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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?

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

Smokies held. The Caley Jags started 2022 with a game played in poor conditions at Gayfield. In a first half controlled by the weather chances were minimal. Joel Nouble burst into the box along the byeline but Mark Ridgers blocked to snuff out the danger. Aaron Doran drifted a curling shot just wide soon after before firing a second one high over the bar minutes later. Colin Hamilton went close after a lay-off in the box but it rose just over the corner of the bar. Ridgers saved low from Nouble inside the box five minutes before the break as Arbroath looked to have mastered the wind better, but the big fellow scuffed his shot somewhat to make the keepers job easier. Cammy Harper replaced the injured Aaron Doran a minute before the interval, leaving our bench even more fragile as the half time whistle went at 0-0. A big scramble in the visitors box just after the interval from a corner saw us hack the ball clear after some pinball. James Craigen slid a ball across the face of the goal from the left but it was just wide of the post and at the other end David Carson appeared to clip the outside edge of the post as he fired an effort from the edge of the box. The game petered out thereafter with neither side looking likely to score as the ball eluded everyone at the vital moments and a draw it was. Grim stuff in less than favourable circumstances and a point apiece it was. Full Time: 0-0 The first game of 2022 was another top of the table clash, this time it's Arbroath who head the table with Inverness three points behind looking to close the gap in a six-pointer at Gayfield in front of a covid restricted 500. A live stream was available from ArbroathFC TV for those not able to attend the game. Could the Smokies maintain the gap or could Inverness closed the gap and reduce the the seven goal advantage that Arbroath hold? Remember, every goal is a double pointer today. Arbroath still have Joel Nouble for another couple of games and have taken Jack Hamilton back on loan (to add to the chaos with Chris & Colin already at Arbroath - Hamiltons R us) but were without the injured Scott Stewart. Inverness were returning off the back of a bout of covid on Boxing Day and a waterlogged postponement on the 29th against the Pars, who had been thumped on Boxing Day by Arbroath. Our last outing was a disappointing home defeat to Hamilton Accies, so no Festive cheer for us. Sean Welsh had been injured and was still missing with MacGregor, McAlear, Jamieson and Cammy Mackay all unavailable. Ryan Esson filled the sub keepers jersey with our bench a bit sparse. Inverness had the strong wind at their backs in the first half with conditions challenging to say the least. Clear chances were hard to find throughout the ninety minutes with David Carson coming closest for the visitors. Even top scorer Michael McKenna struggled to make any headway. Second half Substitute Jack Hamilton did find the net as he deflected a wayward shot behind Ridgers but he had come back from an offside position before sticking out a boot to turn the ball into the net and offside it was. The report is basically as in the summary as the wind ruined any chance that a game of football might break out. Well done to both sides for venturing out in that weather and trying their hardest to put on a show. Alas, the weather won convincingly, even beating the Smokies TV stream as it conked out for around twenty minutes in the first half. So, that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it. More detail in the OFFICIAL REPORT from ICTFC Dodds with the wind... Date: 02/01/2022 Venue: Gayfield, Arbroath Attendance: 494 Referee: Colin Steven Arbroath: 0 Manager: Dick Campbell Lineup: Gaston; Thomson, Little, O’Brien, Colin Hamilton, Chris Hamilton, Gold (J Hamilton 70), Craigen (Linn 79), McKenna, Nouble, Dowds (Hilson 82) Subs (not used): Antell; Swankie, Low, Donnelly Scorers: none Booked: none Sent Off: none Inverness CT: 0 Manager: Billy Dodds Lineup: Ridgers; Duffy, Broadfoot, Devine, Deas, Walsh ()Hyde 86, Carson, Allardice, Doran (Harper 44), Sutherland, Mckay (Duku 76) Subs (not used): Esson; L Nicolson Scorers: none Booked: Allardice (12), Broadfoot (63), Devine (72) Sent Off: none a

Smoking Smokies The form team of 2021 entertain their table topping rivals Inverness Caledonian Thistle as we first foot Gayfield on Sunday 2nd January. This game is scheduled for a 3:00pm kick-off and is the proverbial six pointer, but there is no guarantee of anything in these eerie times given our last two games were called off for covid at home to Partick and then a waterlogged pitch at Dunfermline. The game can be streamed live from Arbroath TV RAITH ROVERS MATCH INFO Have a good New Year when it comesFrom CTO editorial Arbroath took full advantage in the one game they played with an emphatic 3-0 victory over Dunfermline on Boxing day to put the part-timers top of the league on their own. Part-timers they may be, but they are a well drilled unit with a shrewd manager at the helm in Dick Campbell and you have to give them full credit for what they have achieved so far this season. The team is littered with quality players and in Michael McKenna they have a proven reliable goal scorer who would not look out of place in the Premiership. He scored his 12th goal of the season against the Pars and is the top scorer in the Championship. Pos Team Pld W D L F A Pts 1. Arbroath 19 10 7 2 33 14 37 2. Inverness CT 18 10 4 4 26 14 34 3. Kilmarnock 19 10 3 6 24 14 33 4. Raith Rovers 19 9 6 4 27 19 33 5. Partick Thistle 18 9 4 5 30 16 31 6. Hamilton Ac. 19 5 5 9 19 34 20 7. Ayr United 19 4 6 9 18 32 18 8. Q.O.S. 18 4 5 9 19 26 17 9. Dunfermline 18 2 8 8 18 31 14 10. Morton 19 2 8 9 17 31 14 January 2nd scheduled fixtures all 3:00pm Arbroath v Caley Jags Partick P Morton Queens v Accies Raith v Pars The spoils are even this term. We edged the first one at Gayfield when Shane Sutherland bustled his way towards the box before dinking a delightful finish behind Gaston. In the reverse fixture Arbroath returned the favour after we lost our way and took the points in a 0-1 win. A second half goal from McKenna sufficient to win the game against a toothless Caley Jags back in October. CTO summary from that one: Inverness toiled to make any headway in a dour first half, the poor fare on display being matched only by the miserable weather. We improved in the final ten minutes before the interval but clear chances were at a premium. After the break and some initial half chances for the hosts, McKenna scored with a cross/shot free kick that caught out the keeper, possibly wind assisted. Inverness still struggled to create clear openings, an all too familiar habit of late. They could have doubled their lead soon after but Ridgers was in the right place to put Little's header over the bar. Thereafter we ruined what little chances we had by a lack of quality around the box and stout defending by Arbroath. Well done to them, they did what they had to do, we need to take a long hard look at how we are going about our business. Last Time Out Inverness slumped to defeat as Accies won 2-1 in the Highlands before Xmas. This was the second defeat to Accies this season who have been struggling but seem to be able to cancel us out and win, not always with eleven men. Arbroath pumped Dunfermline 3-0 at East End Park on Boxing Day. Goals from Breen (og), McKenna and a late one from Dowds sealed Pars fate. Latest Team News Who knows what's happening after the covid intervention. On the plus side, our injury situation should not be any worse given that we have not played since the 2-1 defeat to Accies on the 18th December. More recovery time for our Captain, who appears to be made of rice paper, but if fit he can be influential on the park. Here's hoping. Arbroath's Joel Nouble could be playing his final game before heading back to Livingston with rumours circulating that Jack Hamilton is a strong contender to go the opposite direction. The big bustling striker will be missed at Arbroath as he scares the sh!t out of defenders with his physical presence. Should Hamilton join Arbroath, then that will be a decent bit of business for the Smokies as well. Fixture Rearranged Our cinch Championship match against Dunfermline Athletic will now take place on Saturday 22nd January, 3pm kick-off, at East End Park. BYOB...Buy your own birdie.

Hughes the Daddy Inverness' cup winning manager John Hughes is now the man in charge at East End Park with the unenviable task of lifting the Pars up the table. The Caley Jags should be turning up in midweek, weather and covid permitting, the game is scheduled for a 7:45pm kick-off on Wednesday night. It's an early opportunity for both clubs to get back on track after festive flops and the stakes are high at both ends of the table. OFFICIAL PREVIEW & STREAMING INFO Last time out Inverness failed to play on Boxing Day but our last game was a dismal failure as Accies won 2-1 in the Highlands before Xmas. Second defeat to Accies this season who have been struggling but seem to be able to cancel us out and win, not always with eleven men. Dunfermline went down 3-0 at home to team of the season so far Arbroath. Their previous game was abandoned at Kilmarnock just after the hour with the score tied at 1-1, the fog making it impossible to continue, a real thick pea souper. Could have done with some fog in Inverness that day. That game was Tommy Wright's last one in charge of Killie as he was sacked after it. Venue - Head 2 Pld Won Drn Lst For Agst + / - Home 22 9 8 5 28 21 +7 Away 23 9 9 5 28 25 +3 Neutral 2 0 1 1 3 4 -1 Total 47 18 18 11 59 50 +9 Pos Team Pld W D L F A Pts 1. Arbroath 19 10 7 2 33 14 37 2. Inverness CT 18 10 4 4 26 14 34 3. Raith Rovers 19 9 6 4 27 19 33 4. Kilmarnock 18 10 2 6 23 13 32 5. Partick Thistle 18 9 4 5 30 16 31 6. Hamilton Ac. 19 5 5 9 19 34 20 7. Ayr United 19 4 6 9 18 32 18 8. Q.O.S. 18 4 5 9 19 26 17 9. Dunfermline 18 2 8 8 18 31 14 10. Morton 18 2 7 9 16 30 13 Other fixtures on Wednesday night Killie v Morton Partick v Ayr Utd Arbroath v Accies & Raith v Queens postponed. First game between the sides this season saw Dunfermline get their second point of the season in a goalless draw at East End Park. They went one better in November with a 2-1 win at the Caledonian Stadium as we imploded. Here's our summary from that game: Under Par: Inverness opened the scoring after probing well for over twenty minutes. M****** G****** drifted inside and the Pars defence opened up allowing him to get a shot away. It came back off the woodwork and Billy Mckay reacted first to knock the ball into the net. However, Dunfermline got their first win of the season as Inverness fired blanks thereafter, and goals from Kevin O'Hara assisted by a massive Danny Devine deflection and a great solo effort from Dom Thomas won the points for the Pars. Meh! Despite that result, after fourteen games, the Pars were still bottom of the league on ten points with Inverness third on twenty-five. Latest Team News We had to pull out of our Boxing Day fixture against Partick Thistle due mainly to an outbreak of covid and the related isolation process. As Dodds alludes to in his pre-match interview we have some back although I think that might be a bit of a smoke screen and we could still be seriously depleted. Only time will tell and see what Wednesday night brings. Sean Welsh has been injured and may still be receiving treatment, but it would be a bonus to have him back. Bit of deja vu from the November game with a diluted squad - Inverness were somewhat depleted with only five on the bench and Sean Welsh, Shane Sutherland, Manny Duku and Wallace Duffy all missing. On the bright side, David Carson returned to action at right back and Reece McAlear was in midfield. The Pars had a full bench which included Nicolay Todorov Ryan Dow and Craig Wighton. John Hughes was watching over his new side with Greg Shields taking charge of his final interim game as gaffer. Yogi made his first signing in the experienced Steven Lawless from Motherwell Dodds looking tentatively ahead to Wednesday night

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

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.

Gubbed, at last... 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! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 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 Inverness were without injured captain Sean Welsh and fellow midfielder Roddy MacGregor, but Aaron Doran made the starting XI and Manny Duku and Wallace Duffy were on the bench. Morton went with the same again, buoyed by the cup success in midweek. As the scoreline suggests, this was a bit of a procession. Inverness were much more energised than the cup encounters and went about their business with an air of authority. Crisp passing and movement were the order of the day as we we tore Morton a new one before the break. The opener was maybe fortuitous, a Doran deep cross coming back off the woodwork and bouncing off a flying Jack Hamilton before bouncing into the net. Own goal has been mentioned, but you have to be in it to win it and I'm giving it to Doran. Number two saw Tom Walsh head into the box to feed Billy Mckay who's shot was blocked by the keeper, but Shane Sutherland followed up to stroke the ball into the net. Billy notched the third as he cut inside the box after a great ball from Robbie Deas. Stepped inside his marker on the right foot then rolled the ball left footed into the net off the post for 3-0 before the break. Time for Ugwu to net a contentious penalty to offer Ton some hope for the second half. However, Reece McAlear benefitted from a sloppy clearance and he bludgeoned a shot into the roof of the net from twenty-five yards to restore our three goal advantage. His first senior goal, and how! The wind was well and truly out of the Morton sails by now and the one way traffic continued. A long ball forward was headed on by Shane. He picked up the loose ball himself, rode a tackle and slotted into the net for number five. The sixth and final goal was scored by Lewis Jamieson after he waltzed into the box before drilling low across the keeper. No more than Inverness deserved as some of the interplay was as dazzling as Morton were dire. CTO MotM voters have Aaron Doran as first choice followed closely by Reece McAlear and Scott Allardice. Tremendous performances all over the park from those in pink. Not easy to single anyone out as they all excelled. This performance was far removed from the drab offerings of the Scottish Cup games and no more than Inverness deserved. Maybe fortune favoured us with the opening goal as Doran's deep cross seemed to come off the post, then the keeper before finding the net. However there was nothing fortunate about the rest as we tore Morton a new one. Pick of the goals came from Reece McAlear. What a thunderous strike to open your account, and Lewis Jamieson who danced his way into the box before drilling home. Great stuff, that'll teach them to put us into shipping containers. Telt! Six of the best! A smiling Dodds Date: 11/12/2021 Venue: Caledonian Stadium Attendance: 1192 Referee: John Beaton Morton: 1 Manager: Derek Anderson (interim manager) Lineup: Hamilton; Strapp, Lithgow, Lyon (Easdale 81), Hynes, Russell, Oksanen, Muirhead (McGregor 68), Oliver, Reilly (Blues 56), Ugwu Subs (not used): Ledger, Jacobs, Blues, McGrattan, King Scorers: Ugwu (45+1 pen) Booked: Oskanen (17) Sent Off: none Inverness CT: 6 Manager: Billy Dodds Lineup: Ridgers; Carson, Broadfoot, Devine, Deas, Doran (Harper 58), McAlear, Allardice, Walsh, Sutherland, B Mckay (Duku 66), (Jamieson 75) Subs (not used): C Mackay; Duffy, McDonald Scorers: Doran (15), Sutherland (33), Mckay (43), McAlear (51), Sutherland (60), Jamieson (78) Booked: Carson (45) Sent Off: none a

Back to the Championship    As if we have not played Morton often enough over the last few weeks we have to play them again on Saturday, the fourth meeting already this season. However, this is infinitely more important than the last couple of 1-1 draws. It's back to the Championship on Saturday and a chance to atone for dropping out of the Scottish Cup to Morton after a penalty shoot-out defeat.  Tuesday's replay ended level after ninety minutes with Muirhead and Devine scoring within the ninety minutes. However, after Danny saw his spot kick saved, Gary Oliver netted his to send Morton through to face Motherwell in the next round and left Inverness to concentrate solely on the Championship. That game was the result of a previous draw in Inverness, Mckay and Reilly sending the tie to a replay. The first meeting this season was a Championship encounter at the Caledonian Stadium with Inverness getting the better of a stubborn Morton, easing to a 2-0 win thanks to goals from Billy Mckay and Mi***** Ga*****. Match-Ticket-Bus-Streaming-Info Last 10 Competitive Meetings 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) 5 - 0 (H) Venue Head 2 Head Pld Won Drn Lst For Agst + / - Home 18 12 4 2 46 16 +30 Away 15 8 3 4 28 18 +10 Neutral 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Total 33 20 7 6 74 34 +40   Pos Team Pld W D L F A Pts   1. Inverness CT 16 9 4 3 19 11 31 2. Raith Rovers 16 8 6 2 26 16 30 3. Kilmarnock 16 9 2 5 20 10 29 4. Partick Thistle 16 8 4 4 29 14 28 5. Arbroath 16 7 7 2 26 13 28 6. Hamilton Ac. 16 4 4 8 14 29 16 7. Ayr United 16 3 5 8 15 28 14 8. Morton 16 2 7 7 14 22 13 9. Dunfermline 16 2 7 7 15 25 13 10. Q.O.S. 16 3 4 9 13 23 13 As the table shows, we are at opposite ends, but based on the cup games there's little to choose between the sides. Thanks to results after our 1-0 win over Killie on the Friday night, we now sit on top of the pile with some interesting encounters coming up this weekend. Friday 10th December Ayr United v Hamilton Saturday 11th December Dunfermline v Queens Partick Thistle v Arbroath Raith Rovers v Killie fc They say familiarity breeds contempt, it also affords the opportunity for both clubs to cancel each other out. That's what has happened over the last couple of games against Morton and it's going to take a bit of inventive creativity to unlock either defence, or perish the thought, a blunder in defence. Whatever the case, let's hope for a bit more energy across the pitch.  And hopefully Morton have brought the away changing room up to standard after Billy Dodds made public his concern over the state of them in his condemnation of their fit for purpose suitability. Latest Team News Sean Welsh will be out for a couple of weeks after coming off early in the Cup replay, so there's a change already. Aaron Doran will possibly miss out as he has been struggling to recover. Manny Duku was on the bench on Tuesday, maybe we will see a return of the awkward gangly style that confuses him as much as the defenders.    

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

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     

He scores when he wants... 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 and almost completed his hat-trick but for the woodwork. However, Queens forced a tense finish when Lee Connelly smashed the ball into the net to give them hope. Fortunately Inverness saw out the game to claim the points and move a point behind leaders Kilmarnock who lost to Arbroath on Saturday. ÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷ Two of the worst performing sides in Scotland over the last half-dozen games were hoping to put on a show for a TV audience eagerly awaiting the outcome at both ends of the table. No wins in five (six for Queens) is relegation form in any language, what could possibly go right, or wrong... Shane Sutherland and Roddy MacGregor returned to the starting line-up tonight along with Reece McAlear, but Sean Welsh, Tom Walsh, Wallace Duffy and Michael Gardyne were missing, stoking the flames of the rumour fires even further. But fear not, Manny Duku was on the bench... Good opening spell for Inverness saw an early strike from Allardice charged down and in the sixth minute Billy Mckay beat the offside trap but his shot from the left side was beaten away with the rebound eluding the incoming attack. A tremendous block by David Carson denied the ever dangerous Innes Cameron inside the six yard box as Queens pushed forward twelve minutes in. Penalty to Inverness after 18 minutes when Roddy MacGregor was taken down in the box by an industrial challenge from Nditi. He scores when he wants from the spot buried the spot kick with ease to put the visitors ahead. Shane Sutherland brought a save out of keeper Brynn as he shot low to his left from distance and a superb interchange between Mckay and MacGregor almost resulted in a freebie but for a timely intervention by the defence. A wonderful glanced header from Devine off a corner narrowly escaped nestling in the bottom corner as Inverness dominated proceedings. On the break, Comrie forced Ridgers to shepherd the ball wide as he tried a snapshot from distance. When Allardice curled a shot wide the referee brought the half to a close with Inverness well on top. Half Time: 0-1 Former Inverness player Alex Cooper was a half time sub for Queens as Allan Johnston rejigged his side but it was Sutherland that blazed wildly over as the visitors looked for a second. It duly came when Carson angled a ball into the box and once again Billy Mckay did what he does best with a low angled header behind Brynn. Well worked goal and well deserved. A corner on the right was cut back to the eighteen yard line and Allardice was unlucky to head just wide with Mckay looking for scraps. Lee Connelly threw Queens a lifeline when he hammered a loose ball in the box high into the net. Game on. Three corners came and went for the visitors but Queens sensed something might happen at the other end as Inverness arses tightened. On a break forward Mckay almost grabbed his hat-trick but was denied by the crossbar with the rebound not falling kindly for Deas or Allardice. After Mckay was denied a free kick, Harry Cochrane brought out a super save from Ridgers when he tipped a dipping shot over the bar for a fruitless corner. Time ran out for Queens as Inverness saw out the game relatively comfortably to pick up a well deserved three points. Full Time: 1-2 Entertaining game in part with Inverness thoroughly deserving of all three points against a team still trying to find it's feet. First win in six games for the Caley Jags and good to see Billy Mckay on the scoresheet and he was unlucky not to get his hat-trick. MotM for many was Scott Allardice with special mention for Mckay and MacGregor and pleasing to see Carson and Sutherland getting more gametime after injury. The goals from last night He scores when he wants Dodds happier now Date: 19/11/2021 Venue: Palmerston, Dumfries Attendance: 1200 Referee: Don Robertson Queen of the South: 1 Manager: Allan Johnston Lineup: Brynn; McKay, Nditi, Debayo (Cochrane 62), Johnston, McGrory (Cooper 45), Gibson, Liddle (Roy 62), Paton, Connelly, Cameron Subs (not used): Rae; Todd, Joseph, Junior Scorers: Connelly(75) Booked: none Sent Off: none Inverness CT: 2 Manager: Billy Dodds Lineup: Ridgers; Carson, Broadfoot, Devine, Deas, Doran (Harper 88), McAlear, Allardice, MacGregor, Sutherland, Mckay (Duku 90) Subs (not used): C Mackay; McDonald, Jamieson Scorers: Mckay (19, 50) Booked: Carson (55) Sent Off: none a

On the Telly...   Not sure if it's a good thing that we are on the telly on Friday night for all to see given our recent tepid performances, but we travel to Dumfries to take on Queen of the South at Palmerston for a 19:45 kick-off. Unfortunately any confidence we built up over the first nine games has dissipated in the Autumn mist and our form is now on a par with Queens who are second bottom of the table. Only Ayr united are worse over the last five games, and we failed to beat them as well. Our demise has been excruciatingly rapid over the last few weeks where we have gone from five points ahead to four points and two places behind leaders Kilmarnock in the space of five games where we have only managed to accumulate three points out of a possible fifteen with zero wins. This is certainly not the form of a team looking for at least a play-off place, unless of course it's at the wrong end of the table. OFFICIAL PREVIEW MATCH & TICKET INFO SUPPORTERS BUS 07462 218717   Venue - Head2Head Pld Won Drn Lst For Agst + / - Home 20 12 2 6 36 24 +12 Away 18 7 7 4 31 19 +12 Neutral 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Total 38 19 9 10 67 43 +24 First Competitive Meeting Dec 17th, 1994 Scottish Cup (Rd 1) (H) 1 - 2 Most Recent Competitive Meeting Sep 25th, 2021 League (Championship) (H) 2 - 1 Last 10 Competitive Meetings 2 - 1 (H) 1 - 1 (A) 0 - 1 (H) 3 - 0 (A) 3 - 1 (H) 2 - 0 (A) 2 - 0 (H) 2 - 0 (A) 1 - 2 (H) 3 - 3 (A) Saturday Fixtures Dunfermline v Ayr United Kilmarnock v Arbroath Partick v Accies Rovers v  Morton     Pld W D L F A +/- Pts 1. Kilmarnock 14 9 2 3 20 8 12 29 2. Raith Rovers 14 7 5 2 24 15 9 26 3. Inverness CT 14 7 4 3 16 10 6 25 4. Partick Thistle 14 7 3 4 28 14 14 24 5. Arbroath 14 6 6 2 25 13 12 24 6. Ayr United 14 3 4 7 13 23 -10 13 7. Hamilton Academical 14 3 4 7 13 28 -15 13 8. Morton 14 2 6 6 11 18 -7 12 9. Queen of the South 14 3 3 8 12 21 -9 12 10. Dunfermline 14 1 7 6 12 24 -12 10 The first meeting this season ended in a narrow 2-1 victory for Inverness in the Highlands after goals from Welsh and Gardyne overcame Queens who scored through Lee Connelly. Last time in Dumfries it ended all square at 1-1. Both sides have three draws and two defeats in their last five championship games. Latest Team News Must be a copy'n' paste on the official preview as that's all we get these days. “There’s always a couple of little niggles, I don’t want to give anything away with it being live on TV. We’ve given them right up until the last minute but apart from that I’ve got a healthy squad to choose from.”  What that probably means is that we have four or five missing, and the usual 'made of rice paper' players injured again and a four man bench. Good to see Carson back last week, let's hope he has no reaction from his first game in weeks and hopefully maybe some news about Shane Sutherland. QOTS (away v Arbroath 1-1): Brynn, McKay, Nditi, Debayo, Johnston, McGrory, Gibson, Liddle (Todd 78′), Paton, Connelly (Roy 58′), Cameron Same old story from Dodds <<yawn>>  

Under Par Inverness opened the scoring after probing well for over twenty minutes. Michael Gardyne drifted inside and the Pars defence opened up allowing him to get a shot away. It came back off the woodwork and Billy Mckay reacted first to knock the ball into the net. However, Dunfermline got their first win of the season as Inverness fired blanks thereafter, and goals from Kevin O'Hara assisted by a massive Danny Devine deflection and a great solo effort from Dom Thomas won the points for the Pars. Another bad day at the office continued with Inverness slipping to third following wins for Killie Raith and Partick. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Inverness were somewhat depleted with only five on the bench and Sean Welsh, Shane Sutherland, Manny Duku and Wallace Duffy all missing. On the bright side, David Carson returned to action at right back and Reece McAlear was in midfield. The Pars had a full bench which included Nicolay Todorov Ryan Dow and Craig Wighton. John Hughes was watching over his new side with Greg Shields taking charge of his final interim game as gaffer. A wonderful afternoon for football, flat calm and a damp pitch, saw a minutes silence observed for armistice to remember the fallen of the armed forces throughout conflicts around the world. Inverness were shooting, or more accurately, playing towards the South Stand and they controlled the pace of the game in a manner big Yogi would have been proud of. Retaining possession well, passing sideways and back but seldom threatening. However, the visitors were happy enough for us to flatter around although Aaron Doran saw an early effort saved by the painter OFW. Billy Mckay was next to try but his shot missed the target and Robbie Deas headed over the bar. The first real threat came when Michael Gardyne cut across the box from the left wing and curled a beauty towards the opposite top where his shot hit the frame of the goal before rebounding to the ever alert Mckay who knocked in from close range to open the scoring. A minute later Mckay could have scored again had he been able to keep his header down. This should have inspired the hosts to kick on from here but it seemed to have a familiar adverse effect. With the Pars suddenly realising we were flattering to deceive, they began to get to grips around the half hour and it took an absolutely incredible Devine intervention to deny the Pars a leveller as a Dom Thomas cross dropped into the six yard box. From there on in, it was backs to the wall defending and A superb reaction save by Mark Ridgers denied Breen from close range as the keeper pushed the ball over the bar, all in the North stand gaping with mouths wide open in astonishment. We were finding it difficult dealing with corners and crosses and in one melee there looked like a headed clearance from under the bar as the Pars looked to draw level but our last ditch defending held out until the break. Half Time: 1-0 Six minutes into the second half and the visitors equalised when they broke on the right after an Inverness attack broke down. Thomas crossed into the box and possibly Kevin O'Hara will get the credit for scoring but it appeared to deflect off Devine before it reached Lewis McCann and caught out Ridgers. The Pars were now forcing the pace of the game as Inverness looked jaded and it was no surprise when MotM Dom Thomas waltzed into our box and curled an exquisite shot behind a stranded Ridgers for a stunner. A stunner for the Pars, a scunner for the Caley Jags. We did look more urgent in the last quarter of the game without really looking threatening whereas Dunfermline were always dangerous on the break. We had three or four efforts from distance all whistle wide of the post and the Painter had a relatively quiet afternoon, broken only by slow motion strolls to collect some wayward footballs, much to the chagrin of the home fans. May his easel break and his canvas tear. One late attack saw Jamieson's shot cleared on the line but as is the norm, it was too little too late on a day when we paid tribute to those that gave the ultimate sacrifice and gave everything for the cause. Lest we Forget Full Time: 1-2 Inverness CT first team-coach Barry Wilson: "We were very good for 30-35 minutes. We said to them at half-time we need to regain control and unfortunately we didn't do it. "We were bombarding them near the end but it was reactive after going behind - we wanted them to do that at one up." Dunfermline interim manger Greg Shields: "In the first half it was a bit edgy and scrappy. We had a chat with them at half-time and the manager came in and had a wee word as well. "Kevin O'Hara and Lewis McCann changed the game for us - the way they pressed. It was really pleasing as it's been a long time without a win and they more than deserved that today." Highlights from ParsTV A dejected looking Barry Wilson Date: 13/11/2021 Venue: Caledonian Stadium Attendance: 2111 Referee: Grant Irvine Inverness CT: 1 Manager: Billy Dodds Lineup: Ridgers; Carson (McDonald 80), Broadfoot, Devine, Deas, Gardyne, McAlear (Jamieson (67), Allardice, Doran, Walsh (MacGregor 67), Mckay Subs (not used): C Mackay; Harper, Scorers: Mckay (22) Booked: none Sent Off: none Dunfermline : 2 Manager: Greg Shields (interim, John Hughes incoming on Monday) Lineup: Williams; Comrie, Connolly, Breen (Graham 74), Edwards, MacDonald, Dorrans, Todd (Pybus 62), Thomas, O'Hara, McCann (Dow 84) Subs (not used): Mehmet; Wighton, Todorov, Allan Scorers: Devine (og 51), Thomas (64) Booked: Dorrans (49), Dow (72), Breen (73), Graham (87) Sent Off: none a

Yogi returns to Inverness Inverness will host Dunfermline on Saturday, complete with new manager John Hughes, after Yogi was appointed as the man tasked with saving the Pars from relegation after a dismal first quarter of the season has them toiling at the foot of the table with no wins from thirteen games. The cinch Championship game kicks-off at 3:00pm with Inverness looking to get back to winning ways and the Pars hoping for the 'new manager bounce'. The first encounter this season ended goalless, but Dunfermline were looking the most likely to take the points as Mark Ridgers stood firm. OFFICIAL PREVIEW MATCH & TICKET INFO STREAMING FROM ICTV Venue Pld Won Drn Lst For Agst + / - Home 21 9 8 4 27 19 +8 Away 23 9 9 5 28 25 +3 Neutral 2 0 1 1 3 4 -1 Total 46 18 18 10 58 48 +10 First Competitive Meeting Aug 7th, 1999 League (A) 0 - 4 Most Recent Competitive Meeting Sep 18th, 2021 League (Championship) (A) 0 - 0 Last 10 Competitive Meetings 0 - 0 (A) 1 - 0 (A) 1 - 1 (H) 1 - 3 (A) 2 - 1 (A) 2 - 0 (H) 1 - 0 (A) 1 - 0 (H) 0 - 1 (A) 2 - 2 (H) After the disappointing draw at Somerset Park where we let the lead slip twice, we failed to fully capitalise on Partick beating Kilmarnock although the lead is only one point now. Sean Welsh and Michael Gardyne scored our goals but Joe Chalmers and Patrick Reading replied for the Honest Men to give them a share of the points. It's a tough old league this one with every team capable of beating the others on their day. The Pars went down 1-3 to Morton last week to rubber stamp their position at the foot of the table and Yogi has some task to get them away from the bottom half of the table with the top five looking like they will contest the promotion slots. However, in his favour, there's plenty of time to change that. Championship Fixtures this weekend Arbroath v Queens Ayr Utd v Partick Accies v Raith ICTFC v Pars Morton v Killie Pld W D L F A +/- Pts 1. Kilmarnock 13 8 2 3 18 8 10 26 2. Inverness CT 13 7 4 2 15 8 7 25 3. Arbroath 13 6 5 2 24 12 12 23 4. Raith Rovers 13 6 5 2 21 15 6 23 5. Partick Thistle 13 6 3 4 24 14 10 21 6. Ayr United 13 3 4 6 13 19 -6 13 7. Hamilton Academical 13 3 4 6 13 25 -12 13 8. Morton 13 2 6 5 11 16 -5 12 9. Queen of the South 13 3 2 8 11 20 -9 11 10. Dunfermline 13 0 7 6 10 23 -13 7 We may be next to the top of the table, but we are on a poor run at the moment with no wins from our last four games, three of those were draws. Over the same period, Dunfermline have two draws and two defeats. Touch wood, but we still have the meanest defence conceding only eight times whilst Dunfermline's defence is pretty much in line with their league position. Breaking News from EEP Latest Team News Inverness could have David Carson back in the squad for this game after return from injury and family bereavement. Shane Sutherland has missed the last couple of games and we are waiting on news of him. Cammy Harper returned to the squad last week. Well, what a boost for the Pars with the announcement of big Yogi as their new manager. He kept County afloat last year and of course will always be remembered as the man that led the Caley Jags to their greatest triumph in winning the Scottish Cup. I imagine this will be an excellent bit of business by the Pars and he won't take too long to get the team playing his way. Let's hope it takes more than a couple of days. The start of his tenure will be hampered by the loss of Kai Kennedy and Vytas Gaspuitis. Back to the days of 'guid honest laddies'....

Crackers or Damp Squibs Another away day for the Caley Jags as we head to Somerset Park Ayr to take on mid table Ayr United in a cinch Championship match. Kick off is at 3:00pm on Saturday with live streaming available from Ayr TV if you can't attend the game. First encounter this season saw Tom Walsh win the game in unorthodox fashion as he bundled the ball into the net from six yards. Inverness will be looking to get back to winning ways and Ayr will be hoping to steer clear of the relegation zone. Can we expect fireworks for Guy Fawkes? Or will we be left smouldering... PPV STREAM OFFICIAL PREVIEW MATCH INFO & TICKETS SUPPORTERS BUS 07462 218717 Venue Pld Won Drn Lst For Agst + / - Home 21 10 10 1 35 20 +15 Away 21 10 4 7 40 26 +14 Neutral 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Total 42 20 14 8 75 46 +29 The recent trend shows us only one defeat over the last ten meetings and the last visit to Ayr resulted in a 2-0 win for Inverness. Daniel Mackay and Shane Sutherland scored the goals that day in February 2021. The first meeting this season ended in a narrow 1-0 win for the Caley Jags in the Highlands when Tom Walsh chested the ball into the net as Sean McGinty tried to clear his lines. Shame! First Competitive Meeting Aug 28th, 1999 League (A) 0 - 1 Most Recent Competitive Meeting Aug 21st, 2021 League (Championship) (H) 1 - 0 Last 10 Competitive Meetings 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) 1 - 0 (A) Biggest Victories Apr 24th, 2010 League (A) 7 - 0 Heaviest Defeats Nov 28th, 2001 League Cup (Quarter Final) (A) 1 - 5 Highest Attendance Aug 15th, 2009 League (H) 3,297 Highest Home Attendance Aug 15th, 2009 League (H) 3,297 It was a great week for Killie as they overhauled a five point deficit to Inverness and now head the table by two as we garnered only two points from the last three games. Arbroath provided the performance of the week by coming from two goals down to beat Dunfermline 4-2. Makes our defeat to Arbroath look like a great result. Mon the Smokies! Subsequently, Peter Grant was removed from his post at East End Park. Pld W D L F A +/- Pts 1. Kilmarnock 12 8 2 2 18 7 11 26 2. Inverness CT 12 7 3 2 13 6 7 24 3. Arbroath 12 6 4 2 23 11 12 22 4. Raith Rovers 12 6 4 2 20 14 6 22 5. Partick Thistle 12 5 3 4 23 14 9 18 6. Ayr United 12 3 3 6 11 17 -6 12 7. Hamilton Academical 12 3 3 6 12 24 -12 12 8. Queen of the South 12 3 1 8 10 19 -9 10 9. Morton 12 1 6 5 8 15 -7 9 10. Dunfermline 12 0 7 5 9 20 -11 7 Saturday's Championship fixture list Ayr Utd v Caley Jags Pars v Morton Accies v Arbroath Killie v Partick Queens v Rovers Last time out We dropped more points at Partick in a no scoring draw although the performance was much improved from the abyss of the Arbroath game. A penalty miss and two off the woodwork was more unfortunate than poor play, but we still need to get back to scoring goals. However, the wins have dried up considerably although two points off the top after a dozen games is not too shabby. Ayr have played three tough games in a row and lost the last two by a single goal. A 2-1 defeat at Raith on the last outing where they fell just short in a close encounter, Jack Baird pulling Ayr back into the game to set up the grandstand finish. So, despite only picking up one point in their last three, they are far from being whipping boys. Latest Team News No word on David Carson but Cammy Harper is back training and could be added to the squad. Shane Sutherland was missing last week at Partick. Apart from that, it should be as you were. Jim Duffy could be without defender Aaron Muirhead and midfielder Steven Bradley who has a shoulder injury. Ayr starting XI v Raith: McAdams; Houston, Baird, Fjørtoft, Reading, McAllister, Murdoch, Chalmers, Maxwell, Adeloye, Salkeld.