, what did you expect with our budget, it's car boot sales for us I'm afraid. We will just have to see how it all goes. A late addition is Brian Rice who will fill Latapy's shoes. Pre-season has come and gone and ended with a 1-1 draw against relegated St Mirren, not the season booster we were hoping for. Greg Tansey scoring with a free kick in that one. So, it's in at the deep end I'm afraid against a good quality Romanian side in Astra. The same Astra that were narrowly ousted over two legs in the Champions League qualifiers by Celtic last year. It's a tough ask for Inverness in our first competitive foray into Europe, but we will just have to get on with it. Plenty of problems for John Hughes to sort with the departures and incomers. On top of that we are hearing snippets of news that some players are struggling with innjuries. Dean Brill is still out akong with Richie Foran and Josh Meekings, Carl Tremarco, Danny Williams and Aaron Doran did not feature in the most recent friendly. Astra are an unknown quantity for us, and their side has changed from the one that played Celtic. They are littered with potential match winners from around the globe and I expect a tough welcome to European football for Inverness. Constantin Budescu is one to watch, and new signing Filipe Teixeira is highly rated in Romania. According to one source on CTO, the Astra defence could be suspect and like us, they are more dangerous when given the underdog tag. It's a historic occasion whatever the outcome and the City of Inverness should be proud of the achievements of the club. Fingers crossed, there will still be something to play for when Inverness visit Giurgiu next week.

Astra here we come Inverness will visit the city of Giurgiu in Romania in their first crack at European football. The draw paired the Scottish Cup winners (that still sounds great) with the Romanian side Giurgiu Astra in the second preliminary round of the Europa league. Astra have similar credentials to Inverness. The city has a population of around 55,000 and their stadium has a capacity of 8,500. They finished fourth in their league last season. The advantage they do hold is that they have been in this competition over the last two seasons and have played in Scotland before. Celtic put them out last season, but only by virtue of a 2-1 win at Parkhead following on from a 1-1 draw in Giurgiu. Astra have been through a few metamorphoses since the original club were founded in Prahova in 1921 and were then called Astra-Română Sports Club. In 1937 they changed to Astra Română Ploiești. There followed mergers and more name changing as well as stadium moves, relegations and promotions. Various editions of the club played in Ploiești for 91 years until 2012 when they moved to their present home in Giurgiu and the Marin Anastasovici Stadium. The last three seasons has been their most productive to date, qualifying for Europa League action over the last two seasons and winning the Romanian Cup and Super Cup, defeating Steaua Bucharest on both occasions. This will be a difficult task for Inverness but one which chairman Kenny Cameron relishes, and he said "We are positive that Astra will receive a very warm Highland welcome both on and off the park and we look forward to an exciting game on the evening of the 16 July, another historic night for our club and the city of Inverness." Inverness fans are already showing their resourcefulness and planes, trains, boats, buses and horse and cart will be the preferred mode of transport when the away tie comes along on July 23rd. The home leg will be the week before on Thursday 16th July.

Inverness, Scottish Cup Winners How good does that feel! What a day that was, one that started for me at five in the morning when the alarm went off in North Kessock and ended in Edinburgh around midnight with a grin etched on the face. Inverness Caledonian Thistle are the 2015 Scottish Cup winners. Many made massive sacrifices for the cause, coming from around the globe. It was well worth it in the end, although in true tradition, we don't do anything the easy way and that was credit to Falkirk who can count themselves a tad unlucky after a courageous second half performance where Inverness weathered the storm to eventually lift the cup after having to play out the final twenty minutes with ten men. We went in at the break a goal to the good after getting to grips with the game halfway through the first period, Marley Watkins finishing with aplomb after a seven man move. Carl Tremarco was sent packing after 75 minutes after he mis-controlled a ball and then scythed down Blair Alston as he sped goalwards. Schoolboy error from Carl that was punished five minutes later when Peter Grant headed powerfully home from the vacant left back position. However, an unlikely hero came forward and James Vincent applied the finishing touch after Jamie MacDonald spilled a Watkins shot. The rest is history. The fans were in good spirits in the build up to the game and plenty of shouting juice had passed the lips. Inside the stadium there was a marvellous card display from the Inverness end and it was a pleasure to be part of it. Massive congratulations to all who set that one up, it looked fantastic. Inverness fans were dealt a blow before kick off as semi hero David Raven was out which left us with an unfamiliar back four. Esson in goal but in front of him, only Josh Meekings was in his normal position. Devine replaced the suspended Gary Warren and Carl Tremarco was at left back with departing captain Graeme Shinnie filling in at right back with Raven missing. Danny Williams was on the bench and Aaron Doran started. Falkirk were minus the cup-tied Mark Kerr and John Baird, but Rory Loy started, despite Houston claiming he might not make it. A bright afternoon saw Falkirk get off to the better start, but it was a typical cup final, all a bit cagey in the opening exchanges, nobody wanting to make the first mistake. Whilst always keeping the fans attention, there was little goalmouth action with defences on top as Inverness began to edge their way forward with around twenty minutes gone. Ryan Esson was eventually called into action and comfortably saved a low shot from Will Vaulks from outside the box. Vaulks fired a vicious shot from thirty yards eight minutes later and that one had the Falkirk fans off their seats as the ball ruffled the top corner of the net. Alas for the Bairns, it was the wrong side of the net. Closest call yet though, phew! We were not at our best but at least we were not behind. That close shave seemed to alert Inverness to the dangers and Aaron Doran brought a save from Macdonald as we started to pass the ball better, although the defence were needing more help from the front men who were not holding onto the ball. Shinnie then had our best attempt so far as he fired a shot come cross wide with Watkins lurking, and it was evident the tide was turning. Watkins then had a shot saved as it went straight at the keeper and a corner followed soon after. We were now controlling the pace of the game and the 38th minute saw Inverness go ahead with a wonderful team goal. Falkirk lost possession deep in the Inverness half. We transferred the ball smartly up the right side in a seven man move. The final touches saw Aaron Doran slip a tidy ball through to Marley Watkins and his pace and power saw him drift goalwards to slide the ball past MacDonald for the opening goal. Scenes of Red and Blue in the Inverness end as jubilation broke out in the stands. The dream was now in full swing as the half ended with Inverness on top. Half Time 1-0 I don't know what Houston said at half time, but it transformed the Bairns. They were up for this and we would have to weather the storm as they surged forward looking for a leveller. Vaulks was the main threat and he went close again five minutes after the restart. On the hour mark and Blair Alston lifted a shot just over inside a packed box as Falkirk upped the pace. Inverness were by now finding the Bairns to be more of a handful than they should have been as they won successive corners and Vaulks again shot over. Substitute Botti Bia Bi went very close soon after and manager of the year John Hughes decided to make a change. Little did he know how important that change would be as he introduced James Vincent for young player of the year Ryan Christie. With 75 minutes on the clock, Carl Tremarco was invited to leave the field by Willie Collum after he lost the ball then brought down Alston. No complaints this time though as Collum had little option. Tremarco was distraught and Inverness would have to play out the game with ten men. Vaulks again tested Esson from close range as the Bairns smelled blood and went for the jugular. Inverness were reduced to frantic defending and the fans were watching through their fingers as the final twenty minutes would take a lifetime to pass. Within five minutes of Tremarco leaving, Falkirk were level. A free kick on the left flank saw Alston pick out Peter Grant who wanted it most and he flashed a powerful header high into the net for a not undeserved equaliser. Game on. James Vincent went to right back with Shinnie moving over to the left as Inverness re-jigged after the sending off. There was nothing else for it but to get up the park and have a go or face the prospect of extra time and penalties. That threat disappeared when Watkins pace saw him break forward to surge clear of the defence with Falkirk caught up the other end. He slowed down outside the box and tried to curl a low shot to the left of the keeper. Now then, I've seen better shots but MacDonald fluffed his lines as he dived low to his left. He only succeeded in pushing the ball to the left side of the box and James Vincent who had made a lung bursting run to catch up with Watkins got to the loose ball first and knocked it into the empty net. Absolute pandemonium in the Inverness end once more and there were only five more minutes of normal time to hold on to our advantage. Luke Leahy went close in the ninetieth minute as Falkirk tried to scramble the game towards extra time and five minutes of time added on saw a huge sigh from the Highlanders. Nick Ross replaced Man of the Match Marley Watkins with three minutes remaining but Falkirk could not find that elusive second goal and the end result was just fantastic for Inverness Caledonian Thistle and their fans who were singing and dancing in the Hampden Stands. Full Time 2-1 It was tough and hard to bear for the Falkirk fans who had witnessed their team give their all, but it's all about scoring the most goals and we did just that. More scenes of Red and Blue followed as the Inverness contingent stayed to cheer the victors and witness the Cup presentation. Graeme Shinnie leaves for Aberdeen now, but he might never experience this again, as he kissed the cup and waved it above his head, duly followed by the rest of the squad. What a moment to be a Caley Thistle fan. 21 years in the making but a combined 239 years of magnificent history. Celebratory beers were the order of the day and I met up with some Falkirk fans in the Horseshoe Bar where Gordon Mason presented me with a trophy off his back. He gave me a Falkirk shirt and wished us all well. Great fans and a credit to their club. MotM will be going to Marley Watkins who scored the first and made the second with a little help from Jamie Macdonald. In truth, and here is the unsavoury bit, there were not too many contenders for the title, most players having an off day. Danny Devine was better than most and Graeme Shinnie, as always, gave everything. We struggled up front and Eddie Ofere has had better days. In fairness to him, we rarely got the ball forward so it's hardly his fault. Carl Tremarco will be disappointed but he performed well up to that point. It is unfair to pick out anyone though, good or bad so I'll leave it there and say congratulations to everybody from the ball boys to the the fans, what an achievement for our club. Steve Hislop and Bobby Mann were not far off in their predictions and I met Barry Wilson after the game as well, all in all, a great day out and there would be another one on Sunday as the Cup was paraded through Inverness. Match Highlights... Celebrations continue in Inverness... Date: 30/05/15 Venue: Hampden Park Attendance: 37149 Referee: Willie Collum Inverness CT: 2 Lineup: Esson, Shinnie, Meekings, Devine, Tremarco, Christie (Vincent 72), Draper, Tansey, Doran (Williams 78), Watkins (Ross 93), Ofere Subs (not used): Mackay, Horner, Polworth, Kink Scorers: Watkins (38), Vincent (86) Booked: None Sent Off: Tremarco (75) Falkirk: 1 Lineup: MacDonald, Duffie, McCracken, Grant, Leahy, Alston, Vaulks, Taiwo, Sibbald, Smith (Bia Bi 63), Loy (Morgan 95) Subs (not used): Muirhead, Bowman, Dick, Cooper, Blair Scorers: Grant (80) Booked: Taiwo (76) Sent Off: None

It's Our Time The 2015 Scottish Cup Final has arrived and no big Bhoys in sight, only Bairns. And, as the slogan says: It's Our Time. Inverness and Falkirk have made it through to the final and will meet at Hampden on Saturday 30th May in what could be an historic occasion for both clubs. This competition originated in season 1873/1874 when Queens Park won the first of their 10 Scottish Cups. The first ever final was witnessed by around 2500 fans as the Spiders beat Clydesdale 2-0 at the original Hampden Park. Celtic are leading the way with 36 wins, Rangers are next on 33 with Queens Park on 10. There are some wonderful names etched on to the trophy. Vale of Leven are three times winners, Third Lanark and Renton have won it twice and St Bernard's have their name on it too. There has been some wonderful scorelines in this, the 130th Scottish Cup, the oldest football trophy in the world. Bo'ness United beat Elgin City 5-4 in their replay after drawing 4-4 at Borough Briggs. It took 25 penalties to separate Stirling Albion and Hurlford after a 1-1 and 2-2 draw. Cove Rangers were the top scorers in a single game, beating Hawick Royal Albert 9-0. Spartans made the fifth round after beating Morton 2-1 to be the last non league side in the competition. It's been a wonderful tournament so far, but my favourite result thus far was Inverness 3-2 Celtic. A stunning performance by Inverness who stopped Celtic in their bid for a treble and gave us all a break from the hype coming out of Parkhead. Of course, it's not the first time that Falkirk have been in the Scottish Cup final. They won the cup in 1913 at Parkhead, defeating near neighbours and good enemies Raith Rovers 2-0. They were managed by Willie Nicol on that occasion. Englishman Reg Smith was the gaffer when they won it for a second time in 1957 at Hampden Park, beating Kilmarnock 2-1 after a replay and have been losing finalists twice, in 1997 and 2009. Both of these defeats were only by a solitary goal which shows that Falkirk will be well up for this. Write them off at your peril. We know enough about Falkirk to understand that this will be a tough task. Oh yes, it was Falkirk that put the final nail in our coffin in the year that Craig Brewster took us to the brink of relegation before he was removed from office. And who was the man that masterminded our downfall? Yes, you've guessed it, none other than our very own John Hughes, and he will know better than most that the Bairns will be just as determined as Inverness to take the cup back to their big wheel instead of a bridge and a castle. Inverness have taken out three Premiership sides in St Mirren, Partick Thistle and Celtic whilst they also accounted for Raith Rovers. Falkirk have quietly worked their way to the final by knocking out teams from outwith the top league. They started by seeing off Cowdenbeath by a single goal when Inverness were drawing with St Mirren at Paisley before taking them North and dismantling them 4-0. In the fifth round, Falkirk edged past Brechin City by the odd goal in three as Inverness beat bogey side Partick Thistle 1-2 in Glasgow. The quarter finals saw Falkirk win 0-1 at Palmerston and Inverness oust Raith Rovers by the same score in the Highlands. The semi-finals were more interesting. Hibs gave Falkirk the runaround but were hit with a sucker punch as Craig Sibbald headed them into the final. The following day Inverness did the treble as they knocked Celtic out of the cup for the third time. Goals from Tansey, Ofere and Raven put Inverness through after extra-time, but defender Josh Meekings had a big hand in that result. Falkirk have been on gardening leave for the last month, but we have been busy securing third place in the league. Three wins on the trot was enough to get us to Europe. Our final practice before the final was at Parkhead last week and we thank Celtic for providing the opposition for our reserves. What do we know about Falkirk this season? Well, we do know that Falkirk have a local lad playing for them just now. Alex Cooper, who comes from North Kessock is in their squad and has scored against Inverness before when playing for Ross County. Alex is the son of former County manager Neale Cooper and can be a tricky customer. Rory Loy has been grabbing the headlines this season and will be joining Dundee after this game. He has scored 12 goals this term, but has been injured recently although Peter Houston reckons he will play some part in the final. Keeper Jamie Macdonald is an excellent stopper and he played for Hearts when Inverness knocked them out of last seasons League Cup semi-final. Mark Kerr has a wealth of experience to call on having been at Dundee United and Aberdeen amongst others. The Bairns ended their season fifth in the Championship, missing out on the play offs by seven points. They managed 53 points from their 36 games and finished the season with a zero goal difference. Fourteen wins and eleven defeats and 48 goals scored is the Bairns' stats. Peter Houston was in the stands watching the game against Celtic where the Hoops beat our second X1 5-0. He would not have learned much from that as only three of those that started that game are likely to begin the final. Gary Warren is suspended due to that archaic rule that tally's up your yellow cards then bans you from the showpiece final. Ridiculous rule that surely needs to be addressed. Gary missed the League Cup final last season through suspension as well. Dean Brill and Richie Foran will be watching from the stands along with Gary Warren, but Yogi will have a full squad to choose from otherwise. Let's not forget, this will be captain Graeme Shinnie's last game for Inverness, and lifting the trophy would be a fitting end to a wonderful time here. Falkirk have been well rested prior to this game. John Baird is cup-tied and the striker will not be included in the squad, likewise Mark Kerr, both will be missed by the Falkirk side. Rory Loy could feature as Houston has already stated. There's always a downside to these events, and news that Willie Collum will referee the final is as welcome as FIFA executives organising the World Cup. Ach well, somebody has to do it. The Bookies have Inverness as favourites to lift the cup. That's not often something that sits well with us. I thought I would ask a couple of experts to see which team they thought would get their ribbons on the Scottish Cup, and here's what Steven Hislop and Bobby Mann had to say. "First of all, I would just like to say that I was delighted to be asked to do a short preview on the Cup Final. I am heading to the game with my son and dad who have both watched me many times playing for Inverness Caley Thistle. Understandably, we are favourites to win this game, however, I don't think it is a gimme. Falkirk have a real blend of experience and youth and are managed by a Scottish Cup winner who knows what it takes to win a cup final. The spine of their team with MacDonald, McCraken, Taiwo and Rory Loy if he is fit will all help the young ones around them. Of course they also have Alex Cooper who will be doubly determined to try and put one over Caley for obvious reasons. Yogi will have all the boys well drilled on Falkirk and he also has players with cup final experience in abundance. He has winners throughout and if ever you want someone to fire you up for a game, it's 100% Yogi. I find it hard to pick out any of the team who could potentially be the biggest threat to Falkirk because if they play like they played in the semi-final, I have no doubt it will be Shinnie who goes up to lift the cup. Caley are a team with a great team spirit and the correct work ethic and not a team of individuals and that's why they will win the cup and send the fans home in party mood. Look out the sombrero's as Caley are going to Europe with a 3-1 win. Cheers, Hissy". Bobby was more direct, and added, "I would like it to be an open attacking game, but can't see it. Midfield will be very important, and who wins that battle in there will go on and be dominant in the game. That's when Inverness play well, as both full backs are good going forward especially Graeme Shinnie. Hopefully the big wide pitch will give them more space to create and cause more problems. I'm going for 2-0 for Inverness. Enjoy the game " So both of these club legends believe Inverness will be the ones that will be celebrating on Saturday night, I hope they are right. Anyway, no matter who wins, this final will have been played out with no bigotry, hatred or sectarianism evident and that can only be a good thing for Scottish football. All the best to Falkirk, but it is our time. The City of Inverness has been motivated by this game and has helped to raise the profile of the club by draping anything that doesn't move in Caley Thistle colours. The Cup has been out and about in and around the City and it would be nice to keep it up here for a whole year. Red Card Riley has managed to get this montage of messages put together from old and new friends. And from the City of Inverness comes goodwill................................. Here's a song from Sandy........... It's called Scenes of Red and Blue, let's hope there is scenes of red and blue in Inverness at the weekend.