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And that's a wrap The final game of the season was at Links Park, Montrose, with both sides already assured of their League1 status for next season. Scott Kellacher went with the strongest starting XI available with Dibaga, MacKinnon and Strachan missing out and Marcus Gill helping out between the sticks with MacLeod and Nolan outfield. Stewart Petrie had maybe rested a couple of starters with Cammy Gill, Lyons, Dillon and Wighton on the bench but the Gudgie started as did Matheus Machado. Inverness ended the season on a high after dominating Montrose at Links Park. Paul Allan on the break and Billy Mckay after an hour did the damage in a game dominated by the Caley Jags. What an ending to a turbulent season. And that's a wrap ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Action in the Montrose goalmouth in the first minute as Paul Allan brought out a save from Ross Mathews in goal as he kept out Allan's goalbound effort. Billy Mckay missed the target five minutes later after connecting with a cross and Graham Webster was denied by Marcus Gill as the hosts hit back and Aidan Quinn had an early effort blocked. Fifteen minutes in and Allan was one on one with Mathews, alas it was the keeper that prevailed. Keith Bray saw a shot blocked as the visitors kept the pressure on the home defence and a couple of minutes later he was denied by Mathews and had another go blocked as well. Sir Lancelot tried his luck from a tight angle but Gill stood firm. Allan was once more thwarted by Mathews and as the game went to the other end, an Owen Stirton shot was blocked. However, it was the visitors who were looking most likely to open the scoring. News coming in near half time was that Kelty were cruising two up on Alloa, thus ring fencing sixth leaving Montrose and Inverness to battle it out for seventh and eighth. Defences were on top at Links Park though and Pollard and Mckay were next to get shots away at either end of the park without troubling the keepers. Just on the interval Gill saved high from Quinn and Machado fired over, but moments later Paul Allan opened the scoring from close range in time added on. Goal stemmed from Billy Mckay’s ball that found Allan in the box and he knocked it into the net! That ended a frantic first half that the visitors had dominated without threatening to run away with the game. HALF TIME: 0-1 Alloa had pulled a goal back just before half time, so sixth place was back on should they draw level with Kelty. With that in mind the Caley Jags laid siege to the home goal with Alfie Stewart and Keith Bray going close as the corner count mounted. Ben Brannan was next to have a go with Mathews up to the task once more. Montrose subbed the Gudgie off but the shooting practice continued with MacLeod and Bray having a go. Would this profligacy come back to bite us on the rrrs? Not now as Billy Mckay scored his third in three when he shot home from outside the box. Great end to the season for Billy. The procession didn't stop there though as Paul Allan and Callum MacLeod fired goalwards. Everyone and their dog were now having a go with Danny Devine and Robbie Thompson next in line. Marcus Gill saved well from Webster as Montrose tried to grab a consolation. As it was, we ended on a high. Well done Kells and the boys. What a season, for many different reasons. FULL TIME: 0-2 Fabulous end to the season for Inverness and Billy Mckay We fell just short of sixth as Alloa failed to take a point off Kelty. More match reaction to follow. Date: 03/05/2025 Venue: Links Park, Montrose Attendance: 1018 Referee: Colin Whyte Montrose: 0 Manager: Stewart Petrie Lineup: Mathews; Williamson (Brown 75), Quinn (Dillon 57), Watson (Masson 70), Freeman, Bertie, Gardyne (Sandilands 57), Machado, Webster, Pollard (Wighton 75), Stirton, Subs (not used): Gill; Redwood, Martin, Lyons Scorers: none Booked: Machado (41) Sent Off: none Inverness CT: 2 Manager: Scott Kellacher Lineup: Gill; Brannan, Devine (J Walker 81), Savage, Nolan, Bray (Longstaff 64), Gilmour, Allan (Keogh 81), MacLeod, Stewart (R Thompson 74), B Mckay (Cairns 64) Subs (not used): Rebilas; Ewan, Gardiner Scorers: Allan (45+2), B Mckay (61) Booked: none Sent Off: none a

And Relax! We have all been on the emotional rollercoaster in a turbulent season that saw us go from potential promotion candidates to administration casualties, relegation favourites, possible liquidation fatalities before we pulled through with Scott Kellacher lifting the spirits sufficiently to enable us to retain our League1 status as Alan Salvage dug deep to stabilise our off-field activities and leave us all with fresh hope and a renewed vigour for next season. Aaaaand breathe! For the first time this season we can relax. Relax in the knowledge that Scot Gardiner is gone, Duncan Ferguson and his Duncball tactic is a fading memory, Bar94 is thriving thanks to the Supporters Trust, the ladies toilets are working again, the feelgood factor is back and Administration is on the verge of departure. Enjoy Montrose away, for the pressure is off and it's time to rejoice in our new found joy. The joy of having a football club to support and one that will rise again from the burning embers of near extinction. Mon the Caley Jags. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Match/Ticket/Supporters Bus/Info ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Final quarter of the season: W L D L W L D W ? Let's forget the rest of the season: Despite injuries, suspensions and administration taking it's toll on the squad we dug deep with a superb penultimate game win over the Smokies. The last phase shows we only had three wins, but all were emphatic and vital. A 4-1 win in the re-arranged game at home to Stenhousemuir and a brilliant 3-0 win at Cove plus last weeks superb performance against Arbroath. A disappointing home defeat to Annan was followed by another disappointing home draw against Alloa. It got worse the week after as QotS battered us 4-1 and following the win at Cove, Kelty dumped us 0-2 in the Highlands, that was another three points that went abegging. We almost pulled off a good result away to Stenhousemuir after the Kelty game but a 91st minute own goal left us with just a point after Billy Mckay had scored his first goal for three months, but what a strike it was, earlier in the second half. Them's the breaks, as disappointing as they are. With three minutes to go, we were sitting in 7th place in the table until Montrose equalised against Dumbarton and Stenny levelled with us. We did get up to eighth in the table last week though after a swashbuckling performance in a 3-0 win over Arbroath and that is the one that makes the final game against Montrose more relaxed with safety guaranteed. Billy Mckay with another stunning strike along with goals from Keith Bray and a Paul Allan penalty dribbling over the line. Waaahayyyyy! Three games with Montrose this season. Both fixtures in the Highlands ended 1-1 and we pi$$ed off Gardyne the Gudgie with a comeback win in early December. Webster and Lyons had Montrose two up before we mounted a comeback. Longstaff scored after the hour before Montrose were reduced to ten men with Steeves sent off. The comeback was completed when Paul Allan scored twice in the 88th and 94th minute, direct from a corner. Limbs! Latest Caley Jags News: Marcus Gill will fill the breach once again with Musa Dibaga still unavailable. A clean sheet for young Marcus last week and another this week would be nice to round off the season. Inverness look to be coming out of administration soon and 32year old Danny Devine is keen to stay on. Adam MacKinnon is our only player with a contract for next season at the moment although with the feelgood factor surging through the club he feels that many might consider it prudent to return next season. Pos Team Pld Gd Pts 1 Arbroath 35 16 63 2 Cove 35 16 54 3 Queen o Sth 35 5 54 4 Alloa Ath 35 9 51 5 Stenny 35 2 50 6 Kelty 35 -7 41 7 Caley Jags 35 5 40 8 Montrose 35 -7 40 9 Annan Ath 35 -25 36 10 Dumbarton 35 -14 20 Last Six: W W L L D L Despite faltering over their last few games, Montrose have made the 'cut' and will play in League1 next season as well. A 3-1 home win over Annan was followed by an excellent 3-2 win at Ochilview. Two defeats at the start of April, at home to Arbroath (0-1) and at QotS away (2-1) before drawing 2-2 at Dumbarton with a 2-1 defeat at Alloa allowing us to jump above them in the table, albeit on goal difference. Owen Stirton, on loan from Dundee United, is their top scorer with nine goals in just thirteen games. That's a good return from the young striker. Blair Lyons has seven. Callum Sandilands is another hungry young forward. Good experience through the Gable Endies ranks as well. Gardyne the Gudgie is still at Montrose as is Matheus Machado. Wiki said: The first Montrose Football Club was formed on 25 February 1871 after a meeting of local young men seeking to organise the practice of the 'national game of football' on the Links of Montrose. The variety of football played at the time did not resemble the modern game (nothings changed) and was more akin to rugby. Friendly matches amongst club members and townsfolk, Montrose Academical, Arbroath and Aberdeen University were played over the next few years before the club was dissolved. On 8 September 1877, a new football club was formed at a meeting at Montrose Academy. During the new club's annual meeting on 13 October 1879 at the Town's Buildings, the committee unanimously resolved to change the rules of the club to those of General Association, with an association rules match amongst club members played later that week on 18 October 1879. The club played their first external association rules match against Arbroath Wanderers on 8 November 1879. Given the fact that the Montrose side were unfamiliar with new rules of the game, the team unsurprisingly lost 4–0. They are the 18th oldest association football team in Scotland still in existence. It's rumoured that they still don't know the rules