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Back to Business Back to SPFL business this weekend after securing our place in the semi-final of the League Cup last midweek with an extra-time victory over Dundee United. That result has seen us paired with Hearts in February at a venue still to be decided. A wee opportunity for revenge after last seasons Heartbreak. Aberdeen and St Johnstone are the other two left in the competition. It's Kris Boyd inspired Kilmarnock who are the visitors on Saturday. Three goals in the last two games has seen the sturdy ex-Rangers striker help Killie to steady the boat after a poor start to the season, beating County and Hearts in successive games to leave them on tenth place with nine points. That's some ten points behind Inverness who find themselves down to third spot after the darkness of Dingwall where the Dons took full advantage to jump into second place for now. Inverness have had to shuffle the pack somewhat in recent games since dynamic midfielder James Vincent damaged his knee. On top of that David Raven has struggled to shake off a groin injury and Carl Tremarco has come in to gain some game time with Graeme Shinnie switching wings to cover Ravens absence. This move has it's critics and questions whether it might be more prudent to use Josh Meekings at right back and bring Danny Devine back into the centre back position. However, it is a bit of a dilemma for Butcher as Meekings and Warren have struck up one of the best central defensive partnerships in the SPFL and he will be reluctant to split them and Carl "Golabeck" Tremarco is a natural left back. Therefore, it probably makes more sense to tamper with the wide defenders and give the newcomer his natural slot and shuffle Shinnie across to the right, but it's not captured everybody's imagination yet. Further upfield, Marley Watkins and Danny Williams staked claims for a start ahead of Ben Greenhalgh with further mileage and both looked useful, Watkins able to drive at defenders and Williams showing some neat skills, also able to deliver, setting up the winner for Ross Draper against United. Food for thought for Terry Butcher in his selection process! Ginger Jaggy is this weekends ink slinger and read his preview here .............. The SPFL Premiership returns to action for Caley Thistle this weekend after a dramatic cup win and a derby that left everyone in the dark - literally. Kilmarnock are the visitors to the highlands this weekend after a stormy league cup quarter final against Dundee United last Tuesday. The result means a second successful Semi Final for the Caley Jags fans to look forward to. Back to league matters and Terry Butcher will be hoping that it is business as usual after the controversial defeat to Partick with three valuable points from this game. It's a game that always seems to entertain with goals aplenty over the years. In fact since our first promotion back in 2004 there has been no games which have ended without goals. Some games have been real thrillers with two games in Inverness ending 3-3 in the 05/6 season and a 4-3 triumph for Killie the following season. In our second season back in the top flight after relegation there was another 4-3 win for Killie but at Rugby Park this time. The result that will be most remembered was the huge 6-3 win for us also in Ayrshire. Over 16 matches played in Inverness the home side have been victorious 6 times against 4 away wins while the other 6 ended in draws. On home turf Caley Thistle has scored 29 while Kilmarnock has scored 24. Last season there were two 1-1 draws in the highlands with the latter game seeing a stoppage time equaliser as we battered the Ayrshire side only to be sucker punched at the end. In Ayrshire each team had one victory each with the Caley Jags winning 2-1 in the league match while Kilmarnock under Kenny Shiels got their revenge by knocking us out of the Scottish cup 2-0 in a 5th round tie. This season we have already won at Rugby Park thanks to goals from Richie Foran and Billy McKay. We currently sit in 3rd place in the table just a point behind Aberdeen with a game in hand. Kilmarnock has hit some form under new manager Allan Johnstone after failing to win any of their first 9 matches. The club remains in 10th but back to back 2-0 wins over Ross County and Hearts have eased the pressure of relegation as the club remains in turmoil with major infighting. Supporters are looking for a similar takeover that looks likely to happen at Hearts as they look to remove Michael Johnston. Kris Boyd is back to scoring goals and will be the major goal scoring threat as he looks to try and impress Gordon Strachan and get a recall to the Scotland squad. For Caley the squad looks full of options. With David Raven likely to be out Graeme Shinnie may continue to be experimented at right back with Carl Tremarco showing he is capable of filling in. Our wide options though looks very encouraging with first Marley Watkins making an impression before Danny Williams coming on in midweek to create the winner and add competition to Aaron Doran and Ben Greenhalgh who have been tried in the wide areas so far. I would expect a home win but nothing can be taken for granted. At home Inverness have been a revelation and should be going into this match still unbeaten. The performances have improved since the 4-0 demolition at St Johnstone and had it not been for the usual incompetency in match officiating and an uncharacteristic mistake by Dean Brill then we would definitely have been 3 points better off. Also had the energy not drained from the Global Energy Stadiums floodlights then it looked like only one team that would have taken the first derby match and it wasn’t them from Dingwall. Tuesday also showed that we are playing better. The red card changed the way Dundee Utd had to approach the game but the team certainly created and missed some guilt edged chances when it was eleven v eleven. All in all I think it will be a 2-0 home win. Our form has improved and after booking another semi-final league cup appearance the boys should be on a high. Kilmarnock may have won their last 2 but against a County side that have been very poor on the road this season and a Hearts side that is looking to be drifting apart at the bottom of the league then there is nothing serious that I see will cause us too much of an issue. ***Latest Team News*** David Raven could be fit enough to return to the squad and that should be Butcher's only concern. Kilmarnock midfielder Rabiu Ibrahim remains out after collapsing during the game against Ross County a fortnight ago. Allan Johnston should otherwise have a full squad to choose from.

Community Service From the darkness of Dingwall to the bright lights of the city of Inverness, football returns with a bang on Tuesday night as Inverness entertain Dundee United in the quarter finals of the League Cup. Tickets are priced at £15 for a seat anywhere inside the stadium and that's good value to watch two of the top clubs in Scotland battle it out for a place in the Scottish Communities League Cup semi-final, the round where Inverness faltered last season at the hands of Hearts. The competition was blown wide open in the last round as favourites Celtic were humbled by Greenock Morton after an epic extra time scramble saw the big Bhoys lose out to a Dougie Imrie penalty and Morton clinging on for dear life to oust the Glasgow giants. That result left the draw looking like this. Inverness v Dundee United.......Tuesday Hibernian v Hearts...................Wednesday Morton v St Johnstone.............Wednesday Motherwell v Aberdeen.............Wednesday . Inverness warmed up for this tie with half a game in Dingwall before the lights went out and plunged the Global Energy Stadium into darkness, no goals being scored in a turgid first half. Bit of a misnomer methinks. David Raven missed out at Dingwall and Carl Tremarco got a start, showing up well before the energy left the stadium at half-time. Marley Watkins also started and both players may well feature again. James Vincent is still out with a knee injury and will not feature for the foreseeable future. United had a full ninety minute workout on the Saturday and crushed St Mirren 4-0 at Tannadice. The increasingly dangerous striker Nadir Ciftci scored a couple and boy of the moment Ryan Gauld bagged a beauty, with substitute Chris Erskine netting the fourth. United have no injury worries but Jackie McNamara intends to use his squad to the full to get the best out of his players. In the previous round, a Billy McKay goal was enough to see Inverness edge out Dundee at Dens Park while Dundee United were cruising past Partick Thistle thanks to a Goodwillie hat-trick and a goal from substitute Ryan Dow. United had entered the competition in the previous round and struggled past Dumbarton 2-3 Ciftci scoring a double in that game as well and Gauld getting the other. So, the scene is set for this quarter final tie with United appearing to be in finer fettle than Inverness who have slipped up somewhat in their league games recently. The carrot has been dangled though, and a place in the semi-final could be enough to ensure an entertaining game will be played out with extra-time and penalties if required to ensure there is a winner on the night.