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The Hibees Highland Hoodoo continues... ... as Caley Thistle run out 4-2 winners in a thoroughly entertaining game that saw Adam Rooney score a hat-trick. Despite Jonny Hayes gifting the Easter Road side an opening, Inverness had the major share of opportunities and were deserved winners over ten man Hibs, who had Hanlon red carded shortly after coming on at half time, for a deliberate handball. Adam Rooney duly converted the spot kick against Mark Brown who wore the number 31. I do believe that is the number of consecutive penalties he has failed to save. Next weekend, he wears the number 32 shirt, (only joking Broonie). Foran started the cakewalk with a perfectly placed sidefooted effort, then Rooney took over with a well constructed threesome. Riordan had capitalised on a Hayes error at 2-0 before Liam Miller pushed Inverness into overdrive and we finished the game well on top. 20th November 2010 Tulloch Caledonian Stadium INVERNESS CALEDONIAN THISTLE 4 - Foran (7), Rooney (51pen, 70, 80) TEAM: Esson, Duff, Tokely, Munro, Shinnie, Cox, Duncan, Hayes (Odhiambo 86), Ross (Sanchez 89), Foran (Sutherland 82), Rooney SUBS: Tuffey, Golabek, McBain, Morrison - Booked: none - Sent Off: none HIBERNIAN 2 - Riordan (66), Miller (78pen) TEAM: Brown, Hart (Hanlon 46), Dickoh, Bamba, Grounds, Murray (Wotherspoon 83), Miller, De Graaf (Galbraith 46), Rankin, Riordan, Nish SUBS: Smith, Hogg, Thicot, Stevenson - Booked: none - Sent Off: Hanlon (51) Referee Steve Conroy Attendance 4217 Lennon & McCartney can sleep easy as davie tries his hand at song writing............ Here's a song for next week (sung to the tune of "the sting") "Tell every 'tic fan that you know, Inverness is as far as you go, You won't need your shades or your buckets and spades, But you might need your sledge for the snow". Alternative Maryhill has the chance to report on a Caley Thistle game/ party next week that has more potential significance than any previous encounter. He's going to get shakespearean about it, but I reckon it's more Henry V than Macbeth. We are presently that happy few, that band of brothers and those who stay at home next week may well think themselves accursed come 5.45 pm, that they were not there. But that is next week. Today, we 4,000 or so entertained Hibs at TCS, in a fixture that the Gods had previously blessed us with good results, but results that owed as much to Hibs naivety as our skill. Not today. From the first minute, both sides showed a commitment to passing the ball on the ground but ICT always have the cutting edge that comes from weeks of breaking away in matches away from home and being clinical in the finish. Today it took 7 minutes for that to surface, FORAN finishing cutely from around the 18 yard line after a cutback pass from Rooney on the left. Inverness played some sublime football, prompted by a more effective midfield than we've seen for ages – welcome back Cox. He and Duncan destroyed Hibs midfield. John Rankin still managed to show, with one effort flashing just wide of a post on 15 minutes or so. Both sides continued to make chances and pass the ball, Esson having a couple of what are now routine saves for him. Half time and a really nice game was building up. Half time: Inverness Caledonian Thistle 1 Hibernian 0 Well, that second half started with a bang. After an early Hibs corner, Jonny Hayes got one on the left and swung a wicked delivery to Rooney. A quick stab of the boot and Hanlon, a half time sub punched the ball off the line. Penalty and red card. Fair play to Hanlon, he didn't stop running on his way to collect his coat. He didn't need an early bath, having graced the pitch for 5 minutes and 35 seconds exactly. Mark Brown guessed the right way on ROONEY's penalty (never seen that before) but couldn't stop it. 2-0 and game over. 15 minutes later, however, the saint known as Hayes decided to sin for once and delivered a beautifully weighted back pass to Derek RIORDAN of all people. 2-1 and the head hanging was enlivened beautifully by the ballistic Ross Tokely. "dead ball specialist" got it spot on – look at "angry german kid" on you tube. I have seen the day when that sort of calamity at home would have cued a collapse into panic, but the response today was superb. Sinner Hayes regained his saintly status by delivering a lethally accurate pass to ROONEY who put a lovely finish past Brown from just inside the box. 3-1 and again, it's all over, especially with Rooney going close again. By this time, bit between the teeth, he was all over the Hibs defence like a rash. They had no cure. Again, we contrived to let them back in after a break from Hibs culminating in Tokely hitting Galbraith like an exocet missile in 77 minutes. Even the most rabid north stand fanatic had to concede that one. Penalty, which Liam MILLER despatched. True to this game, the response was swift and almost identical; break out of defence, ball to Hayes, magnificent defence splitting pass and brilliant finish from ROONEY on 79 minutes. The match ball is yours my son. The game rattled on, and we could easily have had more, and Riordan could easily have exploded into a heap of frustrated huffiness. Full Time 4-2 The final result after a breathless game of football that would have graced any decent football tv show (it's a pity we don't have one) Referee Conroy had moments of weirdness, but none that could influence reality and did anyone actually see Derek Adams? Maybe he was looking for the spell book that he had evidently lost. Adam Rooney was MOTM by a country mile, and it's no wonder nervousness is reaching a new peak over our chances of keeping him. Tactics by Terry & Mo were again faultless, as was team selection. That kind of wraps it up, except for a wee plea; I've been watching fitba for 40 odd years now, and I'm convinced that we are watching something quite unique evolving at TCS. It really is special and the home support is reflecting it more and more. These are great times to be an ICT fan, and they might not come around again too soon. So go to every game you can, shout yourself hoarse and jump around like a daftie. This team loves it and deserves it.

Adams hopes to leave Inverness spellbound. Hibs will be in the Highland capital this weekend looking to end a disastrous run of results at Tulloch Caledonian Stadium. The Edinburgh club have only managed two points here and for all their firepower have only scored one goal. Inverness have a tremendous away record to boast about, but the home form leaves a lot to be desired. Only one home win for Butcher's boys leaves the ICT fans baffled as to why we have underachieved in Inverness, and Terry & Mo are just as perplexed. Colin Calderwood has recruited Ross County manager Derek Adams as his number two at Easter Road. Given his record against Inverness with County, he certainly would appear to know how to set out his stall to combat the attacking style of the Norths top team. In an article in the P&J, he declared , “I’ve got a vast knowledge of Inverness. I know their style of play, I know their management team inside-out. I’ve worked with them and against them and won matches against them.” But as noted on CTO, he conveniently forgot to mention that he has left Ross County languishing in the discomfort of the relegation zone. Thanks to Caley100 for pointing that out. In fairness to Adams though, he had a pretty successful season last year, culminating in County's visit to the Scottish Cup final. “Tactics, motivation and organisation are the big things I take to my coaching and managerial career and the success with Ross County has been down to those factors. Hibs play football with a passing style and a high tempo and that’s something that fits in to my way of thinking.” Anoraks Corner. Some stats for you to ponder over. ICT have played Hibs 16 times in the Spl. Out of these meetings, ICT have won 8, Hibs have won 5, with 3 games being drawn. The only away victory for Hibs was at Pittodrie, in the first SPL meeting in September 2004. The goals tally for these games is ICT 22-13 Hibs, although they did win a Scottish cup game 3-0 at Easter Road in January 2008. Hibs have never won in Inverness. The Tulloch fixture is great reading for home fans, 5 wins and two draws. That means it's ICT 13-1 Hibs. The highest SPL score is 3-0 to ICT twice. The first SPL game at Easter Road this season saw both clubs settle for a point each. Hibs looked as though they would sweep the Highlanders aside with an early goal from Derek Riordan. But profligacy and a touch of class from Ryan Esson saw Inverness earn the draw with an Adam Rooney penalty in the 82nd minute. Recent results show that maybe Hibs are turning the corner and the home defeat of Motherwell was preceded by an excellent 0-3 result at Ibrox, while Inverness were ploughing their away furrow with wins at Pittodrie and Hamilton. Goal difference is weighted in favour of ICT, plus 6, with Hibs on minus 6. All this means that Inverness sit 5th in the table with 21 point and Hibs are 8th on 14 points. With volunteers thin on the ground, davie has conjured up his own piece of magic........... 5th in the SPL. No kidding, that’s really where ICT sit today with a barely credible 21 points on the board and league safety being overtaken on the outside by a sneaking realisation that we might, just might be looking at top 6. Think back to last year at this time and ask yourself how did it all go so right? Saturday’s visitors are Hibernian, a venerable Edinburgh institution born in 1875 of Irish immigrant parentage. Unlike its Glaswegian equivalent, it’s never been hostage to history and draws on a wider and more genteel background. This is Edinburgh after all. They were the first Scottish club in Europe. They’ve beaten Real Madrid, won the league three times and had an Enid Blyton inspired front line. On the fame side, they have famous fans, ranging from Hector Nicoll through both Proclaimers to that legendary Edinburgh gentleman, Frances Begbie. On the downside, they have had Craig Brewster as a “legend”, nicked John Rankin and Mark Brown and have just recruited one of our neighbours. His name is Derek Adams and he claims to be a wizard; please ensure him a warm TCS welcome – I’m sure he misses us. This season has seen a less than auspicious beginning under Yogi Hughes that has improved since he got his coat and taxi. Colin Calderwood was drafted in and things have started to look up, three defeats being followed by two wins on the bounce with one being of the “are you sure that’s right?” variety against Rangers. This took Hibs to 8th. Aforementioned Rankin scored a cracker in that one, and he is only one enigma in a team littered with them. King enigma is Riordan. The man has enough ability to coast through the average SPL game and to light it up with his skill and vision. Too often, however, he just reverts to idle mode. It’s easier I suppose. Recent history is against them, though. They have never coped well with the trip up the A9, winning not once in our SPL history. Their open style of play has often allowed us to play right through them, and for that they are due our thanks. It’s your style Hibs; don’t change no matter what that man Adams says. They come into this game off the back of the aforementioned two wins against Rangers and Motherwell so they have a run of form going, but hey – so do we. Inverness go into this one on the high that has preceded most home games this season after another win on the road. Hamilton were the latest to be dispatched and how Rooney and Hayes have managed to avoid a trip to the Emerald Isle this week is beyond me. Still, our gain…. And what a gain they have been for Terry and Mo. Up there as well is Nick Ross, who should be on a high after scoring on his international debut. Nick, does it get any better? We shouldn’t forget Jon Tuffey, who will presumably return to bench warming duties after a good showing for Norn Iron this week. Jon, it probably doesn’t get more frustrating than this. A late trawl of the papers suggests that there are no new injury worries and that should bring Russell Duncan back into contention. So there we have it, but if the above rosy picture tells us anything it’s that it could go any way on Saturday. Davie’s crystal bollock predicts a draw, with goals. ***Latest News*** Inverness have to do without loan signing Kevin McCann as stated in the small print on his loan agreement. Innes, Proctor and Gillet will definitely miss out. Sutherland and Blumenshtein are vying for a start, but more importantly, Russell Duncan and Lee Cox could rekindle their relationship in midfield, which will allow Stuart Duff to revert to right back to fill the McCann shaped hole in defence. Hibernian will have Derek Riordan available, he misses the St Johnstone game. Dickoh and Nish are both ready for action. The big Ghanaian has recovered from a facial knock and Nish has shrugged off his ankle injury.