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Inverness up to fourth... Nikolay Todorov scored the only goal of the game with twenty minutes left in a disappointing encounter where the three points were more important than the performance. Scott Allan made his debut in the second half where Inverness did just enough to move up to a temporary position of fourth in the league ahead of the Dundee v Dunfermline game tonight. Scott Allan was on the bench after much hype about the excellent loan signing from Hibs. Daniel Mackay was declared fit for his 50th appearance and all the big boys returned to the defence with Cameron Harper starting. It was fully fifteen minutes in before anyone had a sight of goal and it was Dale Hilson who dragged a shot wide of Mark Ridgers' post in a rare venture into the hosts box. It was turgid stuff in the opening quarter with both sides struggling to make much headway on a cold but reasonable afternoon for a kickabout. The ball entered the Arbroath net after Danny Devine nodded a free kick towards the goal, and as David Carson appeared on the scene to head into the net the referee signalled for offside or more likely an infringement. Roddy MacGregor burst forward and offloaded from just outside the box but his daisy cutter slid just the wrong side of the post after half an hour. A great turn and pass from Shane Sutherland set Dan Mackay clear down the left but his cross was mopped up by the defence and in the next attack Sutherland got the ball at his feet around the penalty spot but he could not dig it out with his back to goal and once more Arbroath cleared their lines. Four minutes before the break an Arbroath free kick offered the visitors a glimmer of hope but a foul to Inverness was the end product as the ball was whipped into the box. From an Arbroath corner right on the whistle, Ridgers and the defenders had to clear the ball away from the top corner after a good header from Ricky Little looked as if it might creep in. Possibly headed clear by Sean Welsh from just under the bar. Colin Steven brought the half to a close thereafter, presumably to save the ball from further punishment. Half Time:0-0 No surprise when McCann made early changes to the line-up by introducing Miles Storey and Scott Allan for Shane Sutherland and Roddy MacGregor as up until now we had looked impotent. Arbroath looked lively at the start of the second period, in contrast to the Caley Jags who looked rather pedestrian and cumbersome. Todorov was unable to take advantage of a great ball into the box as we looked to get forward. Scott Allan was looking sharp but it looked like he was getting no favours from the officials. Sixty-eight minutes on the clock and a curling Cammy Harper free kick was brilliantly headed home by a stooping Nikolay Todorov to open the scoring. Superb goal and just what we needed, but a defensive disaster for the Smokies. Well I'll be Bulgared, that was Toddy's sixth goal of the season. Hot Toddy opens the scoring... Shortly after the goal a rugby scrum formed in the Caley Jags box and nobody knew where the hell the ball was but a free kick to Inverness was the end result as all around scratched their heads. Substitute Miles Storey latched onto the ball over twenty yards out but Gaston did well to turn it away. He did exactly the same five minutes later from a Scott Allan drive to keep the score the same and denying Allan a debut goal. Hanging on against Arbroath.... How times have changed, but that's what we were doing soaking up waves of attacks until a burst forward by Storey saw Gaston save bravely at his feet, the referee giving a free kick to the keeper and booking Storey for his trouble. Full Time 1-0 However, it was the result that was important, not the performance and three points were secured as Inverness held firm. Up to fourth in the table with Dundee playing Dunfermline tonight. Highlights or lowlights from Caley Jags TV ... Neil.... Scott... Date: 27/03/2021 Venue: Caledonian Stadium Attendance: 0000 Referee: Colin Steven Inverness CT: 1 Manager: Neil McCann (temporary) Lineup: Ridgers; Carson, Deas, Devine, Harper, D Mackay, Welsh, Allardice, MacGregor (Storey 55), Sutherland (Allan 54), Todorov (McHattie 88) Subs (not used): C Mackay; Vincent, Lyall, Keatings Scorers: Todorov (69) Booked: Storey (90+2) Sent Off: none Arbroath FC: 0 Manager: Dick Campbell Lineup: Gaston; Gold, Little, O'Brien, C Hamilton, McKenna (Low 84), Craigen (Stewart 63), Williamson (Whatley 81), Hilson, J Hamilton, Moore Subs (not used): Gallacher; Pignatiello, Doolan, Smith Scorers: none Booked: Craigen (29) Sent Off: none a

Can we get three on the trot Back to League business this weekend at the Caledonian Stadium with Dick Campbell's Arbroath the visitors. It's another covid restricted game meaning no fans will be allowed in the stadium but the game can be caught on Caley Jags TV by streaming the action live from 3:00pm, with Inverness looking for their third Championship win on the bounce. Contrasting results in the Scottish Cup in midweek when Inverness edged out Highland League side Buckie Thistle in a five goal encounter. Sounds exciting but in truth it was a poor game and performance with Buckie taking all the plaudits but not the win. A late winner by Daniel Mackay ended Buckie's brave attempt to get to Dingwall despite giving their all against a much changed Inverness side who did just enough to get through (2-3). Arbroath dropped out of the cup after the beaten finalists in the 2015 showpiece upstaged the Championship side 1-2 at Gayfield. Yes, Falkirk are through to the third round and face a trip to Parkhead. OFFICIAL PREVIEW STREAMING INFO SCOTT ALLAN LEWIS TOSHNEY STATEMENT Pld W D L F A +/- Pts 1. Hearts 21 14 4 3 48 21 27 46 2. Raith Rovers 20 8 6 6 33 26 7 30 3. Dunfermline 19 8 6 5 27 20 7 30 4. Dundee 20 8 6 6 37 35 2 30 5. Inverness CT 21 6 9 6 27 23 4 27 6. Queen of the South 21 8 3 10 33 42 -9 27 7. Ayr United 21 6 7 8 26 25 1 25 8. Morton 21 6 7 8 19 26 -7 25 9. Arbroath 21 5 7 9 17 26 -9 22 10. Alloa Athletic 21 4 5 12 24 47 -23 17 Last 10 Competitive Meetings with Arbroath 1 - 1 (A) 3 - 1 (H) 0 - 1 (H) 0 - 3 (A) 2 - 1 (H) 0 - 3 (H) 7 - 0 (H) 2 - 0 (A) 2 - 2 (A) 3 - 1 (H) In the League, Arbroath have slipped to second bottom After defeats from Queen of the South and Dundee, but a creditable draw against leaders Hearts will give them the confidence that they can beat the drop. We have struggled to perform at times against the bottom sides in the table although we did win 3-1 earlier in the season against Arbroath. A win on Saturday would fire us in the right direction and make it three in a row after good away wins at Raith and Dunfermline. A worried Gringo summed it up on CTO I just hope the lack lustre performance at Buckie hasn't affected the lads too much. Yes, it was a much changed side but could still have an effect. Fingers crossed this won't be the case and we can get the much needed three points. Arbroath have given us some tough games and will be up for the fight against relegation...or is it the fact I worry too much? Championship games at 3:00pm Saturday Alloa Athletic v Ayr United Hearts v Queen of the South Inverness CT v Arbroath Raith Rovers v Morton Dundee v Dunfermline 7:20pm ***Latest Team News*** After what seems like eternity, we don't need to list Lewis Toshney as an injured player anymore. Yes, he is off the injured list, and off down the road. The unfortunate Lewis has left the building by mutual consent after two injury prone seasons. He made four appearances in season 19/20 and zero this season. Good luck to Lewis after what has been a difficult time for him since he came North. No such fortune for Daniel Mackay who has been added to the crocks list after the cup win at Buckie. Kevin McHattie was also subbed in that game by Cameron Harper, who returned to action after a six game lay-off and played for the last half hour. Inverness have boosted their squad for the run-in with an excellent loan signing in the shape of Scott Allan from Hibernian. Scott goes straight into the squad for today's game. OFFICIAL STATEMENT Scott, 29 years old, started his career at Dundee United before moving to West Brom. Scott then moved to Hibs, where he won the 2014/15 Scottish Championship Player of the Year. He then signed for Celtic, where he won the 2015/16 Scottish Premiership. During his time at Celtic, he had loan spells with Rotherham, Dundee and Hibs. Scott then moved to Hibs on a permanent basis in the summer of 2019. Arbroath have signed former Aberdeen player and East Stirlingshire captain Nicky Low on loan til the end of the season. Good signing for the Lichties who have also been hit with a spate of injuries. Gavin Swankie, Bobby Linn and Luke Donnelly look likely to be miss the rest of the season. Defender Jake Davidson has returned to Dundee United after being injured in training. Experienced Berwick Rangers striker Calum Smith has also been added to Dick's squad for the final push to avoid relegation. The return of the Highland derby Next up for the Caley Jags after the Arbroath Fixture is a visit to the quaint market town of Dingwall where we will take on the village team in the third round of the Scottish Cup. That was the prize for defeating Buckie Thistle last Wednesday. Unfortunately covid restrictions are still in place and that has ruled out a great away day for the fans who would no doubt have been pleased to see John Hughes and offered him some words of encouragement in his new job

Inverness CT -V- Dundee Championship Football @ Caledonian Stadium, Inverness Tuesday 20th April 2021 @ 19:00pm Covid Restrictions - No Fans

Queen of the South -V- Inverness CT Championship Football @ Palmerston Park, Dumfries Saturday 10th April 2021 @ 15:00pm Covid Restrictions - No Fans Streaming available

Ross County -V- Inverness CT Scottish Cup Football @ Global Energy Stadium, Dingwall Friday 2nd April 2021 @ 19:45pm Live on BBC Scotland TV Covid Restrictions - No Fans

Morton -V- Inverness CT Championship Football @ Cappielow Park, Greenock Tuesday 6th April 2021 @ 19:00pm Covid Restrictions - No Fans

Jings, Inverness Squeeze Through This long overdue Scottish Cup encounter went ahead after a nine week delay and it was Inverness that squeezed into the next round after Daniel Mackay scored the winner with five minutes left. James Keatings got the opener in 35 seconds but Jack Murray deservedly headed Buckie level fifteen minutes in. A shot from distance by Sean Welsh restored the visitors advantage but a final flurry of activity saw Callum Murray equalise only for Dan to score two minutes later. Credit to Buckie for making this difficult for the youthful Inverness side and a trip to Dingwall beckons. It could have been worse; just look at the result from Brora where Hearts were dumped out of the cup 2-1 at Dudgeon Park. Now that's a result and that's what the cup is all about. Memories are made of this! This was the first competitive meeting between these sides and it came at the end of a three month lay-off for Buckie Thistle due to the weather and coronavirus restrictions. Buckie's last competitive game was the 3-0 success over Albion Rovers on Boxing day in the first round of the Scottish Cup. Inverness were more prepared for this and were starting to put some decent results on the board with successive away wins at Starks Park and East End Park in the Championship. This game was twice frozen off before the Scottish Cup was put on hold. Unfortunately covid restrictions denied Buckie a night of drama at Victoria Park with no fans allowed in the ground. Live streaming was available from Buckie TV. Buckie's manager is former Caley Thistle midfielder Graeme Stewart who played under John Robertson back in 99/2003 making 38 appearances and scoring twice. His assistant is another former young Caley Jag, Lewis MacKinnon. Great incentive for these guys to put on a performance against their former employers. There were rare starts for a number of Caley Jags players with Cammy Mackay in goal, Harry Nicolson at right back and Ryan Fyffe in defence. Miles Storey also started after being a sub in the last couple on return from injury. Loan Ranger Arron Lyall went straight into the squad and was on the bench with Kane Davies and Ali Riddle. Buckie assistant Lewis MacKinnon was in the starting XI for the hosts. A cold blustery night in Buckie met the sides as Inverness kicked off and James Keatings had the ball into the net in 35 seconds. He turned on a ball around the penalty spot and curled it low into the keepers right. A loose pass out along the back offered a snippet of a chance for Buckie but the ball was stopped en route to goal and the chance lost. Big shout for a penalty after some lively forward play by Buckie with Sam Urquhart prominent down the left but referee Steven Reid was not interested. Jack Murray levelled the game deservedly after a corner went across the face of the box. Lewis MacKinnon retrieved it and returned it onto the head of big Jack who powered his header into the net. Sean Welsh restored the visitors advantage when he drove a powerful shot beyond the reach of keeper Bell from around twenty-five yards. Sam Urquhart was lively and Cammy Mackay was forced into action as he saved his twenty yard shot low down. Good response from Buckie around the half hour. A Keatings free kick was put into the net from close range but the whistle had gone for offside or an infringement. Sam Urquhart again caused problems down the left and his low cross was palmed away by Cammy Mackay but no takers for the loose ball that ran away from everyone. Big Jack was turning players inside out on the right wing like Ronaldo as we struggled to impose ourselves on proceedings. Play was a bit fragmented up to half time but no further scoring before the break. Half Time: 1-2 A quick start to the second half saw Miles Storey try to get a couple of crosses in from the left as we looked to get off to another flyer. However not enough interest shown inside the home box. The blustery conditions were making silky football impossible as most balls were being overhit. An untidy passage of play was interrupted when a deep cross was headed into the side net by Kevin Fraser at the back post. A warning for Inverness to up their game. Cameron Harper made his return from injury fifteen minutes into the second half, replacing Kevin McHattie who looked injured. More scrappy play was once more interrupted by a fierce shot from MacLauchlan that fizzed over the bar from the angle of the 18 yard box. It was the hosts that were looking more likely to score the next goal and from a corner, Cammy Mackay flapped at the ball before a defender hoofed it clear. Lewis MacKinnon went off injured and Inverness sent a couple of efforts well over the bar. A bit of a scramble in the visitors box resulted in a corner and an even bigger scramble before the whistle brought some respite to the defence. Storey broke into the box on the left but went wide and the keeper saved his stabbed effort well as Inverness pushed for the clincher and a free kick from the left was missed by everybody in the box when a touch would have resulted in a goal. Substitute Callum Murray equalised after some sloppy defending allowed Murray to burst into the box and finish well. However a couple of minutes later we went back in front with only five minutes left on the clock when Dan Mackay knocked a loose ball home from ten yards. Credit to Buckie and they went back up the park and a ball across the face of the goal saw no takers. Arron Lyall made his debut in injury time as the clock ran down and time just ran away from Buckie as Inverness edged a five goal cup-tie. Full Time 2-3 So it's Inverness that head to Dingwall in the next round after they were given a stern test by Buckie Thistle who will be delighted to be back on the park performing again. Well done to Buckie and Highland derby here we come! Sam Urquhart was my pick for MotM as he posed problems all night wide on the left. Jack Murray and Max Barry supported well, in fact considering the lack of game time recently, they were all brilliant. Good job by Spider who will be delighted by his teams performance on a difficult night for football. Here's Neil post match Date: 23/03/2021 Venue: Victoria Park, Buckie Attendance: 0000 Referee: Steven Reid Buckie Thistle: 2 Manager: Graeme Stewart Lineup: Bell, Munro, MacKinnon (Morrison 69), J Murray, McGlauchlan, Cowie, Pugh, Barry, Fraser, Urquhart, McLeod(C Murray 75) Subs (not used): Herbert; Wood, Goodall, Davidson, Scorers: J Murray (15), C Murray (84) Booked: Macleod (35) J Murray (90+1) Sent Off: none Inverness CT: 3 Manager: Neil McCann (temporary) Lineup: C Mackay; Nicolson, Deas, McHattie (Harper 60), D Mackay (Lyall 90+2), Welsh, Allardice, MacGregor, Fyffe, Keatings (Sutherland 75), Storey Subs (not used): Ridgers; Riddle, Davies, Scorers: Keatings (35 secs), Welsh (27), D Mackay (86) Booked: MacGregor (83) Sent Off: none a

Here we go again The draw back in January meant that The Caley Jags would head to Victoria Park Buckie to take on olde Highland League adversaries Buckie Thistle in the second round of the William Hill Scottish Cup on Saturday January 9th, a draw predicted by one of our resident seers Gringo. Unfortunately the game would be covid restricted meaning that no fans would have been allowed into the ground to witness the first full competitive match between the sides. That game was scheduled to kick-off at 3:00pm on Saturday 9th January. However, winter intervened and froze the game off, and the next date of 12th January, and then lockdown scuppered the game for another couple of months. Fast forward to March 23rd and we're all set to go against Spider and his men fae Buckie. It's not the worst draw to be honest as we have a decent record of putting green and white hooped sides out of the Scottish Cup. A cold mad March night, potential banana skin fixture with the possibility of a scalp for the Highland League side. What's not to enjoy about the early rounds of the Scottish Cup. The prize for the winners, if you can call it that, is a visit to Dingwall to take on the Caley Jags reject XI complete with a Caley Jags Scottish Cup winning manager. Just let that sink in for a bit. Yes, it's coming up to a mere six years since James Vincent scored the winner at Hampden Park as Inverness Caledonian Thistle lifted the Scottish Cup. Where are these teams now I hear you ask? Well, we are in the Championship back where it all began against the likes of Arbroath and Falkirk are four points clear of Cove Rangers in League one. +++++++++++++++ Buckie Jags +++++++++++++++++ Streaming from Buckie TV £10 Official Preview +++++++++++++++ Caley Jags +++++++++++++++++ Graeme Stewart's Buckie Thistle made their way to the second round of the Cup after an excellent away win at Albion Rovers, beating the Cliftonhill side 3-0. Two goals from Andrew MacAskill, one direct from a corner kick, and a Scott Adams strike were enough to inflict a sixth defeat in seven games for Brian Reid's side. Buckie Boss Stewart had played under John Robertson for the Caley Jags from season 1999 to 2003 making 38 appearances, scoring twice. Buckie played a warm-up game at the weekend after three months of inactivity and went down 3-1 to fellow highland League side Brora Rangers. As Ziggy Stardust once said, it's a big ask for the Spider's from m'arse after such a long lay off. Former Inverness youngsters Kevin Fraser and Andrew MacAskill are at Buckie. Stewart's assistant manager Lewis MacKinnon is also on the books as a player, so great incentive for these guys to do well against their former club. ***Latest Team News*** Brad Mckay and our own braveheart David Carson are on Scottish Cup suspension and will miss this game. That's maybe not a bad thing given our hectic schedule recently where David Carson in particular has been in outstanding form with three MotM performances and his first goal for the club in almost fifty appearances. This should be an opportunity to offer some match time to our fringe players whilst still maintaining enough quality to be competitive and get us through to a derby in Dingwall. However Lewis Hyde and Shane Harkness are cup-tied. Miles Storey has started from the bench in the last two after returning from injury and his pace could cause problems for the ring rusty Buckie squad. Neil McCann has boosted his squad with a loan signing from Rangers. Seventeen year old youth player Arron Lyall has come in until the end of the season with our wide players struggling with injuries. So, once again the loan arranger has arranged a loan for a loan Ranger. He is available to go straight into the squad for the cup tie at Buckie. Spider will do well to put out a competitive squad after the long enforced lay-off. We have never played Buckie Thistle in a competitive game before but some of the pre-season games have been close. Our last game at Buckie was a 4-3 win for an Inverness XI on July 13th 2019. MacGregor, Nicolson, Morrison & Harkness scored for the young team in a 4-3 win at Buckie. Buckie Thistle 3 -V- 4 ICT FC XI @ Victoria Park, Buckie Highland League teams in action tonight Nairn County v Montrose Brora Rangers v Hearts Dumbarton v Huntly Formartine v Annan Athletic Keith v Clyde Plus Elgin City v Ayr United Peterhead v Stenny & Arbroath v Falkirk