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Inverness' slump continues. Inverness slumped once more in another embarrassing performance at Perth going down 1-0 to St Johnstone. Chris Kane scored the only goal of the game late in the second half with St Johnstone having a penalty well saved by Owain Fon Williams. There was no danger of Inverness scoring and the stat count showed massively in favour of the home side whilst the visitors failed to get a shot on target, something that Yogi needs to address urgently if we want to stay in the top league. Defeat we can handle, but the manner of these abysmal performances is causing much concern amongst the Caley Jags fans, and with Gary Warren being red-carded that just compounds our injury crisis with some crucial games looming. After this gutless display our chances of a top-six slot look slim, but our chances of relegation seem to be increasing with every game wasted. I'll let the fans do the talking here and ICT Chris had this to say on the forum:- We were absolutely dire last night. Having to change things around in terms of strikers isn't ideal and altering the shape of the team to include a target man must've been difficult, but our performance was negative, timid and dull. We played 3-5-2 with Polworth and Williams as wing backs, Tansey, Draper and Vigurs in midfield and Roberts playing 'off' Hughes up front. I thought Hughes actually did well. He isn't the most elegant player but when we hit the ball up to his chest or head he generally took it down or flicked it on. I don't think you could ask much more of him, the problem was that the rest of he team was so deep that he was completely isolated. At one point in the second half he headed a long ball back to Roberts who ran at St Johnstone but our entire team were back in our own half, meaning you are relying on Roberts beating two players and pinging in a wonder goal, which isn't going to happen often with any player. We are so focussed on possession that we go backwards and drop deep to maintain it but can't actually play in the oppositions half. Playing with a target man and Wing backs we should've tried to push up and allowed them to either get crosses in for Hughes or at least hit diagonals for him to knock down to runners but we were so deep all we could offer was a long ball to an isolated target. This meant that we didn't create any chances, were pushed deeper and deeper and ended up defending for our lives. You do that and the opposition are bound to score. This style is one reason why we've been conceding so many late goals, we don't impose ourselves on games and end up hanging in constantly only to be broken. We are in serious trouble. I've been to three games in the last week and in that time we've created one real chance, the goal from Mutombo at Easter Road. That came from players making forward runs, with and without the ball, something we haven't done in any of the other games and we only did in that game because we were going out of the cup. Our main striker has scored one goal in two and half months, our defence can't cope with the pressure our style puts it under, our best creative player (Tansey) is in horrible form. Accies on Saturday is huge for us, a must win. Rig was also not impressed:- We didn't manage a single shot on target last night against a team that has won twice since the start of December and who absolutely dominated us for the majority of the game. Roberts had a couple of good half chances either side of half time. The first seemed to be a missed clearance by a Saints defender and Roberts took an age to control the ball and have a shot and when he did get an effort away it didn't even trouble Mannus. The other effort came as Vigurs pounced on a poor back pass from Anderson and cleverly back heeled it for Roberts who dragged his shot wide, possibly via a deflection. Saints however had numerous chances to score but it wasn't until the 84th minute they finally went ahead. With that goal from Kane 50% of the goals ICT have conceded have been in the last 15 minutes of a game. 50%. That's ridiculous. No complaints about the earlier penalty decision. Looked a desperate lunge from Warren at the time and having seen the highlights I can't see any reason not to have awarded the penalty and give him a second yellow. Cracking save from OFW though. With some of the saves he has been making recently you'd have to imagine he will be our number one keeper next season. Chris is right when he says that conceding late is largely down to our style of play. By sitting so deep we encourage the opposition to put pressure on us and we frequently make mistakes. Twice last night Tansey played dangerous balls across the back line and was intercepted. The number of last ditch 'heroic' style challenges we need to make is concerning. Tremarco alone made three such challenges last night and Warren and Devine also chipped in with a couple of desperate blocks. It's mind boggling why we choose to invite so much pressure on ourselves and end up making costly errors. Having games in hand is all well and good but not if you are losing the games and seldom creating anything resembling a chance during those games. As Chris has said we created nothing of note against Hearts, a couple of chances against Hibs and another couple tonight. A handful of (half) chances over three games is desperate stuff. The emphasis on possession is all well and good but you need to actually try and create something with the ball which is something we don't seem to do. According to the BBC both sides last night had roughly an equal share of the ball. The shots on and off target tell you which team was actually trying to create something when they had the ball. I know folk will say that we've got players out but the guys that are in the team now haven't just been plucked off the street. The majority of them have played most of the season for us so far so I don't believe injuries can be used as that much of an excuse. Our style of play is horrible. It's boring to watch. It's negative, slow and timid. We play with absolutely no width in the team. Polworth was free at least 3 or 4 times last night down the right and every time he was overlooked for a short pass back to either the defence or goal keeper. On the rare occasions we did get the ball wide the final delivery into the box was well below par. Williams would routinely scuff his crosses or not even beat the first man. As Chris rightly points out if you are going to play with a target man up front you need to offer him some support. Have midfielders running on to his knock downs and, given the formation we played last night, use your full backs to offer some width to cross it into the box for your target man. I don't think we did that once last night. Fair play to the Fair City Unity squad (:laugh:) last night. Never stopped signing all through the game. But what were Saint Johnstone playing at watering the pitch before the game? Were they trying to turn it into a bog? Date: 09/03/16 Venue: McDiarmid Park, Perth Attendance: 2157 Referee: Don Robertson St Johnstone: 1 Lineup: Mannus, Fisher, Anderson, Shaughnessy, Scobbie, Swanson (Craig 88), Davidson, Lappin, Wotherspoon, MacLean (Cummins 83), Kane Subs (not used): Doyle, Sutton, Clark, Thomson, Krachunov Scorers: Kane (84) Booked: Craig (94) Sent Off: none Inverness CT: 0 Lineup: Fon Williams, Polworth (Horner 88), Warren, Devine, Tremarco, D.Williams, Draper, Tansey, Vigurs, Roberts (Wedderburn 73), Hughes Subs (not used): Esson, R.Williams, Foran, Brown, MacLennan Scorers: none Booked: Warren (63), Tansey (94), Vigurs (94) Sent Off: Warren (68)

Entertainment in Perth? Immortal Howden Ender has penned this Preview as the games come thick and fast, almost catching us out Read on, here's Johndo's Preview........................... Placed in a "new topic" due to indolence and memory impairment of a certain ageing administrator Didn’t we have a lovely time the day we went to St Jones Town ? Well the answer is a bit of a yes and a no. The stadium itself and the facilities are above average, the stewarding is usually friendly but it is not in a location where train travel is the preference. If you are not travelling by the roads it is a nightmare. Social club and local hostelries are rather dull as well. But there again there is the football to entertain you. According to the stats we have won only 3 out of our 14 meetings in Perf. A worrying statistic is that we have only conjured up 10 goals in those 14 matches, an average of 0.71 per game. Although that sounds about right for this season !! We have had two draws and a loss since the Gary Warren winner in February 2014. We have also lost 4 points because of last minute lapses in two of those ties. Lets hope we keep our concentration tonight and not throw away any vital points. If we beat them by two clear goals we will leap frog them and back into the Top Six. With Hamilton at home coming up on Saturday four to six points would be heaven sent and maybe ease the nerves for the Hibees cup replay. Lets hope we can go somewhere meeting our record 3-0 win in Perth and avoid the record 4-0 drubbing. Games at McDiarmid Park will last in the memory of many. The Challenge Cup win over Airdrie and the final defeat by Dundee – although the first 45 was possibly as good an ICT performance as there ever has been. My favourite game was the 2-1 win in August 2003 when we were treated to the David Bingham show plus a classic goal and celebration by Stevie Hislop. We had a remarkable away record in 2010 when we remained defeated for the whole year but went down 1-0 on 02/01/2011 in Perf. But of course the favourite St Jones Town memory will be of 15/05/2004 and the helicopter trophy arrival at the Dump after goals from Ritchie, Bingham and Wilson. Or perhaps fond memories of a defeat in the Alan Hercher Testimonial in 1997 when we had to loan them Fridgie for the night as they forgot to bring a keeper. Doubt if the same fate will befall Ryan Esson tonight. Lets all hope that we return to playing four at the back tonight and stop playing like obsessive crabs. It will be interesting to see if Horner and Mutumbo return after their super-sub performances. I do feel that Miles Storey needs to be rested. And will we finally see Meekings and Vincent back on the bench. IHE Prediction – always seems to be low scoring affairs of late – only 6 goals in the last 4 matches. My heart says 1-0 to us but my head says 1-1. I would gladly take either of those.

Grim Stuff. Our miserable form continues as Hearts swept us aside in a comfortable 2-0 win for the Jambos. It was another uninspiring performance from Inverness, although it's hardly surprising with nine players receiving treatment and Ross Draper suspended. A goal in either half from Jamie Walker and Abiola Dauda condemned us to life outside the top-six for now. With another trip to Edinburgh on Sunday for the Scottish Cup tie at Easter Road, it could be a grim week for the Caley Jags unless Yogi can lift he team for the defence of our trophy. Here's a report from a Hearts perspective: Jamie Walker on scoresheet again as Hearts beat Inverness: Jamie Walker continued his goalscoring streak as Hearts moved to 50 points for the season with a comfortable 2-0 win over Inverness. The midfielder netted in his fourth consecutive Ladbrokes Premiership game after latching on to Arnaud Djoum's searching pass to get in behind a packed Caley Thistle defence in the 35th minute at Tynecastle. Inverness had not got going as an attacking force before Abiola Dauda capitalised on Greg Tansey's mistake to give the home side a cushion within eight minutes of the restart. The victory moves Hearts six points behind second-placed Aberdeen while Caley Thistle remain in the bottom six. Inverness looked content to sit in from the start and they frustrated Hearts for long spells of the first half. The first chance fell for Dauda after Walker had brought down Alim Ozturk's diagonal ball, but Danny Devine threw himself in the way of the striker's shot. Hearts continued to probe patiently. Prince Buaben had a shot saved and right-back Liam Smith - deputising impressively for the injured Callum Paterson - played a one-two with Gavin Reilly and fired a left-footed shot from 20 yards which just cleared the bar. A touch of desperation crept into the home side when Ozturk shot from the edge of the centre circle, although Owain Fon Williams had to watch the bounce carefully before clutching the ball. The breakthrough came following another diagonal ball to Walker, who took down Djoum's 50-yard pass on his foot, kept it away from two Inverness defenders, nipped round Williams and squeezed a shot inside the near post. Caley Thistle had to come out and attack after the interval but they were caught out after one of their first attempts broke down. Tansey tried to play the ball back to Williams from the halfway line but under-hit the pass and Dauda pounced before rounding the goalkeeper and finding the empty net. Inverness, who missed the suspended Ross Draper, plugged away without looking like getting back in the game. Jordan Roberts shot weakly at home goalkeeper Neil Alexander and Dauda had a good chance to score his fourth Hearts goal, but side-footed straight at Williams after being set up by Sam Nicholson. Alexander was busier in the final 10 minutes, saving from Carl Tremarco and Iain Vigurs, but it was too little, too late from the visitors. Date: 01/03/16 Venue: Tynecastle Stadium, Edinburgh Attendance: 15767 Referee: Alan Muir Hearts: 2 Lineup: Alexander, Smith, Ozturk, Souttar, Rossi (McGhee 80), Nicholson, Buaben, Sutchuin, Walker (Zanatta 66), Reilly, Dauda (Cowie 78) Subs (not used): Hamilton, Augustyn, Pallardo, Delgado Scorers: Walker (35), Dauda (53) Booked: Sutchuin (54) Sent Off: none Inverness CT: 0 Lineup: Fon Williams, Horner (Hughes 82), Warren, Devine, Tremarco, Tansey, Polworth, D.Williams, Roberts (R.Williams 70), Vigurs, Storey Subs (not used): Esson, Brown, Maclennan Scorers: none Booked: Roberts (53), Vigurs (59) Sent Off: none

Tynecastle Test Inverness make the first of two consecutive trips to the capital with a Tuesday night game against Hearts at Tynecastle in a 19:45 kick off. On Sunday we continue our mission to retain the Scottish Cup at Easter Road, but it's the Tynecastle game we will concentrate on for now. Hearts sit comfortably in third place in the Premiership on 47 points, fourteen ahead of Inverness who are just outside the top-six, but theoretically could jump into fourth place with a win over the Jambos. The Gorgie side are the second top scorers in the league and can also boast the second best defensive record as well. They have just one defeat in their last nine league games, at the hands of a battling Dundee United, although four of the other eight games were draws. Inverness are in the congested area between fourth and eleventh, separated by just eight points, and a quick learning Dundee United who are making a late charge to stave off relegation. We have two defeats in the last nine games with three wins and four draws, so there's not that much between the sides in terms of current form. In the only meeting between the clubs this season, Inverness recorded their first win in a 2-0 victory over the much fancied Hearts side. James Vincent opened the scoring that day and Miles Storey opened his account on his debut. How we could do with some more goals from our young striker now to end his barren spell. No goals in nine games since he scored against Ross County on January 2nd. I'll discount his credited goal against Motherwell as it was clear that Steven McManus knocked the ball home, Miles was miles away from the ball. Losing a two goal lead against their bitter city rivals Hibernian, then losing the replay will have knocked the confidence from Hearts young squad somewhat. That was followed by a 2-1 loss at Tannadice, although the Arabs are on a bit of a resurgence, but nonetheless their form has been more erratic in recent weeks which will give Yogi's lads plenty of optimism about facing Hearts. Robbie Neilson had made five changes to the side that faced Kilmarnock from the previous game. Callum Paterson could shrug off a shoulder injury from the Killie game and Jordan McGhee is free from suspension having missed the win over Killie. Liam Smith is ready to fill in should Paterson not recover in time. Otherwise, Hearts should have an unchanged side unless tactical changes are made. John Hughes conceded that we played second fiddle to Dundee, especially after we went ahead, and will be looking to change that. David Raven has missed the last three games with Lewis Horner deputising. Josh Meekings, James Vincent and Alex Fisher are out with Foran and Doran on the permanent casualty list. Andrea Mutombo missed out at Dundee, but that was seen as precautionary with bigger games coming up. Danny Williams will start in place of the suspended Ross Draper. tm4tj Prediction:- Well, if we try to defend in depth against the free scoring Jambos I fear for our goal difference. We struggled badly at Dens Park looking to hold what we had, but we surrendered territory and paid the price at the end. Jordan Roberts will be a key figure for us along with Miles Storey, but it's our defence that will have to work hardest to keep the eager Tynecastle lads at bay. Our midfield should be able to compete with a Don Cowie fuelled Hearts engine room and that will be another important area where we need to challenge well and set the ball rolling. Sam Nicholson and Jamie Walker will be lively customers and we have to make sure they are not given the freedom of Tynecastle, but with Osman Sow off to China then we might have enough to stifle the free flowing Jambos. Score draw at best, but we need to be on our toes until the final whistle. A win would be a huge bonus, defeat keeps us deep in the mid-table dog fight.

Another score draw, another late goal. Inverness and Dundee played out their third 1-1 draw of the season and that man Kane Hemmings scored a late leveller again, after Ross Draper had given Inverness an early lead. This result keeps the status quo in the table with St Johnstone managing a draw against Aberdeen and Ross County getting gubbed by bottom club Dundee United. It's all getting rather congested below the top three. David Raven missed out once more along with Andrea Mutombo who was not risked after taking a knock in training. Lewis Horner continued at right back in Raven's absence and Danny Williams was added to the squad after being unavailable last week. Jordan Roberts seemed to be the main striker with Miles Storey being used wider. Dundee as suggested in the preview would have the triple threat of Rory Loy, Greg Stewart and Kane Hemmings looking to cause all the problems with Gary Harkins dictating their play. Inverness started where they left off at Parkhead, passing the ball briskly and probing with intent. Jordan Roberts had a shot saved and Miles Storey had one blocked as we took the early initiative. From one of these accurate passes forward we took the lead in the thirteenth minute through Ross Draper. Liam Polworth threaded a brilliant through ball into the box where Ross Draper had made a perfect run to meet the ball and round keeper Scott Bain before clipping the ball neatly into the net off the base of the post. The visitors were looking assured at this point but scoring the goal appeared to make us believe we could defend that advantage for the rest of the match and all urgency drained from our legs. The only energy on display was channelled into fouling as a spate of yellow cards disrupted the flow of the game. Owain Fon Williams even managed to pick up a booking just before the break for apparently time wasting as we killed the game as a spectacle. Half Time 0-1 Paul Hartley must have spoken some harsh words at the interval and as we regressed, Dundee grew in confidence and took over control of the second half. Dundee squandered chance after chance in the second period, starting as early as the 48th minute when Greg Stewart shot wide from ten yards when he really should have hit the target. Hemmings made Fon Williams work as he shot at the target and Liam Polworth broke the one way traffic for a moment but he fired over. Fon Williams was getting plenty of work to do and he saved a header from Paul McGinn as Dundee pressed Inverness back, and he followed that by saving from Paul McGowan soon after. The shooty-in continued and Kevin Holt and Craig Wighton were next up to test the Welsh keeper. Hemmings and Stewart had near misses as we went further into our shell looking to protect what we had and Fon Williams was inspired saving from Stewart again. Iain Vigurs almost stole the game with seven minutes left, but Bain saved, and that was crucial as Dundee levelled three minutes later. Gary Harkins headed a deep corner back into the box and Hemmings reacted quickest to score his 20th goal of the season from close range to square the game. That ended the scoring and disappointingly for Inverness another late goal conceded cost us more points than we would care to remember. Full Time 1-1 There can only be one MotM in this one and that goes to Owain Fon Williams who almost did enough to give us all three points with a string of excellent saves to keep our noses in front. Alas, our defensive play eventually cracked and it was no more than Dundee deserved. It's frustrating to lose a lead once more, but this is the third 1-1 draw this season, so it's not really surprising it finished that way. Alternative Maryhill summed up the negative approach we adopted after scoring:- "It's a risky strategy given our tendency to concede late goals. It would be nice to think there was some reason for how negative we were after scoring, particularly as we did so well for almost an hour pressing forward at Celtic Park, and played some pretty good stuff throughout the game against Aberdeen. Maybe just an off day, but there's no way we'll get so lucky again if we try to do the same against Hearts or Hibs. Good day out in Dundee as always, but not between 3.30 and 4.50. Hawkeye The Gnu added:- "Just back from Dundee - that game made my eyes bleed. Disappointed not to have held on, but given the chances Dundee wasted in the second half and the eccentric performance of the referee (more on that later) I will take a point. And Renegade was in agreement:- "Attempting to pass the ball into the net wasn't our undoing. It was desire from around a half hour onwards to time waste, defend and drop deeper and deeper for the remaining hour. For the first time in my football going life, I witnessed a keeper booked for time wasting in the first half! We invited Dundee onto us and for most of the game our goal lived a charmed life. Inviting a side featuring the likes of Harkins, Stewart and Hemmings to attack us was always asking for trouble. We were punished as a result. Hearts coming up on Tuesday night before we head back to the capital for our cup game against Hibs on the Sunday. We will need to be a bit more adventurous if we want to defend our trophy. Date: 27/02/16 Venue: Dens Park, Dundee Attendance: 5048 Referee: Andrew Dallas Dundee: 1 Lineup: Bain, McGinn, Etxabeguren, O'Dea (Gadzhalov 46), Holt, Ross, McGowan, Stewart, Harkins, Loy (Wighton 63), Hemmings Subs (not used): Mitchell, Low, Rodriguez, Black, Kerr Scorers: Hemmings (86) Booked: Stewart (25), Ross (61) Sent Off: none Inverness CT: 1 Lineup: Fon Williams, Horner, Warren, Devine, Tremarco, Draper, Tansey, Polworth (D.Williams 67), Roberts, Vigurs, Storey (Hughes 79) Subs (not used): Esson, R.Williams, Wedderburn, Brown, Maclennan Scorers: Draper (13) Booked: Tremarco (25), Vigurs (30), Devine (35), Fon Williams (42) Sent Off: none

The battle for top-six hots up Inverness are on the road again as they visit Dens Park to take on top six rivals Dundee, who are unbeaten at home in their last six games. This looks to be a tough test for Inverness with Dundee boosted by recent form, their last game at Dens Park a 5-0 thrashing of Championship side Dumbarton in the Scottish Cup. Paul Hartley has built a tidy team over the last couple of years. Gary Harkins undoubted technical ability in the creative department has seen the Dark Blues consolidate and build over the last two seasons, and in Kane Hemmings they have a striker who knows his way to the back of the net, his 15 goals so far a testament to that. Former Peterhead and Falkirk forward Rory Loy is another who will provide a threat along with the talented Greg Stewart, and both are capable providers. Dundee sit just two points above Inverness in the league, and that is enough for them to hog sixth place. They have scored 39 goals compared to Inverness' 33, but the Highlanders hold the upper hand in defence, five goals better than the Tayside club. There's not a lot between the sides, but home advantage could be the crucial factor here. Inverness gained plenty of plaudits for their tremendous approach and performance at Parkhead, but plaudits don't win matches and Celtic ran out flattering 3-0 winners. That result undid a bit of the good work completed against Aberdeen in our previous league game, but our encouraging forward play will give confidence to the side. The only thing missing against Celtic was a couple of goals our endeavour merited. The sides have yet to be split this season, two 1-1 draws so far and who would bet against another one. In August, they drew in Dundee, David Raven an unlikely scorer before a late Kane Hemmings goal levelled it and Andrea Mutombo saw red for hacking down Nick Ross (how dare you). In the return fixture in the Highlands, Raven was involved again, this time being sent off after fifty minutes and Rory Loy converting the resultant penalty. However, it was a tale of two penalties and Greg Tansey equalised from the spot. It's well documented that Danny Williams and James Vincent could be on their way to Dundee after the season closes. I doubt we would miss either player much given Vincent's injury riddled time here, although his most important contribution yet came in last seasons Scottish Cup final. Danny Williams has been a bit part player, although often effective when he has played and is a firm favourite with the fans. Dundee will be without Jake McPake who is out for the season. Daryll Meggatt is on the recovery trail and Nicky Low is back in training, but won't make this one. Inverness' season long injured crew are, well, still injured. Most recent injuries are Josh Meekings, Alex Fisher, James Vincent and David Raven who was not risked in the last couple of games. Lewis Horner deputised well in those games while most fans were somewhat wary of his inclusion, but like Tremarco on the other side, he has won over more followers with his displays. tm4tj Prediction:- With two draws already, and Dundee not the happiest of hunting grounds for us, it would be prudent to put your money on another draw here. Our play last week was worthy of a better outcome and would probably have seen off most other teams in the league, but putting the ball in the net has been a season long problem that needs addressed. Young striker Miles Storey has played well recently but the goals have dried up. He really needs a boost to his confidence right now and a goal or two would not go amiss. Kane Hemmings has 15 goals already this season and we need to keep him quiet. The midfield is where this game will be won or lost, and we are as strong as we have been all season. We could be just the team to end Dundee's good home form, but I will settle for a point. Third 1-1 draw coming up.

Tremendous Performance All In Vain Inverness went down 3-0 at Parkhead after dominating the first half. The Caley Jags could have been three ahead before Gary Mackay-Steven opened the scoring after 54 minutes. Leigh Griffiths added a second soon after and the final goal came in stoppage time from the same player, his 32nd of the season. Inverness were strutting their stuff in the first 45, moving the ball around incisively, a bit like watching Barcelona, but the missed chances proved costly and once Celtic scored the two quick goals, alas, it was game over for Inverness. It's the fixture the Inverness fans are not too keen on. Given the statistic that the aggregate over the last six visits to Parkhead is 24-2 in favour of Celtic, then that's hardly surprising. Gary Mackay-Steven was first to have a swipe at the ball, but his shot fron outside the box took a deflection as it sliced wide. Miles Storey was similar at the other end, his shot slicing high and wide. The first big event of the game came after 17 minutes as Inverness began to get a stranglehold on the game. A tremendous free kick by Iain Vigurs from deep left curled over everyone including keeper Craig Gordon and into the box. It was met perfectly by Gary Warren six yards out in line with the back post. Unfortunately Warren must have had on his thrupenny bit head and missed what can only be described as a sitter, the ball flashing wide back across the unguarded net and well off target. Miss of the season for us. Griffiths fired in a snapshot that Owain Fon Williams made a meal of, but he kept the ball out and Inverness continued their domination of proceedings. Ross Draper was unfortunate as he saw his shot deflected agonisingly wide as Inverness turned the screw. His chance was set up by Ian Vigurs with a deft ball slipped to him on he edge of the box after determined work by Miles Storey. Celtic were merely spectating by this point in the game Armstrong and Tansey exchanged attempts, both missing the target and Sviatchenko was booked as he brought down Storey who looked to be getting away from him as he broke over the half way line, but the half drew to a close with the scoreline unchanged, and that would be our downfall. Half Time 0-0 Celtic came out after the break and looked to have upped their energy levels, Mackay-Stevens and Stuart Armstrong having attempts blocked and missed, but it was Inverness that almost opened the scoring three minutes in. Celtic had pushed forward but the visiting defence broke down another attack. Greg Tansey played a precision ball forward and Jordan Roberts showed Sviatchenko a clean pair of heels. As he got to the eighteen yard line he released his shot but Craig Gordon had stood tall and spread himself well, Roberts shot striking the keeper in the chest and bouncing to safety. Celtic opened the scoring through Gary Mackay-Steven after they played the ball along the edge of the Inverness box, the final touch before Mackay-Steven looked to have struck a Celtic arm but he whipped a shot into the net with the aid of a deflection. A few minutes later and Inverness went two down. Dylan Tierney played a crossfield ball from deep in the visitors half. The ball found it's way to Griffiths and he wasted no time getting his shot away after a short dribble to his right, and from the right corner of the box found the bottom of the net. The pinpoint accuracy beet the keeper as his low shot went across Fon Williams and into the net off the far post. An absolute hammer blow to Inverness who had been so far on top prior to this quick one-two. Celtic had their tails up now and Inverness started to look despondent. Stefan Johansen met a cut back from twelve yards out but Fon Williams smothered the ball low to his left. Inverness were not done yet though and after a header from close range was blocked, the ball was taken down by Lewis Horner outside the box. He neatly turned his man before shooting just wide, a slight deflection earning him a corner. Ryan Christie had come on by this time, unfortunately wearing a Celtic strip. Tansey whipped a free kick in from thirty yards but it was all too comfortable for Gordon in the Celtic goal as he plucked the ball out of the air with ease. Substitute Andrea Mutombo caused some consternation in the home box after the ball had been smuggled away from the defender, but it was cleared at the expense of a corner. The ball falling to Vigurs eventually, but there was to be no repeat of his Motherwell volley as he hit the ball well over the bar. Griffiths competed the scoring in time added on after a slick seven man move involving a bit of showboating before Griffiths embedded the ball in the back of the net from the edge of the box, fantastic goal to finish the game. Full Time 3-0 You would have put your mortgage on Inverness winning this one at half time. However hard luck stories don't win games and Celtic showed why they are on top of the league with a clinical display of finishing, something we could have done with. Our ball retention and passing were first class and deserved a better fate. No real failures in this team performance and it would probably have been enough to see off anyone else. Special mention for Lewis Horner who took a bit of stick a few weeks ago but has come back well and answered his critics with a decent display in his last two outings. MotM will be going to an Inverness born and bred lad. Ryan Christie for coming back well after his serious injury this season. Inverness players all acquitted themselves very well and had we taken our chances we could have been out of sight before Celtic scored, but that's life. Date: 20/02/16 Venue: Celtic Park, Glasgow Attendance: 43600 Referee: Don Robertson Celtic: 3 Lineup: Gordon, Lustig, Boyata, Sviatchenko, Tierney, Bitton, Brown, Armstrong (Allan 63), Johansen (Christie 67), Mackay-Steven (Roberts 82), Griffiths Subs (not used): Bailly, Mulgrew, Commons, Kazim-Richards Scorers: Mackay-Steven (54), Griffiths (59, 93) Booked: Sviatchenko (45) Sent Off: none Inverness CT: 0 Lineup: Fon Williams, Horner (Hughes 78), Devine, Warren, Tremarco, Draper, Tansey (R. Williams 88), Vigurs, Roberts (Mbuyi-Mutombo 72), Polworth, Storey Subs (not used): Esson, Wedderburn, Brown, Maclennan Scorers: none Booked: Warren (52) Sent Off: none

Champions v Cup Winners. Toughest game on the calendar I suppose as Inverness head West to the East end of Glasgow to face Champions Celtic at Parkhead. It's not worth dwelling too much on this game, and if I'm honest anything we can get from Parkhead is a bonus. It's as difficult as they come with Celtic still looking for points to keep their noses in front of Aberdeen, who were last weeks victims at the hands of Willie Collum, if you listen to Derek McInnes' bleatings. Baaaa, baaaa........... We have shipped seven goals against Celtic this season, going down 4-2 in Glasgow and 3-1 in the Highlands. We have recovered somewhat from our early season demise and should provide stiffer opposition for the leaders. However, should the lackadaisical side that saw off the mighty East Kilbride 2-0 in the cup turn up, then we have a chance of upsetting the bookies. Celtic's last outing saw them defeat our good neighbours Ross County 2-0 in Glasgow, Leigh Griffiths scoring his 30th goal of the season in that one.Dedryck Boyata scored the other. County put up some stern resistance until just on half time, that's the same determination we will need to show if we harbour any thoughts of taking something from this game. I doubt it will be pretty, let's hope it is effective though. Our last game was the 3-1 win against Aberdeen where we fought back from a goal down to win comfortably. Three goals from Willie Collum did the damage, thankfully he is not in charge today. Ronny Deila should have an unchanged squad to call upon, plus a few million pounds worth of talent just sitting around, some spare Arabs and some new foreign imports. The usual suspects are out long term, and Alex Fisher, James Vincent, Josh Meekings and possibly Davis Raven are also out. tm4tj prediction:- It's always an uncomfortable fixture for us and I would expect Celtic to be strong enough to win this game. But should they display any of the qualities that they showed in their last two Cup games, then they will find us eager to take advantage. Miles Storey has been tremendous recently without scoring and Jordan Roberts continued on from where he left off against Motherwell. The focus will be on our defence though and Gary Warren and Danny Devine will be bust lads today. Celtic have the countries top scorer in Leigh Griffiths and he will be a big danger. I would like to predict a win, but we will do well to take a point, although that is looking on the bright side. ps, I wonder if we will get a glimpse of our own superloon Ryan Christie. A fantastically gifted player and one we would have liked to have kept at Inverness.

The sheep are not on fire Inverness came from behind to defeat Aberdeen 3-1 as the sheep were doused whilst Inverness burned their own smoke filled chimney. Apparently a wee fault with the central heating generator filled the stadium with smoke in the second half as goals from Vigurs, Tansey (pen) and Tremarco overshadowed Adam Rooney's opener. A bitter night in Inverness for the Monday night game which was also televised restricted the crowd somewhat. The Inverness fans had some bad news prior to kick off as Danny Williams would miss out due to family reasons and David Raven was carrying a knock and would not be risked. That left Lewis Horner at right back and Jordan Roberts started after his game winning cameo at Motherwell. Adam Rooney spearheaded the Aberdeen attack with Jonny Hayes one of the providers and former Inverness captain Graeme Shinnie was at left back with the Dons' armband. Andrew Considine and Willo Flood only made the bench with new signing Simon Church on from the start. Aberdeen made the brightest start to the game but both sides looked to get forward at every opportunity, Inverness winning the first corner of the game but it came to nothing. In the seventh minute Inverness had to thank Owain Fon Williams as he tipped a vicious Graeme Shinnie shot onto the top of the crossbar as the full back burst into the box on the left side. To top it all, drastic referee Willie Collum gave a goal kick. Maybe that helped Aberdeen as from the goal kick, Storey chested the ball down but Vigurs never got it. The Dons broke forward at pace and Craig Storie fed Rooney as the defence backed off and he rifled the ball through Devine into the net. The Dons looked to be buoyed by this and started to dictate the pace of the game, but Inverness were starting to get forward and saw a bit more of the ball. In the eighteenth minute Inverness got the break they were looking for as Ash Taylor made a hash of defending and Iain Vigurs accepted the gift, strolled forward and drove the ball behind the exposed keeper. This stirred Aberdeen into action again and McGinn fired over and did the same a few minutes later as the Dons looked to up their title challenge, but Carl Tremarco headed just wide at the other end. With almost half an hour gone one of Aberdeens main threats went off injured. Jonny Hayes left the field to be replaced by Peter Pawlett. Aberdeen target Greg Tansey fired a free kick wide as the game entered a scrappy phase with free kicks coming back in fashion as Collum stopped the game at every opportunity, however there was no more scoring as the half ended. Half Time 1-1 The second half began as the first ended, fouls galore, but one crucial one given to Inverness was deemed to be a penalty by Collum much to everyone's surprise. But hey ho; we have been on the wrong end of these many times. After Draper bit the turf, Greg Tansey, who else, strode forward and despatched the spot kick with ease to put Inverness ahead. Almost on the hour and Ash Taylor almost made amends with a header but he headed narrowly wide. Players were going down like ninepins and the crime count was mounting, but in 65 minutes Inverness went further ahead after some divine intervention by Willie Collum. Jordan Roberts clipped a ball in from the right and the cross was headed to the back post where Tremarco turned up to head home. The linesman flagged for offside thinking the head on was by an Inverness player, but it was off a defender, probably the hapless donkey that is Ash Taylor, and Collum rightly awarded the goal after a short discussion with the linesman. For the remainder of the game it was the hosts that looked likeliest to add to their tally as Aberdeen looked shell shocked, Miles Storey making a number of superb breaks forward and only the final ball denying Inverness a goal on a few occasions. Three minutes of added time came and went as Inverness denied the Dons with consummate ease and at the final whistle Aberdeens title challenge took a knock as Inverness went back into the top six. Full Time 3-1 Well deserved victory for Inverness with Aberdeen resorting to shouting for penalties every time they entered our box. Mind you, one or two of the challenges looked more worthy that the one Draper got. Baaa, what a shame Great performance all round from Inverness with the defence outstanding and in Miles Storey a tremendous outlet for the back line when under pressure. Jordan Roberts put in a great shift as well before being replaced and Carl Tremarco continued his good run and got a goal to boot. Gary Warren was immense and won the aerial battle along with his partner Danny Devine. Willie watch. Well, he got some things right, and some things wrong, but you won't find me complaining when he awarded the goal after the linesman flagged it offside. The linesman got it wrong and fair play to Willie for spotting that. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rS5IIhHgyhA Date: 15/02/16 Venue: Caledonian Stadium Attendance: 4544 Referee: Willie Collum Inverness CT: 3 Lineup: Fon Williams, Tremarco, Warren, Draper, Roberts (Mbuyi-Mutombo 80), Devine, Tansey, Horner (Hughes 88), Polworth, Vigurs, Storey (R.Williams 90) Subs (not used): Esson, Wedderburn, Brown Scorers: Vigurs (18), Tansey (pen.51), Tremarco (65) Booked: Tremarco (22), Roberts (53), Draper (61), Devine (63) Sent Off: none Aberdeen: 1 Lineup: Brown, Logan, Taylor, Reynolds, Shinnie, Rooney, Storie, McLean, Hayes (Pawlett 28), McGinn, Church (Smith 67) Subs (not used): Collin, Considine, Flood, Robson, Ross Scorers: Rooney (7) Booked: Taylor (45), Reynolds (67) Sent Off: none

It's tough at the top It's Monday night football at the Caledonian Stadium as we host title challengers Aberdeen who are looking to get back on level terms with Champions Celtic, but it will be a tough task for the Dons. With Celtic beating Ross County 2-0 at the weekend, it's Aberdeens turn to put the Highland clubs back in their box. However, closer inspection shows that the Dons have yet to beat Inverness this season having lost the first game at Inverness 2-1 and they had to come from behind to draw the reverse fixture at Pittodrie 2-2, the Caley Jags throwing away a seemingly comfortable 2-0 lead with twenty minutes left. The sheep are on fire just now and are taking the title challenge seriously. They beat Celtic at Pittodrie and put four past St Johnstone in Perth before conceding a couple of late goals. Inverness have been idle on a couple of occasions recently but our last outing was a deserved Scottish Cup win over Motherwell, the highlight of that was a wonderful winning strike from a now injury free Jordan Roberts. Let's hope there is more of that to come from the former Charlton man who has had his season curtailed by injury since his move North of the border. Recent form shows that Aberdeen are the favourites, but with Inverness getting more settled despite a new influx of injuries there could be a shock in store for the Dandies. Greg Tansey will no doubt be the centre of attention tonight after Aberdeen failed to get their man in a last ditch deal in the January window. I wonder if he can deliver one his substantial hammer blows to show the Dons what they are missing? Anyway, they already have four of our former players, they don't need another one. Inverness Captain Richie Foran is back on the injury train, with long term passengers Aaron Doran, Dean Brill, Josh Meekings and James Vincent. Alex Fisher has joined them after injuring his ankle soon after moving here. So, all is not rosey at the home camp, but we have brought in two midfielders in Liam Hughes and Ryan Williams to bolster the squad. Derek McInnes can call on Willo Flood and Ryan Jack for this one, but Andrew Considine is a major doubt. tm4tj Prediction:- despite the form book leaning towards Aberdeen, I'm taking Inverness to unsettle the Dons and take the points tonight. Miles Storey is due a goal and he has scored against Aberdeen before, netting in the Inverness fixture. Greg Tansey has something to prove to both sides and should be well fired up for this one. Carl Tremarco has shown he could make the left back position his own with a decent performance against Motherwell in the cup, setting up the opener which Storey would like to claim but it looks more like defender Stephen McManus was the unfortunate scorer. Aberdeen are scoring plenty but have shown some vulnerability at the back, and that is where we should be looking for the openings to get Storey and Danny Williams into. Our own defence is also capable of lapses, but Gary Warren should provide stiff opposition for Adam Rooney. Jonny Hayes has also been in fine form recently and he could be the key player which will determine who comes out on top.

It's Jambo Time GAME OFF If you are travelling to this game for the 12:30 kick off, keep an eye open for updates as there will be a pitch inspection at 07:30 We don't want anyone to be marooned. The official ICT twitter account will be your best option https://twitter.com/ICTFC or https://twitter.com/JamTarts Tough match this Saturday at the Tulloch Caledonian Stadium in the 12:30 kick off which will see Hearts as our opponents in the Premiership, weather permitting. The Jambos are having a tremendous season since getting back into the top division and are comfortably in third place with 41 points, 12 ahead of sixth place Inverness. They are also second top scorers with 42 goals and their defence is pretty solid too, conceding just 24, only Celtic and Aberdeen can better that. That gives them a goal difference of plus 18 compared to ours at minus 2. Last week we drew 0-0 with Partick Thistle in what can at best be described as a below par performance. In truth we were unable to break down a Partick side who had set their stall out to take a point at all cost, and they got that effortlessly as we huffed and puffed but could not blow the house down Hearts last game was also a 0-0 draw, at Hamilton where the Jambos were reduced to ten men for the whole of the second half, but they still came away with a point. Some good news for Caley Jags fans is that Gary Warren has signed on again, as have Ryan Esson and Ross Draper. We have already beaten Hearts up here this season in an entertaining 2-0 win. James Vincent and Miles Storey scored that day as Hearts finished the game with ten men, Juwon Oshaniwa dismissed after a tussle with Tobi Sho-Silva. The reverse game at Tynecastle was called off and has still to be played, Tuesday 1st of March is the re-scheduled date. Inverness are still plagued by injuries and John Hughes is looking to bring in more firepower given the news that striker Alex Fisher will probably be out for a couple of months with a chipped ankle bone. We have a couple of trialists up this week in the form of striker Victor Zapata-Caicedo and Liam Hughes, an attacking midfielder. Zapata was last with Czech side Banik Ostrava and Hughes has plied his trade for Cambridge United. I'll just call him Zapata, but he was highly thought of at the Tottenham Hotspur Academy before moving on and Hughes has only played for Cambridge United in his career. Inverness are still without Aaron Doran whose season can be written off. Dean Brill is another and Josh Meekings is catching up with them, apparently about another month at least. James Vincent has missed the last few games as well and new signing Alex Fisher is out for possibly two months. This must be our worst ever season for injuries, it's been non stop since the start of the season. With Esson signing on again, I wonder if we will see Brill back in action at the Caledonian Stadium. We persist with keeping Jordan Roberts and Richie Foran on the bench. I say if they are fit enough get them on the park, if not, get them off the bench. Hearts will definitely not have King Billy, sorry Billy King on show as he has gone to The Rangers for the rest of the season, masquerading as the Loan Ranger. Blazej Augustyn and Igor Rossi are both suspended and that could open the door for Oshaniwa and or Jordan McGhee to claim that position for themselves. Sam Nicholson and Jamie Walker could be fit enough to be included in the squad. tm4tj Prediction:- This may sound strange given our reluctance to create much last weekend, but I'm taking Inverness to edge this one. I hear you all laughing and falling off your seats, but here's my reasoning. When we are tasked to break down teams hell bent on keeping a clean sheet, we find that quite a chore and with us lacking some creativity since young Ryan Christie left we struggle to create the openings. However, teams like Aberdeen, Ross County and Hearts are easier for our style of counter attacking and will leave room at the back for us to exploit. So, if our defence can hold firm, I'm taking Miles Storey to hit the net and keep the points in the Highlands. Anyway, having seen Nat Wedderburn's shoulder dip, nothing can stop us now. See for yourself, I kid you not, we are now invincible...................

Isn't It Ironic As Alanis Morrisette once said, "Isn't It Ironic". We produce an utter borefest of a performance (0-0), and still creep into the top-six once more as others around us falter. Some people say that not all 0-0 games are boring. Well, this one topped the table in terms of boredom, mistakes, lack of creativity, lack of incident and a total lack of entertainment. Yes it was simply rubbish, even if you did pay what you can, you might be entitled to a refund. A great initiative by the club undermined by the dreadful fare on display. Andrea Mutombo started again after a dazzling one man show against Stirling Albion in the cup and Danny Williams was in with Liam Polworth on the bench. The crowd initiative drew in a few extra bodies hoping to be entertained. Sadly, entertainment was not on the menu so they had to make their own, and fair play to them, they kept chanting and dancing to the end, something the players should be thankful for. To be fair to the Caley Jags, it was us that looked the more interested early on with Mutombo continuing where he left off, running and twisting his way towards the defenders, a one man box of tricks. He fired one high and wide six minutes into the game. Sadly, he would run out of tricks before the break as Thistle began to suss him out. Miles Storey tested the keeper soon after but it was all too easy for the keeper. We were dominating the early possession, but as per usual, with little threat to the opposition goal. Iain Vigurs also shot over in a rare moment of movement from the luxury midfielder, but chances were at a premium for the rest of the half as Partick seemed to know that we lacked any punch up front which was indicative of our pedantic style of possession boredom. Ten minutes before the break and Gary Warren found himself outside the penalty box. He elected to shoot, maybe not his strongest point and the ball went high over the bar. This was swiftly followed by a cushioned header from Mutombo that went wide, and at the other end Steven Lawless dollied a shot into the hands of the untested Owain Fon Williams. Vigurs was yellow carded before the break and Ross Draper passed up the best chance of the half but tamely headed over. That was about the last action of a lifeless first half and Partick would be better pleased to be going in level. Half Time 0-0 It had been a shocker of a first half, unfortunately, the second wasn't any better. If anything, it looked worse as Partick began the process of levelling out the possession percentages. Mutombo earned a booking probably due to frustration as he was not getting beyond the defenders any more as the game entered a scrappy phase. Not a lot happened until Miles Storey brought out a finger tip save just under the crossbar to tip over his 25 yard shot. That managed to get the crowd off their mobiles to look up and see what all the commotion was about. However it never lasted and most were back to looking at twitter or posting status' on facebook. Liam Polworth had entered the scene, but unfortunately for him he would not be best pleased by his contribution. Storey did well down the left flank, skinning the full back and cutting the ball back to the feet of Polworth six yards out. He took a touch but could not dig the ball out from his feet and he ended up sclaffing the ball just wide of the post in the games best opportunity to make the fans happy. Full Time 0-0 What an absolute anti football game that was. If clubs want to increase attendances, then they are going about it the wrong way as teams are frightened to open out and be a bit more creative. Partick got what they came for, Inverness got what they deserved. On the park, Inverness were best served by new extended contract Captain Gary Warren, with Miles Storey looking better after the break and Danny Williams doing his best to help out. Regardless, the young fans behind the goal in the North Stand did their best to liven the atmosphere and they can go home with their heads held high as they take the MotM award for singing, dancing and drumming up some semblance of an atmosphere, something that should have been created on the park. Let's get this game out of the system as Hearts come North next week. I doubt they will sit back and wait for something to happen, let's hope we are prepared for it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMi4XB-pNp4 Date: 23/01/16 Venue: Caledonian Stadium Attendance: 3556 Referee: Greg Aitken Inverness CT: 0 Lineup: Fon Williams, Raven, Tremarco, Warren, Draper, Devine, Tansey, Williams, Vigurs, Mbuyi-Mutombo (Polworth 70), Storey Subs (not used): Esson, Foran, Wedderburn, Roberts, Brown, Sutherland Scorers: none Booked: Vigurs (41), Mbuyi-Mutombo (52) Sent Off: none Partick Thistle: 0 Lineup: Cerny, Seaborne, Welsh, Booth, Osman, Amoo, Bannigan, Doolan, Lawless (Elliott 57), Frans, Dumbuya Subs (not used): Scully, Miller, Wilson, Leyden, Nisbet, Penrice Scorers: none Booked: Booth (87), Seaborne (90) Sent Off: none

Return of the Bogey Men Inverness' bogey boys Partick Thistle come North to try and pile more misery on our injury riddled squad in this fixture which has been delegated a 'Pay What You Can' occasion. The Inverness injury jinx has hit again, this time it's new signing Alex Fisher who has been ruled out for a posible two months after chipping a bone in his ankle during the cup replay against Stirling Albion. We made our way into the fifth round of the Scottish Cup in midweek, but not before huffing and puffing our way past a determined League Two side. Mind you the two goals that saw us through were pretty special, but much of the outfield play was somewhat laboured. Andrea Mutombo was the midweek star and his goal was spectacular to say the least as he danced his way through the Binos defence. The previous weekend saw our six game unbeaten run come to an end at Rugby Park in a disappointing showing, going down 2-1. Prior to the last two games where they went down to a late Celtic goal and a surprise 4-2 defeat at the hands of Dundee, Partick were undefeated in the previous six League games, including a run of four games either side of a couple of draws. They beat Inverness 2-1 and trounced Kilmarnock 5-2, with 1-0 wins over Dundee United and Ross County. Scoring goals has been Partick's main concern with only 21 so far against 30 for Inverness. Our normally frugal defence has been disrupted this season and Partick are better in that department, losing 28 to our 32. That leaves Inverness above the Harry Wraggs in 7th place, and four points to the good, but Partick have a game in hand. Partick seem to hold the Indian sign over Inverness having won four of the last five League meetings, the other being a draw earlier this season. They also won the November fixture 2-1. Our only recent success was a 2-1 Scottish Cup win in February 2015, and we all know where that ended. Fourth to eleventh in the table are separated by just eight points and all the teams are either battling to avoid the relegation play off spot or trying to get into Europe. It's as tight as a ducks arse, and there is no room for error. Aaron Doran and Dean Brill are permanent names on the injury list and Josh Meekings and James Vincent have joined them. Alex Fisher will miss at least one month if not two. Alan Archibald has a couple of major doubts. Mathias Pogba and Gary Fraser are requiring treatment and Liam Lindsay is out suspended. Ryan Edwards is on U23 duty with his Australian squad. Abdul Osman returns after suspension. tm4tj Prediction:- Bad news about Alex Fisher, so that will leave Miles Storey without a strike partner again. With Partick able to beat us to order it would appear that we will have our work cut out to break their dominance over us. I don't see us abandoning our predictable and pedantic sideways passing game and Partick seem to have that sussed. We will do well to take a point from this game, anything else will be a welcome bonus. Score draw is my best bet.

Snow good enough Inverness lost 2-1 at a snowy Kilmarnock as we slid to defeat. This result leaves us looking down the table with trepidation instead of setting our sights on challenging for a European slot behind Celtic, Aberdeen and Hearts. Ross Draper scored a landmark 1500th goal for Inverness Caledonian Thistle, but it was not enough to save us from losing this game as Greg Kiltie and Craig Slater scored the goals to move Killie to within four points of Inverness. Slater's goal was an absolute belter, volleying home from the edge of the box via the underside of the bar, a goal fit to win any game. The snow did it's best to help Inverness out but despite a late flurry from the visitors, it was Killie that took all three points. Date: 16/01/16 Venue: Rugby Park, Kilmarnock Attendance: 2937 Referee: Don Robertson Kilmarnock: 2 Lineup: MacDonald, Findlay, Higginbotham (Robinson 87), Ashcroft, Slater, Kiltie, Syme, Balatoni, Carrick, Hamill, Frizzell (Obadeyi 77) Subs (not used): Brennan, Boyd, Barbour, Hawkshaw, Splaine Scorers: Kiltie (9), Slater (51) Booked: Slater (52) Sent Off: none Inverness CT: 1 Lineup: Fon-Williams, Raven (Sutherland 81), Tremarco, Warren, Draper, Wedderburn (Fisher 62), Tansey, Williams, Polworth (Mbuyi-Mutombo 61), Vigurs, Storey Subs (not used): Esson, Foran, Roberts, Brown Scorers: Draper (41) Booked: Tansey (28), Mbuyi-Mutombo (80), Tremarco (92) Sent Off: none

Rugby Park Test. Off to Ayrshire this weekend as we get back to league duties with a visit to Rugby Park to face an upbeat Kilmarnock who will provide a stern test for our top six side. Killie got a massive boost last weekend as they ousted St Johnstone from the Scottish Cup at Perth, having drawn 2-2 the previous week against Hearts. While Killie were marching on, we stumbled around Forthbank in a dirge of a game and left needing a replay to sort out our tie with Stirling Albion. It was the lack of creation that left most fans despondent, and we are thankful that we managed to avoid the big banana skin that Hamilton Accies stood on. That said, we are now six games unbeaten, although a much improved performance will be required if we are to take anything from Rugby Park. Since we last met on the 12th of December, we have remained unbeaten, winning two of our five games and drawing the others including the cup game at Forthbank. Kilmarnock have not fared as well, and their only other win apart from the cup tie was at Hamilton where they scored the only goal. They lost to Aberdeen and Ross County in that sequence as well as the draw against Hearts. Killie's last home win was in mid October when they beat none other than Inverness CT. We were rather sluggish that day and failed to take early chances and paid the full price as goals from Greg Kiltie and Josh Magennis won the game rather comfortably in the end. That should be enough of a warning for Yogi as he looks to keep his side above the relegation tussle. Inverness will be looking for new signing Alex Fisher to get up to speed and add some much needed backing for striker Miles Storey. Kilmarnock's defence could be just the tonic our new strike pairing will be looking for as they boast the most goals conceded in the league (41). Their strikers are not much better bagging just 24, giving them a goal difference of minus 17 compared to minus 1 for the Caley Jags. Kilmarnock will be minus three suspended players with the burly Josh Magennis, Steven Smith and Kevin McHattie all missing one game for accumulative bookings. Mark O'Hara, Scott Robinson and Chris Johnston are all sidelined, but Lee McCulloch will make himself available for selection. Inverness will also have to re-shuffle their back line with Josh Meekings still out injured and Danny Devine suspended for one game. Also out are Aaron Doran and Dean Brill. Richie Foran could make the bench but is unlikely to feature. With Alex Fisher now on the books, Spanish striker Dani Lopez has returned to Spain after failing to establish himself high enough up the pecking order. tm4tj Prediction:- We are a stronger unit than the one which lost back in October, despite being able to call on Ryan Christie for that one. With players back to full fitness we are better prepared and should be looking to take something from this game. However our negative approach at Stirling has riled some fans and maybe we need a bit more time before we can get back to some semblance of free flowing football. The tightness of the league dictates how we set our stall out, but sometimes you have to give it a go. The onus will be on Killie as the home team, I hope we don't offer them the same time on the ball that we donated to Stirling Albion, as that could be our downfall. We might have to settle for a point, but it will be better than none at all, so I expect Yogi to take the cautious approach. Go on, surprise me! Scoring draw, with us losing a goal deep into injury time. 2-2.

The Highlands are ours. Inverness won the New Year derby 2-0 with a thoroughly deserved victory over first footers Ross County at the Tulloch Caledonian Stadium, reclaiming the Highlands. First half goals from Miles Storey and Greg Tansey were enough to see off the visitors as Inverness closed to within two points of neighbours Ross County. The Caley Jags had Raven and Tremarco in the full back slots as they went seeking their 1500th goal. Ross County had a surprise omission with striker Liam Boyce out with an injured hand, Alex Schalk given the task of getting the County goals in the New Year derby. The home fans were in fine voice as the sides came out on a warm 2nd of January afternoon and the drums were beating a pulsating rhythm which would transfer onto the park to keep the players energy levels high. It was the visitors who looked sharper in the opening exchanges and Rocco Quinn might have done better than to fire over from an inviting position after seven minutes. David Raven did likewise a few minutes later at the other end but it was County that were making most of the early play. Quinn and Martin Woods missed in quick succession as we rode our luck a little and Craig Curran was replaced with Brian Graham before twenty minutes were up because of an injury, but the home side were beginning to get to grips with the pace of the game. With 25 minutes gone Inverness took the lead. A corner was knocked out of the box and James Vincent returned it goalwards. Miles Storey was alert enough to re-direct the ball beyond Scott Fox from close range to open the scoring. Tough on County maybe, but they were made to pay for earlier missed opportunities. With half an hour on the clock, Ross Draper failed to keep a header down from a corner as the ball went over the bar. Five minutes before the break, Andrew Davies had a header saved by Owain Fon Williams as County tried to get back on level terms, but it was Inverness that would go in at the interval much the happier side. Greg Tansey took a free kick wide on the left after Wedderburn had been fouled. He directed his cross come shot towards the danger area and with two or three missing the ball, it bounced through everybody and ended up in the net. That was the final action of the first half and Inverness had stolen a march on their rivals with that second goal in stoppage time. Half Time 2-0 Now then, 2-0 has been a dangerous lead for us in recent games but we were in no mood to let this one slip. We had rolled our sleeves up during the beak and came out snapping at the visitors heels, not allowing them to settle on the ball. Yogi hooked Wedderburn soon after the break looking to get Iain Vigurs to control the pace of the game. This seemed to work well and County would get little joy in the second half. Michael Gardyne was having little joy but he did get a shot away from a tight angle which Williams saved at the expense of a corner. Alex Schalk was ineffective as a replacement for Liam Boyce and he was replaced by Raffaele De Vita as Jim McIntyre shuffled his pack. Martin Woods had a couple of shots saved by Williams but it was Liam Polworth who should have scored the next goal. Great play by inverness around the box teed up Polworth who tried to guide his shot into the top of the net. Unfortunately he directed it past the top corner of the net. Vigurs also chose the wrong side of the post as the game raged from end to end and the drum beat got louder, the full repertoire unloaded on the fans ears. Miles Storey had been running the County back line ragged and he almost scored a spectacular third goal. He whistled a rasping shot high at the goal, but Scott Fox made a finger tip save to divert the ball onto the bar as Inverness looked to kill off the game. Gary Warren tried an acrobatic overhead effort but the keeper had it covered as Inverness played the game out in front of the North Stand, County reduced to speculative efforts and wayward free kicks. Mutombo came on and had time to lash a sot wide from an acute angle. Might have been better lifting his head and looking for a team mate but it mattered not a jot. The Highlands were ours once more. Full Time 2-0 Maybe a tad fortunate to open up a two goal gap in the first half, but our second half performance was tremendous and we ran out comfortable winners in the end. Miles Storey was my Man of the Match, giving the County defence a torrid time of it, scored one and almost added a second but for a great save by the keeper. Ross Draper was also impressive and another great display from Liam Polworth who should have scored as well. Defensively solid and the clean sheet was a massive bonus. We are back inside the top-six again and just two points behind County. Not bad for the Pride of the Highlands considering the start we made to our season. Next week it's cup action at Stirling, maybe the 1500th goal will come in that game. Date: 02/01/16 Venue: Caledonian Stadium Attendance: 5388 Referee: John Beaton Inverness CT: 2 Lineup: Fon Williams, Raven, Tremarco (Williams 82), Vincent (Mbuyi-Mutombo 88), Warren, Draper, Devine, Wedderburn (Vigurs 53), Tansey, Polworth Subs (not used): Esson, Lopez, Roberts Scorers: Storey (26), Tansey (45+2) Booked: Wedderburn (33), Raven (79) Sent Off: none Ross County: 0 Lineup: Fox, Reckord, Quinn (Franks 57), Boyd, Gardyne, Curran (Graham 17), Foster, Davies, Schalk (De Vita 66), Woods, Irvine Subs (not used): Woods, Fraser, McShane, Murdoch Scorers: none Booked: Boyd (54) Sent Off: none

New Year Derby 2016 It's a new Year and the first derby beckons at the Tulloch Caledonian Stadium with Ross County first footing on the 2nd of January at 15:00. Inverness made the most of Storm Frank at Hamilton as they blew the Accies away in a stirring, epic encounter. We were well in control and cruising at 2-0 ahead when the wheels fell off. This is a worrying trend this season that needs addressed urgently. We allowed Accies to draw level before restoring our lead with Tansey's second thumping free kick. However, we were caught cold again and plenty of finger wagging went on in the box amongst our own players. Liam Polworth became an instant hero though as he exploded a shot behind the Accies former County keeper in time added on to secure a remarkable three points. County beat Kilmarnock 3-2 in Dingwall the night before in another topsy turvy game. Craig Curran had given County the lead before Killie forged ahead just after the break. Man of the moment Michael Gardyne became County's all time record scorer with two goals to seal the win and move County on to 30 points, 5 above Inverness. The clubs have met twice this campaign with one win apiece. Inverness ended County's seven match unbeaten sequence in the Premiership encounter at Dingwall when Miles Storey and James Vincent opened up a two goal lead, but despite Liam Boyce scoring a late goal, Inverness won 2-1, a somewhat shock result given the circumstances of both clubs. County gained revenge in the league cup quarter final by the same margin at Inverness this time. Irvine and Gardyne put County two up before Tansey reduced the deficit, but it was too little too late for a depleted Inverness as County moved into the semi-final. Inverness should be able to field an unchanged side from the one that performed heroically at Hamilton on Wednesday afternoon. Josh Meekings missed that one and he looks like missing out again along with season long absentees, Aaron Doran, Dean Brill and Richie Foran. Jordan Roberts made the bench and could provide an unknown alternative should Yogi decide to use him. One or two players could need time to prove their fitness for this one. Ross County should also be unchanged from the squad that beat Kilmarnock on Tueday night. That's a luxury that Yogi has not been afforded all season. tm4tj Prediction:- We are a different beast from the one that limped out of the league cup. In saying that, County have been on form recently and scoring for fun. Liam Polworth is our man of the moment for Inverness and he has grown in stature over the last couple of months. He has scored four goals in his last three games, his final one at Hamilton an absolute screamer. Miles Storey has not been scoring, but his pace is still causing all sorts of problems for defenders. With David Raven back in his role at right back and Ross Draper adding more muscle in midfield along with Nat Wedderburn, we have become more difficult to beat. Greg Tansey has found his free kick shooting boots and that should concern the County keeper. The downside of our displays has been after the hour we seem to surrender possession to the opposition and retreat into our own wee bubble. If we can sort that out and keep the County hotshots quiet, then it could be a Happy New Year. Home win on the cards; the Highlands are ours. One trivia stat that has been unearthed by one of our regular forum users Sneckboy is that we are getting very close to our 1500th competitive goal. As far as his painstaking statistics show, we need another three goals to reach this milestone. 500th goal was scored by Davide Xausa, Grant Munro scored the 1000th. It would be nice to complete the full set against our near neighbours and maybe another local lad could get the job done. Hat-Trick for Polworth anyone?

Frankly Awesome Storm Frank did his best to disrupt this game but the plastic pitch at New Douglas Park stood up to the test and it was game on at a dreich NDP, and Inverness won a thriller 4-3. Eamonn Brophy made his first start of the season for Hamilton at the expense of Carlton Morris. Morris was joined on the bench by Daniel Redmond, Christian Nade and Steven Boyd amongst others. Inverness fielded David Raven once more with Carl Tremarco returning at left back. Still no sign of Josh Meekings. Jordan Roberts was on the bench along with Iain Vigurs, Dani Lopez and Danny Williams. As at Pittodrie, Miles Storey missed a one on one with McGovern coming out on top after nine minutes, deflecting the ball with his legs to keep the score level. Carl Tremarco lifted a ball over to Storey but his shot misses from the angle across the goal. Inverness were getting on top and won a free kick around thirty yards out. Greg Tansey took it and with Michael McGovern not covering himself in glory, the ball ended up high in the centre of the net. Half an hour gone and Frank opens up again, dampening the atmosphere, the players responding by taking shelter on the pitch. Devine broke the monotony, but his header from a corner goes just wide and five minutes before the break David Raven forced McGovern into making a save from close range. Half Time 0-1 So far so good, but can we manage to avoid the late goal syndrome that has afflicted us all season? 154 away fans made the journey in this weather. Absolute nutters to be honest. It's horrendous out there, let's hope they get rewarded for their nuttery. Five minutes into the second period and our new sensation Liam Polworth gave them more hope as he notched our second goal of the game, his third in a row. Raven sent him on his way and he made a bee line for the opposition box before rifling a shot low into the bottom corner. Miles Storey was giving the Accies back line a hard time with his powerful running, causing concern every time he sprints after the ball, and that's enough for some of the Hamilton fans as they leave the building. Carlton Morris replaced Louis Longridge as Accies looked to change things around, but Inverness were content to use the Miles Storey outlet to stretch the home defence. Fon Williams was eventually asked to work saving from Crawford after 65 minutes but they would not be denied moments later as Morris flicks home from six yards to reduce the deficit. Miles Storey caused more panic but was unable to find the net soon after as Inverness fans feel the pressure that comes with losing a two goal lead. Accies were now dominating the game and we were looking like frightened rabbits as the home side went searching for a leveller, Christian Nade coming on for Brophy. The inevitable happened though and ten minutes from the end Ziggy Gordon scored the equaliser with a header. Deja Vu. That was just the start of it though and a frenetic finish to the game would ensue. It looked as though Accies might now go on and win the game, but Tansey got the opportunity of another free kick in the 88th minute and some twenty five yards out. His first one was bludgeoned towards the goal, this one was curled brilliantly over the wall using the elements to fair gain and the ball whistled into the top corner, McGovern could do little about it. But, late goals R us and one minute later Nade was knocking the ball beyond Owain Fon Williams at the other end with his head from a corner. This sparked a mass argument in the Inverness defence amongst themselves, plenty of finger pointing as win bonuses looked to be disappearing once more. However, there was one more twist in the tale during the three minutes of stoppage time. Ross Draper fed Liam Polworth and our new superhero lashed an unstoppable shot across the keeper into the top corner. McGovern had little chance with Tansey's second free kick, he had not an earthly with this one. What a strike from 25 yards, the ball rocketed into the net. Scenes of joy in the away end as we finally ended a game on a high and the long knives were put back in the drawer for another while. Full Time, an incredible 3-4 Storm Frank turned this into some game and no doubt had a hand in some of the spectacular goals on show. I doubt you will see four better strikes in the same game. At one point we were facing throwing away a two goal lead for the second time in a week. Then we faced the prospect of another late, late, goal scuppering us. But, we never gave up and the winning goal was simply unbelievable. Full credit to all the players, Tansey and Polworth outstanding, but the real heroes were the 154 away fans who made the journey amid scenes of biblical proportions. Alternative Maryill, one of our more obsevant fans had this to say about our midfield battlers after yesterdays game. There was plenty to be encouraged by in addition to the final score. The midfield trio Tansey, Polworth and Draper was immense, key to us absolutely controlling the first hour of the game. After being one of our best and most important players last season, Tansey had seemed quieter and less confident in the early part of this season, but on the evidence of yesterday, he is starting to get back to his best. Draper drove us forward, as he apparently did against Aberdeen; we're simply a far better side with him in the team, and we need to get him tied to a new contract asap. And of course, the revelation of St Liam continues. For a good three months now, he has been the bright spot in the team: relentlessly industrious, and positive and dynamic in his passing and the runs he makes, where too many others have been timid and conservative. Yesterday's two goals encapsulated all these qualities and rewarded Polworth for what he brings to the team. The one concern, of course, is that if his ability and influence continue to develop at the pace they have done in the first half of this season, then he might be the next player to follow Christie out the door. Wedderburn also had a good game yesterday, commanding the area in front of the central defence and bringing the three aforementioned players into the game. Vincent, on the other hand, still looks like he doesn't quite know where he should be playing. Date: 30/12/15 Venue: New Douglas Park, Hamilton Attendance: 1555 Referee: Euan Anderson Hamilton: 3 Lineup: McGovern, Gordon, Kurakins, Gillespie, Imrie (Redmond 90), Crawford, Longridge (Morris 58), MacKinnon, Brophy (Nade 81), Tena, Tagliapietra Subs (not used): Martin, Sendles-White, Docherty, Boyd Scorers: Morris (66), Gordon (81), Nade (89) Booked: Gillespie (24), Imrie (87) Sent Off: none Inverness CT: 4 Lineup: Fon-Williams, Raven, Tremarco, Vincent, Warren, Draper, Devine, Wedderburn (Williams 87), Tansey, Polworth, Storey Subs (not used): Esson, Lopez, Roberts, Sho-Silva, Vigurs, Mbuyi-Mutombo Scorers: Tansey (18, 88), Polworth (51,93) Booked: Draper (25), Raven (70), Tansey (83) Sent Off: none