tm4tj

Damage Limitation? After an inauspicious start to the new campaign, Inverness travel to Glasgow to face Celtic in the faint hope that we can get our season kick-started. I won't be holding my breath on that one given our inability to create sufficient opportunities for our front players, and their inability to convince the fans that they have the necessary credentials to fill the vacant strikers roll. There is no denying it has been a poor beginning for Yogi's men, although closer inspection will show that we have had a tougher than normal start to the season for various reasons. The major issues are obvious. No replacement striker since Billy Mckay left and multiple injuries to key players. With our budget, a wafer thin squad is easily exposed with a handful of injuries. We almost had enough injured players to field a team of crocks. There is also the millstone of expectation hanging round the players necks. In all honesty, some folk need to re-adjust their sights and get back to reality. Yes we won the Cup last season, got into Europe by finishing third and had players and manager of the year accolades etc. But, all that is history. We need to get back to business, and get back to it quickly, or this season will pass us by. You don't get a tougher place than Parkhead to try and get your first win of the season. Unfortunately, that's where our makeshift side will have to try and do the business. The back line in front of Fon Williams will most likely be Raven-Draper-Devine-Williams or Tremarco. Now, a lot has happened since the start of the season and midfield is anyone's guess, but with the return of Iain Vigurs, we will at least have someone who can spread the play and take free kicks in the vicinity of the goal area. So possibly Vigurs and Tansey in the holding and dispatching slots with Mutombo, the much wanted Christie and Williams or a fit again Doran foraying forward with last chance Lopez needing to up the pace. What better stadium than Parkhead to do this. Jordan Roberts is hoping to be fit and Vincent is another option if he is repaired, and the same for Meekings, who I'm sure will get a wonderful reception from the Celtic faithful. Celtic have signed Scott Allan from Hibernian overnight. What a surprise that was not. A bonus for us though is that Scott Brown is injured. Kris Commons is ready to go and that is a negative for us as he is usually a problem for our A defence, never mind our thrown together rearguard. tm4tj prediction:- Our least favourite away day is coming along at the wrong time for us and I can't see anything other than damage limitation today. Celtic in full swing is a dangerous beast. Their pace and movement in attack could prove too much for our deputies. Our best hope is that Josh Meekings recovers in time and takes Ross Draper out of the centre back position. Nothing against Ross, but he might get turned too easily and that would leave Fon Williams exposed. It's all ifs and buts at the moment, however, we can cling to our memories of the Scottish Cup semi-final and keep dreaming along that lines. That just leaves me with a prediction to do, and it irks me to say we are on a hiding to nothing.

Toothless A disastrous opening fixture for injury hit Inverness. Adding insult to injury, (no pun intended), Gary Warren took a nasty challenge from Stephen Pearson and it would appear that the club have confirmed he has broken a bone in his leg. With Meekings also taken off injured and Tremarco, Vincent, Doran, Roberts, Brill, Foran and Ferguson all requiring treatment things look pretty bleak at this moment in time. I doubt Motherwell will be winning any fair play awards after trying to catch Inverness on the hop. The tried to sneak a goal after play restarted following Warren's injury. Thankfully they guided the shot just wide. Unsavoury incident though. Rig has a report that is too good to waste, and here it is.......... A truly honking performance from ICT with the tone set early on when Warren hacked down Skippy after only a few minutes of the game gone with our fragmented side struggling to settle into anything approaching a rhythm. As was so often the case with Inverness when Hughes first arrived we were architects of our own downfall and helped Well score the first goal. A slack pass by Tansey was eagerly seized upon by Well and it looked like Fletcher and McDonald linked well to create a chance which was well saved by Fon Williams however he couldn't collect the ball and Fletcher followed in from close range to put Well ahead. As anyone who has seen an ICT game this season will know we have a lot of the ball but do absolutely nothing with it. As Motherwell sat back and defended in numbers ICT stroked the ball about with no real creative spark to open up the Steelmen. Even on the odd occasion when a break could have been on we seemed content to advance slowly out of defence and keep the ball rather than go for the jugular and try and get right at Well. At one point, collecting the ball from a wasted Motherwell corner we had all of our players within about 10 - 15 yards of the ball in a couple of big lines with no one further ahead of the player with the ball and no one seemingly trying to get into space to try and stretch the remaining defenders. We were exceptionally sluggish whereas Motherwell were much more direct and aggressive with and without the ball chasing it down and snapping into tackles making it hard for us to settle things down. McDonald missed a penalty after Johnson showed great skill to roll his marker and sprinted into the box only to fall over under what looked like minimal contact from Devine. Regardless, Allan gave a penalty and Fon Williams did well to block McDonalds spot kick which was a nice height for the keeper to get to and keep out. Wedderburn, who was struggling with the quickness of Motherwell players closing him down, was subbed for Mutombo who injected a bit more creativity and pace into a lackadaisical ICT side. This was pretty much how the first half played out with the only other notable talking point being what looked like a horrendous challenge by Pearson on Warren which resulted in the ICT defender having to be subbed off. Pearson looked like he launched himself hard into a challenge going well over the ball with studs showing. It seemed a clear red card but fortunately for Pearson Allan only showed him a yellow. Pearson himself went off later on as he seemed to injure himself in the tackle as well. Will be interesting to see it again on the highlights if it's covered. Half Time 0-1 Motherwell started the second half on top and ICT again were in a mess at the back. Some good work down the Well right led to a good chance to extend their lead but fortunately an effort by Fletcher (I think) hit the post / was saved by Fon Williams. Not long after that Chalmers (I think) who was still up from a corner looked certain to score as he waited to tuck away a loose ball from only inches out but somehow Draper came in to clear the ball away. The second half largely replicated the first with Well starting strongly and ICT struggling to create anything. A half hearted penalty claim from Tansey who looked like he may have been clipped in the box and a free kick late on from the same player which was headed wide were as close as ICT came to threatening anything close to a goal in a match that was not high on thrills. Full Time 0-1 A good win for Motherwell who looked comfortable throughout but a concerning defeat ICT who, despite missing a lot of first team players, struggled again to create any really good scoring chances. With Meekings and Warren both coming off injured our back four is completely unrecognisable from that of last season. If we aren't going to score then we could at least have looked to a relatively resolute defence to keep the opposition out. It will be interesting to see how a potentially patchwork backline deals with the upcoming games against St Johnstone and Partick. Date: 01/08/15 Venue: Caledonian Stadium Attendance: 3307 Referee: Crawford Allan Inverness CT: 0 Lineup: Fon Williams, Raven, Warren (Polworth 43), Meekings (Horner 46), Devine, Wedderburn (Mbuyi-Mutombo 33), Tansey, Draper, Williams, Lopez, Christie Subs (not used): Esson, Brown Scorers: none Booked: Warren (1) Sent Off: none Motherwell: 1 Lineup: Ripley, Chalmers, Laing, McManus, Hammell, Law, Lasley, Pearson (Leitch 61), Johnson, Fletcher (Moult 66), McDonald Subs (not used): Twardzik, Kennedy, Clarkson, Thomas, Ferguson Scorers: Fletcher (4) Booked: Pearson (37) Sent Off: none

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.