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Robbie Deas suspended for two games

Arachnophobia Should we fear the Spiders from Hampden as the new Championship season gets underway on Saturday with the visit of Queens Park. It's a 3:00pm kick off and a season of anticipation or maybe trepidation is almost upon us. TICKET PRICING Only form to go on for this season is the League Cup which saw Inverness qualify to face Motherwell in the knock out stages of group G. We ended our League Cup Group G games with a disappointing home draw against Cove Rangers despite Roddy MacGregor heading the opening goal. Megginson pinned us back but we took the bonus point in the ensuing penalty shoot-out. Queens Park failed to progress from their play-off Group H where Dundee and Hamilton Accies progressed. However they did manage a couple of wins thumping Stranraer and Forfar and drawing with Accies. They lost narrowly 1-2 against Dundee. Accies qualified a point ahead of the Spiders virtue of the penalty shoot-out win to pip Queens by a point. Queens Park, a club steeped in history, join us in the Championship this season along with Cove Rangers. They only finished fourth in the table behind Cove, Airdrie and Montrose, but came through the promotion play-offs to get into the Championship having beaten Dunfermline over two legs and then beating Airdrie in extra time to win promotion thanks to a Simon Murray penalty. Mind you, they have won the Scottish Cup ten times, albeit the last time was back in 1893. I remember it well. They have been playing out of Ochilview Park recently as they await Lesser Hampden to be upgraded. Here's one for you: They can boast a record attendance of 95,722 against Rangers in a Scottish Cup first round encounter on January 18th 1930 at their home ground of Hampden Park. That's a world record for an amateur side. They are now a professional outfit as of 2019 and on the up, consecutive promotions will see them ply their trade in this seasons Championship after years in the doldrums. Welcome to the Spiders Last 10 Competitive Meetings v Queens Park 3 - 0 (H) 1 - 2 (H) 2 - 0 (H) 2 - 1 (A) 1 - 0 (H) 3 - 2 (A) 2 - 2 (H) 2 - 1 (A) 1 - 1 (H) 3 - 0 (A) Venue H2h v Queens Park Pld Won Drn Lst For Agst + / - Home 9 4 3 2 14 11 +3 Away 6 5 0 1 13 8 +5 Neutral 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Total 15 9 3 3 27 19 +8 League - (Div 3) Saturday, August 20th, 1994, 3:00 PM at Telford Street Park, Inverness Attendance: 1,500: Referee: M Pocock Ian Broadfoot reporting on our first ever competitive meeting against Queens Park. Caley Thistle's mid week efforts against Dundee had taken their toll and they went a goal down in 14 minutes - a McAllister header to McRitchie was short and Garry Orr took advantage with a goal from 15 yards. Four minutes later Maxwell made it two when he bundled in Edgar's corner. In 53 minutes McKenzie had rare chances for the home side but he hit the 'keeper twice. The match was over a few minutes later when a Garry Orr pass set up Graham who beat McRitchie with an angled drive. Two minutes later Maxwell headed a fourth. Full Time: 0-4 Mark McRitchie Dave Brennan Mike Andrew Mike Noble Mark McAllister John Scott Danny MacDonald Graeme Bennett Alan Hercher Paul McKenzie Wilson Robertson First Competitive Meeting Aug 20th, 1994 League ((Div 3)) (H) 0 - 4 Most Recent Competitive Meeting Jul 31st, 2010 League Cup (Rd 1) (H) 3 - 0 League Cup Match: Tuesday, September 2nd, 2003, 7:00 PM at Caledonian Stadium, Inverness Attendance: 968 This report comes from Ian Broadfoot back in 2003, the last time Queens Park beat Inverness in the Highlands. The Spiders gave Caley Thistle a dose of their own medicine when they produced a shock cup win away from home. Barry Wilson played for the first time following his return to the club. Queens belied their third division status with some lively play and they soaked up early pressure - a Steve Hislop drive was turned over the bar and Richie Hart hit the woodwork. It was not all one way as Ross Clark hit the bar at the other end. Caley Thistle scored in 26 minutes when Paul Ritchie turned in a Wilson cross but the lead only lasted two minutes. Bobby Mann brought down Clark and Steve Reilly converted the resultant penalty. Half Time: 1-1 Queens took the lead in 59 minutes when poor defending allowed a Reilly free kick to reach Ally Graham and he shot low past Mark Brown. With four minutes left Queens substitute Derek Carcary should have made it 3-1 but he shot wide with only Brown to beat. The drama was not over as the home side were awarded a penalty in injury time when Reilly handled in the box. Mann's kick came off the post. Full Time: 1-2 There was bitter disappointment in the home camp but no real complaints. Latest Team News Shane Sutherland and Tom Walsh are long term casualties. Wallace Duffy came off injured against Cove Rangers. Danny Devine has missed all the League Cup games and pre-season along with Sean Welsh. Eric's Queens Park roundup: Under new manager Owen Coyle, Queens Park have trimmed the Squad with more than 10 departures in the summer. Four players have arrived all on free transfer basis. Jason Naismith a right back signed from Kilmarnock Fc: Dom Thomas midfielder from Dunfermline FC: Pat Jarret an attacking midfield player, from Stoke City where he has gone from Youth teams to the U23 level: Grant Savoury who spent last season at Peterhead FC is a centre forward. Loan in: Josh McPake, forward (Rangers). Out: Jai Quitongo, forward (Greenock Morton); Grant Gillespie, midfielder (Greenock Morton); Michael Doyle, defender (Hamilton Academical); Stuart Morrison, defender (Queen of the South); Willie Muir, goalkeeper (Alloa Athletic); Peter Grant, defender (Clyde); Bob McHugh, forward (East Kilbride); Darren Lyon, midfielder; Will Baynham, forward. Loan ended: Luca Connell, midfielder (Celtic); Luis Longstaff, midfielder (Liverpool); Connor Smith, midfielder (Heart of Midlothian); Connor McBride, midfielder (Blackburn Rovers); Ronan Darcy, midfielder (Bolton Wanderers). Queens main threat will come from the now experienced Simon Murray. The thirty year old striker has previously been at Arbroath, Dundee United and Hibs. Dom Thomas will be an excellent asset and along with Louis Longridge will provide stability in the midfield. View full article

Thanks Scotty We have had a number of helpers over the years and are grateful for the help we do get. From my point of view I have received fantastic support over the last couple of seasons from IBM who now runs the PotY department and EWD who does the number crunching and brain shrinking stats in the background. That allows me more time to add mostly previews and reports. However, if there are any budding reporters out there, give me a shout and we can maybe add something new to the articles, you must be fed up of my drivel by now. Mr Caley Jag had been in touch recently and I'm hoping he can take up the backlog of player profiles that had been neglected over the years, that's one area of our stats that needs addressing. Our games/goals/appearances should now be pretty good thanks to IBM & EWD helping out, but there's always something else that needs updated or input. Drop us a message, don't be shy. We will eventually get through all the mail and get back to you.

I see this is a game that has fairly caught the general public's imagination. Might get a couple of pointers as to we are shaping up against a fellow Championship side.

Hello Cove! We welcome new Championship club Cove Rangers to the Caledonian Stadium on Saturday afternoon for our final group G League Cup group stages encounter. It's a 3:00pm kick-off for this game and we should see some familiar faces in the Cove ranks. Former Inverness players Iain Vigurs, Rory McAllister and Ross Draper are still on the books at Balmoral Stadium. Ex Aberdeen players Shay Logan, Mark Reynolds and Fraser Fyvie are also well established opponents and Mitch Megginson is a danger to any team. Last Time Out Cove surprisingly lost out 3-2 at home to Kelty Hearts. McAllister and Vigurs featured in that game with Fraser Fyvie and Robbie Leitch scoring for them. Shay Logan also started but it was Kelty that took the points, and they even had the luxury of Nathan Austin missing a first half penalty. Leitch's late goal made the score closer, but Cove were well beaten. Other group G results: Cove 1-2 Livi, Albion Rovers 1-2 Cove. Inverness eventually cruised to a 4-0 win over Albion Rovers. An early goal for Billy Mckay and a stunning free kick from Cammy Harper gave us the cushion needed at the interval. Another quickie a minute after the restart from Wallace Duffy impersonating a striker and a steal from Harper with his head ended the scoring to put Inverness in a strong place to qualify from Group G. Three wins for the Caley Jags so far over Kelty, Livi and Albion Rovers. The last time we played Albion Rovers thirteen years ago we also ran out 4-0 winners. Even better, we went on to beat Dundee to the Championship title and got promotion to the Premier League for the second time. Sounds good, let's have another bash at that. Cove Catch-up by Eric A corresponding fixture last season saw Paul Hartley in charge, however after guiding Cove to promotions through the leagues to the Championship he has been lured south of the Border to manage Hartlepool United. Hartley and his assistant left this summer after a fee was negotiated. Incoming manager is Jim McIntyre whose coaching career has included Dunfermline, Bristol City (first team coach), Queen of the South then Ross County September 2014 to September 2017 when he was sacked alongside assistant Billy Dodds. Most recently managing Dundee season 2018/19 but was relieved of duties after only 4 wins in 31 games. Former Inverness players Iain Vigurs, Rory McAllister and Ross Draper are still on the books at Balmoral Stadium. Former Don's Shay Logan Mark Reynolds and Fraser Fyvie are also well established opponents and Mitch Megginson is a danger to any team. Incoming players so far are Evan Towler a 17 year old left back on loan from Aberdeen FC B, and Gerry McDonagh a centre forward once of Nottingham Forest Youth to U23 set up but after being with a number of English clubs has arrived at Cove on a free transfer. Latest Team News Sutherland and Walsh are long term casualties Here's Dodds... View full article

Albion Rovers last visit to the Caledonian Stadium thirteen years ago ended in a 4-0 League Cup defeat. It went the same way this time, another 4-0 thumping. An early header from Billy Mckay was added to before the interval by a super free kick from Cameron Harper. Rovers were not without their moments in the first half but Cammy Mackay was equal to the occasion. Wallace Duffy added a third just after the restart following a corner and Harper got his second minutes later.

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This one Gringers: The visitors went ahead in 13 minutes when Alan Hercher neatly chipped the Albion 'keeper after a goalmouth scramble. 14 minutes later it was 1-1 when Joe McBride scored direct from a 20 yard free kick. In 35 minutes the visitors went 2-1 ahead when Alan Hercher headed home with a diving header after a Norman MacMillan cross. In the second half Albion came more into the game and Jim Calder saved from Seggie and Strain. With a minute to go Jim Calder saved well but could not hold the ball and in the resultant confusion Gordon Young netted from close range to steal a draw for Albion. Jim Calder Dave Brennan Mike Noble Richard Hastings Robbie Benson Graeme Bennett Norman MacMillan Charlie Christie Davie Ross Alan Hercher Iain Stewart

My bad. I normally set up the preview on the laptop. I started this one on the Mobile and just jumped back and fore adding text and missed the defeat. It's too difficult to copy and paste on mobile. Preview now amended to reflect that defeat. Venue Pld Won Drn Lst For Agst + / - Home 7 4 2 1 18 7 +11 Away 7 5 2 0 12 3 +9 Neutral 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Total 14 9 4 1 30 10 +20 Report by Ian Broadfoot: This re-arranged match took place on a cold Tuesday night and Albion recorded only their fifth win of the season. The opening goal came in 26 minutes when Martin Scott ran from midfield before passing to Thomson who scored from the edge of the box. At the other end a Colin Mitchell shot was cleared off the line by Ryan and Wight denied the home side when he saved at the feet of Charlie Christie. In the second half Caley Thistle were denied what many thought was a clear cut penalty when Colin Mitchell was sandwiched in the area. Albion pressed forward and a superb Joe McBride 30 yard drive crashed off the post. The second goal for Albion came 6 minutes from time when Scott scored after a good solo effort. Rovers were bottom of the league after 31 games on 18 points and we were 7th on 38 points. Mark McRitchie Mark McAllister Mike Noble Steven MacDonald John Scott Norman MacMillan Charlie Christie Alan Hercher Colin Mitchell Mike Sanderson Billy Urquhart Here's the game you can't remember CIS Progress: It was another convincing win by Inverness Caley Jags tonight with 3 goals in the first half and a goal in the second half securing them a place in the next round of the CIS Cup. It was "Job Done" in the first half and Caley Thistle seemed to step off the gas a bit in the second, being content to hold possession and force Albion Rovers to do a lot of running and chasing. We have to wait till Tuesday to find out who we get in the next round, and with the SPL teams coming in at this stage then there's every chance we'll finding ourselves heading off to one of last seasons stomping grounds. Inverness and Albion Rovers met with 2 divisions of difference between the two teams on a cold and clear Tuesday evening, and the gulf in class was evident by the end of the tie. Both clubs started with strong line-ups, with ICT fielding a 4-4-2 formation and Albion Rovers matching the home side. The only changes Terry Butcher decided to enforce was Tokely replacing Proctor at right-back, and Rooney coming in for Sanchez in attack. Esson started in goals for Caley, with a strong back four of Djebi-Zadi, Tokely, Munro and Bulvitis. The midfield compromised of Hayes, Eagles, Cox and Stratford, with Rooney and Foran completing the first 11 and leading the line. The Wee Rovers, as they are affectionately known, started with Gaston in goals. The defence consisted of O’Byrne, Benton, McGowan and McKeown. In midfield, the Rovers boss Paul Martin went with Canning, Tyrell, Reid and young starlet Bobby Barr. Pat Walker and former Clyde striker Marc McCusker started up front for the visiting team. Albion Rovers started brightly and came close to opening the scoring, the captain Paul Tyrell placing a shot onto the crossbar from 20 yards. Inverness seemed unfazed and took the lead after 8 minutes, Jonny Hayes breaking loose in midfield and pinging a ball across to Eagles, who found himself free on the left hand corner of the box. The winger picked his spot, stroking the ball past Gaston and into the bottom right hand corner of the net. What was a poor start to the cup tie for the wee Rovers became a disastrous one on the 16th minute mark. Richie Foran found space on the right to cross for Adam Rooney. Rooney outmuscled O’Byrne to volley a shot at goal, going in via Derek Gaston’s flailing hand. This cup tie was as good as over and for the rest of the match, despite some good passages of play from the visitors, it was a case of 'how many' for Caley Thistle. Both Alan Reid and Ross Tokely were booked for persistent fouling after the second goal, not a surprise to the 681 in attendance, including 3 Albion rovers fans who kept the atmosphere alive within Caledonian Stadium. Before half-time it was three for the home side. Lee Cox picked the ball up in midfield, and lobbed a nice ball over the Rovers defence, straight to Grant Munro. Munro, beating Gaston to the ball, attempted a shot across the face of the goal, which eventually found its way to Bulvitis to slot home his first goal for the club. The whistle sounded 4 minutes later, ending a one-sided first half in which ICT had put 3 past the Rovers goalkeeper with no reply. Paul Martin’s team had a mountain to climb in the second half, and it was proving too much to ask for the away side to compete with their 1st division opponents. Half Time 3-0 Early on in the second half, Alan Reid and Marc McCusker were both substituted, replaced respectively by Cris Boyle and Marc Pollok. The pair couldn’t prevent Inverness extending their lead in the 57th minute, captain Grant Munro benefiting from slack Rovers defending to divert in Stratford’s cross for the 4th goal of the game. This goal signalled the opportunity for the young players to impress, Shane Sutherland replacing Foran on the hour mark and Nick Ross coming on for Robert Eagle. Both appeared glad for the run-out, Ross making headway out on the left wing and impressing with direct runs, while Sutherland showed neat touches to link with Rooney up front. Full Time 4-0 In the end, the game petered out with no real opportunities of note for either side. ICT ran out worthy winners, while Albion Rovers had certainly not disgraced themselves against a team finding their feet in the first division. After a 2-2 draw with the league favourites Dundee the previous weekend, another positive result was welcome with the home support and ICT manager Terry Butcher. An away game to Motherwell loomed in the next round. MOTHERWELL 3-2 (aet) INVERNESS CT Goalscorers lol Bulvitus scored again, this time an og. McHugh (33) Bulvitus (94 o.g.) Forbes (119) Andrew Barrowman (70) Grant Munro (110) As a bonus, here's Broadfoot's report from the first encounter: Albion Rovers 0-1 Caledonian Thistle Caledonian Thistle's good start to the season continued with this win at Coatbridge. Both sides came close in the first half. Albion's Martin Scott had three chances with two shots being saved by McRitchie and a header hitting the post. McRitchie saved a shot from Gordon Young and at the other end Davidson saved twice from Wilson Robertson. Alan Hercher was unlucky when in 20 minutes a good drive was blocked by team mate Danny MacDonald. In the second half substitute Norman MacMillan scored the winning goal in 67 minutes - a header from a Bennett cross. Albion Rovers pushed forward but Mark McRitchie made 2 tremendous saves from Young and Docherty to deny the home side a share of the points.

Naurus Bulvitus was on loan to us and scored 5 goals. He is 35 now and still plays for FK Spartaks Jūrmala in Latvia.

Rovers Return Albion Rovers, infrequent visitors to the Caledonian Stadium, head North on Tuesday for an evening kick off in Inverness. The third Group G game for the Caley Jags has a 7:45pm start against the League 2 side. Inverness top Group G after two wins on the road at Kelty and Livingston and have a game in hand over Livi who share top spot on six points. Rovers have one win from their three games played, an excellent 0-2 win at Kelty where late goals from Sonkur and Reilly were the difference. They also ran Livi close before going down 3-2 and a narrow 1-2 loss at home to Cove Rangers. They do like a late goal, and came back well against Livi. Maybe a word of warning not to take the foot off the pedal. Latest Team News Sutherland, Walsh, Devine, Welsh, Duffy and Ram were all missing at Livingston. Eric's Rovers Roundup As you would expect from a bottom tier club there are no big name additions to the Squad, all below added on free transfers. Jack Leighfield, goalkeeper from Edinburgh FC Ayrton Sonkur a centre back from Stranraer FC Lewis Kidd right back, previously spent a short spell with Albion in 2021, more recently with Edinburgh City which he left at the end of January 2022. Michael Paton midfield from Brechin FC Kyle Fleming another midfield player from Annan Athletic FC Amaury Testa a French born winger both left and right side, from Caledonian Braves. Blast from the past We have played Albion Rovers 14 times with 9 wins and 4 draws and a solitary defeat. The last time we met Rovers was in 2009 and that was also in the League Cup. Here's our line up from that game, a 4-0 win at the Caledonian Stadium. Esson Tokely - Bulvitus - Munro - Djebi Zadi Eagle - Cox - Stratford - Hayes Rooney - Foran Subs: Sutherland, Ross, Proctor Goals: (Eagle 8, Rooney 16 Bulvitus 41, Munro 57) Crowd: 681 That was the season we ended with a flourish. Fifteen games unbeaten to pip Dundee to the title. Feck you Dundee you'll never win the league. Same again this season would be much appreciated. Maybe a bit of Deja Vu. View full article

Don't know if anyone spotted this posted elsewhere Am Baile: Nessie Hunt

Oh well, that's a bonus in itself

Hard to follow the game watching that.