Kingsmills

Very often not a first pick between the sticks during his years with us but had always been dependable when called upon and has contributed on the coaching front in more recent seasons. A well deserved reward. Like others, Aberdeen would seem to me to be the obvious choice as opponents. As DD alluded to, they would appear to be at a loose end on Thursday evenings for the next few months.

So very sad and sorry to hear that. As a Thistle fan I grudgingly admired him and after the merger I was delighted that he was playing for my team rather than against it. A credit to himself and to to sometime unfairly maligned community from which he came and sincere condolences to those close to him for their untimely bereavement. A part of our club history and will always be remembered as such.

Not going to the home derbies then ?

Falkirk, with a population smaller than Inverness, has always supported their team In greater numbers than us. That was obvious when they took six thousand more to the cup final than we did. All the more credible then that we have been much more of a fixture in the top league than them or the likes of Dunfermline, who are similarly well supported, over the last two decades and have won more major silverware.

An away win and a clean sheet against a team to probably have a bigger budget than us this season is an excellent way to start the league campaign. A similar result on day one last season would have seen us in the play offs. A lot of hard work lies ahead but to see us start this season in the manner we ended last is very encouraging.

The trouble was that they were followed by two more without reply in the second half by which time we were feeling much less pleased with ourselves. However, that is now over and done with and we need to concentrate on getting back to winning ways on Saturday. Falkirk made an even worse start to their league campaign last season than we did so will be as keen as we are to get this season off to a better start. Three points on Saturday and the Hearts game will soon begin to fade in the memory.

Well, this thread seems somewhat redundant now so I will lock it.

Probably but a fair bit wealthier in the process at a time when we are desperately short of cash. Yes Hearts were good, yes they are a cut above us in terms of quality but we were in the fortunate position of knowing precisely what we had to do and that was merely to avoid defeat by four or more goals and, despite being armed with that advantage, failed in that task. Not a disaster as the cups are not our priority but still a considerable disappointment which does not merit being brushed off so casually.

One we were gutted to lose the final of on penalties not so very long ago and one we would have been delighted to progress further in this season.

That reignited spark got a bit damp today.

We can gripe all we like about the injustice of the SPFL only deducting two points from Hearts when precedent and logic dictated a three point deduction and 3-0 win awarded to Cove. I am in no doubt that that decision was contrived to keep the Group alive for the benefit of the sponsors and BT Sports. However, we were left with the simple enough task of not having to lose to a Hearts team who, apart from 45 minutes against a Cowdenbeath team depleted in numbers, had been decidedly average. We fell abysmally short in what should have been a straightforward task and deserve to be out of the competition. The task now for the manager and coaching staff is to try to ensure that today's humiliation does not dent confidence too much and to get the league campaign off to a positive start.

Worse communication than us. Hopefully, they will end the group stage with a worse points total than us to go with it.

All ambulances improperly parked at Tynecastle will be ticketed by arrangement.

Iain Vigurs competitive debut for County ends in a 4-1 thrashing by Arbroath. More pertinent to us, the runners up in group A can no longer reach 9 points and, after this evening's results, nor can the runners up in group B.

We can avoid such a lottery by taking at least a point from Tynecastle. It may be another step up in quality for us but we have coped with every step up so far and are perfectly capable of doing so again on Sunday.

With this evening's results, the SPFL and BT Sport get the conclusion to the group they bizarrely contrived.

With a small squad and very limited resourses, we are concentrating very firmly on the first term. Maybe not the best long term strategy but, for this season at least, in my view, it's the right thing to do.

That depends on how many stamps they licked between them before the meeting.

I agree that Cove should have been awarded the points deducted from Hearts. As I said before, deducting the points gained in the match is a fair and proportionate response to an administrative error. However, Hearts gained three points from that match and I utterly fail to see the logic in deducting only two, nor do I see the merit in not awarded the points improperly gained to the opponents. If it had been a knock out situation, precedent would have seen Hearts eliminated and Cove progress in their place. Trust the Scottish football authorities to get it wrong even when, by and large, getting it right.

The last three years have been a disappointment after the heights of two thousand and fifteen and the seasons that went before it. However, I believe that you support the club with the same enthusiasm and commitment through thick and thin. As far as the future is concerned, there were encouraging signs in the last third of last season, I also think that we have recruited fairly well both on the playing and coaching front. It will not be easy on such a tight and still decreasing budget but there is much to be optimistic about. For a club of our size and resourses, the dizzy heights of major cup wins or European campaigns may only come every quarter of a century or so, if they come at all. The trick to footballing contentment is so enjoy and relish the more modest successes in the meantime and promotion back to the Premiership or maybe a run to a Scottish Cup or league Cup semi final would be a very good start in that respect.

I doubt that Hearts regard the League Cup as a 'Diddy' competition. Like all but one club in Scotland at the moment, it represents one of only two realistic opportunities they have to land silverware.

Me too. Which other fans are being criticised?

Hearts failing to secure full points today against Raith Rovers puts the cat among the pigeons. Especially, if they forfeit the points for the Cove Rangers match.

Penalties, when awarded, still have to be converted which is a skill in itself. I agree that there were better and more entertaining forwards at the tournament but, whether from the penalty spot or not, Harry Kane scored more goals than anyone else so was the deserved winner of the Golden Boot.

Agreed and that would also be a fair and proportionate response for what is effectively a mini league rather than a knock out situation at this stage.