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April Fools prepare for basement battle Hibernian find themselves at the wrong end of the SPL just three points above bottom club Dunfermline and eight points adrift of Inverness, and it's maybe appropriate that they are playing each other on April Fools day. These two clubs have struggled all season to steer a course clear of relegation and as we approach the business end of the season they are still battling to stay ahead of the Pars, although Inverness would appear to have the best chance of avoiding the drop out of these three clubs. Inverness' roller coaster season has seen plenty of contrasting fortunes. Lot's of dips, a few highs but there does not seem to be any middle ground and consistency is a word not used in these parts anymore, unless we talk about Ross County. Hibs have fared even worse so far and they parted company with Colin Calderwood some sixteen games ago, with Pat Fenlon taking over the reigns in November. Sadly for them, he has only succeeded in having a worse record than the previous encumbent, gaining only nine points from those games. Hibs goal difference is shockingly bad at minus 29, and for a club like Hibs to produce that statistic then something is drastically wrong down Leith direction. Disappointment all round for both clubs on their last outing. Inverness slumped badly at home losing to high flying St Johnstone to a dubious Sandaza penalty, but it was the lack of creativity and slackness on the ball that left the home fans numb and CTO forum user Libero summed it up in one word perfectly, and that word of the week was disheartened. Hibs did not best please Mr Fenlon either as they went down 2-0 to the Arabs at Easter Road. He reckons they are suffering from a lack of confidence; sounds familiar. So, we have two sides playing rubbish with no self-belief, frightened to try attacking football for fear of relegation, shipping goals, and disgruntled fans all around us, aye, that's the SPL for you. Stll, we are a strange bunch us football fans and we thrive on these happenings, therefore we will be back in the ground on Sunday for 3:00pm to witness the next installment of life in the lower half of the SPL ................ bring it on! ajsict92 is enjoying it so much, he has started writing about it and theres no stopping him now as he has another preview ready for your pleasure, read on........................ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Two of a kind... When I look at ICT and Hibs, I immediately think two things. One is that both sides are in a false position in the table given the squads they have on paper, and two is that both sides seasons have suffered as a direct consequence of failing to put together any real run of form throughout the entire season. Both teams have very different reasons for what has caused this but I must admit it is a very frustrating sight watching a team fail to reach its potential. Anyone who was forced to sit through the dross that was served up to us on Wednesday would have left the game scratching their heads wondering where all the fighting spirit against Aberdeen had gone. Indeed that was the reaction of Terry Butcher who, not for the first time, described it as "11 strangers" that played against St Johnstone and insisted that changes would be made for this weekend. With reports saying that he will have Gillet, Hayes and Doran back at his disposal it really isn't any wonder. Safe to say that ICT's form throughout this season could have been very different had it not been for the amount of injuries picked up all at once and paticularly to such key players like Doran, Hayes and I suppose you could add Andrew Shinnie to that list when you look at what a key player he was this season. You look at those three players and you could safely say that they would be our main creative influence on the pitch and I think the lack of quality we've seen in games like the St Johnstone match is a direct result of not having these players available. Hopefully having two out of those three back could bring about a bit of form and fortune between now and the end of the season. Another home game with Hibs brings about the welcoming of another new Hibs manager to TCS, Pat Fenlon who was appointed in November (the clubs 3rd manager in as many seasons). He boasted a wonderful record in Ireland winning two titles, a league cup and an FA cup with Bohemians and was seen as the man to turn around the rotten form Hibs were suffering under Colin Calderwood but his presence has brought about little change with Hibs only picking up three wins since his appointment and Hibs being deprived of a goal since late February. They also had a very busy time in the market with eight new faces being brought in as Fenlon looked to establish his mark on the side. The impatience of the Hibernian board seems to have been the main factor behind the teams rise and very mighty fall. I remember hearing many Hibs fans feeling that the sacking of John Hughes at the start of last season was a harsh decision and it's safe to say that given the dramatic decline of the team in terms of form and the subsequent appointment of 2 different managers since Hughes's dismissal you could say that perhaps they were right. It was only the 2nd fixture of the season way back in August when Hibs picked up their first ever win at the Tulloch Caledonian Stadium when Garry O'Connor's last minute strike proved to be the difference. It was a game in which ICT dominated and on another day probably would've coasted home. Open goals were missed, posts were struck and blatant penalty shouts were denied. Who thought this would end up being the story of the season. Terry Butcher took the boys down to Easter Road just after Christmas. A 1-1 draw was the result between the teams, Pat Fenlon picking up his first point as Hibs boss in that game. Garry O'Connor was again the thorn in our side but no one will ever forget the wonderful solo goal from our own Jonny Hayes that night. Picked it up before the half-way line and took off, skipping his way through multiple attempts to close him down before unleashing a low, crisp drive into the bottom corner to send the ICT loyals behind the goal delirious. Indeed the real shining moment in what was otherwise a very average game. ajsict92's prediction :- It is essential that ICT bounce back from the dismal display during the week and I see this as an opportunity to right the wrongs from the previous performance and I'm sure Terry Butcher will be trying to scream (literally) that message across to his players. The potential return of our best wingers Hayes and Doran would be a very welcome one having been deprived of having both fit for a large chunk of the season. They may well be a bit rusty but if we can get them involved in the game they could make a real difference in our quest for a result. Hibs may have had a torrid season but it can't be denied they have some very talented players. Garry O'Connor has a dozen goals to his name this season which is not a bad return. They also have the crafty, quick influence of Leigh Griffiths though I better not say too much about him, he might batter me if I do. For me I can see us grabbing a 2-0 win from this one. As Terry says the team have mostly bounced back from bad performances this season and will be looking for more of the same. From a Hibs perspective morale is low, they are on a serious goal drought and they really dont enjoy coming up here but I wouldn't write them off completely. Where's Lukey??? :- For all those that aren't at the match and are watching it on the box courtesy of ESPN be sure to look out for the blonde bombshell that is Luke Mackay. Luke is a regular poster on the forum under the quickly thought out name "lukemackay" and has been lucky enough to have been spotted by the cameras in every televised match ICT have featured in this season. To make this easy for you look out for a lad that looks like Robert Eagle, wears dark trackies and will no doubt be wearing his ICT colours and will be situated up in the Section E area throughout the match. He'll no doubt be hiding at the back and going mental if a goal goes in, you can't miss him. (hmmnnnn, will he be wearing his beard on Sunday?) ***Latest Team News*** Terry Butcher has stated that he will make changes to freshen up the side, and that's not difficult to understand after the midweek slump. Still out though are Chris Hogg, Andrew Shinnie and Ryan Esson. The long awaited return of Aaron Doran is fast approaching and Jonny Hayes and Kenny Gillet look set to be included in the squad. So, if all of these guys are fit and raring to go then there will definitely be alterations to the starting eleven with Josh Meekings also available after his red card at Aberdeen. Pat Fenlon is struggling to turn Hibs fortunes around and he might have to do so without captain Ian Murray who is hampered by a hip injury. He could have better luck with Jake McPake and Danny Galbraith who have shaken off knocks, but ex-County midfielder Martin Scott will not take part after being told he is surplus to requirements and is available for loan.

Lomas Fancies Chinese Takeaway Shaanxi Chan-Ba: No it's not a spicey Oriental lamb shank, it's where Steve Lomas might get his next Chinese takeaway from in the shape of one of the top SPL scorers of all time, Derek Riordan. The former Hibs and Celtic striker is at a loose end after leaving his club in November, only four months into a two year deal. Lomas would see him as an ideal replacement for Cillian Sheridan and Fran Sandaza should the Perth Club be unable to tempt them to stay at McDiarmid Park beyond the seasons end, and he could sign for them before the weekend to bolster their push for European football next season. But, we are not here to discuss Deek. It's the rearranged SPL game against St Johnstone on Wednesday evening, and if you still have your ticket for a fiver, then it's a cheap night out for you. The original game was scheduled to see Saints as our first footers on the 2nd of January but very heavy early morning blizzards and sleet put paid to that and the game was called off a couple of hours before kick off. The already saturated pitch had worsened and became waterlogged ending any possibility of football being played, much to the chagrin of all concerned. The Perth Saints have sustained their early season surge and sit comfortably inside the top-six, 15 points ahead of injury stifled Inverness, a position even their own fans thought would be difficult to achieve this season. But achieve it they have and they have the opportunity to push for European football come the end of this season with Tayside neighbours Dundee United in fourth place in the league on the same points total prior to this game. So, while St Johnstone have their sights set on a Europa place, we look to jump two places with a home win. That would see us leapfrog Aberdeen and St Mirren into eighth place, commendable given our problems this season. St Johnstone's season has been built around a fantastic away record that boasts only two defeats, both by the same scoreline, 3-2 at Easter Road and Fir Park. That has seen them tally 27 out of their total of 46 points so far this term, scoring 21 times on the road, but more significantly, only conceding a miserly 10 goals away from Perth. Our own season has been hindered by numerous injuries and we have been unable to mount any serious assault on the top half of the table, instead concentrating on keeping a team or two below us. Still without Chris Hogg and Andrew Shinnie we are starting to see one or two return, with Golobart and Tudur-Jones getting more match sharpness at Pittodrie last weekend. Unfortunately, some fresh injuries to other key players are still disrupting our continuity, Hayes, Doran and Gillet sitting out the last couple of games, with Doran's continuing injury nightmare completely ruining his season so far. Ryan Esson was the latest casualty, pulling up in the pre-match warm up at Aberdeen with Jonny Tuffey ably deputising. Remember folks, ticket prices have been halved for tonights game and season ticket holders can bring a friend for a fiver, as long as tickets are bought before reaching the turnstiles. I could ramble on, but I'll let someone else take up the story as ajsict92 has been doing the homework for this preview and will tell us how we are going to tackle the Super J's, read on................................... Long time coming... I managed to win myself a lengthy lie in bed when this fixture was first cancelled way back at the start of the new year but i think given our result against Aberdeen at the weekend then it is probably a good time to challenge ourselves against a team like St Johnstone and look to inflict only their third away defeat on them this season. Building on the weekends performance will be difficult but I think it is important that we do so. All of the boys ran themselves into the ground for that result, showing alot of passion and commitment. Passion and commitment which transmitted to the stands as the team received a standing ovation and chorus of chants at full time. As Big Tel mentioned at the weekend the last time we played three games in the course of a week we won all three and we definitely need that kind of display again. As has been typical of our season though it was a result gained in a lot of adversity with the loss of Ryan Esson through injury and Josh Meekings being sent off. However both Jonny Tuffey and Thomas Piermayr gave very credible displays, couple that with the potential return of the likes of Gillet and Hayes then Tel will have a decision to make on what changes will be necessary to the squad when he chooses his starting eleven. Not a great deal to go on between the two sides as there has only been one fixture previous to this one in which the Saints ran out 2-0 winners. The Saints were on top form at that point and had Spanish hitman Fran Sandaza scoring freely for them. A quality player on top form and given the fact he has clocked up 16 goals this season I would imagine it will be a case of when he departs as opposed to if. The previous encounter between the two sides also proved to be Derek McInnes' final game in charge of the club before he departed for Bristol City. I'm sure when he left many Saints fans would have been concerned about the clubs future, especially given the strides they had made under him. Steve Lomas however seems to be proving a more than capable replacement and given he is also a young manager plying his trade, Geoff Brown may well have difficulty holding on to him when bigger clubs come calling. Given the rare but nonetheless beautiful weather we've been having and the Easter hols looming, I'm very much looking forward to this match. With both teams having taken maximum points at the weekend and against tricky opposition they will both be feeling confident going into this one and with the quality of players at each others disposal im hoping to see a reasonably open game of football with two teams going at it. Both still have alot to play for. Saints will be pushing for that one European spot left with Top-Six already secured and looking to do the double over ourselves while we have our own agenda of trying to go two places better than our current position of 10th which we have occupied comfortably for a considerable amount of time now but have always aimed to move up and away from. ajsict92's prediction:- It will be a tense game, despite the disparity in league positions, but I dont think there is a great difference in quality between the sides, especially if we have Jonny Hayes back at our disposal. It will be absolutely essential that we keep the likes of Sandaza and Sheridan quiet or even Marcus Haber who despite not having as prolific a record, has some real pace about him. It will be a big challenge for young lads like Golobart and Graeme Shinnie but with an experienced head like Big Toker's bossing them there is no reason why they shouldn't be able to do so. Boys like Tade and McKay will be looking to replicate their good performances from Saturday and impress in front of the home crowd and if Butcher keeps Tudur-Jones and Foran anchoring the midfield they could well have a big influence in play as well. Both teams will be well up for it but I think with the home crowd on our side and a confident team on the pitch I can see us grabbing a 2-1 win. ***Latest Team News*** Inverness' injury fortunes are still going in and out like a fiddlers elbow. Out are Hogg, Andrew Shinnie and Doran with Ryan Esson (groin) joining the definites and Josh Meekings for his red card will be suspended. The maybe's are Hayes and Gillet (hamstrings) and Owain Tudur-Jones who might need time to re-adjust to full time football again after a classy showing at Pittodrie. The ins will be Jonny Tuffey and his new deputy, u19 keeper Scott Mathieson, Thomas Piermayr who has had to bide his time for the right back position unless Butcher decides to move Ross Tokely back out wide and play Steve Williams alongside the already returned Roman Golobart, with u21 left back Graeme Shinnie wide left if Gillet does not return. Tansey, Foran and Sutherland, Ross or Hayes will make up the midfield with Tade and the industrious Billy McKay looking for the goals. Hayes, Gillet and Doran are more likely to target the Hibs game this weekend for a return to action, but Butcher will keep his options open until the last minute. St Johnstone's Murray Davidson will miss this game after injuring his knee against Hearts, but it's not as serious as first feared and he could be back in a couple of weeks. Callum Davidson (hamstring) should be fit enough to be included in the squad and Steve Lomas has no fresh injury worries ahead of this testing encounter, quoting "We'll have to be at our best to get anything from Inverness." Other ICT news:- Papers saying today that Owain Tudur-Jones is keen to extend his stay with Inverness and repay the faith shown in him since he returned from long term injury. Have to say I think his injury was one of many serious aspects that hindered our season but anyone who has seen him play since he returned can see that if we can get this guy playing regularly and 100% fit he could be different class for us. Hopefully Tel will give him some more game time to impress as the season draws to a close Other SPL news:- Surprise surprise, Neil Lennon has been asked to explain his alleged misconduct in the wake of last weekends fiery Old Firm game where after the dust settled, Rangers emerged with a 3-2 victory and ten men on the park, with Mr Lennon's side being reduced to nine players. Well well, how does this not surprise me. The greetin faced wee toerag has been pushing his luck with officials for as long as Rangers have been cheating the tax man and he still expects to get away with it. Time he learned some manners and the beaks should grow a pair and tell him. Apparently he reckons he was "prevented from doing his job", I could answer that but my lawyer is too expensive. They think its all over....well mathematically it's not quite.........ajsict92 adds, I must admit that I have laughed at Rangers a lot in the last month for most of the same reasons that the rest of the nation have, but on Sunday a part of me wanted to see the Gers frustrate Celtic's attempts to wrap up the league nice and early. For a side in turmoil Rangers, who had nothing to play for gave a quality and spirited performance against their fierce rivals led by a very in form Sone Aluko. Celtic's performance was that of a side who thought they'd already won the game before it began (similar to the CIS Cup FInal) and probably gave them the wake up call that maybe they are not so invincible yet in their quest for total domination. A modern day Old Firm wouldn't be complete without Neil Lennon throwing a twizz worthy of him being sent off and giving an angry interview at full time. This no doubt will be followed by the usual slap on the wrists and small fine from the SPL but he knows only too well his side will never get a better opportunity to win the league at Ibrox.