tm4tj

Rangers grab all three points in a hard fought battle at Ibrox. Caley Thistle,  once again travelling without a full matchday squad, held the champions at bay for the first half but it looks like Ally McCoist gave them a rollicking at half-time and they certainly moved up a gear in the second. Carlos Bocanegra opened the scoring in the 55th minute but it was former Ger, Andy Shinnie who equalised in controversial fashion 12 minutes later. Jelavic was down injured (or slow to get up) and Rangers did not put the ball out of play ... they then lost it and the end result was an Andy Shinnie goal. It was a deserved goal, and as the BBC commented, Rangers could have put the ball out if Jelavic was really as injured as he was making out ! The final 20 minutes were, for want of a better description, "pulsating". Chances fell at either end with McKay hitting the post and having another attempt saved by McGregor, and Foran also had a "goal" chopped off.  Rangers had the ball cleared off the line three times and hit both the post and the bar before Lafferty grabbed the winner seven minutes from time. Plenty for our intrepid reporter to write about when he gets home from Ibrox ..............................and here he is safe and sound as Capital Caley relates his day out down Govan way....................... What a performance. What an effort. So close to being a result. That has to be one of the best performances we've ever had at Ibrox. This makes it even more frustrating that we didn't take anything from the game. I feel strangely happy after this game. Of course the result is bitterly disappointing but I think the 140 away fans in attendance will all feel very proud of the way the players went about their business. The day started for a few Caley Thistle fans how it usually starts when we play Rangers â€" by hitting Glasgow's number 1 Unofficial Caley Thistle bar â€" Brechins. Taking part in the Brechins festivities along with myself were familiar faces such as Govan Jaggie (of course) tm4tj, Red Card, Snow, Snow Jnr, ICT Bob, JK, Ginger Jaggy and last but not least, Alternative Maryhill. As we headed along to the stadium (running late as usual) there was a feeling of optimism within the ranks. Hindered slightly by Glasgow Council's inability to relieve the pavements of their coating of ice we skated merrily towards Ibrox and entered the stadium to the noise of the Gers singing section. The game kicked off just as we were settling into our seats. With our dearth of players for this one, Butcher elected to try Kenny Gillet at right back and pulled Richie Foran deep, leaving Tade up front to compliment Billy McKay. Lee Cox slotted into the midfield with Davis out because of his red card last week. The first half hour was very quiet and nothing to get too excited about. Our first real chance occurred when a Foran header struck the hand of Jelavic in the box â€" the referee decided to play on. As Terry Butcher said â€" we don't get penalties! Rangers only real chance of the first half occurred just before half time. A Whittaker shot was brilliantly saved by Ryan Esson. He dived to his left to somehow palm the ball away from goal. The team looked comfortable in the first half with the back 4 looking strong. In particular, Roman Golobart, who had a very good game. His challenges were perfect each time and he did the business. A no nonsense performance, where he tapassed the ball out of play when needed... Don't all laugh at once! Half Time 0-0 17/12/11 Ibrox Stadium, Glasgow Rangers:- 2 - Bocanegra (55), Lafferty (83) TEAM: McGregor, Papac (Bendiksen 78), Wallace, Whittaker, Bocanegra, Bartley, Edu (McCulloch 46), Davis, Bedoya (Lafferty 53), Wylde, Jelavic SUBS: Alexander, Broadfoot, McKay, McCabe Booked: Bocanegra (75), Laffery (83), McCulloch (87) Sent Off: none Inverness CT:- 1 - A.Shinnie (67) TEAM: Esson, Tokely, Golobart, G.Shinnie, Gillet, Cox, Hayes, Tansey (A.Shinnie 60), Foran, Tade, McKay (Sutherland 85) SUBS: Tuffey, Piermayr, Ross, Morrison Booked: Gillet (43), Cox (64), Foran (90) Sent Off: none Referee Bobby Madden Attendance 43701 Into the second half, and there was much more to talk about! Rangers started strongly and had a couple of shots cleared off the line/six-yard box. From our small corner, I couldn't see who it was that cleared it â€" but I'll attribute it to the new Golly! We then had another penalty claim turned down. Right in front of goal, Billy McKay was hauled to the ground with the Rangers defender wrapping his arms round him. I was right behind the linesman, who had a clear view. He must have sneezed at the moment of the foul I suppose. Please refer to Butchers previous comment. Rangers went ahead on 54 minutes. A Bocanegra shot from close range slotted into the bottom corner. In fairness, we could see the goal coming. Rangers did start the second half very strongly. Papac then hit the crossbar for Rangers from a loose ball thirty yards out as they started to show signs of quality. However, we came back into the game and deservedly equalised in 67 minutes when a brilliant run and cross from Gregory Tade found Andrew Shinnie who flicked the ball into McGregor's top corner. A few minutes later we were 2-1 up! A Foran header at the back post, almost identical to the first goal sailed into the top corner. Jubilation! We were on the road to victory! Then the flag went up for offside. I haven't seen the goal again, but I am certain Foran was not offside. I am certain he was onside by a country mile! TV evidence apparently backs this up. With the game raging on, Billy Mckay rounded McGregor and from a tight angle, hit the post. It was tight, but he looked almost certain to score. Then again, within minutes, Hayes shuffled past McGregor and his poked shot was somehow cleared off the line by Wallace. I don't think he hit it hard enough as he was under pressure. This gave the Rangers defence time to blockade the goal. Mckay should have put us 2-1 up when he skinned Whittaker, spun around and from close range, hit it straight at McGregor. Against the run of play, Rangers went 2-1 up. Steve Davis found Lafferty who fired in the ball from close range. We continued to press with great runs from Hayes, Shinnie and Tade but couldn't break through in the end. Full Time 2-1 The Caley Thistle support gave a standing ovation for their team at the end as the players approached and applauded back. Then it was back to Brechins after the game. Being an over 21's pub I had hatched a plan to get two slightly younger fans in â€" martinskye and twin brother Iain â€" or Jedward as they are more commonly known! Unfortunately they got lost and ended up walking a couple of miles in the wrong direction. They ended up closer to St Mirren Park than Brechins! Overall, there was a feeling of optimism within the support after the game. We were all so proud of the team. If they take that performance into the next few games, they shall do well. Every player on the park was first class. It's difficult to pick a MotM. I would like to give it to McKay, as he did play fantastic but really should have scored. Shinnie made a massive impact when he came on but for running Rangers ragged, I'll give it to Hayes. Lets take this feeling of optimism to the Dons game on Christmas Eve next week. Have a Merry Christmas!

No Xmas Cheer at Inverness After last weekends disappointing result, Inverness head to Glasgow to take on champions Rangers at Ibrox. Maybe not the easiest of places to go after the obligatory handing over of three points last week and the loss of Hogg and Davis has just compounded our misery; not the Xmas present we were hoping for. Yes it's been a long week to ponder over the happenings of the United game. An even longer one for the unfortunate Chris Hogg who's season has finished now after the results of his scan were revealed and David Davis can reflect on his stint at right back which ended with him seeing red. All in all, a disastrous week for Inverness, let's hope we can use the trip to Ibrox to recharge our batteries for the relegation tussle ahead. Capital Caley has sorted a preview out for us before he heads to Brechins Bar for the pre-match entertainment, read on............... He's making a list, checking it twice, gonna find out who's injured tonight.......Terry Butchers coming to town Terry Butcher has more injury worries again ahead of this game, but it's that time of the year again. The Caley Away Christmas party! Tynecastle was the venue this time last year. The hard fought point secured the unbeaten away run in 2010. A year on and things don't feel quite so festive on the park. We head to Castle Greyskull with yet more injury and suspension worries. With the devastating news that Chris Hogg will be out for the rest of the season we are now looking as fragile as ever at the back. Josh Meekings and David Proctor may also be missing again and the influential David Davis will be missing for this one following his red card against Dundee United. Caley Thistle have been incredibly inconsistent over the last month. A wonderful 6-3 victory at Kilmarnock, followed by a spirited performance against Celtic, then a dire game against Hearts and a solid hard fought victory against St Mirren. It was back to square one last week with the collapse against Dundee United. What Caley Thistle team will turn up in Govan on Saturday? That question could be asked literally and metaphorically! Terry Butcher has had to make more changes than a gremlin in a snow shower. Although we sit awfully close to the bottom of the SPL, no doubt the Caley Thistle faithful will have a joyous time on Saturday. The Official Festive Fun bus looks like it will have everyone in Yuletide spirit, whilst most of the Glasgow based crew will be drinking beer and scoffing mince pies in Brechins Bar pre and post match. No doubt we'll be looking up the Christmas songs for the Saturday night karaoke! Rangers have other problems to worry about over the festive period. With the meeting with HMRC looming as well as stuttering SPL performances, a Caley Thistle victory could still be achieved. Some would argue that Rangers deserve a lump of coal for Christmas. Their years of overspending has finally caught up with them. Can that lump of coal be delivered a week early in the form of a Caley Thistle victory? Possibly" but i'm not holding my breath! Caley Thistle lost out to Rangers the last time the clubs met. Two 'penalties' for the men from Glasgow won the game. Both penalties looked dubious and Terry Butcher unsuccessfully appealed Ross Tokelys red card. A harsh outcome considering all the camera angles pointed to a good challenge. There have been some great memories from our games at Ibrox in the past. In 2005, a long punt by someone called Grant Munro found Brian Prunty who scored one of the worst goals in an ICT shirt, but it felt like the best, earning a point in injury time. Ian Black scored a last minute winner from the penalty spot in 2009 to win the game and take us off bottom. Terry Butchers celebrations that night aggravated the Rangers loyal; well the ones that hadn't left from the 70th minute onwards. Last season we earned a point away to Rangers. An 81st minute Eric Odhiambo leveler kept the unbeaten away run going. Although I've still not figured out why Odhiambo ran to celebrate in the wrong corner! Unfortunately, our last trip to Govan wasn't as successful as Rangers scraped a 1-0 victory. The game was rescheduled twice and the second one was rescheduled less than a week before the new date, leaving Terry and Mo with little time to prepare properly for the match. Caley Thistles first competitive game against Rangers occurred in March 1996 in the Quarter Final of the Scottish Cup. We lost out 3-0 at the neutral Tannadice Park in Dundee. Rangers were hoping for a repeat of their 10-1 victory against Keith from the previous round. However, a spirited Caley Thistle performance kept the light blues at bay and the score line flattered Rangers. Many media commentators at the time predicted Caley Thistle would rise to the top flight one day based on what they saw of the club, the team and the fans that day. Brian Laudrup and Paul Gascoigne played that day up against the likes of Mike Teasdale and Brian Thomson. The shrewdness of Steve Patersons signings has taken us steadily up the leagues all the way to the SPL. In contrast, Rangers flamboyant signings in the 1990's and early 2000's have kept them in the upper echelons of the SPL and in Europe until late September most seasons. The question has to be asked, was it worth it? It certainly won't be if HMRC gets its way in January. They will be meeting Hector the Tax Man in administration heaven. If proceedings go as bad as they could, they will be replaced by our neighbours from the other side of the Black Isle. The last time Ross County brought a sizeable amount of supporters to the Central Belt, a caravan jam had blocked the whole of the A9 between Dingwall and Perth. The Central Belt based SPL teams are wary of this happening in their neck of the woods but it is starting to look more and more likely. Capital Caley's Prediction:- Our past performances and results at Ibrox have been impressive. We have beaten Rangers on their own turf whilst we were bottom of the league. We have shown in a few games this season that we can play well and are capable of scoring. Rangers have dropped more points at home than away this season. They are starting to struggle and if we can contain them early on, they will get restless. If the Caley Thistle team performs to their best standard on Saturday, then we can get something from the game. Although I would like to say we'll get all 3 points, the odds are against us, but there's no reason why we can't get a point, so I'm going to predict a 1-1 draw. I believe in Santa Butcher. I believe in the team â€" whoever happens to be picked on Saturday! Now lets don red and blue Santa hats, get caught up in the festive spirit and hope Jonny Hayes can fire a festive cracker for all 3 points! ***Latest Team News*** Inverness are once again ravaged by injuries, none moreso than the extremely disappointing news about Chris Hogg, resulting in the rest of his season being written off and a prognosis of at least nine months out of the game after sustaining a serious knee injury when he clashed with Gary Mackay-Steven and David Davis in last weeks match. Davis also misses this game after his red card against United. Meekings is struggling to shake off a calf injury, Proctor (ankle) and Piermayr (back) making all three doubtful for Saturday, although the Austrian looks to have the best chance of making the squad. Chippendale is still out making a total of seven injuries and one suspension when you add on the two long term casualties, Doran and Tudur-Jones. Chris Hogg has put pen to paper after his injury, as a sort of self therapy, and you can follow the story on his Blog, The Fightback http://chrishoggthef...t.com/?spref=tw It is an insight into how he will cope with this devastating blow to his career, let's hope he makes a comeback from this, all the best Chris. Rangers have less problems than the threadbare Highlanders and a much greater squad to choose from. Like Hogg, Steven Naismith is out for the season and Sone Aluko is spared the embarrassment of showing his face on the park after his attempt to cheat the system failed on review and he rightly received a two match ban, (not enough in my book). Kyle Lafferty (back) and Dorin Goian (bug) are doubts and Jamie Ness is out. The depth of squad at Ibrox means that these absentees are a drop in the ocean compared to that of Terry Butcher's squad, such is life. Other News SPL News:- Aberdeen crawled above Inverness in midweek after defeating St Johnstone 2-1 in Perth. Celtic left the Europa League after a 1-1 draw with Italian side Udinese was not enough to see them progress. Hearts have paid Novembers wages now; somone tell them it's nearly Xmas please. Anti bigot law's have been passed by the Scottish Parliament, so behave or stay away. The legislation will create two new offences relating to behaviour deemed to "incite religious, racial or other forms of hatred". You have been warned! Promotion Watch:- Proof of the pudding time this weekend should their game go ahead. Ross County take on a resurgent Dundee and should they see off the dark blues, then they will go eleven points ahead of the challengers. Falkirk are still interested and should maintain their challenge with 3 points from QotS.

Houston, we have a problem As we tweeted towards the end of the match ... "Caley Thistle. Perfecting the art of grabbing defeat from the jaws of victory. Dreadful" A full match report will appear here later once someone is calm enough to comment on this capitulation in a reasoned manner. ICT 2-3 Dundee United Yes,it's the same headline, but it has a different meaning today. We have a problem, a big problem. We managed to score very early in each half. The enigmatic Jonny Hayes and Billy McKay scoring good goals, then the wheels fell off. I'm sure that Houston will take all the plaudits, and rightly so as his substitution of Johnny Russell for the ineffective Willo Flood transformed his faltering side into world beaters. They needed not to be world beaters as we shot ourselves in the foot and the writing was on the wall as soon as we backed off Uniteds enterprising front-men. Friday nights snow had to be cleared from the park ahead of the game as Inverness shivered after a week of horrendous weather. Maybe we shouldn't have bothered as we slumped to another defeat, but this was no ordinary defeat. 10/12/11 Tulloch Caledonian Stadium I.C.T. 2 - Hayes (2), McKay (47) TEAM: Esson, Tokely, Hogg (Cox 15), Golobart, Gillet, Hayes, Tansey, A.Shinnie (Ross 67), Davis, Foran, McKay (Tade 73) SUBS: Tuffey, G.Shinnie, Morrison, Sutherland Booked: Davis (14), Foran (80) Sent Off: Davis (83) Dundee Utd 3 - Russell (51, 78), Golobart (og.64) TEAM: Pernis, Dillon, Dixon, Gunning, Neilson, Flood (Russell 49), Robertson, Rankin, Armstrong, Mackay-Steven, Daly SUBS: Banks, Kenneth, Watson, Douglas, Dalla Valle, Dow Booked: Mackay-Steven (35), Dillon (54) Sent Off: none Referee Steven McLean Attendance 3142 We started brightly, Jonny Hayes firing home inside two minutes. David Davis doing the spadework and Hayes placing the ball low into the net from teny yards before the plastic seats had time to warm up. Oh boy, we all thought we were onto a good thing here as we looked spritely and United struggled to create an opening. However, the game was about to change as Davis chased after Mackay-Steven and the pair of them were blown apart as Hogg halted their progress, (ouch). Hogg required repairing and was stretchered from the scene of the accident being replaced by Lee Cox. Davis was booked for his clumsiness, something he would regret later in the game. Davis went to right back and Cox took over the midfield role as Butcher had to shuffle the pack. In all honesty, Davis coped reasonably well at right back, but his drive and determination were now missing from midfield and we were bereft of attcking options thereater. Hayes was having an excellent opening forty-five and time after time he would drift past his marker but the second goal had to wait until the second half. Hayes failed to pull the trigger inside the box as we kept United quiet, electing to square the ball from a striking position and the opportunity went astray. Pernis did well to divert a McKay shot round the post as the home side looked comfortable. United were foraging forward in bursts and Mackay-Steven was weaving pretty patterns down the left wing, but there was no end product at this point and the first half petered out just in time as United were beginning to get to grips with the game. Daly heading over was the first hint that something was amiss. Half Time 1-0 The second half started like the first, another goal inside a couple of minutes as Billy McKay rose in the box to guide a superb Hayes cross into the bottom corner. Two nil maybe flattered us a bit, but we did not mind. Just when we thought we were going to achieve back-to-back wins, the capitulation started. Russell's introduction had an instant impact. Like Davis in the first half, United's Armstrong did the donkey work as our defence backed off and when the ball came to Russell in the box he sent it past Esson with ease. We looked fragile now and United had a spring in their step, but Richie Foran almost restored the two goal advantage with a rasping shot that almost took out two first aiders walking behind the goal. However, we gifted United the equaliser as Golobart intecepted a cross at full stretch and the ball diverted past a furious Ryan Esson to level the scores. Disaster for the young Spaniard who had been having a decent game up to that point. Golobart almost immediately atoned for that blunder by directing an angled header goalwards, but unlike Billy McKay's effort, it went just the wrong side of the post. Meh! The writing was on the wall now and United took the game by the scruff of the neck as Butcher showed how not to make match winning substitutions, Nick Ross taking to the park in place of Andrew Shinnie. Not a tactically good day for Butcher who showed his lack of judgement with some less than believable decisions as he relied on his favoured lads to do the business. Heads down and backs to the wall are not a good combination and it was no surprise when the fleet footed Russell scored his second and United's third to leave the home fans in utter frustration and anger at their teams inability to see out this game. He had sped away from Gillet and slid the ball into the net from the edge of the box after being threaded through by Mackay-Stevens. Just to round off a miserable afternoon for the homesters, Davis was sent packing for a second booking as he once again chased after the elusive Mackay-Steven with ten minutes remaining. The full time whistle ended the contest and the home players and management were roundly booed from the scene of the crime. Not the Xmas present we were hoping for and boss Butcher needs to think long and hard about his player choices before we slip into the abyss and County pass us on the way up. Full Time 2-3 What started out as an exciting game in prospect, turned out to be one of the most frustrating results ever. You would have to go a long way back to recall such utter disbelief at the way we crumbled when the going got tough. United deserved the win, let's not beat about the bush here, but the way it all panned out left a nasty taste in the mouth and with Ibrox looming next weekend it looks like we are here for the long haul. Well done to Houston for turning round their fortunes after last weeks ineptness against Celtic. Despite the own goal, my man of the match was Roman Golobart, who showed some good touches and will be required in the coming weeks after Hogg's injury. Highlights on BBC Sport https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/av/scotland/16130584

Houston, we have a problem! You could be forgiven for thinking that United fans coined that phrase as their team struggles to launch their season after a spate of indifferent results sees them hovering just above the danger zone. Weather permitting, the Arab's will be here on Saturday for an SPL fixture that could see Inverness draw level on points with the Taysiders. Inverness are gradually starting to achieve lift-off after overcoming St Mirren 2-1 in Paisley last weekend, a result that was hard fought for as the players dug deep to secure the points. Billy McKay was given his first start and maybe the heavy conditions favoured his fleet footed endeavours as the bustling Gregory Tade was consigned to the bench for eighty-five minutes. The defence, although not achieving that elusive clean sheet, battled bravely as Saints tried to find a way back, but Ross Tokely and Roman Golobart stood firm to deny the Saints, and Jonny Hayes curled home a sublime winner. United appeared to be inert as they succumbed rather meekly to Neil Lennon's Celtic at Tannadice, a result that put's them in eighth spot in the league, one place above Inverness. Gary Kenneth sees his future elsewhere and expects to leave at the end of the season. Changed days for the giant stopper after his boast of last season when he thought United could split the Old Firm. Dream on big boy. Weather Report:- It has been a week when Scotland shivered as the mercury plummeted below freezing and the first noteworthy snowfall of the season left the landscape looking more like the frozen Tundra. Giant Panda's landed at Edinburgh Zoo, although they possibly went missing from New St Mirren Park last weekend and Misha 'B' was voted off the X Factor; yes it was an extraordinary week indeed. It's the weather that could have the last word on this game as more than six inches of snow has fallen around the Highland Capital early in the week, and if it turns milder then surface water has been known to make life difficult for award winning groundsman Tommy Cumming. Thursday morning and the snow is disappearing fast as Hurricane Bawbag whips the North of Scotland, most bridges closed because of the high winds. Let's see what the next couple of days brings, brrrrrrrrrr.................... at the moment, it's 2-0 to the weather. Friday morning and it's the calm after the storm as Hurricane Bawbag has blown over, 2-1 now, but 15:00 brings more heavy snow showers to Inverness, flakes the size of the back page of the Oban Times; 3-1 to the weather. Have faith. Closer inspection of this fixture shows that out of ten SPL games, United have four wins to Inverness' two, and they have won three of the last four fixtures in Inverness, although Inverness won the last two cup games here. United are the highest scorers in these games, scoring three goals on two occasions. The last home victory was in March 2007 when 10 man Inverness scored with the last kick of the ball. Grant Munro had been sent packing in his 200th game after a cynical foul on former ICT favourite Barry Robson in the 90th minute, but another great, Barry Wilson knocked home the winner at the death..........where are they now? That result put Inverness above United into 7th place in the SPL and Charlie Christie would eventually guide Inverness to 8th position, 4 points above United. Take a look at the sides from that game. (only two Inverness players still here) Inverness:- Fraser, Tokely, Dods, Munro, Hastings, Wilson, Black, Duncan, Rankin (Paatelainen 73), Bayne, McAllister (McSwegan 64). Subs not used:- Ridgers, McCaffrey, Hart, Morgan, Sutherland. United:- Stillie, Dillon, McCracken, Wilkie, Kalvenes, Robertson (Samuel 46), Kerr, Gomis, Robson, Daly (Robb 73), Hunt (Goodwillie 81):- Subs Not Used: McLean, Mair, Watson, McCord. Current form shows that Inverness have won 2, lost 3 and drawn 1 from their last six games. The defeats were against Celtic, Motherwell and Hearts. The Well and Celts games saw Inverness controversially finish with ten men countered by that magnificent 6-3 win at Kilmarnock and last weeks 2-1 win at Paisley. United have won, lost and drawn 2 games apiece. The highlight for them was a 4-1 away day thrashing of Dunfermline, the lowlight being last weeks dour encounter with Celtic where they failed to muster any opportunities which was the reason Mr Houston was not a happy Arab. David Davis has endeared himself to the Inverness fans with some exceptional energetic performances of late and the Wolves loanee would be happy to extend his arrangement to the end of the season, as long as his parent club are in agreement. Terry Butcher would welcome this and if Inverness continue their upward trend he would be content with the squad he has, including the flashy Roman Golobart and the speedy winger Aidan Chippendale. However, should we revert to type, then he also has an eye on the January transfer merry-go-round just in case. With Tudur-Jones and Aaron Doran back in training, things are looking a lot brighter for Terry's all stars and with Billy McKay at last getting some game time and little Jonny Hayes nearing full fitness then the future is certainly better than it looked a couple of weeks ago. It's great what getting off the foot of the table can do for confidence all round. tm4tj Prediction:- Another tight game ahead as two teams not exactly setting the heather on fire so far this season do battle for 8th place in the SPL. However, Inverness seem to be over the worst in terms of player availability and United are struggling to find any consistency and cohesion in their play. These are the two worst defensive records away from home, but Inverness must surely get that clean sheet they have been looking for since the start of the season, and along with Jonny Hayes and new striker Billy McKay like new signings, I am picking Inverness to shut out United and pile more misery on Houston in a 3-0 to leapfrog the Arabs into eighth in the league. ***Latest Team News*** Inverness are as strong as they have been all season and the difficulty arises for Butcher as he decides who to leave out instead of who is available. The two long term absentees will not be in the squad, along with Aidan Chippendale, Josh Meekings and David Proctor. Thomas Piermayr could return to the squad after injury. Look for a similar team to last weekend starting against United, with the options of Tade or Cox pushing to begin the match, depending on the weather and conditions underfoot. If it ain't broke, don't fix it! Dundee United midfielder Danny Swanson has been referred to the specialist sports injury clinic at Lilleshall in a bid to move his recovery on a bit quicker. His medial ligament injury has kept him sidelined for two months and has not responded as well as had been hoped. Scott Severin will also miss out but United have no fresh injuries to contend with and the same squad that faced Celtic could be given the opportunity to atone themselves. Other SPL News Sone Aluko has been handed a two game ban for blatant cheating, however Rangers are backing their new player in this one. To me, this means that Rangers would appear to condone the actions of Aluko, and his actions are what is wrong with the game. Cheating like this should be stamped out and a two game ban is a start, but in reality a joke. Six months out of the game would maybe make them think twice about cheating. The tribunal upheld the decision and his meagre two game ban sticks. No room for cheats in this game, and we won't get the chance to boooo him at Ibrox. Cheery chappie Ally McCoist must feel pretty stupid now having backed Aluko all the way. Celtic have scooped all the SPL awards for November. Lennon wins the manager of the month, Hooper player of the month and Forrest young player of the month as Celtic close the gap on Rangers to four points with four wins. Not such a merry Christmas down Gorgie way as Hearts players have not been fully paid yet again. Hard up Hearts are struggling to make ends meet and Vlad the Impaler seems to be sucking the lifeblood from the Heart of Midlothian. Pa Broon has told BBC Scotland that his side are in a false position. (where have I heard that before). Aye right, but for the grace of Dunfermline Broony, yer Aberdeen side are the worst in years. Promotion Watch:- No it's not a gold plated timepiece to commemorate an occasion, although it would be some occasion if County were to join us in the SPL. It's about keeping an eye out at the top of the first division, and once more County are making the headlines with a 4-2 win over Raith Rovers. Dundee have thrust themselves into distant contention with a 6-1 thrashing of Hamilton Accies and Falkirk pipped Morton to remain 9 points behind the Gudgies. The bubbles no burst yet........................Tomorrow's game for Champions elect Ross County at Ayr has been called off after some damage to the Somerset Park stands.

 On the road to recovery at last? For the first time this season, Gringo's Gossip come's to you from the comfort of 9th in the table. Although for any pessimists amongst you, 9th probably doesn't seem all that comfortable at all. Looking at recent performances our beloved Caley Thistle have been doing not too bad. The team were exceptional in the huge 6-3 demolition of Kilmarnock, held their own with 10-men against Motherwell, and despite playing against '14-men' (Jonny Hayes' words, not mine) as well as being wrongly reduced to 10, were very unfortunate not to get at least a point against Celtic. All was topped off nicely by taking all 3-points off St Mirren, a result that saw us move off the bottom as other results also went our way. The supporters have been pretty evenly split when it comes to pressing the panic button. Some had done so after just a few games of the season, citing Terry's decision to release so many players in summer as their main (or even sole) reason for our poor run. I, like others, was of the belief that we would come good eventually, particularly considering the long injury list and bad luck that we'd suffered in the first third of the campaign. Low and behold, Jonny Hayes and Chris Hogg have returned from injuries, Meekings and Gillet are back too and have given added options to the back line and even Andrew Shinnie and Richie Foran, of whom I'd given stick in the past, have started to perform better. But are some people's hands still hovering over that 'panic button'? I certainly think so. Despite the good performances, the reduced injury list and being off the bottom, the league table still see's Inverness sit just 2 points off the bottom of the league. Only Dunfermline have a worse goal difference than ourselves and we have still failed to keep a clean sheet in all of our 17 matches thus far. In fact we are currently conceding an average of 2 goals per game, and that really is a concern. Being positive though, the future is starting to look good for ICT. Players that once stood out for all the wrong reasons are now all of a sudden becoming regular starters and even fans' favorites. Andrew Shinnie, David Davis and even Richie Foran has turned a corner. Hayes has slotted in fantastically well around a somewhat unfamiliar midfield to what he may have been used to before his injury troubles, and as I said earlier, the introduction of Hogg, Meekings and Gillet at the back has given Terry and Mo new options at the back. Away from our performances on the park, there is one issue off the park that kept me away from my only possible home fixture since the last Gringo's Gossip. That issue is the match-day stewarding at games featuring the Old Firm. Having read some posters comments after the Rangers fixture earlier in the season, as well as experiencing these games myself in the past, I made a promise to myself not to go to a game involving the Old Firm until the stewarding at these matches was fair. The novelty of having these two giants of Scottish Football playing at TCS has long disappeared, yet the stewarding remains the same. Fans in opposing colours sitting in the home end, a lack of stewarding in the away end, and constant religious or offensive chanting that, in my opinion, has no place in football. It's for this reason that I decided to take in a 'proper' football match involving County. (And no, it wasn't that lot over the bridge, before you ask). It was Nairn County of the Highland League, just 7 miles from my family home out in Ardersier. Knowing Gringo Senior was up the road from Coventry for the weekend, we decided to take on a bit of early Highland March training and watch the Highland League spectacle at Station Park, Nairn. A bargain at just £7 per adult (or £3 for children and OAP's) we were not to be disappointed. Capital Caley also missed the big match to join us on our jaunt to and from Nairn, but before we set off, a cup draw was to be conducted for those who play '10p Bowling'. A camera was on hand to video the event and Gringo and I had already been busy getting some old Christmas Baubles transformed into 'draw balls' - complete with names inserted - ready for the event. BA oversaw the draw to ensure there was no cheating, and the video was posted 'live' (upon uploading) to the '10p Bowling' facebook page. Those that don't yet play the game really are missing some cracking banta! We set off via Fort George and the back roads to Nairn in decent weather, chatting football with a hint of random-ness. Score Mobile and the Sky Sports app's on our phones were on hand to update us on the goings on at TCS, and we made it in time to catch the last half an hour on the pub's tv screens. The bar was busier than we expected - packed out with fans of Lossiemouth FC - and despite the 2-0 defeat to Celtic, we were all looking forward to our Highland League adventure. Fans of both sides were in good voice and the game was electric from the start. Gringo, Capital, Flymo and myself stood on the grass terrace enjoying our experience. One lonely steward would occasionally walk by picking up litter (and flymo's newly purchased sausage roll), and children were running around the grass embankment enjoying their day. This really is how I wish a matchday would be, even in the SPL - IE, enjoyable. Nairn took a 2-0 lead at the break with Lossie equalising early in the second half. 3-3 the final score, and I think the woodwork could still be shaking from a bullet shot from 25 yards by Lossie in the first half. Unfortunately there are so many rules and regulations surrounding ground standards and the control of supporters that I can't see Old Firm match days at TCS improving any time soon. Having said that, performances have been good overall and are slowly improving, and it has to be said that, in general, all other match days tend to go without a hitch. I will always go to games when I can so that I can support my team, but after my experience at Station Park, I think I'll possibly repeat my trips to a Highland League encounter whenever Rangers or Celtic come to town. I'll finish this edition by wishing all my fellow CTO users and everyone at TCS a Merry Christmas and we'll see you in the New Year. 'Mon the Caley Jags!!!

Inverness tough it out for three points Caley Thistle finally managed to claw themselves off the bottom of the table with a hard fought win in Paisley. A first half goal from Andrew Shinnie and a second half strike from Jonny Hayes saw to that although it could have been a case of deja vu if Ryan Esson had not made a save on the line deep into second half injury time. Our scribe today is Proctor, and without further ado, we let him take up the story ...... Terry Butcher’s tactical gamble paid off at New St Mirren Park as the Caley Jags claimed maximum points to leapfrog three teams to 9th place. Butcher opted for a formation that saw three players up front, including Billy McKay in place of Gregory Tade. Before the start of the game there was a minute’s applause for the Wales Manager Gary Speed who died tragically last Sunday. 03/12/11 St Mirren Park, Paisley St Mirren 1 - Thompson (45) TEAM: Samson, Mair (Barron 46), McAusland, Tesselaar, Haddad, Goodwin, Mclean, Teale (Carey 74), Thompson, McGowan, Hasselbaink (McShane 74) SUBS: Smith, van Zanten, McKee, Mooy Booked: none Sent Off: none I.C.T. 2 - A.Shinnie (11), Hayes (69) TEAM: Esson, Tokely, Hogg. Golobart, Gillet, Hayes, Tansey, A.Shinnie, Davis, Foran (Cox 85), McKay (Tade 85) SUBS: Tuffey, G.Shinnie, Ross, Morrison, Sutherland Booked: Davis (63), Gillet (80) Sent Off: none Referee Euan Norris Attendance 3675 The early stages of the game went in the Buddy’s favour, St Mirren were granted an early free kick, Kenny McLean crossed the ball into the box which failed to connect with anyone Four minutes into the game Nigel Hasselebaink worked his way into the Caley Thistle box but was forced to sky the ball over cross-bar, Hasselebaink would continue to look menacing, forcing Ryan Esson out of his box three minutes later. The young Dutchman was not the only St Mirren player to trouble ICT early on. Striker Steven Thompson nearly scored from a corner at the seven minute mark. Early signs showed the Highlander’s defence may struggle in the manner they have all season. The Caley Jags were soon able to breathe easier as Jonny Hayes nicked the ball from St Mirren’s Marc MacAusland and passed to Andrew Shinnie in the box. Shinnie slotted the ball past Craig Samson for his sixth goal of the season via a neat step-over from the alert McKay. ICT showed signs of class. At the 36th minute mark Ross Tokely looked keen to score two weeks in a row, having grabbed a consolation goal at Tynecastle, the defender sent a shot high and wide after a silky piece of play. Much to the dismay of the home support who booed Tokely for much of the game. Greg Tansey and Billy McKay would have their respective chances before the end of the first half. Tansey’s shot would strike the advertising boards while McKay would hit the side netting. St Mirren’s Jeroen Tesselarr would force Ryan Esson to knock the ball over the bar for a corner before half-time, showing the Saints were still in the game as the end of the half approached. They would claw back into the game with the last kick of the half as Steven Thompson converted an inswinging Teale corner into his 6th goal of the season. In reality, this was sloppy defending once more as Thompson was left on his own to nod home. All square going into half time, something that Saint's barely merited. Half Time 1-1 During the interval the weather in Paisley seriously deteriorated. Heavy rain seemed to affect the playing surface. Caley Thistle’s Billy MacKay had an early chance in the second half. The Northern Irishman picked up a Kenny Gillett cross only to send it left of the post. Steven Thompson was keen to bag another goal. Ryan Esson was forced to spill his shot in the first five minutes of the half. It wouldn’t take long for Ryan Esson to be tested again as he tip a long range Gary Teale free-kick over the bar. Jonny Hayes would net the winner for Inverness in the 69th minute. The Irishman drove the ball into the left hand corner from outside the box after some tidy interplay from Shinnie, Tansey and Davis. With 20 minutes left in the game, the Highlanders needed to hold on. The remainder of the game was rather lacklustre. Gary Teale was replaced by Graham Carey in the 75th minute for St Mirren. While Billy McKay and Richie Foran were replaced by Gregory Tade and Lee Cox. St Mirren’s attempts to score an equaliser were futile. There closest chance came through a Steven Thompson header. A late flurry from the home side came to nothing as the Inverness defence coped comfortably with a spate of crosses and corners and held on for a deserved three points. Full Time 1-2 Despite Thompson’s impressive performance. The Buddies recorded their second loss in a row. Inverness grabbed a valuable win but have still not kept a clean sheet all season. The bottom six now looks to be exceedingly competitive. No match highlights found

Saints versus Sinners Inverness head to Scotlands largest town this saturday for an SPL fixture that has in the past proved to be a testing encounter. Yes, it's the home of the Paisley Pattern, Paisley Panda and Saint Mirrin, the Irish monk. More recent Buddies are the late great Gerry Rafferty, Paolo Nutini, Kenneth McKellar and Kelly Marie; she of 'Feels Like I'm In Love' fame. A diverse lot indeed. I suppose the monk kind of gives it away, It's St Mirren in Paisley this weekend and points are now starting to get more precious as the weeks slip by and clean sheets are like good singers on X-Factor. Inverness were the sinners last weekend as another week slipped by without a clean sheet and boss Terry Butcher is at his wits end as to how to stop the rot. Kenny Gillet and Gregory Tade felt the wrath of the Butcher as he bemoaned lapses at either end of the park. Gillet posted missing for Hearts first goal and Tade not taking full advantage of another one-on-one with a keeper. There is a fine line between success and failure and with Inverness, Butcher sees no middle ground as more points went abegging. Disappointing result when you consider the way the entire team played at Kilmarnock a couple of weeks earlier. All of this has prompted Butcher to challenge his players to shape up or ship out as the January transfer window beckons, Ross Tokely being the only defender to escape criticism after the Hearts defeat. Saints were on the wrong end of a drubbing last weekend as Celtic went nap. The battle of the Lennon's ended as a contest within the hour as Celtic went four up before rising starlet Dylan McGeouch scored a superb individual goal as the eighteen year old dribbled past the entire Paisley defence and their fans before slotting home the goal of the game. St Mirren's defending was woeful at times and they could have had no complaints if Celtic had reached double figures. All of this however pales into insignificance as news of the death of Welsh soccer legend Gary Speed rocked the footballing world. A young man with everything to live for has been driven to take his own life and leave behind his devastated family and friends. Football has sadly lost one of the nicest guys you could meet and you will struggle to find anyone who had a bad word to say about him. His family, likeability, positive future and esteemed position in life were not enough though, and for whatever reason he decided to leave this world at the age of 42. RIP Gary Speed MBE, 08/09/1969 - 27/11/2011 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Proctor is our previewer for this game as both sides try to get back on track............................. Inverness Caledonian Thistle travel to New St Mirren Park hoping to finally leave the foot of the table. Last week The Caley Jags were minutes from climbing above 11th Placed Aberdeen in the SPL Table. A tremendous comeback by the Dons to draw 3-3 against Dunfermline coupled with an Eggert Jonsson winner for Hearts ensured the Highlanders were still holding up the league. Despite ICT’s 2-1 loss at Tynecastle last weekend, they will consider themselves fortunate when comparing themselves to their opponent’s most recent score-line. Danny Lennon took his St Mirren side to Parkhead last Saturday where they were demolished 5-0 by an efficient Celtic side. The Paisley side will be keen to bounce back and show that result was a minor blip in their push for top six football. Inverness have their own defensive issues, having not kept a clean sheet all season. This week Terry Butcher read the riot act to the defence saying they had five weeks to save their skin. Both Caley Thistle’s Terry Butcher and St Mirren’s Danny Lennon have recently extended their respective contracts and with just 8 points separating 6th placed St Mirren and 12th placed Inverness CT, a lot can change in a few games and neither side can afford to lose on Saturday. Stats:- Inverness hold a slight advantage over Paisley in this fixture with three wins to two from eight SPL games. Both sides have score eleven goals with the 3-3 draw last season being the highest scoring one. Highest victory margin was a 2-0 win for Saint's in December 2008. Team News St Mirren’s injury worries David Barron and Aaron Mooy both appeared on the bench against Celtic with Barron playing half an hour at Parkhead. Danny Lennon mentioned in a recent interview for the St Mirren site that Hugh Murray is also nearing full fitness. Could any of these three feature on Saturday? Inverness CT’s two long term injury worries Aaron Doran (shoulder surgery) and Owain Tudor-Jones (knee cartilage surgery) are making good progress with their respective ailments. Both have resumed light training but will not feature on Saturday. Memorable Game:- 9th February 2008 – St Mirren 1 – Inverness Caledonian Thistle 1 Having recently lost 3-0 at Easter Road to Hibernian in the Scottish Cup, Inverness were desperately seeking their 1000th competitive goal in the clubs 14 year history. Caley Thistle legend Grant Munro netted the monumental goal in the 28th minute. The Buddies would pull one back through Billy Mehmet (now at Perth Glory in Australia). This was to be one of the last meetings between the two sides at the historic Love Street Stadium. Key Players Steven Thompson (St Mirren) – You can take your pick as to which Steven Thompson to watch. One is a midfielder, the other is a striker. Steven Thompson the striker has scored five goals for his club so far this season making him St Mirren’s top goal scorer. Andrew Shinnie (Inverness CT) – The Caley Jag’s new arrival is proving to be a valuable addition to the squad. Shinnie looked dangerous against Hearts last Saturday and scored his first career hat-trick in a thrilling 6 – 3 win over Kilmarnock at Rugby Park a few weeks ago. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ***Latest Team News*** Inverness gaffer Terry Butcher has welcomed news that Welshman Owain Tudur-Jones and Aaron Doran are starting to train but both are some way off from a return to action. David Proctor and Josh Meekings are doubts after suffering knocks at Hearts. Ross Tokely dislocated a finger at Tynecastle, no doubt wagging it at the floundering defenders round about him, but will be able to play this weekend. The time could be right for Lee Cox to return to the starting eleven as Butcher looks to protect his fragile back four from shipping more goals. Striker Billy (who?) Mckay is eager to start after scoring a couple of goals in a closed doors game against Ross County, which the ICT eleven won 3-0, Ryan Watson being the other scorer. Butcher has played down misfiring GregoryTade's press boast that Inverness are better than the other strugglers saying : "It's alright talking about what we're going to do. What matters is regularly getting points on the board." St Mirren are looking to bounce back after last weeks thrashing at the hands of Celtic, and were hoping to re-assess their squad, but Danny Lennon had to call off the midweek bounce game with Hibs due to the inclement weather. Midfielder Steven Thomson has a calf injury and misses out along with long term absentee Darren McGregor. Hugh Murray is close to a comeback after knee surgery. Other than that, Lennon has no fresh injuries to contend with. tm4tj Prediction:- Most of these games are very tight with only one goal separating the sides on all but one of their SPL contests. This has all the makings of a low scoring draw and a point each will no do us any harm. Other SPL News Friday Night Soccer again this week and Motherwell could keep Hibs new manager Pat Fenlon winless and still in the relegation zone if they can beat the struggling capital side. Hibs had announced in midweek that Billy Brown would be staying on as number two for new manager Fenlon. Celtic have closed the gap to four points on leaders Rangers who lost 1-0 at Kilmarnock last weekend. As their SPL aspirations soared, they were taken back down to earth when they lost 0-1 to Atletico Madrid in their Europa League encounter in Glasgow. Minor League stuff:- Ross County continued on their merry way with another three points in their quest for SPL action. Nine points clear at the top of the first division and eight straight wins see the distinct possibility of SPL action looming larger than life itself. Let's hope they get those seats in place pronto.