Robert

Carson lucky not to have gifted the third goal there. We should be 3 down.

Exactly!!

Oakley and Carson on for Doran and Hyde. I repeat my comment above. We can’t blame Hyde as he’s out of position and inexperienced and it shows. Carson should have started so I see it as a tactical or managerial error.

We know what Tiffoney can do. If Carson and Duffy are fit enough to be in the squad, one should have started as we’ve thrown Hyde to the wolves tonight. He’s a midfielder with potential. I just hope tonight doesn’t set his confidence and development back. We need to change it before the second half.

2-0. Terrible pass back by Deas. @Donald1973: I assume Carson is not fully fit but I recall Tiffoney murdering him last season and setting two goals up (in the 3-3 draw?). Anyway we can’t complain about being 2 down just now. Other than the save from Mckay’s shot we’ve been pretty impotent.

He’s out of position and it is showing so we shouldn’t be hard on him. The goal came from the other wing and too many of our players are playing loose passes which are inviting more pressure on to us.

Graham: 1-0 down. Not a great surprise the way they’ve been controlling the game so far.

We are lucky we didn’t fall behind in 30 seconds. Samuels need to double up with Hyde on Tiffoney which he’s been trying to do but he’s a major threat to us.

Pitch looks good. Unchanged team from last week but Carson and Duffy added to the bench. Ridgers Hyde Delaney Deas Harper Allardice MacGregor Samuels Doran Mackay Mckay Subs: MacKay Duffy Carson Oakley Boyd Shaw Tiffoney gave us a hard time last season, having the beating of Carson, so a big night for Hyde.

Agreed. Let’s be on the front foot from the off and play the game on our terms. Looking forward to seeing Deas keeping that thug Graham quiet!

Airdrie @ 1.90 please.

HT 0-0 FT 1-2 ICT Mckay PT Graham Crowd 2768

Andy MacRae for Brora and Aiden Wilson for Rothes in the North of Scotland Cup last night. Rothes knocked Elgin out.

Damned predictive text! I corrected what it turned Duku into but missed what it did to Boden!! Corrected now thanks.

Manny Duku and Scott Boden are both at National League York City now.

Nicolson is highly rated and one for the future. The loan will give him game time but I’m surprised at the timing given our lack of fit defenders at present. He will hopefully be challenging for a place in the starting line up in 2023.

It’s worse than that. He was playing in the match and got the red card when they were 7-0 up: utter madness!

I was told a couple of weeks ago he has hernia trouble. He wanted to play on until it went totally and he could get it operated on. It is possible it has gone now given his absence yesterday. I’m not sure what the recovery time is after a hernia operation but hopefully he’s not out for too long.

The club’s report and highlights: https://ictfc.com/match-report-ictfc-4-1-cove-rangers-13-08-2022

Hayes and Todorov scored for Aberdeen and Dunfermline respectively yesterday.

From my seat in the main stand, the clearest chants from the North Stand were the regular renditions of “fxxx the Tories”. In fairness, other than a couple of decisions on fouls he should have helped the ref with (and had he done so, Samuels’ challenge and yellow card would not have happened as we’d have had a free kick for a challenge on Allardice) he got most decisions right.

For me MacGregor is best when playing in the no 10 role when his creative skills are his focus. I thought he did ok on the whole but your comment is fair. I agree that Hyde did misplace some passes but as he was playing out of position I forgave him for that and he was not an easy option for Cove to target, which I feared beforehand. Delaney was looking out for him, which helped a lot, and Samuels was tracking back too. With seven players out, a very encouraging outcome which gives confidence for the season ahead. Roll on Partick!

I was nervous when I saw the line up with seven players missing (Duffy, Carson, Devine, Ram, Welsh, Walsh and Sutherland) and only three defenders in the team, all left sided. We came out fast and Samuels’ well finished early goal set us up for as good a 45 as I’ve seen in a long time. I thought Mackay’s shot was goal bound but Doran made sure for the second. We could have had more, with the Cove ‘keeper making several good saves. Our most nervous moment came when Delaney (I think) tried to head the ball wide but instead forced Ridgers to make a great save to avoid an own goal. Cove started the second half with Vigurs on, and scored in their first attack. Ridgers could only parry a shot towards a Cove player who scored. We were then unable to keep the ball and were looking poor for the next 20 minutes or so, with Cove looking the more likely to score, but we gradually grew back in to the game. Mckay set Samuels up for the third, which steadied things and Shaw got the fourth after Samuels came close to a hat trick but the goalie palmed his effort towards Shaw. 4-1 maybe flattered us a bit, but it was in the main a good team performance, with four Academy products starting. Ridgers had a couple of saves, with one down at the post as well as stopping the potential own goal. He was also talking the defence through the game well. Hyde is not a natural full back and it showed at times, but he acquited himself well. Delaney and Samuels both assisted him. I thought Delaney did well, playing on the wrong side of the defensive pairing for a left sided player, whilst Deas steadied everything and got forward a few times, coming close with an overhead kick. Harper has improved from last season, both defensively and with his delivery. Allardice was great in midfield, supported well by MacGregor. Mackay had a couple of decent runs, whilst I thought Doran had a very good game. Mckay was very busy and kept the ball well to bring others into the game. The pick, though, was Samuels, who took his goals well and could have had a third. He had the beating of the defence and made a lot of good runs into space, which seemed to be a deliberate ploy today with players looking for him. What a contrast from his performance against Queens Park. Three subs were used late on with Boyd coming close from a free kick and Shaw being in the right place to get the fourth. All in all, a satisfying afternoon, particularly after the wobble early in the second half. Well done to all, and I hope Douglas Ross “enjoyed” the stick he got.

Short on players. No Carson ir Devine and only 5 subs. Hyde starting: at right back? Ridgers Hyde Delaney Deas Harper Allardice MacGregor Samuels Doran Mackay Mckay A tough afternoon ahead

Whilst it is still early in the season and every team has dropped points, we really need to win this afternoon or we will be slipping off the pace. We have Partick away next Friday so going into that with 5 points rather than only 2 or 3 is important in my opinion. Deas’ return should tighten us up at the back but we need to ensure we don’t get outnumbered in midfield and struggle to keep the ball as a result. I didn’t like Cove’s approach in the cup game a few weeks ago and hope they are coming to play football, rather than be cynical, feign injury and waste time. We need to take the game by the scruff of the neck and ensure it is played on our terms. Three points please!