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Welsh Likes a Belter Inverness had their strongest squad of the season for tonight's quarter final against Kilmarnock. Samuels, MacGregor, Woods and Dan Mackay were all on the bench as Dodds went with an unchanged starting XI. Killie had a strong XI with Liam Polworth starting with Armstrong, Donnelly, McKenzie, Vassell and Doidge as attacking threats. As it happened, it was Inverness that eventually dominated proceedings and are in the Semi-Final after goals from Billy Mckay and Sean Welsh ~~~~~~~~~~~~ Inverness got the game underway but two minutes in and from an Armstrong corner the ball ended up in the net behind Ridgers, Vassell credited with the goal after a near post flick on. Disastrous start for the hosts. Billy Mckay forced Walker into a great save from a close range header as Inverness responded in the tenth minute. Sean Welsh skimmed the top of the bar with a header from a superb ball into the box from Jay Henderson. Inverness got the break they deserved though when a Wallace Duffy cross from the right was handled by Joe Wright as he attempted to intercept the ball. Billy Mckay hit the spot kick down the middle as Walker dived to his left, the ball going in off his feet and it was game on. Henderson was played through on goal but his shot was blocked by the now overworked Sam Walker. Carson was harshly booked for bringing Armstrong down as Killie sprung out of defence. Doidge made a hash of a half chance when he found the ball at his feet in the six yard box, but he ran it out of play. Robbie Deas headed over from a corner as Inverness continued to press. Liam Polworth came off second best in a challenge from Deas just before the interval and his day was over. HALF TIME 1-1 Three minutes into the second half Henderson did well to control the ball and get his shot away but it cannoned back off the post. Moments later, with heavy snow falling; he did it again. Sean Welsh picked the ball up thirty yards from goal. He stepped forward and rifled a low shot into the bottom corner from over twenty-five yards. What a strike. We could have gone further ahead, twice. Once when Shaw made space for himself to get a great delivery in but Welsh was just short of connecting with it in the six yard box. Secondly, Mckay did well to wriggle his way into the box but he was halted a couple of times before the defence cleared. Ridgers then flapped at a ball into the box and had to snatch at he ball as it bounced towards the line. A timely snatch if ever I saw one. Austin Samuels almost grabbed a third with two minutes left when running through on goal but his low shot was saved by Walker. Aaron Doran came on as four minutes of added time was shown by the officials. Inverness saw out the game on top and a thoroughly deserved trip to Hampden is now a reality. FULL TIME 2-1 What a performance from the Caley Jags. Heroes to a man and well deserving of their trip to Hampden again. For me, Scott Allardice was tremendous with Jay Henderson having a field day in the first half and unlucky not to score at the start of the second. Sean Welsh does likes a strike against Killie from around twenty-seven yards. On another day we might have scored four or five, but for now, two will do. Big shout out for the young team, great noise all night. Come again please. More match reaction to follow... Inverness CT manager Billy Dodds on BBC Scotland: "I was quite calm. I trusted my players. I thought we were the better team. Kilmarnock put us under pressure with long balls in the second half. "But I just stood back and enjoyed watching my players tonight. I would like a shot in the Premiership. "A lot of my players could do it. I think that's the case. If you do it [beat a top-flight side] once, people say it's a one off. But if you do it two or three times, it's self explanatory. "I want them to enjoy it and realise what they've done. But we still have an opportunity in the league as well. We want to have a wee go of getting to the play-offs, it'll be difficult but we're capable." After full time Derek McInnes was still in his dressing room and BBC gave up on his interview He eventually said: "I'm really disappointed. I expected more from the team. We got off to a good start. "I thought from there on in, we stopped playing. We got too complacent and made too many errors." Highlights from The Scottish Cup Date: 10/03/2023 Venue: Caledonian Stadium Attendance: 2902 Referee: David Dickinson Inverness CT: 2 Manager: Billy Dodds Lineup: Ridgers; Carson, Duffy, Devine, Deas, Henderson (MacGregor 85), Welsh, Allardice, Harper, Shaw (Doran 90), B Mckay (Samuels 82) Subs (not used): C Mackay; Delaney, Hyde, Woods, Boyd, D Mackay Scorers: Mckay (24, pen), Welsh (50) Booked: Carson (33), Duffy (69) Sent Off: none Kilmarnock: 1 Manager: Derek McInnes Lineup: Walker; Mayo, Taylor, Wright (Dorsett 76), Chambers (Robinson 77), Armstrong, Donnelly, Polworth (Power 45+2), McKenzie (Murray 76), Vassell, Doidge (Jones 45) Subs (not used): Hemming; Alebiosu, McInroy, Alston. Scorers: Vassell (3) Booked: Vassell (36), Donnelly (75) Sent Off: none a

Killie Cup Action It's Scottish Cup quarter final action this weekend when Scotland's second oldest club Kilmarnock come North on Friday night @ 7:45 looking for a place in the semi-finals of the second oldest Cup competition in the world. However, it's the oldest trophy as it's still the original trophy that is up for grabs. At 2ft high the silver trophy was not cheap back in the day, costing £56/13 shillings and was commissioned to Glasgow silversmith George Edwards & Sons. The first ever event started in 1873 and the final in 1874 saw Queens Park beat Clydesdale 2-0 in front of 2,500 fans at the original Hampden Park. Incidentally Kilmarnock played in the first ever Scottish Cup tie, losing 2-0 to Renton in 1873. Standing in their way this season are our very own Caley Jags, Scottish Cup winners in 2015. Kilmarnock have won the Cup three times (1920/29/97). The last time they lifted the Cup in 1997, like us, they also defeated Falkirk in the final. The result was 1-0 at Ibrox in front of 45,000 fans with Paul Wright scoring the only goal. See more at The Scottish Cup. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Match/Ticket Info Live on BBC Scotland The Covers Are On ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Venue H2H v Killie Pld Won Drn Lst For Agst + / - Home 25 12 9 4 46 33 +13 Away 26 8 6 12 36 45 -9 Neutral 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Total 51 20 15 16 82 78 +4 Overall, we still hold the edge over Kilmarnock and have met them five times in the Scottish Cup which includes a replay in 2001. This is the first 6th round tie between the cubs with Killie having won two of the previous three 5th round ties. I don't think Killie ever got over being dumped out of the Scottish Cup on the 9th of February 1985 by Highland League Inverness Thistle. Dave Milroy, Gordon Hay and Brian Black were the scorers that ensured the playing surface would be covered with big Kilmarnock bunnets and scarves. What a sight that was. That win earned Thistle an away tie at Parkhead in the last sixteen. 2001 Mar 6th Scottish Cup (Round 4 Replay) 1 - 2 A 6,528 Feb 17th Scottish Cup (Round 4) 1 - 1 H 5,294 2009 Feb 7th Scottish Cup (Rd 5) 2 - 0 H 2,578 2010 Feb 6th Scottish Cup (Rd 5) 0 - 3 A 4,473 2013 Feb 2nd Scottish Cup (Rd 5) 0 - 2 A 3,172 Here's Killie with a late equaliser in 2001 We have the upper hand most recently, although these were all very tight fixtures. Last 4 Competitive Meetings from season 21/22 in the Championship. 2 - 1 (H) 0 - 1 (A) 1 - 0 (H) 1 - 0 (A) On December 3rd last season, Sean Welsh did this in a 1 - 0 win over Killie..... BOOM! Last Time Out Inverness got a welcome three points at Somerset Park despite going behind early on after top Scorer Dipo Akinyemi scored his sixteenth of the season. Sean Welsh levelled soon after then Ayr were reduced to ten men when Daire O'Connor was sent off fifteen minutes before the break. Inverness took their time but eventually got the reward their chances deserved when Jay Henderson popped up at the back post to bury a Nathan Shaw cross. Deserved three points for the Caley Jags after a lean spell and sets us up nicely for a crack at Killie in the Cup. Our own recent form over last five is also disappointing but hopefully on the up: D L L D W Killie went down at Ibrox last weekend as Rangers scored three first half goals. It was a poor defensive performance by the Rugby Park club in the first forty-five and they had the disappointment of a VAR penalty award on the break. In their favour, after a much improved performance, they did win the second half 1-0 when Jeriel Dorsett scored with a header and they also had a penalty claim turned down. Killie find themselves second bottom of the Premiership after a poor run of form and unless much changes they will be vying with Ross County for a relegation play-off spot with Dundee United occupying the automatic relegation slot. Last five results heading downwards: W L L D L The only win in that run was over bottom club Dundee United on 1st February. Latest Team News Our fortunes are slowly turning on the injury front with Deas, Harper, Devine, Delaney and Samuels all returning, but there were still five players missing at Ayr: Sutherland, Walsh, MacGregor, Ram and Woods. Billy Mckay returned after suspension last week and is chasing the goal scoring record of Dennis Wyness. On the playing surface the covers are on as another big freeze hits the North, -10 around the area already this week. Billy looking forward to this one>>> Kilmarnock have found the going tough in the Premiership this season but they are not without some very good players. One of our own Liam Polworth is still at Killie and featured in their last game at Ibrox. Daniel Armstrong is a danger with his attacking flair and he is top scorer with nine goals this season plus five assists. Jordan Jones has returned to Rugby Park and is another tricky customer. Rory McKenzie is a pocket dynamo with his all action style. In defence Ash Taylor is still there and has contributed at the other end with four goals, a danger at set pieces. By all accounts, Killie will be bringing a decent away support to this one.

Red Oh Daire Three points would have been a welcome diversion from off-field issues for the Caley Jags. Inverness missed Cammy Harper from last week and Austin Samuels dropped to the bench as Billy Mckay returned from suspension. Frankie Musonda was on the Ayr bench and 15 goal striker Dipo Akinyemi led their attack with Josh Mullin and Ben Dempsey backing him up. At the end of the day it was Inverness that picked up a valuable win. First Half Billy Mckay was keen to get going again after his suspension and he hit one from distance in the opening moments but it went over the bar and he followed that with another that went wide after seven minutes. Ten minutes in and Sam Ashford replaced the injured Josh Mullin and two minutes later Dipo Akinyemi scored his sixteenth of the season to put United ahead. The lead lasted just seven minutes when Sean Welsh scored after a Jay Henderson cross fell to him in the box to level the game. Charlie Albiston was quick off his line to deny the eager Mckay as he honed in on goal and five minutes later he was close to getting on the end of a Shaw cut back after Albiston made a mess of a clearance. Before the half hour Daire O'Connor was sent off for a challenge on Wallace Duffy. Duffy then shot over before Mckay had an effort deflected over the bar and Duffy headed the resultant corner over as well. Just on the break the keeper saved well from a Duffy shot into the top corner, just after Paddy Reading had gone close at the other end. Half Time: 1-1 Ayr began the second half on the front foot with McKenzie and Akinyemi shooting wide before Billy Mckay was blocked in the box at the other end and Scott Allardice fired one over. Ashford shot over on the hour after some good possession from the hosts and Duffy shot wide after finding himself in an advanced position again. More profligacy from the visitors as Henderson missed the top corner after a burst into the box. Welsh was blocked then had another effort deflected behind for a corner with twenty minutes left. The chances eventually paid off when Henderson connected with a Nathan Shaw cross at the back post to fire home. Mckay then shot wide after being played through ten minutes from the end. Inverness saw out the game to put themselves on the outer fringes of a play-off spot. Full Time 1-2 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Inverness got a vital three points on the road against 10 man Ayr United to move up a place in the table as Partick beat Raith Rovers 3-0. Wallace Duffy was the pick of the bunch today finding time to get forward and help out in attack, ably assisted by David Carson and Jay Henderson. RIG on CTO: At times we played some nice football. Most of the threat seemed to come down the right especially after Henderson and Shaw rotated and, with the extra man, Duffy and Delaney started pushing further up the pitch to offer support. Ayr tended not to double up on the wide men so it meant that Henderson or Shaw had to beat just one man and they had a chance to get a cross in. Henderson in particular was tormenting the Ayr defence and he had the best chance for us before we scored when he wriggled through a ruck of players at the edge of the box and lashed an effort over the bar. Some solid performances from us to win that one today with Duffy, Carson and Henderson probably the pick of the bunch. Duffy was helped out by Mullin going off injured and also the fact that Ayr played a lot of the game a man down. Carson took a bit of time to adapt to the 10 position but he carried the ball forward well and could have had a goal himself had he been more selfish and taking a shot instead of passing to a team mate. Date: 04/03/2023 Venue: Somerset Park, Ayr Attendance: 1820 Referee: Scott Lambie Ayr United: 1 Manager: Lee Bullen Lineup: Albinson; McAllister (Musonda 72), Kirk, McGinty, Reading (McGuire 84), O'Connor, Mullin, McAlear, Dempsey, Akinyemi, McKenzie (Hewitt 84) Subs (not used): McAdams; Bilham, Ashford, Smith, Bryden, Houston Scorers: Akinyemi (12) Booked: McAllister (35), McGuire (89) Sent Off: O'Connor (29) Inverness CT: 2 Manager: Bily Dodds Lineup: Ridgers; Duffy, Devine, Deas, Delaney, Carson, Welsh, Allardice (Doran 63), Henderson, Shaw (Boyd 90), B Mackay Subs (not used): C Mackay; Thompson, Cairns, Hyde, Harper, D Mackay, Samuels Scorers: Welsh (19), Henderson (74) Booked: Deas (49), Welsh (77) Sent Off: none a