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  1. Ayr Pressure With our Premiership aspirations hanging by a thread, we entertain Ayr United on Saturday with our winless run having been extended to eight games after the 3-3 draw with Partick Thistle, albeit an improved performance, but the end result all too familiar recently. The game is scheduled for 3:00pm on Saturday, weather permitting, with storms due in midweek. Dudley seems to have bypassed Inverness, but Eunice is coming, so fingers crossed it misses us as well, however, snow is forecast so beware. Storm Ayr are coming North fresh from retaining the bragging rights after their excellent derby win over Killie; no pressure then. Weather update: Snowing fairly heavy in Sneck on Friday morning, so if it's starting to lie here then the A9 will be worse. Take care out there if you are travelling to the game and keep checking for updates. MATCH/TICKET/STREAMING INFO OFFICIAL PREVIEW STARS OF THE FUTURE Venue - Head2Head Pld Won Drn Lst For Agst + / - Home 21 10 10 1 35 20 +15 Away 22 10 5 7 42 28 +14 Neutral 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Total 43 20 15 8 77 48 +29 Last 10 Competitive Meetings 2 - 2 (A) 1 - 0 (H) 2 - 2 (H) 2 - 0 (A) 1 - 1 (H) 0 - 1 (A) 2 - 0 (H) 2 - 0 (A) 1 - 1 (H) 3 - 1 (A) Loaded heavily in our favour, the stats don't lie, or do they? Only one defeat to Ayr at home on all competitions would seem to make Inverness odds on favourites to win this one. Unfortunately, we, the fans, know better. Our recent form has been poor and we are winless in eight. The previous encounters this season show a 1-0 win towards the end of August during our opening gambit of the season. CTO summary: Walsh nicks it: A slightly damp morning opening out into a muggy but calm afternoon in the Highlands made for near perfect conditions for this game. However, the football did not match the weather in a dour first half and it was goalless at the interval. Ayr rattled the top of the stand at the start of the second half as the game came to life. Tom Walsh looked to have opened the scoring when he bundled an inviting cross from Manny Duku behind the keeper after 54 minutes with Sean McGinty in close proximity trying to clear the ball. Joe Chalmers put a shot across the face of the Inverness goal that went narrowly wide. Walsh missed a glorious chance to double the lead moments later but pulled his shot across the face of the goal as well. Robbie Deas also missed an opportunity for a second goal, firing the ball over the bar from a great position inside the box. The game was more open but Inverness held on for their third 1-0 win of the season and top the league jointly with Killie. In the return fixture at Somerset Park we threw away an early advantage to draw 2-2, the slump was well and trully on. Another opportunity missed! At a windy Somerset Park, Inverness took the lead early on when Sean Welsh met a Tom Walsh cross at the back post unchallenged to head into the net. The lead only lasted a couple of minutes as Joe Chalmers scored after a corner with a couple of defenders being grappled to the ground as Chalmers slotted home. Gardyne was causing all sorts of problems and his next angled cross into the box was missed by Mckay but it bounced through and into the goal to give the visitors the advantage at the break. Reading levelled with a low shot eight minutes into the second half, Ridgers not covering his near post sufficiently. No more scoring partly due to Aidan McAdams in the home goal and another great opportunity to get back on top went abegging with Partick winning 1-0 at Rugby Park. Pos Team Pld W D L F A Pts Pars v Partick postponed 1. Arbroath 24 12 9 3 38 18 45 2. Kilmarnock 25 13 4 8 31 19 43 3. Inverness CT 25 10 9 6 33 23 39 4. Raith Rovers 25 9 11 5 34 27 38 5. Partick Thistle 22 10 7 5 37 22 37 6. Morton 24 6 9 9 29 34 27 7. Hamilton Ac. 25 6 9 10 27 40 27 8. Ayr United 25 6 8 11 23 38 26 9. Dunfermline 25 4 11 10 24 40 23 10. Q.O.S. 24 4 7 13 25 40 19 FRIDAY 18th FEBRUARY Dunfermline P v P Partick Thistle SATURDAY 19TH FEBRUARY Hamilton v Morton Caley Jags v Ayr United Kilmarnock v Raith Rovers Queen Sth v Arbroath Last time out Inverness came from behind three times to secure a point against an impressive Partick Thistle. Brian Graham was a thorn in our side again, claiming a hat-trick although the first one appeared to come off the shins of Wallace Duffy. We hit back through Billy Mckay, Shane Sutherland and a last gasp header from the enterprising Kirk. Ayr United won the Ayrshire derby as they came from behind to beat Kilmarnock 2-1 at Rugby Park to stun title favourites Killie. Fraser Murray had opened the scoring early in the first half but Ayr levelled soon after through Sean McGinty and he scored the winner with ten minutes left to stun their hosts. Latest Team News Billy Dodds will definitely be without Scott Allardice and Danny Devine. Somehow, Roddy MacGregor has disappeared from earth, possibly been abducted by a Chinese tennis player. If anyone spots him, can they call MacGregors Bar to let us know that he's safe and well. Thanks in advance. Aaron Doran has missed the last month but is back in full training and Tom Walsh has thrown his hat into the injured squad over the last couple of weeks. Thankfully we are covered up front with Sam Pearson looking good last week, but for some unknown reason we never looked at bringing in defensive cover from the start of the season, we'll soon be going with one at the back. New Ayr manager Lee Bullen will be looking for more of the same attitude displayed in the derby win over Killie. Here's his starting XI from the Killie game played in front of 7,560 fans. Adeloye and Rowe came on as second half subs, with Ayr playing a 4-4-1-1 formation. 1McAdams 2Houston4Muirhead5McGinty3Reading 22McKenzie6Murdoch8McInroy14Maxwell 18Dempsey 19Ashford There's been a lot of changes at Somerset Park since we last played Ayr. Our own Eric has been busy checking out their latest coming and goings. So, basically, a new look Ayr United will be here looking to improve their poor record at Inverness. Departures Cameron Salkeld - forward -has left the club due to long term injury Nick McAllister - back - on loan to Clyde FC until end of season Michael Miller - midfield - on loan to Stenhousemuir FC until end of season Joe Chalmers - midfield - Transferred to Dunfermline FC. Jonathon Afolabi - forward - was on loan from Celtic recalled and now at Airdrieonians Fc Steven Bradley - forward - was on loan from Hibs recalled and now at Dundalk FC Arrivals Blaine Rowe - right back - on loan from Coventry FC U23 until end of season. Kerr McInroy - defensive midfield - on loan from Celtic FC until end of season Ben Dempsey - attacking midfield - on loan from Charlton FC U23 until end of season Ryan Gondoh - left wing - the Ghanaian has signed from Wealdstone FC until May 2023 Paul Smith - centre forward - has returned after loan spell at Cumnock Juniors FC ( that should have toughened him up a bit ) Sam Ashworth - centre forward - signed from Crawley Town FC until May 2023 Fraser Brydon - centre forward - has been promoted to first team from Ayr U18s Manager Lee Bullen has had several spells as Caretaker manager of Sheffield Wednesday FC and was recently manager or their U23 side Age: 50 Years Appointed: Jan 7, 2022 Contract expires: May 31, 2024
  2. Late Leveller Partick Thistle struck early to add to our gloom through Brian Graham, it may yet go down as an own goal, but as it stands, it's credited to the big striker. Billy Mckay squared the game after twenty minutes with an excellent close range finish from a Carson cross. Graham scored his second with a header soon after, Scott Tiffoney once again the provider and he almost scored one for himself but for a fine save from Ridgers. Shane Sutherland equalised just on the interval with a header from a McAlear corner. With twenty minutes left Deas conceded a stonewall penalty and Graham notched his hat-trick. Substitute Cammy Harper drove into the box but Sneddon blocked his shot and moments later Pearson appeared to hit the bar with an angled drive from twelve yards and Mckay rolled one just past the post. We got the draw with the last head of the ball deep into stoppage time when Broadfoot headed in a cross from McAlear. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ With Inverness struggling so badly over the last two winless months, not much was expected from the hosts on a wet and windy night after a day of snow flurries and wind. Partick, on the other hand, have been resting since they beat Ayr United 1-0 on Tuesday 1st February and were lurking in fifth position ahead of this encounter, a win could bump them up to third and they will still have games in hand over everyone including three over us. With an Ayrshire derby in Kilmarnock tonight, that made it more crucial that we got back to winning ways before we hit the skids and slide out of the promotion race. Under fire Billy Dodds would be without the influential Scott Allardice (rest of season), central defender Danny Devine (month at least), Aaron Doran, Roddy MacGregor and Tom Walsh. Billy Mckay returned last week but like the rest of the side, he looked off the pace. Our bench was sparse with basically no threat on it and youth players and empty spaces. Wee Jobbie McCall had Brian Graham up front as a target man. Well he's always a target of our boo boys anyway. Zac Rudden left in the January sales so that's one threat less. Kevin Holt replaced former County defender Richard Foster. Inverness set the ball rolling kicking towards the South Stand, guess we lost the toss then. The stands were as sparsely populated as our bench as both sides set about feeling their way into the game on a bitter night in the Highland capital. Partick settled better and surprise surprise, Brian Graham tapped in from one yard as our static defence were prized open by Tiffoney down the left, easily bypassing David Carson to set up the opener after eight minutes. Kevin Holt fired narrowly over from twenty yards as Partick looked to add a second whilst Inverness struggled to get forward. However, David Carson turned a great ball into the box after a lay off from Sam Pearson and who else but Billy Mckay pounced from six yards to level the game as the snow was about to descend on the stadium. Tiffoney was the man causing the problems and once again he skinned Carson down the left and Graham headed his deep cross in at the back post from close range. Tiffoney almost added a third but for a great save by Mark Ridgers in the top corner from his curling twenty yard effort. Unlike their hosts, Partick looked dangerous every time they went forward and Holt ruffled the top of the net with a twenty yard shot watched closely by Ridgers. We forced a couple of corners before the break and from the second one Shane Sutherland scored at the back post, with only seconds to go before the interval, Reece McAlear the provider of the deep corner kick. Half Time: 2-2 No changes at the interval but six minutes in Dodds pulled Samuels and Logan Chalmers entered the fray. Sutherland almost muscled onto a ball into the box but it was knocked away for a corner. Good spell for Inverness and Sam Pearson and Sutherland were not far away from creating something, but a reminder from Partick as Cammy Smith fired just over after a corner. It's been an open encounter and it's looking likely that there's more goals in this one. Pearson did well again to win another corner but Partick eventually cleared their lines as Inverness showed more urgency than they did at the weekend. A rash tackle by Robbie Deas offered Partick the opportunity to go ahead for the third time and Graham completed his hat-trick from the spot smashing the ball straight down the middle. Deas was promptly subbed and his replacement Cammy Harper saw a low effort blocked by Sneddon after the defence parted to allow Cammy to get a shot away as he raced into the left side of the box. Pearson then looked to have hit the corner of the bar moments later and Mckay prodded one just wide of the post with fifteen minutes left and at the other end Tiffoney rifled one just wide. Sneddon produced another good save from a low twenty yard free kick by Chalmers as Inverness chased the game and MacAlear drilled one wide as we pushed for a leveller. The equaliser came after a wee flurry at the end saw Kirk Broadfoot head a McAlear cross into the net after a corner had been cleared and we got out of jail. Phew, that was close. Don't get me wrong, the result was thoroughly disappointing but the effort was there and with a bit of fortune we could easily have taken all three points, but when you are down on your luck, thems the breaks. An opportunity missed with Arbroath drawing thanks to an injury time penalty and Killie losing to Ayr United who are our next opponents, but a hugely better performance after the dross of the Morton game. All is not lost yet. MotM for me was Sam Pearson with some great forward runs and unlucky with his angled shot that rattled the top corner of the bar, and with Billy Mckay buzzing around to good effect and Shane Sutherland putting in the effort it was a massive improvement on recent achievements. Much easier to pick out the good performances this week in a highly entertaining match played out on a miserable night of winter weather. On the downside, Robbie Deas needs to ask himself why he made that poor challenge and that's now eight games without a win; Foranesque territory... Date: 09/02/2022 Venue: Caledonian Stadium Attendance: 1781 Referee: Peter Stuart Inverness CT: 3 Manager: Billy Dodds Lineup: Ridgers; Carson, Duffy, Broadfoot, Deas (Harper 72), Pearson (Hardy 82), Welsh, McAlear, Samuels (Chalmers 53), Sutherland, B Mckay Subs (not used): C Mackay; Hyde, L Nicolson Scorers: Mckay (21), Sutherland (45+1), Broadfoot (90+4) Booked: Deas (24) Sent Off: none Partick Thistle: 3 Manager: Ian McCall Lineup: Sneddon; McKenna, Akinola, Mayo, Holt, Tiffoney (Hendrie 83), Bannigan, Docherty, Crawford, Smith (Jakubiak 75), Graham (MacIver 90) Subs (not used): McCready; Turner, Murray, McAllister Scorers: Graham (8, 27, 65 pen) Booked: none Sent Off: none a
  3. Fans patience is running out After another massive slump, this time against Morton, we are all but done with the Championship for another season. Partick are next up for us at the Caledonian Stadium on Wednesday night for a 7:45pm kick-off. I don't see many fans saying they are really looking forward to the next game. MATCH INFO/TICKETS/STREAMING Can we save our season? It has become alarmingly apparent that something is seriously wrong at the club. We can't buy a win at the moment. That's now seven games without a win or four points from a possible twenty-one since December 11th. That's the statistics that gets teams relegated and managers sacked. We seem to be at the crossroads and if something doesn't change soon, then we better get used to being in the Championship for the foreseeable future. On the plus side, there is still plenty games left to get back on track, unfortunately at this moment in time, that looks unlikely to happen. Our body language is a big giveaway and it looks like we have been found out. Venue - Head 2 Head Pld Won Drn Lst For Agst + / - Home 21 9 5 7 33 30 +3 Away 20 5 6 9 21 28 -7 Neutral 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Total 41 14 11 16 54 58 -4 Last 10 Competitive Meetings with Partick 0 - 0 (A) 3 - 1 (H) 1 - 3 (A) 1 - 3 (H) 2 - 1 (A) 1 - 2 (H) 1 - 0 (A) 3 - 2 (H) 1 - 1 (A) 0 - 0 The two games played this season already coincided with some of our better performances. Much has gone wrong since then and I'm not sure we can turn that around overnight. Summary from 3-1 win in September: The run goes on - Partick Thistle came North with high hopes of ending Inverness' great start to the campaign in the knowledge that they have been scoring at the rate of three goals per game apart from Arbroath where they suffered a 3-0 defeat at the hands of the Red Lichties. Billy Dodds had food for thought after the cup win over Buckie last week where Billy Mckay and Lewis Jamieson staked their claims for a start after scoring performances over the Highland League side. They started on the bench as he went with the tried and tested so far this season. Ian McCall had old enemy Brian Graham up front with Zac Rudden on the bench and watch out for defender Tunji Akinola who packs a punch with his feet. After a difficult first half, Inverness ran out comfortable winners against Partick Thistle in a second half goal blitz. The visitors dominated the first forty-five and Scott Tiffoney drilled the opener out of nothing as the defence backed off. Manny Duku was denied by a combination of keeper and post but it was Partick that should have scored a second, however Mark Ridgers did well to deny Brian Graham. Harsh talking at the break saw Inverness come out for the second half with the bit between the teeth and Kirk Broadfoot was the unlikely hero as his twenty yard shot evaded the outstretched fingertips of the keeper to level the score. Shane Sutherland did well to drill in the second from an angle after the keeper fluffed his lines allowing Shane to slot in from twenty yards. The third was a peach as Duku stepped over the ball and Aaron Doran fired high into the net for a brilliant goal and game over. That's five wins out of five and the run goes on... The reverse fixture at Partick saw us emerge with a thoroughly deserved win at 0-0 . According to many Partick fans we were the best thing since sliced bread. How wrong were they... Caley Jags pay the penalty: Partick Thistle survived to earn a point after the woodwork saved them twice and keeper Jamie Sneddon denied Sean Welsh from the spot after guessing the right way. Inverness were well on top but it's only a point which means Killie pull further away at the top. Performance of the day was from Arbroath who came from two down to beat Dunfermline Athletic 4-2. Despite not getting the win that was easily one of our best performances of recent weeks and I would have taken a point before the game but given how it played out it was definitely 2 points dropped. Pos Team Pld W D L F A Pts 1. Arbroath 23 12 8 3 36 16 44 2. Kilmarnock 23 12 4 7 28 16 40 3. Inverness CT 24 10 8 6 30 20 38 4. Raith Rovers 25 9 11 5 34 27 38 5. Partick Thistle 21 10 6 5 34 19 36 6. Hamilton Ac. 24 6 8 10 25 38 26 7. Morton 23 5 9 9 27 33 24 8. Dunfermline 24 4 11 9 23 38 23 9. Ayr United 24 5 8 11 21 37 23 10. Q.O.S. 23 4 7 12 24 38 19 Wednesday Night Fixtures all 19:45 Arbroath v Hamilton Inverness CT v Partick Thistle Kilmarnock v Ayr United Last time out we were a complete omnishambles (a situation that has been comprehensively mismanaged, characterized by a string of blunders and miscalculations.) Sounds about right as we plumbed the depths to go down meekly to a less than average Morton side where Lewis Strapp scored the winner. No wins in our last seven games (LLDDDDL) Shocking statistics. Particks last game was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch, the previous game was a 1-0 win over Ayr United giving them (PWWDD) since the turn of the year. The other win was against Airdrie in the Scottish Cup (1-0). Latest Team News We will still be without Allardice, Devine, MacGregor, Doran and possibly Walsh. Having only brought in forwards in the window, it was obvious to all what would happen, except our management team. We are performing like headless chickens at the moment. Partick will no doubt have thug player and cheat Brian Graham up front. View full article
  4. Fans patience is running out After another massive slump, this time against Morton, we are all but done with the Championship for another season. Partick are next up for us at the Caledonian Stadium on Wednesday night for a 7:45pm kick-off. I don't see many fans saying they are really looking forward to the next game. MATCH INFO/TICKETS/STREAMING Can we save our season? It has become alarmingly apparent that something is seriously wrong at the club. We can't buy a win at the moment. That's now seven games without a win or four points from a possible twenty-one since December 11th. That's the statistics that gets teams relegated and managers sacked. We seem to be at the crossroads and if something doesn't change soon, then we better get used to being in the Championship for the foreseeable future. On the plus side, there is still plenty games left to get back on track, unfortunately at this moment in time, that looks unlikely to happen. Our body language is a big giveaway and it looks like we have been found out. Venue - Head 2 Head Pld Won Drn Lst For Agst + / - Home 21 9 5 7 33 30 +3 Away 20 5 6 9 21 28 -7 Neutral 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Total 41 14 11 16 54 58 -4 Last 10 Competitive Meetings with Partick 0 - 0 (A) 3 - 1 (H) 1 - 3 (A) 1 - 3 (H) 2 - 1 (A) 1 - 2 (H) 1 - 0 (A) 3 - 2 (H) 1 - 1 (A) 0 - 0 The two games played this season already coincided with some of our better performances. Much has gone wrong since then and I'm not sure we can turn that around overnight. Summary from 3-1 win in September: The run goes on - Partick Thistle came North with high hopes of ending Inverness' great start to the campaign in the knowledge that they have been scoring at the rate of three goals per game apart from Arbroath where they suffered a 3-0 defeat at the hands of the Red Lichties. Billy Dodds had food for thought after the cup win over Buckie last week where Billy Mckay and Lewis Jamieson staked their claims for a start after scoring performances over the Highland League side. They started on the bench as he went with the tried and tested so far this season. Ian McCall had old enemy Brian Graham up front with Zac Rudden on the bench and watch out for defender Tunji Akinola who packs a punch with his feet. After a difficult first half, Inverness ran out comfortable winners against Partick Thistle in a second half goal blitz. The visitors dominated the first forty-five and Scott Tiffoney drilled the opener out of nothing as the defence backed off. Manny Duku was denied by a combination of keeper and post but it was Partick that should have scored a second, however Mark Ridgers did well to deny Brian Graham. Harsh talking at the break saw Inverness come out for the second half with the bit between the teeth and Kirk Broadfoot was the unlikely hero as his twenty yard shot evaded the outstretched fingertips of the keeper to level the score. Shane Sutherland did well to drill in the second from an angle after the keeper fluffed his lines allowing Shane to slot in from twenty yards. The third was a peach as Duku stepped over the ball and Aaron Doran fired high into the net for a brilliant goal and game over. That's five wins out of five and the run goes on... The reverse fixture at Partick saw us emerge with a thoroughly deserved win at 0-0 . According to many Partick fans we were the best thing since sliced bread. How wrong were they... Caley Jags pay the penalty: Partick Thistle survived to earn a point after the woodwork saved them twice and keeper Jamie Sneddon denied Sean Welsh from the spot after guessing the right way. Inverness were well on top but it's only a point which means Killie pull further away at the top. Performance of the day was from Arbroath who came from two down to beat Dunfermline Athletic 4-2. Despite not getting the win that was easily one of our best performances of recent weeks and I would have taken a point before the game but given how it played out it was definitely 2 points dropped. Pos Team Pld W D L F A Pts 1. Arbroath 23 12 8 3 36 16 44 2. Kilmarnock 23 12 4 7 28 16 40 3. Inverness CT 24 10 8 6 30 20 38 4. Raith Rovers 25 9 11 5 34 27 38 5. Partick Thistle 21 10 6 5 34 19 36 6. Hamilton Ac. 24 6 8 10 25 38 26 7. Morton 23 5 9 9 27 33 24 8. Dunfermline 24 4 11 9 23 38 23 9. Ayr United 24 5 8 11 21 37 23 10. Q.O.S. 23 4 7 12 24 38 19 Wednesday Night Fixtures all 19:45 Arbroath v Hamilton Inverness CT v Partick Thistle Kilmarnock v Ayr United Last time out we were a complete omnishambles (a situation that has been comprehensively mismanaged, characterized by a string of blunders and miscalculations.) Sounds about right as we plumbed the depths to go down meekly to a less than average Morton side where Lewis Strapp scored the winner. No wins in our last seven games (LLDDDDL) Shocking statistics. Particks last game was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch, the previous game was a 1-0 win over Ayr United giving them (PWWDD) since the turn of the year. The other win was against Airdrie in the Scottish Cup (1-0). Latest Team News We will still be without Allardice, Devine, MacGregor, Doran and possibly Walsh. Having only brought in forwards in the window, it was obvious to all what would happen, except our management team. We are performing like headless chickens at the moment. Partick will no doubt have thug player and cheat Brian Graham up front.
  5. Absolute dross What a shitfest of a game. We were an absolute shambles from the start and Morton were all over us like a rash. Lewis Strapp scored the only goal of the game after Chalmers failed to cover in midfield. Kirk Broadfoot left the deflected ball forward to someone else, and to cap it all off when the loose ball entered the box, defender Strapp got to it first and poked it through Mark Ridgers legs. Pathetic stuff from Inverness and we did nothing about trying to change the way the game was going. A shot from Pearson the only thing of note over ninety minutes of a stop start game that would not have looked out of place at the Bught Park. We were clueless for 95 minutes and deserved nothing. No surprise really given our recent performances, but totally depressing stuff to watch. Happy Birthday Billy. ÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷ The last team we beat came North but with a renewed vigour and a new manager in Dougie Imrie. Cast your mind back to December 11th 2021 and we absolutely routed Morton 6-1. Unfortunately it's been all downhill in the six seven games since then with Morton accruing ten points since then with Inverness only managing four. Scott Allardice, Danny Devine, Roddy MacGregor and Aaron Doran were all missing. We are down to the bare bones with only six on the bench from the permitted nine. What that means is that Inverness appear to be going with three at the back in a fairly attacking set-up. It was a wild day in the North with heavy rain/snow showers, bright sunshine and blustery conditions. Hypothermia anyone? Widely acknowledged as one of the worst performances ever, Billy Dudds and his bunch of haddies were beaten by a team we put six past a couple of months ago. It's impossible to put into words just how bad this was, but suffice to say, there are thousands of detrimental adjectives used on CTO to cover this, no stone left unturned. Sam Pearson had our best effort in the first half after cutting onto his right foot on the left side of the box, but Jack Hamilton was equal to the shot and kept it out with a decent save. I'd like to be able to report on a few more efforts, unfortunately that was it. Gutless, lacklustre, drivel, no passion, utter shambles, painful, turgid, apathetic, disgraceful............ the list is endless. Lewis Strapp scored the only goal when he found the ball at his feet inside the box and pushed it through the keepers legs. Summed up our day. It could have been worse had Ridgers not denied Ugwu late in the game with an excellent save. Many fans are now questioning the quality of not just the players, but the entire set-up, including Dudds and Robbo. To be honest, difficult to argue against any of the criticism given our demise. I was not convinced even after our excellent start to the season. I believe we just got lucky whilst other clubs were still sorting themselves out. But for that great start, we would be relegation certainties. Four points from a possible twenty-one tells it's own story, a story of complete and utter decimation, an omnishambles with a bleak future. Over to you Inverness, time to get some pride and passion back to the club. From BBC Sport Inverness head coach Billy Dodds: "It's our poorest performance of the season, which at this time in the season you really don't need. I thought we showed a mental weakness to go and scrap the game. When we realise what's at stake and where we could go again today - but we just keep going. "I'm up for it. I'm sure at some point we get a win and then we kick on. We have to get it going soon or we'll find ourselves out of the title race. We really need to change the mindset here in terms of players and what they are thinking going on the pitch. We need to get back to what we are good at and where we were at the start of the season." No shit Sherlock! Greenock Morton manager Dougie Imrie: "We knew how difficult it was going to be to come up here. Inverness have been doing fantastic this season - up in the top four. I knew with the boys I've got if they went out and stuck to the game plan we could potentially get something from this and eventually we have. "Another terrific three points. At this stage in the season three points are massive and that lifts us back up into seventh. The league form has been great but we've got to maintain that." Date: 05/02/2022 Venue: Caledonian Stadium Attendance: 1808 Referee: Euan Anderson Inverness CT: 0 Manager: Billy Dodds Lineup: Ridgers; Duffy, Broadfoot, Deas (L Nicolson 76), Pearson (Carson 75), Welsh, McAlear, Sutherland (Harper 72), Samuels, Mckay, Chalmers (Hardy 66) Subs (not used): C Mackay; Hyde Scorers: none Booked: Mckay (51) Sent Off: none Morton:1 Manager: Dougie Imrie Lineup: Hamilton; Lithgow, McLean, McEntee, Strapp, Oliver (Muirhead 74), Blues, Lyon (Wilson 64), Brandon, Ugwu, Reilly (Jacobs 85) Subs (not used): Bysouth; Ledger, Russell, McGrattan, Easdale, King Scorers: Strapp (24) Booked: Wilson (71), Strapp (80) Sent Off: none a
  6. Time to stop the rot The last team we beat are coming North but with a renewed vigour and a new manager in Dougie Imrie. Cast your mind back to December 11th 2021 and we absolutely routed Morton 6-1. Unfortunately it's been all downhill in the six games since then. Morton are here on Saturday for a 3:00pm kick-off, but beware, this is not the same deflated Morton we stuffed in December. Our demise has been alarming to say the least. In the six games since we beat Morton we have picked up only four points from a possible eighteen. That's relegation form in any language and the rot needs to stop now before we slip out of the play-off zone and into mid table obscurity. OFFICIAL PREVIEW-MATCH INFO-TICKETS-STREAMING Venue - Head2Head Pld Won Drn Lst For Agst + / - Home 18 12 4 2 46 16 +30 Away 16 9 3 4 34 19 +15 Neutral 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Total 34 21 7 6 80 35 +45 Last 10 Competitive Meetings v Morton 6 - 1 (A) 1 - 1 (A) 1 - 1 (H) 2 - 0 (H) 4 - 1 (A) 0 - 1 (H) 2 - 2 (A) 3 - 2 (H) 1 - 2 (A) 3 - 1 (H) Inverness have taken six points from the two league games this season. The first encounter saw Inverness edge out Morton 2 - 0 in a low key game where Billy Mckay and Mich*** Gard*** scored the goals. The last meeting was our best ever away result at Cappielow. CTO summary from 6-1 win at Cappielow: Managerless bottom club Morton were gubbed. There's no other word for it. Caley Jags were rampant after a couple of drab draws in the Scottish Cup. I'll credit Aaron Doran with the opener as his cross to the back post ended up in the net as Hamilton tried to claw it clear. Sutherland got the second after a Billy Mckay shot was blocked at close range. Mckay got his own when he rolled the ball in off the post. Boss! Just on the interval Ugwu scored from the spot to offer Morton a lifeline. Reece McAlear scored a fekkin screamer, what can only be described as a piledriver. What a strike that was! The ever alert Sutherland added a fifth and it was no surprise when Jamieson dribbled his way into the box and slotted home the sixth. This has been coming for weeks, but today was maybe the day the Caley Jags believed in themselves. Boom! That result left us top of the table on 34 points and Morton were bottom on 13 points. Doh! Seems like a distant memory now... The Head2Heads are stacked heavily in our favour, only two defeats at home from eighteen encounters in all competitions. However, those two defeats have come in the last two years, add to that Morton ended our interest in the Scottish Cup this season after a replay and penalties, then this is another potential struggle waiting to happen. Pos Team Pld W D L F A Pts 1. Arbroath 22 11 8 3 35 16 41 2. Kilmarnock 22 12 4 6 28 15 40 3. Inverness CT 23 10 8 5 30 19 38 4. Raith Rovers 24 9 10 5 34 27 37 5. Partick Thistle 21 10 6 5 34 19 36 6. Hamilton Ac. 23 6 7 10 25 38 25 7. Dunfermline 23 4 10 9 22 37 22 8. Ayr United 23 5 7 11 20 36 22 9. Morton 22 4 9 9 26 33 21 10. Q.O.S. 23 4 7 12 24 38 19 Friday 4th Feb Arbroath v Kilmarnock SATURDAY 5TH FEB Ayr United v Dunfermline Caley Jags v Morton Partick v Queens Rovers v Hamilton Morton have a new gaffer in former Inverness player Dougie Imrie (38), brought in when Gus McPherson was sacked after they drew with Ayr United, ten days after we thumped them 6-1 at Cappielow. This is his first managerial role, having coached at Livingston earlier this year. As a wide midfielder, Imrie played for Morton in season 2013-14 scoring 11 times in 33 appearances. When Dougie went to Morton as the new manager they were a point adrift at the bottom of the Scottish Championship and heading for relegation. Here's Dougie's stats whilst at Inverness. Position: Left winger/attacking midfielder Signed: January 5th, 2008 First Manager: Craig Brewster Left Club: January 5th, 2010 Career Stats: 73 appearances, 10 goals Debut (as sub): February 9th, 2008 - St. Mirren 1 - 1 Inverness CT (League - ) Full Debut: February 16th, 2008 - 1 - 1 Dundee Utd (League - ) First Goal: April 19th, 2008 - Inverness CT 3 - 0 Kilmarnock (League - ) Also Played For: Clyde, Hamilton Academical, Morton, St. Mirren Latest Team News Inverness will be without long term casualties Scott Allardice and Danny Devine. Aaron Doran, Roddy MacGregor and Billy Mackay all missed the game at Rugby Park as well. Devine is back in training from next week. Doran is not ready to return but Billy Mckay will be back in the squad. Morton have added midfielder Iain Wilson from Dunfermline to their squad along with Jamie Brandon on loan from Hearts. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Scottish Youth Cup Draw The ICT Under 18s have been drawn away to Hearts U18s in the Semi Final of the Scottish Youth Cup. Semi-Final ties are scheduled to be played on Friday 4 March 2022 View full article
  7. Time to stop the rot The last team we beat are coming North but with a renewed vigour and a new manager in Dougie Imrie. Cast your mind back to December 11th 2021 and we absolutely routed Morton 6-1. Unfortunately it's been all downhill in the six games since then. Morton are here on Saturday for a 3:00pm kick-off, but beware, this is not the same deflated Morton we stuffed in December. Our demise has been alarming to say the least. In the six games since we beat Morton we have picked up only four points from a possible eighteen. That's relegation form in any language and the rot needs to stop now before we slip out of the play-off zone and into mid table obscurity. OFFICIAL PREVIEW-MATCH INFO-TICKETS-STREAMING Venue - Head2Head Pld Won Drn Lst For Agst + / - Home 18 12 4 2 46 16 +30 Away 16 9 3 4 34 19 +15 Neutral 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Total 34 21 7 6 80 35 +45 Last 10 Competitive Meetings v Morton 6 - 1 (A) 1 - 1 (A) 1 - 1 (H) 2 - 0 (H) 4 - 1 (A) 0 - 1 (H) 2 - 2 (A) 3 - 2 (H) 1 - 2 (A) 3 - 1 (H) Inverness have taken six points from the two league games this season. The first encounter saw Inverness edge out Morton 2 - 0 in a low key game where Billy Mckay and Mich*** Gard*** scored the goals. The last meeting was our best ever away result at Cappielow. CTO summary from 6-1 win at Cappielow: Managerless bottom club Morton were gubbed. There's no other word for it. Caley Jags were rampant after a couple of drab draws in the Scottish Cup. I'll credit Aaron Doran with the opener as his cross to the back post ended up in the net as Hamilton tried to claw it clear. Sutherland got the second after a Billy Mckay shot was blocked at close range. Mckay got his own when he rolled the ball in off the post. Boss! Just on the interval Ugwu scored from the spot to offer Morton a lifeline. Reece McAlear scored a fekkin screamer, what can only be described as a piledriver. What a strike that was! The ever alert Sutherland added a fifth and it was no surprise when Jamieson dribbled his way into the box and slotted home the sixth. This has been coming for weeks, but today was maybe the day the Caley Jags believed in themselves. Boom! That result left us top of the table on 34 points and Morton were bottom on 13 points. Doh! Seems like a distant memory now... The Head2Heads are stacked heavily in our favour, only two defeats at home from eighteen encounters in all competitions. However, those two defeats have come in the last two years, add to that Morton ended our interest in the Scottish Cup this season after a replay and penalties, then this is another potential struggle waiting to happen. Pos Team Pld W D L F A Pts 1. Arbroath 22 11 8 3 35 16 41 2. Kilmarnock 22 12 4 6 28 15 40 3. Inverness CT 23 10 8 5 30 19 38 4. Raith Rovers 24 9 10 5 34 27 37 5. Partick Thistle 21 10 6 5 34 19 36 6. Hamilton Ac. 23 6 7 10 25 38 25 7. Dunfermline 23 4 10 9 22 37 22 8. Ayr United 23 5 7 11 20 36 22 9. Morton 22 4 9 9 26 33 21 10. Q.O.S. 23 4 7 12 24 38 19 Friday 4th Feb Arbroath v Kilmarnock SATURDAY 5TH FEB Ayr United v Dunfermline Caley Jags v Morton Partick v Queens Rovers v Hamilton Morton have a new gaffer in former Inverness player Dougie Imrie (38), brought in when Gus McPherson was sacked after they drew with Ayr United, ten days after we thumped them 6-1 at Cappielow. This is his first managerial role, having coached at Livingston earlier this year. As a wide midfielder, Imrie played for Morton in season 2013-14 scoring 11 times in 33 appearances. When Dougie went to Morton as the new manager they were a point adrift at the bottom of the Scottish Championship and heading for relegation. Here's Dougie's stats whilst at Inverness. Position: Left winger/attacking midfielder Signed: January 5th, 2008 First Manager: Craig Brewster Left Club: January 5th, 2010 Career Stats: 73 appearances, 10 goals Debut (as sub): February 9th, 2008 - St. Mirren 1 - 1 Inverness CT (League - ) Full Debut: February 16th, 2008 - 1 - 1 Dundee Utd (League - ) First Goal: April 19th, 2008 - Inverness CT 3 - 0 Kilmarnock (League - ) Also Played For: Clyde, Hamilton Academical, Morton, St. Mirren Latest Team News Inverness will be without long term casualties Scott Allardice and Danny Devine. Aaron Doran, Roddy MacGregor and Billy Mackay all missed the game at Rugby Park as well. Devine is back in training from next week. Doran is not ready to return but Billy Mckay will be back in the squad. Morton have added midfielder Iain Wilson from Dunfermline to their squad along with Jamie Brandon on loan from Hearts. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Scottish Youth Cup Draw The ICT Under 18s have been drawn away to Hearts U18s in the Semi Final of the Scottish Youth Cup. Semi-Final ties are scheduled to be played on Friday 4 March 2022
  8. Comedy of Errors Inverness once more failed to take advantage of the given situation by producing another abject display at home against a club staring at relegation. This time it was Queen of the South that showed up our lack of quality and Lee Connelly scored the opener in the first half with Willie Collum waiving away appeals for offside. Same old same old from Inverness in a dire first half. We looked to have got out of jail when the Queens defenders made a hash of clearing a long kick out from Mark Ridgers and Billy Mckay accepted the comical defending to prod the ball home. If ever a man needed a goal it was Tom Walsh who has been totally ineffective this season, but score he did after being sent into the box by Mckay before drilling the ball behind Josh Rae. Phew we all thought, thank feck for that! Alas we shot ourselves in the foot, or more accurately David Carson shot us in the foot as he teed up substitute Ally Roy who had only been on the park for one minute. Surprisingly we actually jumped back into second place thanks to other results, but it's a complete mystery how we have done this given the dross we are subject to at the moment. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ As expected, Aaron Doran once again missed out. Also missing was Scott Allardice who they kept quiet about and Cameron Harper. Still waiting for confirmation that Allardice's injury is season ending or just a rumour, but he is not included today. That left us with only six on the bench, two of those being youth players. Queens made three changes from their last outing with Shea Gordon making his debut for the 'Doonhamers' and Willie Gibson returning after injury. Another flat calm afternoon with a covid restricted crowd in attendance saw the hosts set the ball rolling attacking the South Stand end. I'll let RIG tell the story. I know I know, you've all read it before, but this is how it is I'm afraid. That was grim. After a decent opening 15 - 20 minutes from Queens, during which they probably should have scored at least once, we started to get on top and looked like ending the first half the stronger side. Queens main attacking plan seemed to be trying to slide the ball in behind our CBs for Connelly to latch on to and we got a glimpse of this when Paton (I think) burst through and looked set to round Ridgers but fortunately a well timed challenge snuffed out this threat. Deas had a couple of decent chances which fell to him at the left edge of the box but your CB filling in at left back probably doesn't have the greatest shooting boots in the world and it showed as he snatched at both efforts. Walsh had a good chance to score as well but I think he tried to be too cute and attempted to shoot back across Rae in goal instead of sending a shot away from him. The opening goal looked miles offside but that was probably because there was one Queens player standing ahead of Connelly before he raced clear to round Ridgers and, eventually, put the ball into the net. At the time I thought he was offside but folk watching on the stream said he was played onside by Broadfoot. Still annoying given we had a taste of this minutes before with the aforementioned Paton chance. In the second half and Devine made a desperate challenge to stop a second Queens goal throwing himself in front of a goal bound shot from a few yards out. A bit of route one got us level with a long thump downfield by Ridgers and it looked like Gibson got in a right state trying to decide if he was going to clear the ball or not and Mckay took it off him to bundle in the equaliser. Route one Sutherland had a good chance to get the second goal for us but seemed to take forever to actually get his shot away and a Queens defender did well to deflect the effort behind for a corner. The second for ICT did come eventually with Mckay flicking the ball on for Walsh who got in behind the defence and finished well across Rae. But only a few minutes later Queens were back level and no one seemed to know what exactly had happened with Roy turning hom a cross whilst in an offside position. At the game I could only think that the ball had come off an ICT player so Roy couldn't therefore be offside and from what I've read it seems the ball was actually played to him by Carson so the goal, sadly, stood. An absolutely gutting result with Arbroath winning and other sides around us faltering. Queens looked decent in spells but seemed a bit of a mess at the back and it's frustrating that we couldn't take advantage of this as I felt we had enough chances to put the game to bed. That said I still think we were very poor again and whilst the likes of Mckay and McAlear turned in good performances we need more from the likes of Walsh (although he did score today) and we also need some fresh faces in quickly to try and give the squad a lift. Talking to BBC Sport Inverness CT head coach Billy Dodds: "My players showed a brilliant appetite to get back into it. When you feel it's gone against you with the first goal you can let the heads go down - they didn't. "They kept battling away and then we lose another questionable goal - not because of the officials but because of the interpretation of the law. There's a couple of players standing slightly offside and they gain an advantage." Queen of the South manager Allan Johnston: "I thought we played well for long periods. "It was a really good team performance and we were really unlucky to come away with just a point. "We were under pressure from a big, physical team at the end. We gave away cheap goals, which has been a thing too often from my point of view." Date: 15/01/2022 Venue: Caledonian Stadium Attendance: 479 Referee: Willie Collum Inverness CT: 2 Manager: Billy Dodds Lineup: Ridgers; Carson, Broadfoot, Devine, Deas, Walsh, Welsh, McAlear, MacGregor (Duku 64), Sutherland, Mckay Subs (not used): C Mackay; L Nicolson, Hyde, Duffy, Jamieson Scorers: Mckay (62), Walsh (73) Booked: Mckay (8), Deas (45) Sent Off: none Queen of the South: 2 Manager: Alan Johnston Lineup: Rae; Johnston, Nditi, Gibson (Fitzpatrick 76), East, Gordon (Debayo 70), McGrory, Liddle, Cooper, Connelly, Paton (Roy 76) Subs (not used): Cowie, Joseph, McKechnie, Junior Scorers: Connelly (39), Roy (77) Booked: Nditi (60), Liddle (61) Sent Off: none a
  9. Shut that window Second bottom Queen of the south come calling to the Caledonian Stadium to take on second top Inverness Caledonian Thistle. Saturday afternoon at 3:00pm is the kick-off. Queens have lost their last two fixtures and Inverness are without a win in their last three games. Time to close the transfer window before we have nobody left to play out the season. OFFICIAL PREVIEW/STREAMING/TICKET INFO Venue Pld Won Drn Lst For Agst + / - Home 20 12 2 6 36 24 +12 Away 19 8 7 4 33 20 +13 Neutral 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Total 39 20 9 10 69 44 +25 Pos Team Pld W D L F A Pts 1. Arbroath 21 10 8 3 33 15 38 2. Inverness CT 20 10 6 4 27 15 36 3. Kilmarnock 20 11 3 6 26 14 36 4. Raith Rovers 21 9 8 4 28 20 35 5. Partick Thistle 19 9 5 5 32 18 32 6. Hamilton Ac. 21 6 6 9 24 36 24 7. Ayr United 20 5 6 9 19 32 21 8. Morton 20 3 8 9 22 31 17 9. Q.O.S. 20 4 5 11 19 31 17 10. Dunfermline 20 2 9 9 18 36 15 FRIDAY 19:45 Partick 1-1 Killie SATURDAY 15:00 Ayr Utd v Morton Dunfermline v Hamilton Inverness v Queens Raith Rovers v Arbroath Inverness have picked up six points from the two games between the clubs this season, both ending 2-1 in favour of the Caley Jags. CTO Summary from 25th September: Goals from Sean Welsh and Michael Gardyne were just enough to put Inverness back to the top of the table despite a worldy goal from Lee Connelly for the visitors. Inverness deserved the win but made hard work of it before Gardyne scored a superb volley to win the points and ease the fans nerves. CTO Summary from 19th November: The visitors opened the scoring when Billy Mckay converted a first half penalty. They doubled their lead when he added a second from a superb Carson cross but Queens forced a tense finish when Lee Connelly smashed the ball into the net to give them hope. However Inverness saw out the game to claim the points and move a point behind leaders Kilmarnock who play Arbroath on Saturday. Last Time Out The Caley Jags recovered from a goal down to draw with Raith Rovers last weekend. The points were shared thanks to two spectacular goals from Ethan Ross and Reece McAlear. A poor first half for the hosts saw Raith lead at the break but a better performance after the interval earned a share of the points although Raith will be aggrieved that they never ended their 22 year wait for a win over Inverness. Queens were deservedly beaten by Kilmarnock in a 2-0 defeat at Palmerston. Alan Johnston had this to say about it on BBC Sport: "It was never a penalty. There was a tug of the shirt but I've seen it again and it was way outside the box. But we continue to give away cheap goals. We have a fight on our hands. That's for sure." That's something like only four wins in 25 games since Alan Johnston went to Palmerston. The sort of form that gets teams relegated. Unfortunately, on the whole, we seldom take full advantage of this and often find ourselves struggling to dominate these games. That needs to change now if we want to remain interested in topping this league. Showing some urgency from the start would be an improvement on recent offerings. Latest Team News Billy Dodds saw Sean Welsh return last week as a second half substitute against Raith Rovers. Aaron Dorran missed out with a thigh injury and is a major doubt. Youth player Harry Hennem will continue his loan spell at Brora Rangers until the end of the season. More disturbing news though if true is that Scott Allardice is allegedly out for the season if you believe the latest rumours. Another equally disappointing one is that Robbie Deas is the subject of a six figure bid (£150K) by St Johnstone to lure our defender to McDiarmid Park, following the footsteps of defenders Jamie McCart and Shaun Rooney. Meh! I bet that next up for scrutiny will be Shane Sutherland; what's the odds on that... As an aside, but equally annoying: Daniel Mackay has joined Killie on loan, and loan Ranger Kai Kennedy has gone to Hamilton Accies. Willie Gibson should return for Queens who should also have former County and Inverness player Alex Cooper plying his trade at left back. Keeper Sol Brynn has been recalled by Middlesbrough but midfielder Don McMahon comes back from his loan to Dalbeattie Star. Here's Doddsy...
  10. Shut that window Second bottom Queen of the south come calling to the Caledonian Stadium to take on second top Inverness Caledonian Thistle. Saturday afternoon at 3:00pm is the kick-off. Queens have lost their last two fixtures and Inverness are without a win in their last three games. Time to close the transfer window before we have nobody left to play out the season. Venue - H2H Pld Won Drn Lst For Agst + / - Home 20 12 2 6 36 24 +12 Away 19 8 7 4 33 20 +13 Neutral 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Total 39 20 9 10 69 44 +25 OFFICIAL PREVIEW Pos Team Pld W D L F A Pts 1. Arbroath 21 10 8 3 33 15 38 2. Inverness CT 20 10 6 4 27 15 36 3. Kilmarnock 20 11 3 6 26 14 36 4. Raith Rovers 21 9 8 4 28 20 35 5. Partick Thistle 19 9 5 5 32 18 32 6. Hamilton Ac. 21 6 6 9 24 36 24 7. Ayr United 20 5 6 9 19 32 21 8. Morton 20 3 8 9 22 31 17 9. Q.O.S. 20 4 5 11 19 31 17 10. Dunfermline 20 2 9 9 18 36 15 FRIDAY 19:45 Partick v Killie SATURDAY 15:00 Ayr Utd v Morton Dunfermline v Hamilton Inverness v Queens Raith Rovers v Arbroath Inverness have picked up six points from the two games between the clubs this season, both ending 2-1 in favour of the Caley Jags. CTO Summary from 25th September: Goals from Sean Welsh and Michael Gardyne were just enough to put Inverness back to the top of the table despite a worldy goal from Lee Connelly for the visitors. Inverness deserved the win but made hard work of it before Gardyne scored a superb volley to win the points and ease the fans nerves. CTO Summary from 19th November: The visitors opened the scoring when Billy Mckay converted a first half penalty. They doubled their lead when he added a second from a superb Carson cross but Queens forced a tense finish when Lee Connelly smashed the ball into the net to give them hope. However Inverness saw out the game to claim the points and move a point behind leaders Kilmarnock who play Arbroath on Saturday. Last Time Out The Caley Jags recovered from a goal down to draw with Raith Rovers last weekend. The points were shared thanks to two spectacular goals from Ethan Ross and Reece McAlear. A poor first half for the hosts saw Raith lead at the break but a better performance after the interval earned a share of the points although Raith will be aggrieved that they never ended their 22 year wait for a win over Inverness. Queens were deservedly beaten by Kilmarnock in a 2-0 defeat at Palmerston. Alan Johnston had this to say about it on BBC Sport: "It was never a penalty. There was a tug of the shirt but I've seen it again and it was way outside the box. But we continue to give away cheap goals. We have a fight on our hands. That's for sure." That's something like only four wins in 25 games since Alan Johnston went to Palmerston. The sort of form that gets teams relegated. Unfortunately, on the whole, we seldom take full advantage of this and often find ourselves struggling to dominate these games. That needs to change now if we want to remain interested in topping this league. Showing some urgency from the start would be an improvement on recent offerings. Latest Team News Billy Dodds saw Sean Welsh return last week as a second half substitute against Raith Rovers. Aaron Dorran missed out with a thigh injury and is a major doubt. Youth player Harry Hennem will continue his loan spell at Brora Rangers until the end of the season. More disturbing news though if true is that Scott Allardice is allegedly out for the season if you believe the latest rumours. Another equally disappointing one is that Robbie Deas is the subject of a six figure bid by St Johnstone to lure our defender to McDiarmid Park, following the footsteps of defenders Jamie McCart and Shaun Rooney. Meh! Next up for scrutiny will be Shane Sutherland... As an aside, but equally annoying: Daniel Mackay has joined Killie on loan, and loan Ranger Kai Kennedy has gone to Hamilton Accies. Willie Gibson should return for Queens who should also have former County and Inverness player Alex Cooper plying his trade at left back. Keeper Sol Brynn has been recalled by Middlesbrough but midfielder Don McMahon comes back from his loan to Dalbeattie Star.
  11. Rovers still waiting after 22 years Title challengers clashed at the Caledonian Stadium for the second time this season and it was only Killie that benefitted after a score draw in the Highlands. A spectacular strike from Ethan Ross put Raith in front as the hosts struggled to create anything. Mark Ridgers had to be alert to deny Ross Mathews a second goal to keep it at one before the interval. We upped the pace after the interval, but chances were still at a premium early on. However, our pressure paid off when Reece McAlear lashed a low shot behind the outstretched Jamie Macdonald from near thirty yards to level the game, and despite efforts from both sides it remained 1-1 at full time. ÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷ Inverness were without Aaron Doran although Sean Welsh made the bench. Anthony McDonald and Michael Gardyne were already out the door, one of them with the well wishes from ICTFC. Raith had long term absentees in Lewis Vaughan and Brad Spencer but Christophe Berra returned after suspension and recent additions Ben Williamson, Sam Stanton and Jamie Gullan were all in the squad. It was an excellent afternoon for a game of football, a flat calm after the horrendous conditions of last week. Game on! It was a cagey opening quarter to the game as both sides probed for an opening. Sam Stanton and Ben Williamson were looking sharp for the visitors who looked to carry more direct threat when they went forward whilst the hosts flattered to deceive as they strolled around the park as if it was a Sunday League kick about. The best Inverness could muster was a blocked Billy Mckay shot from a very tight angle where there was virtually no hope of finding the net. In contrast the visitors movement and pace was a joy to behold, then I remembered they were the opposition. The goal was a prime example of the different approach the teams had to attacking football. Mark Ridgers quickly threw the ball out to Tom Walsh who ran thirty yards with the ball before being halted on the edge of the box, seemingly exhausted by his effort. Jamie MacDonald gathered the ball and sent it up the park to Ross who shrugged off a challenge, drove forward and powered a shot into the top corner. I rest my case. After twenty minutes of anti-football, the game exploded into life with a stunning strike from Ethan Ross. He gathered the ball just inside the Inverness half and easily turned his marker. He drove into space twenty yards further forward before unleashing an unstoppable shot high into Ridgers' right side from around thirty-yards. What a goal that was, and you could only applaud the strike, although questions should be asked about the space afforded to Ross. Billy Mckay looked to have levelled matters but his strike from six yards was ruled to be offside after he latched onto the ball when it was lobbed back into the box. Ten minutes before the break Mathew Ross forced Ridgers to dive low to his left to keep out a speculative twenty-five yard effort that was creeping in at the near post, the keeper turning the ball round the post for a corner. After his stunning goal, Ross must have been hugely disappointed to drag a shot wide from fifteen yards seven minutes before the break. Half Time 0-1 Dodds had seen enough and changed things around at the interval, hooking the ineffective David Carson and right back Wallace Duffy for Reece McAlear and Manny Duku. Despite the changes, Raith were still on top although there appeared to be more urgency about our play and Frankie Musonda headed over before Ethan Varion shot wide. Duku was looking to be a handful for the Raith defenders with his awkward style and he had a pop at goal from the edge of the box but it lacked the power to beat MacDonald and he held it comfortably. However, the tide was slowly turning and a weak Mckay header went wide before McAlear volleyed over the bar from inside the box. Reghan Tumilty missed a great opportunity to put some distance between the sides after a run down the right, but his cross come shot missed the target and his strikers and the chance was wasted. Musonda saw Ridgers save and at the other end Mckay headed weakly again. nonetheless the raids on the visitors goal were becoming more intensified. Half time substitute Reece McAlear squared the game with another superb finish from a similar position that Mathews tried from before the interval. The on loan midfielder fired a vicious low shot that skidded before bouncing across MacDonald into the bottom corner. Another superb goal from Reece, his second for the club. There was still time for the keepers to deny Aaron Arnott and Billy Mckay before time ran out and the points were shared as the game ended in frantic mode. Overall a draw was just about right. After an infuriatingly frustrating first half we got to grips with the pace of the game and two tremendous strikes maintained the status quo at the head of the table with Arbroath going down to Ayr united and Accies drawing with Partick. Killie tightened it all up after beating Queen of the South 2-0 in Dumfries. Best for Inverness were goal hero McAlear with Mark Ridgers making crucial saves to help us earn the point. From BBC Sport Inverness CT head coach Billy Dodds: "We didn't have our best day in the first half. The subs that came on did really well, not just because Reece scored. They just had an impact and that's what I needed. "I thought we deserved a draw in the end but I would have loved three points. We worked hard, created a few chances and could have stolen it." Raith Rovers manager, John McGlynn: "We are a bit gutted for the players who put so much effort into the game. We attacked really well, much better than we have been doing recently. Great goal by Ethan Ross and I've got to say their strike was a great goal as well. "It's never an easy place to come. We've not got a great record here. Although we are disappointed we take the point - we take the positives and dust ourselves down for next week." Dodds talking after the game... Reece McAlear Full Highlights from ICTV Date: 08/01/2022 Venue: Caledonian Stadium Attendance: 478 Referee: Don Robertson Inverness CT: 1 Manager: Billy Dodds Lineup: Ridgers; Duffy (McAlear 45), Broadfoot, Devine, Deas, Walsh, Carson (Duku 45), Allardice Welsh (73), Harper, Sutherland, Mckay Subs (not used): Esson; L Nicholson, Jamieson, MacGregor Scorers: McAlear (86) Booked: Devine (47) Sent Off: none Raith Rovers: 1 Manager: John McGlynn Lineup: MacDonald; Tumilty, Musonda, Berra, Dick, Mathews, Benedictus, Stanton, Varian (Poplatnik 76), Williamson (Arnott 84), Ross (Gullan 51) Subs (not used): Thomson, Lang, Zanatta, Connolly Scorers: Ross (24) Booked: Williamson (31), Dick (73), Gullan (80), Berra (81) Sent Off: none a
  12. Duku Derby First home game of the year has third placed and fellow title contenders Raith Rovers coming North to face second place Inverness at the Caledonian Stadium on Saturday. The game is scheduled to kick off at 3:00pm, but given the recent weather and covid restrictions, don't hold your breath. This game has a restricted crowd of 500 Willy Wonka golden tickets allocated. Fear not if you failed to get a hold of a ticket as ICTV will be streaming the game at a mere £15. MATCH INFO OFFICIAL PREVIEW LIVE STREAMING £15 Pos Team Pld W D L F A Pts 1. Arbroath 20 10 8 2 33 14 38 2. Inverness CT 19 10 5 4 26 14 35 3. Raith Rovers 20 9 7 4 27 19 34 4. Kilmarnock 19 10 3 6 24 14 33 5. Partick Thistle 18 9 4 5 30 16 31 6. Hamilton Ac. 20 6 5 9 22 34 23 7. Ayr United 19 4 6 9 18 32 18 8. Q.O.S. 19 4 5 10 19 29 17 9. Dunfermline 19 2 9 8 18 31 15 10. Morton 19 2 8 9 17 31 14 Full fixture list scheduled for Saturday 8th January, all 3:00pm. Ayr Utd v Arbroath Accies v Partick Caley Jags v Raith Rovers Queens v Killie Morton v Dunfermline Venue - Head 2 Head Pld Won Drn Lst For Agst + / - Home 18 13 3 2 36 13 +23 Away 14 7 4 3 27 17 +10 Neutral 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Total 32 20 7 5 63 30 +33 The stats are stacked heavily against Rovers who we seem to hold the Indian sign over. All of their wins came in the early years, their last triumph over ninety minutes was a 2-1 win at the Caledonian Stadium back in October 2000. Ian Broadfoot had this report on the game: Injury-hit Caley Thistle lost this game because of a poor first half display. Despite this they nearly took the lead in 13 minutes when a David Bagan shot was blocked by Greig McCulloch and spun over the bar. Raith scored first in 16 minutes when Jim Calder failed to hold a Shaun Dennis cross and Jay Stein hit home the loose ball from six yards. In 21 minutes a poor headed clearance by Stuart McCaffrey was picked up by Andrew Clark and he set up Ivan Mballa and the Frenchman slammed the ball into the net from 12 yards. ICT had a penalty claim turned down in 38 minutes when Charlie Christie was brought down by Paul Browne. After the break the home side improved but Guido Van de Kamp denied them on several occasions. Paul Sheerin pulled one back in 79 minutes when he netted from close range after a good cut back by Roy McBain. Four minutes later Sheerin watched in frustration as Van de Kamp saved his low shot. As time ran out he came close twice more but Raith held on to win. This seasons encounters show that a superb Roddy MacGregor strike was the difference between the sides back in August. MacGregor Stunner: Inverness maintained their winning start to the league campaign, but it took a stunning half volley from substitute Roddy MacGregor to settle the points. It had been a relatively even game with the hosts having slightly the better of it throughout. Jamie MacDonald had pulled off three or four decent saves before Roddy struck from 25 yards, the ball flashing into the net past an outstretched keeper after some neat interplay outside the box involving Sutherland and Duku. Six points from two games, we could not have asked for a better start to the Championship. The return fixture at Starks Park ended all square. And the wait goes on: Plenty of endeavour in the first half at Starks Park but little quality in the final third resulted in a game void of goalmouth action over the first forty-five minutes for both sides. Biggest talking point was the sending off just before the break of Ross Mathews for what looked like a rash studs up challenge. Contentious maybe, but straight red dished out. After the break more space saw more chances created but it was Raith that broke forward and scored through Aidan Connolly. Inverness struggled to get back on level terms but eventually did ten minutes from the end when Sean Welsh drilled home from the edge of the box and that ended the scoring. Raith's quest for a win over Inverness goes into a 22nd year. Killie were the only winners in the Championship and closed the gap to three points but Inverness remain top. There was also a Challenge Cup game at the end of November where both sides made numerous changes. That went to a penalty shoot-out which Raith won 5-4 after a goalless ninety minutes. Last time out Inverness drew at Gayfield in a game dominated by the wind which made the pitch virtually unplayable. Prior to that we have not played since the shambles of the 2-1 home loss to Hamilton Accies on the 18th December. Raith drew 0-0 with Dunfermline on 2nd January as we were being blown around Gayfield. Raith have not won in their last three games with their form taking a dip recently. So, fairly uninspiring stuff from both sides ahead of this clash at the top. Latest Team News Billy Dodds has been without Sean Welsh since he was injured in the Scottish Cup tie versus Morton on the 7th December. We will hopefully have more players available after covid struck and isolations hit the club. Aaron Doran has been added to the injury list and will be out for a couple of weeks. One man who will be seen no more is Michael Gardyne who has left the building by mutual consent following some alleged misconduct which had an upsetting effect on the morale in the dressing room. He has appropriately joined the 'Table Endies' at Links Park. Also leaving the club but on better terms, Anthony McDonald's loan deal has expired and after only five appearances he has also left the building. Raith Rovers have signed Hibs forward Jamie Gullan on a two and a half year deal. The 'Hammer' has been on loan at Starks Park three times previously making fifty appearances and already has 14 Rovers goals to his name. Christophe Berra should return to action for Raith. Here's Billy - Where's Wally? View full article
  13. Duku Derby First home game of the year has third placed and fellow title contenders Raith Rovers coming North to face second place Inverness at the Caledonian Stadium on Saturday. The game is scheduled to kick off at 3:00pm, but given the recent weather and covid restrictions, don't hold your breath. This game has a restricted crowd of 500 Willy Wonka golden tickets allocated. Fear not if you failed to get a hold of a ticket as ICTV will be streaming the game at a mere £15. MATCH INFO OFFICIAL PREVIEW LIVE STREAMING £15 Pos Team Pld W D L F A Pts 1. Arbroath 20 10 8 2 33 14 38 2. Inverness CT 19 10 5 4 26 14 35 3. Raith Rovers 20 9 7 4 27 19 34 4. Kilmarnock 19 10 3 6 24 14 33 5. Partick Thistle 18 9 4 5 30 16 31 6. Hamilton Ac. 20 6 5 9 22 34 23 7. Ayr United 19 4 6 9 18 32 18 8. Q.O.S. 19 4 5 10 19 29 17 9. Dunfermline 19 2 9 8 18 31 15 10. Morton 19 2 8 9 17 31 14 Full fixture list scheduled for Saturday 8th January, all 3:00pm. Ayr Utd v Arbroath Accies v Partick Caley Jags v Raith Rovers Queens v Killie Morton v Dunfermline Venue - Head 2 Head Pld Won Drn Lst For Agst + / - Home 18 13 3 2 36 13 +23 Away 14 7 4 3 27 17 +10 Neutral 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Total 32 20 7 5 63 30 +33 The stats are stacked heavily against Rovers who we seem to hold the Indian sign over. All of their wins came in the early years, their last triumph over ninety minutes was a 2-1 win at the Caledonian Stadium back in October 2000. Ian Broadfoot had this report on the game: Injury-hit Caley Thistle lost this game because of a poor first half display. Despite this they nearly took the lead in 13 minutes when a David Bagan shot was blocked by Greig McCulloch and spun over the bar. Raith scored first in 16 minutes when Jim Calder failed to hold a Shaun Dennis cross and Jay Stein hit home the loose ball from six yards. In 21 minutes a poor headed clearance by Stuart McCaffrey was picked up by Andrew Clark and he set up Ivan Mballa and the Frenchman slammed the ball into the net from 12 yards. ICT had a penalty claim turned down in 38 minutes when Charlie Christie was brought down by Paul Browne. After the break the home side improved but Guido Van de Kamp denied them on several occasions. Paul Sheerin pulled one back in 79 minutes when he netted from close range after a good cut back by Roy McBain. Four minutes later Sheerin watched in frustration as Van de Kamp saved his low shot. As time ran out he came close twice more but Raith held on to win. This seasons encounters show that a superb Roddy MacGregor strike was the difference between the sides back in August. MacGregor Stunner: Inverness maintained their winning start to the league campaign, but it took a stunning half volley from substitute Roddy MacGregor to settle the points. It had been a relatively even game with the hosts having slightly the better of it throughout. Jamie MacDonald had pulled off three or four decent saves before Roddy struck from 25 yards, the ball flashing into the net past an outstretched keeper after some neat interplay outside the box involving Sutherland and Duku. Six points from two games, we could not have asked for a better start to the Championship. The return fixture at Starks Park ended all square. And the wait goes on: Plenty of endeavour in the first half at Starks Park but little quality in the final third resulted in a game void of goalmouth action over the first forty-five minutes for both sides. Biggest talking point was the sending off just before the break of Ross Mathews for what looked like a rash studs up challenge. Contentious maybe, but straight red dished out. After the break more space saw more chances created but it was Raith that broke forward and scored through Aidan Connolly. Inverness struggled to get back on level terms but eventually did ten minutes from the end when Sean Welsh drilled home from the edge of the box and that ended the scoring. Raith's quest for a win over Inverness goes into a 22nd year. Killie were the only winners in the Championship and closed the gap to three points but Inverness remain top. There was also a Challenge Cup game at the end of November where both sides made numerous changes. That went to a penalty shoot-out which Raith won 5-4 after a goalless ninety minutes. Last time out Inverness drew at Gayfield in a game dominated by the wind which made the pitch virtually unplayable. Prior to that we have not played since the shambles of the 2-1 home loss to Hamilton Accies on the 18th December. Raith drew 0-0 with Dunfermline on 2nd January as we were being blown around Gayfield. Raith have not won in their last three games with their form taking a dip recently. So, fairly uninspiring stuff from both sides ahead of this clash at the top. Latest Team News Billy Dodds has been without Sean Welsh since he was injured in the Scottish Cup tie versus Morton on the 7th December. We will hopefully have more players available after covid struck and isolations hit the club. Aaron Doran has been added to the injury list and will be out for a couple of weeks. One man who will be seen no more is Michael Gardyne who has left the building by mutual consent following some alleged misconduct which had an upsetting effect on the morale in the dressing room. He has appropriately joined the 'Table Endies' at Links Park. Also leaving the club but on better terms, Anthony McDonald's contract has expired and after only five appearances this season he has also left the building and has signed on at Edinburgh City. Raith Rovers have signed Hibs forward Jamie Gullan on a two and a half year deal. The 'Hammer' has been on loan at Starks Park three times previously making fifty appearances and already has 14 Rovers goals to his name. McGlynn has moved early in the market and midfielder Ben Williamson comes in on loan from Rangers and Sam Stanton from Dundalk. Christophe Berra should return to action for Raith, but Lewis Vaughan and Brad Spencer are out long term. Here's Billy - Where's Wally?
  14. Omicron 1-0 Football Game off due to outbreak of covid Read Club Statement here You might as well have the Preview anyway, it's no use to anyone now Omicron has appeared just in time to ruin Xmas, well, to be more precise, Boxing day. New restrictions will be in place for all games from Boxing Day, so be sure to check the Match Info from your club as a 500 crowd limit will be imposed on outdoor events. Unfortunately, what that means is that NO away fans will be permitted in to the Stadium. Omicron or not, how appropriate is it that we should play against the team that has Brian Graham plying his trade for them on Boxing Day. Yes, Partick Thistle are the opponents on the day when traditionally, gifts are given to the poor during the season of goodwill to all men, apart from Brian Graham. You can catch the action at 3:00pm on Sunday or watch the live stream from ICTV for £15. We passed on the opportunity to consolidate our position at the top of the table last weekend which has baffled many after the thrashing dished out to Morton the previous week. Accies threw a spanner in the works winning at the Caledonian Stadium last week which resulted in part time Arbroath hitting the top of the table on goal difference half way through the season. You've got to doff your cap to the main man with the bunnet who has done a tremendous job at Gayfield. Nonetheless, Merry Xmas from the CTO editorial team Pos Team Pld W D L F A Pts 1. Arbroath 18 9 7 2 30 14 34 2. Inverness CT 18 10 4 4 26 14 34 3. Raith Rovers 18 9 6 3 27 17 33 4. Partick Thistle 18 9 4 5 30 16 31 5. Kilmarnock 17 9 2 6 20 11 29 6. Hamilton Ac. 18 5 5 8 17 31 20 7. Q.O.S. 18 4 5 9 19 26 17 8. Ayr United 18 3 6 9 16 32 15 9. Dunfermline 17 2 8 7 18 28 14 10. Morton 18 2 7 9 16 30 13 Other Championship games on Boxing Day Ayr Utd v Rovers Dunfermline v Arbroath FC Accies v Killie Morton v Queens Venue - Head 2 Head Pld Won Drn Lst For Agst + / - Home 21 9 5 7 33 30 +3 Away 20 5 6 9 21 28 -7 Neutral 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Total 41 14 11 16 54 58 -4 Last Time out We went down 2-1 at home to Accies after surrendering a lead given to us through Cameron Harper in the 65th minute. That was his second goal for the club, his first in the Championship. Two goals in the space of three minutes from David Moyo and Andy Winter turned the game on it's head as Accies responded when we regressed. As we passed up chances to score it was deja vu from the first encounter this season, but they had eleven on the park this time. Disappointing result and we need to be more clinical around the box. Strange thing to have to say given the way we dealt with Morton, but an all too familiar scenario this season. Partick did us all a favour at the weekend when a late goal in the fog at Firhill saw them beat 10 man Raith Rovers and put themselves back in contention only three points off the pace. Kyle Turner scored the winner in the 96th minute with Raith playing out the final half hour without the red carded Cristophe Berra. First encounter this season ended at 3-1 to the Caley Jags after Partick had dominated the opening 45. Here's our summary from that game: After a difficult first half, Inverness ran out comfortable winners against Partick Thistle in a second half goal blitz. The visitors dominated the first forty-five and Scott Tiffoney drilled the opener out of nothing as the defence backed off. Manny Duku was denied by a combination of keeper and post but it was Partick that should have scored a second, however Mark Ridgers did well to deny Brian Graham. Harsh talking at the break saw Inverness come out for the second half with the bit between the teeth and Kirk Broadfoot was the unlikely hero as his twenty yard shot evaded the outstretched fingertips of the keeper to level the score. Shane Sutherland did well to drill in the second from an angle after the keeper fluffed his lines allowing Shane to slot in from twenty yards. The third was a peach as Duku stepped over the ball and Aaron Doran fired high into the net for a brilliant goal and game over. That's five wins out of five and the run goes on... Perennial cheat Brian Graham seemed to be involved in an off the ball altercation which left David Carson enraged. He was removed from the park by McCall immediately after. It's about time this thug in a football strip was taken to task. Latest Team News Billy Dodds has been without Sean Welsh for a couple of weeks and Aaron Doran limped off last week against Accies. Otherwise, we should have a fairly full squad to choose from unless we have had any more mystery training injuries to contend with. Loosely connected to three of the teams mentioned in this preview, I see that Dougie Imrie has been appointed as the new Morton manager. The former Accies, Inverness and Morton player has a tough job on his hands there but good luck to him in that role. Ian McCall View full article
  15. Omicron 1-0 Football   Game off due to outbreak of covid Read Club Statement here You might as well have the Preview anyway, it's no use to anyone now  Omicron has appeared just in time to ruin Xmas, well, to be more precise, Boxing day. New restrictions will be in place for all games from Boxing Day, so be sure to check the Match Info from your club as a 500 crowd limit will be imposed on outdoor events. Unfortunately, what that means is that NO away fans will be permitted in to the Stadium. Omicron or not, how appropriate is it that we should play against the team that has Brian Graham plying his trade for them on Boxing Day. Yes, Partick Thistle are the opponents on the day when traditionally, gifts are given to the poor during the season of goodwill to all men, apart from Brian Graham. You can catch the action at 3:00pm on Sunday or watch the live stream from ICTV for £15. We passed on the opportunity to consolidate our position at the top of the table last weekend which has baffled many after the thrashing dished out to Morton the previous week. Accies threw a spanner in the works winning at the Caledonian Stadium last week which resulted in part time Arbroath hitting the top of the table on goal difference half way through the season. You've got to doff your cap to the main man with the bunnet who has done a tremendous job at Gayfield.  Nonetheless, Merry Xmas from the CTO editorial team    Pos Team Pld W D L F A Pts   1. Arbroath 18 9 7 2 30 14 34 2. Inverness CT 18 10 4 4 26 14 34 3. Raith Rovers 18 9 6 3 27 17 33 4. Partick Thistle 18 9 4 5 30 16 31 5. Kilmarnock 17 9 2 6 20 11 29 6. Hamilton Ac. 18 5 5 8 17 31 20 7. Q.O.S. 18 4 5 9 19 26 17 8. Ayr United 18 3 6 9 16 32 15 9. Dunfermline 17 2 8 7 18 28 14 10. Morton 18 2 7 9 16 30 13 Other Championship games on Boxing Day Ayr Utd v Rovers Dunfermline v Arbroath FC Accies v Killie Morton v Queens   Venue - Head 2 Head Pld Won Drn Lst For Agst + / - Home 21 9 5 7 33 30 +3 Away 20 5 6 9 21 28 -7 Neutral 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Total 41 14 11 16 54 58 -4 Last Time out We went down 2-1 at home to Accies after surrendering a lead given to us through Cameron Harper in the 65th minute. That was his second goal for the club, his first in the Championship. Two goals in the space of three minutes from David Moyo and Andy Winter turned the game on it's head as Accies responded when we regressed. As we passed up chances to score it was deja vu from the first encounter this season, but they had eleven on the park this time. Disappointing result and we need to be more clinical around the box. Strange thing to have to say given the way we dealt with Morton, but an all too familiar scenario this season. Partick did us all a favour at the weekend when a late goal in the fog at Firhill saw them beat 10 man Raith Rovers and put themselves back in contention only three points off the pace. Kyle Turner scored the winner in the 96th minute with Raith playing out the final half hour without the red carded Cristophe Berra. First encounter this season ended at 3-1 to the Caley Jags after Partick had dominated the opening 45. Here's our summary from that game: After a difficult first half, Inverness ran out comfortable winners against Partick Thistle in a second half goal blitz. The visitors dominated the first forty-five and Scott Tiffoney drilled the opener out of nothing as the defence backed off. Manny Duku was denied by a combination of keeper and post but it was Partick that should have scored a second, however Mark Ridgers did well to deny Brian Graham. Harsh talking at the break saw Inverness come out for the second half with the bit between the teeth and Kirk Broadfoot was the unlikely hero as his twenty yard shot evaded the outstretched fingertips of the keeper to level the score. Shane Sutherland did well to drill in the second from an angle after the keeper fluffed his lines allowing Shane to slot in from twenty yards. The third was a peach as Duku stepped over the ball and Aaron Doran fired high into the net for a brilliant goal and game over. That's five wins out of five and the run goes on... Perennial cheat Brian Graham seemed to be involved in an off the ball altercation which left David Carson enraged. He was removed from the park by McCall immediately after. It's about time this thug in a football strip was taken to task. Latest Team News Billy Dodds has been without Sean Welsh for a couple of weeks and Aaron Doran limped off last week against Accies. Otherwise, we should have a fairly full squad to choose from unless we have had any more mystery training injuries to contend with. Loosely connected to three of the teams mentioned in this preview, I see that Dougie Imrie has been appointed as the new Morton manager. The former Accies, Inverness and Morton player has a tough job on his hands there but good luck to him in that role. Ian McCall
  16. Xmas is coming We face Hamilton Accies on Saturday in the Championship, fresh from our mauling of Morton last weekend, but can we sustain that level of intensity as we enter the heavy winter schedule? The game kicks off at 3:00pm at the Caledonian Stadium with live streaming available from ICTV at £15 if you are unable to get to the stadium. We are due Accies a doing after our lousy performance down there on 2nd October against ten men for over an hour. Let's hope we can continue to build on our performance from last weekend. If not, Raith, Arbroath, Killie and Partick are waiting in the wings... OFFICIAL PREVIEW MATCH INFO*TICKETS*STREAMING Venue - Head 2 Head Pld Won Drn Lst For Agst + / - Home 13 4 4 5 20 17 +3 Away 10 6 1 3 16 12 +4 Neutral 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Total 23 10 5 8 36 29 +7 First Competitive Meeting Jan 25th, 1997 Scottish Cup (Rd 3) (H) 1 - 3 Most Recent Competitive Meeting Oct 2nd, 2021 League (Championship) (A) 1 - 2 Last 10 Competitive Meetings 1 - 2 (A) 2 - 1 (H) 0 - 3 (A) 1 - 1 (H) 1 - 1 (A) 1 - 0 (A) 0 - 1 (H) 4 - 3 (A) 0 - 2 (H) 2 - 0 (A) The first meeting of the clubs this season saw Inverness fail to beat ten man Accies at NDP despite the hosts playing over half the game a man short. Lewis Smith and Andy Ryan had put Accies two up inside twenty-six minutes before Reegan Mimnaugh was red carded after half an hour. We huffed and puffed for the next hour before eventually getting an injury time consolation by he who shall not be named, but it was too little too late to retrieve the situation. That was our first League defeat of the season at the Fountain of Youth, but it left us three points clear of Kilmarnock in second place at the beginning of October. Since then we have gained a further fifteen points and remain top, but with Raith Rovers and Arbroath breathing down our neck. Accies have added nine points since that first meeting and are heading the bottom half of the table in a League where anyone can beat the rest on their day. Other fixtures this weekend Arbroath v Morton Kilmarnock v Dunfermline Partick v Rovers Queens v Ayr Utd Pos Team Pld W D L F A Pts 1. Inverness CT 17 10 4 3 25 12 34 2. Raith Rovers 17 9 6 2 27 16 33 3. Arbroath 17 8 7 2 28 13 31 4. Kilmarnock 17 9 2 6 20 11 29 5. Partick Thistle 17 8 4 5 29 16 28 6. Hamilton Ac. 17 4 5 8 15 30 17 7. Ayr United 17 3 6 8 16 29 15 8. Dunfermline 17 2 8 7 18 28 14 9. Q.O.S. 17 3 5 9 16 26 14 10. Morton 17 2 7 8 15 28 13 Last Time Out We trounced a hapless Morton 6-1 at Cappiellow. Doran, Sutherland (2), Mckay, McAlear with a screamer and Jamieson scored the goals in a one sided affair. Ugwu replied for Morton just on the break from the spot. Accies drew 1-1 at Somerset Park with Ayr United in a highly competitive encounter. They opened the scoring through Lewis Smith five minutes before the interval but Tomi Adeloye headed Ayr level three minutes after the break and that's how it ended. Latest Team News Sean Welsh will require more time to rest up. Other than that we should have a fairly healthy squad although Roddy MacGregor was also missing last week. View full article
  17. Xmas is coming We face Hamilton Accies on Saturday in the Championship, fresh from our mauling of Morton last weekend, but can we sustain that level of intensity as we enter the heavy winter schedule? The game kicks off at 3:00pm at the Caledonian Stadium with live streaming available from ICTV at £15 if you are unable to get to the stadium. We are due Accies a doing after our lousy performance down there on 2nd October against ten men for over an hour. Let's hope we can continue to build on our performance from last weekend. If not, Raith, Arbroath, Killie and Partick are waiting in the wings... OFFICIAL PREVIEW MATCH INFO*TICKETS*STREAMING Venue - Head 2 Head Pld Won Drn Lst For Agst + / - Home 13 4 4 5 20 17 +3 Away 10 6 1 3 16 12 +4 Neutral 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Total 23 10 5 8 36 29 +7 First Competitive Meeting Jan 25th, 1997 Scottish Cup (Rd 3) (H) 1 - 3 Most Recent Competitive Meeting Oct 2nd, 2021 League (Championship) (A) 1 - 2 Last 10 Competitive Meetings 1 - 2 (A) 2 - 1 (H) 0 - 3 (A) 1 - 1 (H) 1 - 1 (A) 1 - 0 (A) 0 - 1 (H) 4 - 3 (A) 0 - 2 (H) 2 - 0 (A) The first meeting of the clubs this season saw Inverness fail to beat ten man Accies at NDP despite the hosts playing over half the game a man short. Lewis Smith and Andy Ryan had put Accies two up inside twenty-six minutes before Reegan Mimnaugh was red carded after half an hour. We huffed and puffed for the next hour before eventually getting an injury time consolation by he who shall not be named, but it was too little too late to retrieve the situation. That was our first League defeat of the season at the Fountain of Youth, but it left us three points clear of Kilmarnock in second place at the beginning of October. Since then we have gained a further fifteen points and remain top, but with Raith Rovers and Arbroath breathing down our neck. Accies have added nine points since that first meeting and are heading the bottom half of the table in a League where anyone can beat the rest on their day. Other fixtures this weekend Arbroath v Morton Kilmarnock v Dunfermline Partick v Rovers Queens v Ayr Utd Pos Team Pld W D L F A Pts 1. Inverness CT 17 10 4 3 25 12 34 2. Raith Rovers 17 9 6 2 27 16 33 3. Arbroath 17 8 7 2 28 13 31 4. Kilmarnock 17 9 2 6 20 11 29 5. Partick Thistle 17 8 4 5 29 16 28 6. Hamilton Ac. 17 4 5 8 15 30 17 7. Ayr United 17 3 6 8 16 29 15 8. Dunfermline 17 2 8 7 18 28 14 9. Q.O.S. 17 3 5 9 16 26 14 10. Morton 17 2 7 8 15 28 13 Last Time Out We trounced a hapless Morton 6-1 at Cappiellow. Doran, Sutherland (2), Mckay, McAlear with a screamer and Jamieson scored the goals in a one sided affair. Ugwu replied for Morton just on the break from the spot. Accies drew 1-1 at Somerset Park with Ayr United in a highly competitive encounter. They opened the scoring through Lewis Smith five minutes before the interval but Tomi Adeloye headed Ayr level three minutes after the break and that's how it ended. Latest Team News Sean Welsh will require more time to rest up. Other than that we should have a fairly healthy squad although Roddy MacGregor was also missing last week.
  18. Table Toppers League leaders Kilmarnock looked determined to spoil the game as a spectacle and it was a first half of few chances. Mckay having a shot blocked for a corner by Hemming and Ridgers denying McKenzie. However, chances were at a premium and the half ended goalless. The goal that settled the game was a stunning strike from captain Sean Welsh and no more than Inverness deserved with Killie void of attacking intent. This result put Inverness back on top of the table for now. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Neither club are on the best run of form at the moment but nonetheless they are still in the congested top five in the Championship, with Killie just one point ahead of the Caley Jags at the head of the table. Could Inverness hit the top tonight or will Killie stamp their authority on the race for promotion. All to play for at the Caledonian Stadium in a Friday night TV spectacular. Inverness would wear black armbands as a tribute to assistant coach Barry Wilson's mum, Jessie, who sadly passed away this week. Oh how she would have loved to have seen how this match would play out and a goal fit to grace a tribute to a wonderful lady. RIP Jessie and heartfelt condolences to Bobby, Barry and family from the Caley Jags Family Both sides were at or very near to full strength with Billy Mckay and Shane Sutherland up top for Inverness and Kilmarnock had Liam Polworth in midfield for them with Chris Burke and Ollie Shaw in attack. A cagey opening quarter saw Inverness take the game to the visitors without being able to create anything of note, that was until the 14th minute when Roddy MacGregor fed Billy Mckay through on the inside left position, but his shot was blocked by the legs of Zach Hemming at the expense of a corner, which came to nothing. McKenzie brought out a good save from Mark Ridgers as his low curling shot was heading to the bottom corner as it skidded off the wet surface, the ball going behind for a corner. Inverness almost took the lead just before the half hour after Sean Welsh was blocked and the ball fell nicely for Sutherland. Unfortunately he placed his curled effort just off target and it hit the stanchion of the netting. Ten minutes before the break Aaron Doran found himself in space after cutting in from the left but he fired high and wide. Five minutes before the break and Doran never learned from his previous abysmal effort and he fired another effort well over the bar from thirty yards. Right on the break, Burke fired across the goal from the edge of the box and just wide to bring a dour first half to a close. That would have been an injustice on Inverness who had dominated the first forty-five. Half Time: 0-0 A livelier start to the second half saw Hemming tip away a deep cross and when Killie broke forward Ridgers had to gather a low shot from Lyons. A mix up in the Inverness box allowed Ollie Shaw a free hit but he sliced it wide from ten yards. Not quite the melee from the Morton game, but still something we need to cut out. Almost out of nothing, Inverness took the lead with a stunning strike into the top corner. Allardice did well to keep the ball and when Welsh got it outside the box he sidestepped a challenge before rifling the ball into the roof of the net from twenty-five yards. What a strike, and on the telly too! Almost a second minutes later but Tom Walsh scuffed his shot from twelve yards and Hemming made the save at full stretch, and with ten minutes left Robbie Deas fired a powerful shot just over from twenty-five yards. Full Time: 1-0 Inverness saw out the game with little fuss and kept Killie penned in their own half at the final whistle. This result puts Inverness back on the top of the table, maybe just for one day, but it was a thoroughly deserved win and the second win over Killie this season. There's him... Sean Welsh. Centre Back on Tuesday night against Raith Rovers in the Challenge Cup, Striker on Friday night in the top of the table clash with Kilmarnock and scoring a stunning winner from twenty-five yards into the top corner. That was his 13th goal for the Caley Jags. No doubt he will be back to being just another midfielder when we travel to Cappielow in midweek for a Scottish Cup replay against Morton, but what a guy. Here's our Bio for Sean: Sean started his career at Hibs and excelled in the U19 team, captaining them to a league and cup double in 2008/09 and being awarded the League Player of the Season that year but a series of injuries including a double leg-break limited his first team chances. He went on loan to Stenhousemuir and then Stirling Albion in the 2010/11 season but agreed a one year deal extension with Hibs in the interim. In July 2011 he was injured in a training session after being punched by a team-mate and required surgery to repair a broken cheekbone He made a further 8 appearances on the subs bench but did not feature on the park. A loan spell at Partick followed in early 2012 and when he was released from his contract at the end of the season he signed a two year deal with Partick. Welsh was an integral part of the 2012/13 First division championship winning side and was handed the Partick captaincy for their return to the Premiership ahead of the 2013/14 season. Once again injury hampered his season (knee) and he was limited to only 3 appearances. In 2015/16 and 2016/17 he had a total of 64 appearances scoring 6 goals. He left Partick when his contract expired. Sean was out of the game for almost 8 months before signing on a short-term deal with Falkirk during the 2017/18 season. At the end of the season he left Falkirk and signed for Caley Thistle. He scored his first goal for the club, a 48th minute penalty against Alloa in a League match at the Caledonian Stadium on August 25th 2018. Rrripper.......Booooom! Doddsy Delight Date: 03/12/2021 Venue: Caledonian Stadium Attendance: 2296 Referee: Nick Walsh Inverness CT: 1 Manager: Billy Dodds Lineup: Ridgers; Carson, Broadfoot, Devine, Deas, Doran (Harper 75), Welsh, Allardice, MacGregor (Walsh 62), Sutherland, B Mckay (McAlear 85) Subs (not used): C Mackay; McDonald, Jamieson Scorers: Welsh (69) Booked: Welsh (87) Sent Off: none Kilmarnock: 0 Manager: Tommy Wright Lineup: Hemming; Hodson, McGowan, E Murray, Waters, Lyons, Polworth (Alston 71), McKenzie (F Murray 71), Burke, Shaw, Robinson (Burrell 79) Subs (not used): Walker; Sanders, Stokes, Armstrong Scorers: none Booked: McKenzie (42) Sent Off: none a
  19. Tight at the Top   The hectic week continues with the visit of Championship leaders Kilmarnock on Friday night for a 7:45 kick off. With only two points separating the top five, there's little room to slip a fag paper between the lot of them. We managed to surreptitiously extricate ourselves from the Challenge Cup on Tuesday night to alleviate the fixture schedule thanks to a couple of weak penalties. Not too weak to bring us to the attention of everyone, but just enough to get dumped out of the event. Next up for the same treatment is a trip to Cappielow in the Scottish Cup next midweek, another waste of our time. So, let's concentrate 100% on the Championship from now until the end of the season. MATCH INFO OFFICIAL PREVIEW GAME ON BBC SCOTLAND ICTV for Season Ticket Holders     Pos Team Pld W D L F A Pts   1. Kilmarnock 15 9 2 4 20 9 29 2. Raith Rovers 15 8 5 2 26 16 29 3. Inverness CT 15 8 4 3 18 11 28 4. Partick Thistle 15 8 3 4 29 14 27 5. Arbroath 15 7 6 2 26 13 27 6. Dunfermline 15 2 7 6 15 24 13 7. Ayr United 15 3 4 8 13 26 13 8. Hamilton Ac. 15 3 4 8 13 29 13 9. Morton 15 2 6 7 12 20 12 10. Q.O.S. 15 3 3 9 13 23 12 Venue Head to Head Pld Won Drn Lst For Agst + / - Home 23 10 9 4 43 32 +11 Away 25 8 6 11 36 44 -8 Neutral 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Total 48 18 15 15 79 76 +3 Last 10 Competitive Meetings 1 - 0 (A) 1 - 2 (A) 1 - 1 (H) 1 - 1 (A) 1 - 1 (H) 3 - 1 (H) 1 - 2 (A) 2 - 1 (H) 0 - 2 (A) 3 - 3 (H) We have a decent home record overall against Killie although most of these games were in the Premier League. We shocked Killie earlier in the season when a Michael Gardyne strike earned us all three points. Killie have taken nine points from there last five Championship games, whilst we have been dropping points all over the place with only five points from a possible fifteen. We did however stop the rot with a deserved 2-1 win at Palmerston, our first win in six league games. Last Time out on league duty we beat Queen of the South 2-1 having been cruising at 2-0 with only fifteen minutes to go. However, we do nothing the easy way and had to be wary in the final fifteen after Lee Connelly threw Queens a lifeline. As it was, the two goals from Billy Mckay were enough to give us all three points. Since then we drew 1-1 with Morton in the Scottish Cup, Mckay scoring his tenth of the season in that game, and a weakened squad went out of the Challenge Cup on penalties after a 0-0 draw with Raith Rovers on Tuesday night. Killie's last league game was a home defeat by part-time Arbroath (0-1), the success story of the season so far. They followed that with a 1-0 win over Queens Park in the Scottish Cup, Euan Murray with the goal. And in the Mickey Mouse Trophy they put Accies out with a very late double to win 2-3. That was basically a second string for Killie, but unfortunately for them, they still managed to get through Latest Team News The midweek squads can be disregarded as both sides rested players. Look out for Ridgers, Broadfoot, Devine et all returning to bolster the squad for the better...... maybe. No news forthcoming on the 'niggles' front so be prepared for anything, except you know who. Killie also rested a raft of players in midweek so apart from any outstanding long term injuries, they should have a full squad to pick from.   Billy Dodds.....not really saying much to be honest      View full article
  20. Tight at the Top   The hectic week continues with the visit of Championship leaders Kilmarnock on Friday night for a 7:45 kick off. With only two points separating the top five, there's little room to slip a fag paper between the lot of them. We managed to surreptitiously extricate ourselves from the Challenge Cup on Tuesday night to alleviate the fixture schedule thanks to a couple of weak penalties. Not too weak to bring us to the attention of everyone, but just enough to get dumped out of the event. Next up for the same treatment is a trip to Cappielow in the Scottish Cup next midweek, another waste of our time. So, let's concentrate 100% on the Championship from now until the end of the season. MATCH INFO OFFICIAL PREVIEW GAME ON BBC SCOTLAND ICTV for Season Ticket Holders     Pos Team Pld W D L F A Pts   1. Kilmarnock 15 9 2 4 20 9 29 2. Raith Rovers 15 8 5 2 26 16 29 3. Inverness CT 15 8 4 3 18 11 28 4. Partick Thistle 15 8 3 4 29 14 27 5. Arbroath 15 7 6 2 26 13 27 6. Dunfermline 15 2 7 6 15 24 13 7. Ayr United 15 3 4 8 13 26 13 8. Hamilton Ac. 15 3 4 8 13 29 13 9. Morton 15 2 6 7 12 20 12 10. Q.O.S. 15 3 3 9 13 23 12 Venue Head to Head Pld Won Drn Lst For Agst + / - Home 23 10 9 4 43 32 +11 Away 25 8 6 11 36 44 -8 Neutral 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Total 48 18 15 15 79 76 +3 Last 10 Competitive Meetings 1 - 0 (A) 1 - 2 (A) 1 - 1 (H) 1 - 1 (A) 1 - 1 (H) 3 - 1 (H) 1 - 2 (A) 2 - 1 (H) 0 - 2 (A) 3 - 3 (H) We have a decent home record overall against Killie although most of these games were in the Premier League. We shocked Killie earlier in the season when a Michael Gardyne strike earned us all three points. Killie have taken nine points from there last five Championship games, whilst we have been dropping points all over the place with only five points from a possible fifteen. We did however stop the rot with a deserved 2-1 win at Palmerston, our first win in six league games. Last Time out on league duty we beat Queen of the South 2-1 having been cruising at 2-0 with only fifteen minutes to go. However, we do nothing the easy way and had to be wary in the final fifteen after Lee Connelly threw Queens a lifeline. As it was, the two goals from Billy Mckay were enough to give us all three points. Since then we drew 1-1 with Morton in the Scottish Cup, Mckay scoring his tenth of the season in that game, and a weakened squad went out of the Challenge Cup on penalties after a 0-0 draw with Raith Rovers on Tuesday night. Killie's last league game was a home defeat by part-time Arbroath (0-1), the success story of the season so far. They followed that with a 1-0 win over Queens Park in the Scottish Cup, Euan Murray with the goal. And in the Mickey Mouse Trophy they put Accies out with a very late double to win 2-3. That was basically a second string for Killie, but unfortunately for them, they still managed to get through Latest Team News The midweek squads can be disregarded as both sides rested players. Look out for Ridgers, Broadfoot, Devine et all returning to bolster the squad for the better...... maybe. No news forthcoming on the 'niggles' front so be prepared for anything, except you know who. Killie also rested a raft of players in midweek so apart from any outstanding long term injuries, they should have a full squad to pick from.   Billy Dodds.....not really saying much to be honest     
  21. Joint holders clash It's the second game of a hectic period for the Caley Jags as the joint holders of the Challenge Cup meet at the Caledonian Stadium on Tuesday night in a game that kicks-off at 7:45pm. This season it's called the SPFL Trust Trophy and last time it was held it ran out of time with Inverness and Raith being awarded joint custody of the Tunnocks Caramel Wafer Challenge Cup for 2019/2020. No event for 2020/2021 as covid was the only winner that season. Inverness have held the Challenge Cup three times with Raith holding it twice. Falkirk have the most victories with four wins. MATCH INFO & TICKETS PPV STREAMING £10 OFFICIAL PREVIEW Venue Head 2 Head Pld Won Drn Lst For Agst + / - Home 17 13 2 2 36 13 +23 Away 14 7 4 3 27 17 +10 Neutral 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Total 31 20 6 5 63 30 +33 First Competitive Meeting Sep 25th, 1999 League (H) 0 - 2 Most Recent Competitive Meeting Oct 23rd, 2021 League (Championship) (A) 1 - 1 Last 10 Competitive Meetings 1 - 1 (A) 1 - 0 (H) 1 - 0 (A) 0 - 0 (H) 2 - 0 (H) 3 - 3 (A) 4 - 1 (H) 2 - 1 (H) 1 - 0 (H) 4 - 3 (H) Despite our recent run of form, we hold the Indian sign over Raith Rovers with only two defeats in seventeen home games in all competitions, and that was not yesterday (Oct 2000)... This season it took a super strike from Roddy MacGregor to separate the sides back in August and more recently at Starks Park Aiden Connolly and Sean Welsh scored the goals in a 1-1 draw where Ross Mathews was sent off on half time for Rovers. Billy Mckay is our top scorer with 10 goals for the season, half of those coming in the Challenge Cup including a hat-trick against Elgin City in the last round. The Caley Jags put Buckie Thistle out in the previous round 4-2 with Mckay and Jamieson scoring braces. Raith got here by virtue of beating East Fife 3-1 at Starks Park. Tait, Connolly and Poplatnik the scorers for them. They put Forfar Athletic out before that scoring the only goal of the game. Latest Team News The mystery continues as the tough winter schedule kicks in and with an unwanted Scottish Cup replay coming up against Morton, the frailties of our wafer thin squad will no doubt be severely tested over the next few weeks. Unfortunately there is some unfinished personal business that is disrupting the squad and it's affecting performances on the park. It's about time the club acted professionally on this and make the paying public aware of the situation to avoid further embarrassment. A good chance to progress, but also a great opportunity to give some of our fringe players some more game time and those returning from injury. Manny Duku seems to have lost his way, but maybe he fancies a game against his old club and the likes of Cammy Mackay, Harper, Duffy, McDonald and Jamieson are all in need of getting some mileage on the park. Scott Kellacher ahead of the Raith game View full article
  22. Joint holders clash It's the second game of a hectic period for the Caley Jags as the joint holders of the Challenge Cup meet at the Caledonian Stadium on Tuesday night in a game that kicks-off at 7:45pm. This season it's called the SPFL Trust Trophy and last time it was held it ran out of time with Inverness and Raith being awarded joint custody of the Tunnocks Caramel Wafer Challenge Cup for 2019/2020. No event for 2020/2021 as covid was the only winner that season. Inverness have held the Challenge Cup three times with Raith holding it twice. Falkirk have the most victories with four wins. MATCH INFO & TICKETS PPV STREAMING £10 OFFICIAL PREVIEW Venue Head 2 Head Pld Won Drn Lst For Agst + / - Home 17 13 2 2 36 13 +23 Away 14 7 4 3 27 17 +10 Neutral 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Total 31 20 6 5 63 30 +33 First Competitive Meeting Sep 25th, 1999 League (H) 0 - 2 Most Recent Competitive Meeting Oct 23rd, 2021 League (Championship) (A) 1 - 1 Last 10 Competitive Meetings 1 - 1 (A) 1 - 0 (H) 1 - 0 (A) 0 - 0 (H) 2 - 0 (H) 3 - 3 (A) 4 - 1 (H) 2 - 1 (H) 1 - 0 (H) 4 - 3 (H) Despite our recent run of form, we hold the Indian sign over Raith Rovers with only two defeats in seventeen home games in all competitions, and that was not yesterday (Oct 2000)... This season it took a super strike from Roddy MacGregor to separate the sides back in August and more recently at Starks Park Aiden Connolly and Sean Welsh scored the goals in a 1-1 draw where Ross Mathews was sent off on half time for Rovers. Billy Mckay is our top scorer with 10 goals for the season, half of those coming in the Challenge Cup including a hat-trick against Elgin City in the last round. The Caley Jags put Buckie Thistle out in the previous round 4-2 with Mckay and Jamieson scoring braces. Raith got here by virtue of beating East Fife 3-1 at Starks Park. Tait, Connolly and Poplatnik the scorers for them. They put Forfar Athletic out before that scoring the only goal of the game. Latest Team News The mystery continues as the tough winter schedule kicks in and with an unwanted Scottish Cup replay coming up against Morton, the frailties of our wafer thin squad will no doubt be severely tested over the next few weeks. Unfortunately there is some unfinished personal business that is disrupting the squad and it's affecting performances on the park. It's about time the club acted professionally on this and make the paying public aware of the situation to avoid further embarrassment. A good chance to progress, but also a great opportunity to give some of our fringe players some more game time and those returning from injury. Manny Duku seems to have lost his way, but maybe he fancies a game against his old club and the likes of Cammy Mackay, Harper, Duffy, McDonald and Jamieson are all in need of getting some mileage on the park. Scott Kellacher ahead of the Raith game
  23. Cup Tie It's off to Cappielow in midweek for a cup replay on Tuesday 7th December after these two sides served up a 1-1 draw at the Caledonian Stadium. Billy Mckay opened the scoring in the twelfth minute after what appeared to be a gift from keeper Hamilton, and as is our current trend we failed to capitalise on our good fortune and fell away in the second half which allowed Morton to snatch a deserved late equaliser after we returned the compliment and Gavin Reilly took the game to a replay. To be brutally honest, simply not good enough, too many players not producing the goods. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This was the third Scottish Cup clash between these sides with Morton looking for their first cup win over Inverness. The Caley Jags won the previous games 5-1 and 4-0. Poles apart in the Championship, but the Cup is a different kettle of fish. Adding more fuel to the fire, Michael Gardyne was missing, presumably having left the building? David Carson was at right back with wishy washy Welsh and Walsh on the bench. The hosts started the game in spritely fashion with Reece McAlear blazing a 15 yard volley over the bar from a corner kick. Moments later, Kirk Broadfoot made a hash of clearing the ball and when it was passed into the middle, Gary Oliver would have scored but for a 'Devine' intervention as the ball deflected off Danny and onto the post with Ridgers stranded. Aaron Doran shot from distance but it was plucked out of the air by Jack Hamilton with ease and Shane Sutherland saw a close range header clawed away by Hamilton with an instinctive save before McAlear again had another effort deflected just wide of the post by a defender. Therefore it was no surprise when Billy Mckay poached a goal from the fingertips of the keeper as he tried to gather a header back into the box from Sutherland. Could we put the tie to bed? Well, the answer was no, as has been a familiar trait of late. Ridgers blocked Ugwu on the right side of his six yard box as the big forward tried to shoot twenty minutes into the half and five minutes later he drilled a shot over the bar from the inside right position with Ridgers watching closely. Four minutes before the break a massive scrambulation in the Inverness box saw the ball blocked about half a dozen times before it was hoofed clear much to the relief of the North Stand. McAlear had at least two of these with possibly Devine again, Deas and pick any one from ten other bodies who threw themselves in front of the ball to keep Morton out as the interval neared. Almost hidden in the midden was another fluffed Broadfoot clearance. Strewth, wtf is going on. HALF TIME: 1-0 The start of the second half saw more bodies getting in the way of Morton scoring as we thwarted them again and again, the pressure easing when Reece Lyon curled his shot over from the edge of the box. Sutherland forced Hamilton into a decent, but relatively comfortable save as he tipped his header over the bar and a couple of minutes later Devine headed wide as we looked for a second goal. Ugwu dragged a shot wide when he forged his way towards the box as the visitors responded. After 81 minutes the visitors forced a replay as Broadfoot completed his hat-trick of blunders when he was muscled off a long clearance from Hamilton by Gavin Reilly who strode forward to drill the ball behind Ridgers. Foul was the obvious decision, apart from referee Colin Steven. Anyway, Broadfoot had been pushing his luck all afternoon and was found wanting when it really mattered. FULL TIME:1-1 Oh dear, another occasion where we let the lead slip from our grasp compounded by our own inability to put the ball into the net. Billy Mckay was probably the pick of the Inverness players with keeper Jack Hamilton doing his job sufficiently for the visitors. Looks like the Gardyne issue has been resolved with Carson at right back and Gardyne not in the building... the silence from the club is deafening. The Goals Full Highlights from ICTV Sort it Billy Date: 27/11/2021 Venue: Caledonian Stadium Attendance: 790 Referee: Colin Steven Inverness CT: 1 Manager: Billy Dodds Lineup: Ridgers; Carson, Broadfoot, Devine, Deas, Doran, Allardice, McAlear (Welsh 71), McGregor (Walsh 70), Sutherland, B Mckay Subs (not used): C Mackay; Harper, Jamieson, McDonald, Duku, Scorers: B Mckay (12) Booked: none Sent Off: none Morton: 1 Manager: Gus MacPherson Lineup: Hamilton; Ledger, McEntee, Lithgow, Strapp, Oliver, Blues (Reilly 75), McGrattan (King 68), Oksanen, Ugwu, Lyon, Subs (not used): Bysouth; Jacobs, Muirhead, Russell, Hynes, Easdale, Allan Scorers: Reilly (81) Booked: McGrattan (63) Sent Off: none a
  24. Cup Action Its a break from the rigours of the Championship this weekend as Morton head North looking to progress in the Scottish Cup. The game kicks-off at 3:00pm and for those unable to get to the Caledonian Stadium, ICTV will be streaming the match for a tenner. Not a big change for either side though as these two Championship sides clash in the 3rd round. They have met in the Scottish Cup twice before with Inverness dishing out heavy defeats of 4-0 and 5-1. In other knockout competitions there has been two meetings with the Caley Jags winning them both. MATCH INFO & TICKETS LIVE STREAMING £10 OFFICIAL PREVIEW Venue Head 2 Head Pld Won Drn Lst For Agst + / - Home 17 12 3 2 45 15 +30 Away 14 8 2 4 27 17 +10 Neutral 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Total 31 20 5 6 72 32 +40 Last 10 Competitive Meetings 2 - 0 (H) 4 - 1 (A) 0 - 1 (H) 2 - 2 (A) 3 - 2 (H) 1 - 2 (A) 3 - 1 (H) 5 - 0 (H) 2 - 2 (A) 1 - 0 (H) In this season's encounter Inverness won 2-0 recently on league duty and will play Morton away in another couple of weeks at Cappielow. We have a great overall record against Morton with only two defeats in seventeen games, however, that defeat came as recently as March of this year and here is our match overview. Abysmal, a new low! A stormy evening saw no goals at the break. Todorov came closest when he hit the post just before the interval. Could it get worse? The answer was yes when Aidan Nesbitt drilled a low shot into the net from the edge of the box with Inverness unable to make any headway. With twenty minutes left you could see the game slowly drifting away from the hosts. Sutherland hit the woodwork again and Todorov's follow up 'goal' was ruled out. Last time out Inverness dominated Queen of the South and came away from Palmerston with all three points thanks to a Billy Mckay brace in a 2-1 win. That was our first win in six games, so nothing to crow about really, but the performance was much easier on the eye than recent offerings. Morton went down 2-1 at Starks Park after taking the lead through Ledger in the fifth minute but Raith took the points as Morton ended the game with ten men when Lithgow was sent off with 15 minutes remaining. Morton remain in the bottom two after some indifferent performances. Latest Team News The mystery and intrigue surrounding our squad is coming to a head and our injury list has never been forthcoming. Look out for either Carson or Gardyne starting and hopefully our other 'niggles' will start clearing up soon. Sean Welsh, Tom Walsh, Wallace Duffy and Michael Gardyne were missing against Queen of the South but Shane Sutherland and Roddy MacGregor made a welcome return to the starting XI Here's Morton's squad from the 2-1 defeat at Starks Park last week where they ended the game with ten men after Lithgow was red carded. Dodds and Dan time
  25. Cup Action Its a break from the rigours of the Championship this weekend as Morton head North looking to progress in the Scottish Cup. The game kicks-off at 3:00pm and for those unable to get to the Caledonian Stadium, ICTV will be streaming the match for a tenner. Not a big change for either side though as these two Championship sides clash in the 3rd round. They have met in the Scottish Cup twice before with Inverness dishing out heavy defeats of 4-0 and 5-1. In other knockout competitions there has been two meetings with the Caley Jags winning them both. MATCH INFO & TICKETS LIVE STREAMING £10 OFFICIAL PREVIEW Venue Head 2 Head Pld Won Drn Lst For Agst + / - Home 17 12 3 2 45 15 +30 Away 14 8 2 4 27 17 +10 Neutral 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Total 31 20 5 6 72 32 +40 Last 10 Competitive Meetings 2 - 0 (H) 4 - 1 (A) 0 - 1 (H) 2 - 2 (A) 3 - 2 (H) 1 - 2 (A) 3 - 1 (H) 5 - 0 (H) 2 - 2 (A) 1 - 0 (H) In this season's encounter Inverness won 2-0 recently on league duty and will play Morton away in another couple of weeks at Cappielow. We have a great overall record against Morton with only two defeats in seventeen games, however, that defeat came as recently as March of this year and here is our match overview. Abysmal, a new low! A stormy evening saw no goals at the break. Todorov came closest when he hit the post just before the interval. Could it get worse? The answer was yes when Aidan Nesbitt drilled a low shot into the net from the edge of the box with Inverness unable to make any headway. With twenty minutes left you could see the game slowly drifting away from the hosts. Sutherland hit the woodwork again and Todorov's follow up 'goal' was ruled out. Last time out Inverness dominated Queen of the South and came away from Palmerston with all three points thanks to a Billy Mckay brace in a 2-1 win. That was our first win in six games, so nothing to crow about really, but the performance was much easier on the eye than recent offerings. Morton went down 2-1 at Starks Park after taking the lead through Ledger in the fifth minute but Raith took the points as Morton ended the game with ten men when Lithgow was sent off with 15 minutes remaining. Morton remain in the bottom two after some indifferent performances. Latest Team News The mystery and intrigue surrounding our squad is coming to a head and our injury list has never been forthcoming. Look out for either Carson or Gardyne starting and hopefully our other 'niggles' will start clearing up soon. Sean Welsh, Tom Walsh, Wallace Duffy and Michael Gardyne were missing against Queen of the South but Shane Sutherland and Roddy MacGregor made a welcome return to the starting XI Here's Morton's squad from the 2-1 defeat at Starks Park last week where they ended the game with ten men after Lithgow was red carded.
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