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  1. Devine intervention after Billy's penalty shocker A hugely depleted Inverness squad were cobbled together to face Dunfermline Athletic in a crucial wrong end of the table clash tonight. We had the possibility of jumping up to fifth had results all gone our way tonight as long as we did our job on the park. A long shot given our home form this season, but nonetheless still a possibility. That never aged well. The table is crying out for a team to go on a good run and challenge those that have had it too easy so far this season. Chris Kane missed out for the visitors which was a bonus for us. Alex Samuel, Billy Mckay and Wallace Duffy all started for Inverness which left us with no midfielders or defenders on the bench. A calm but chilly night greeted the teams at the Caledonian Stadium. It was all downhill after that. From the moment Billy Mckay saw his bland penalty dollied into Mehmet's arms in the first half, this game had 0-0 written all over it. And so it came to pass. It might have been an away win had we not conjured up two incredible goalmouth clearances in the first half. One a brave headed clearance from possibly McAllister that required some smelling salts to get him back on his feet and the second a sublime sliding clearance almost on the line by Danny. A sort of Devine intervention of the highest order after Jakubiak had rounded Ridgers to slot the ball into the seemingly empty net. Enter Danny with impeccable timing to thwart the burly striker. The second half deteriorated into an error ridden farce with neither side capable of stringing two passes together and a no scoring draw was more than the football on display merited. There was a couple of minutes when the ball never touched the ground as it was continuously kicked and headed vertically. Both sets of fans wondering if there were any footballers on the park or was this a new anti sport designed to close football stadiums for good. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Apart from the penalty save, both keepers could have sat in the Innes Bar and had a pint, such was the lack of penalty box entertainment. Wallace Duffy took a nasty injury to his arm but he remained on the park after treatment. However he might be missing next weekend after this. Also struggling at the end was Nathan Shaw who might have a hamstring problem. Unsavoury abuse being thrown around at the stadium towards one of our players' son. Not acceptable in the least. Highlights might be a tad misleading... Pos Team Pld W D L F A Pts We've had better seasons... 1. Dundee Utd 25 15 6 4 49 16 51 2. Raith Rovers 25 15 6 4 44 33 51 3. Partick Thistle 25 10 8 7 50 44 38 4. Morton 25 10 7 8 34 28 37 5. Ayr United 26 9 5 12 38 48 32 6. Airdrieonians 24 9 4 11 25 29 31 7. Queens Park 26 8 6 12 38 44 30 8. Dunfermline 25 7 8 10 28 34 29 9. Inverness CT 26 6 9 11 30 32 27 10. Arbroath 25 5 5 15 25 53 20 Date: 27/02/2024 Venue: Caledonian Stadium Attendance: 1958 Referee: Gavin Duncan Inverness CT: 0 Manager: Duncan Ferguson Lineup: Ridgers; Kerr, Duffy, Carragher, Devine, Savage, Shaw (Doran 78) McAllister, Harper, Alex Samuel, B Mckay (Pepple 90) Subs (not used): C Mackay; Austin Samuels, Brooks Scorers: none Booked: Carragher (60), Devine (88) Sent Off: none Dunfermline Ath: 0 Manager: James McPake Lineup: Mehmet; Edwards, Hamilton, Fagan-Walcott, Todd (Moffat 74), Otoo, McCann (Holmes 28), Summers (O'Halloran 45), Welch-Hayes, Allan (Chalmers 45), Jakubiak, Subs (not used): Little; Sutherland, Fenton, Benjamin Scorers: none Booked: Allan (30), Henderson (66) Sent Off: none a
  2.   Every Point is a Prisoner   Apart from the top three teams, every point gained is crucial in the Championship, especially at the end of the table we find ourselves rooted to. Like us, Dunfermline hit a sticky patch but look to be over the worst and came away from Firhill with all three points on Friday night after nine winless games. We salvaged a draw in stoppage time at Arbroath. No rest for the wicked though, so it's back to action against our fellow strugglers on Tuesday night at 7:45pm. Ferguson has wholesale injuries to contend with for this one. It might be quicker to say who is fit. What could possibly go wrong! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Match/Ticket Info ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Venue H2H v Pars Pld Won Drn Lst For Agst + / - Home 24 10 9 5 31 22 +9 Away 25 9 11 5 30 27 +3 Neutral 2 0 1 1 3 4 -1 Total 51 19 21 11 64 53 +11 Overall, we have had the beating of Dunfermline over the years since we first crossed swords with them back in August 1999 where our first taste of Championship (Division 1) football ended in a 4-0 defeat at East End Park in front of 4865 fans. You can read the report on that game HERE. Five out of the last ten meetings have ended in draws with two wins apiece. Last 10 Competitive Meetings v Pars 1 - 1 (A) 1 - 1 (H) 2 - 0 (H) 1 - 1 (A) 1 - 2 (H) 0 - 0 (A) 1 - 0 (A) 1 - 1 (H) 1 - 3 (A) 2 - 1 (A)  Our last home win over Dunfermline:  2 - 0 Looking promising...Inverness took a massive step towards a play off place by defeating Dunfermline Athletic for the first time this season. An encouraging but goalless first half where Reece McAlear had hit the post was replaced by a two goal second half with chances at both ends. The deadlock was broken by a man who only scores screamers. Reece McAlear lashed the ball across the keeper and into the top right corner of the goal from a difficult position wide on the inside right area. What a strike that was but it only woke the Pars up from their lethargy and they had three or four great opportunities before substitute Austin Samuels sealed the points after he sprinted on to a through ball from Aaron Doran to slot neatly behind Mehmet in goal. Comfortable thereafter for the remainder of the game and an excellent three points to strengthen our hold on third place with Raith, Arbroath and Partick all dropping points.  Last Time Out A week after we let slip a two goal advantage over Partick Thistle, we salvaged a point at Gayfield with a 94th minute goal from Cammy Harper after loanee Adam Mackinnon had put Arbroath ahead ten minutes from the end. To be honest, we spurned far too many good opportunities, enough to win three games, but credit to the players for snatching a point at the death. Always a difficult venue, made moreso by a lengthy injury list that saw us without around ten players (Longstaff, Mullen, Ujdur, Boyes, Duffy, MacGregor, Lodovica, Nicolson) and a suspended Max Anderson who will miss the Dunfermline game as well. That left us with a sparse bench of only four outfield players, and not all of them were fully fit. Last five Championship games:  L W L D D  Dunfermline threw a relegation spanner in the works last Friday a week after they also drew with Arbroath to complete this wee quadrangle of fixtures. However, they landed us all in the kacke by defrauding Partick 3-1 at Firhill where shockingly poor refereeing decisions affected the result in Dunfermline's favour. Brian Graham should have had a hat-trick but officially is only credited with scoring once. Goals from Walcott, Todd and Benjamin turned this game on it's head, much to the chagrin of bottom clubs Arbroath and Inverness. Last five Championship games: D L L D W  Pos Team Pld W D L F A Pts Full fixture list on Tuesday night 1. Dundee Utd 24 15 6 3 49 14 51 2. Raith Rovers 24 15 5 4 44 33 50 3. Partick Thistle 24 10 8 6 47 40 38 4. Morton 24 10 6 8 34 28 36 5. Ayr United 25 8 5 12 34 45 29 6. Dunfermline 24 7 7 10 28 34 28 7. Airdrieonians 23 8 4 11 23 29 28 8. Queens Park 25 7 6 12 32 44 27 9. Inverness CT 25 6 8 11 30 32 26 10. Arbroath 24 5 5 14 25 47 20 Tuesday night 27th Feb all at 7:45pm Ayr United v Partick Thistle Dundee United v Airdrieonians Inverness CT v Dunfermline Queen's Park v Arbroath Rovers v Morton Latest Team News Jeremiah Chilokoa-Mullen is out for the season with a stress fracture in his back. We already have long term issues with Longstaff, Lodovica and Nicolson. Added to that list is Ujdur, Boyes, MacGregor, Duffy and now Charlie Gilmour who limped off injured to be substituted after an hour and is out with a knee injury. Alex Samuel managed to play the full game with his hand strapped and also picked up stitches after the tackle from Adam Mackinnon. Nathan Shaw was also a doubt on Saturday but played all 95 minutes as well. The good news is that Max Anderson is not injured. The bad news is that Max Anderson is suspended. Of our injured squad, Wallace Duffy and Alex Samuel look the most likely to make an appearance. Expect a another sparse bench tonight. We're injured, aren't we>>>   The addition of Chris Kane to the Pars squad was a great bit of business for them in the January sales. Here's all of their new additions, all loans: Chris Kane, forward (St Johnstone); Xavier Benjamin, defender (Cardiff City); Malachi Fagan-Walcott, defender (Cardiff City); Brad Holmes, forward (Blackpool). Pars team at Partick on Friday night Mehmet   Benjamin (Welch-Hayes 80)   Hamilton   Fagan-Walcott   Todd (Moffat 67)   Otoo   Allan   Edwards   Holmes (Jakubiak 61)   Kane   McCann   Subs Not Used: Little; Chalmers, Sutherland, Summers,     
  3. Finger Out Time With the fans restless, it's time for the Caley Jags to get their season started and get some points on the board. Many fans have lost any lingering faith in the current regime from the top to the bottom and would like to see change. Yes, it's only three games into the season, but the signs are there for all to see. A lack of direction on and off the park is worrying. Who replaced Robbie Deas? The answer is nobody. Hence our defence is riddled with errors at the moment. Deas leaving has been known for at least six months yet we have done nothing about it. Why? We have been scraping the bottom of the transfer barrel for a while now and performances on the park have reached an unacceptable level. The fans are disgruntled, the manager is getting some heavy flak, the Sporting Director is seen more at Dingwall at the weekends commentating on other sides whilst his own team are floundering, the CEO is taking us down a perilous route with no light at the end of the tunnel after a series of money making ventures have failed. We were well warned, now it's time for the Chairman to speak out before it's too late. We face Dunfermline on Saturday in what many believe could be a season defining encounter. Win and we will paper over the cracks for a while, lose and the only real option is wholesale change from the very top. As Richard Osman would say, we are pointless. The Pars have claimed four points from their opening fixtures; it's time to close that gap. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Match & Ticket Info Max Anderson Morgan Boyes Nikola Ujdur ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Venue H2H v Dunfermline Pld Won Drn Lst For Agst + / - Home 23 10 8 5 30 21 +9 Away 24 9 10 5 29 26 +3 Neutral 2 0 1 1 3 4 -1 Total 49 19 19 11 62 51 +11 We missed the Pars last season as they were busy getting themselves promoted from League 1 along with Airdrie. Last 10 Competitive Meetings v Dunfermline 2 - 0 (H) 1 - 1 (A) 1 - 2 (H) 0 - 0 (A) 1 - 0 (A) 1 - 1 (H) 1 - 3 (A) 2 - 1 (A) 2 - 0 (H) 1 - 0 (A) The last time we met was a 2-0 win for Inverness at the Caledonian Stadium at the end of season 2021/2022 Inverness took a massive step towards a play off place by defeating Dunfermline Athletic for the first time this season. An encouraging but goalless first half where Reece McAlear had hit the post was replaced by a two goal second half with chances at both ends. The deadlock was broken by a man who only scores screamers. Reece McAlear lashed the ball across the keeper and into the top right corner of the goal from a difficult position wide on the inside right area. What a strike that was but it only woke the Pars up from their lethargy and they had three or four great opportunities before substitute Austin Samuels sealed the points after he sprinted on to a through ball from Aaron Doran to slot neatly behind Mehmet in goal. Comfortable thereafter for the remainder of the game and an excellent three points to strengthen our hold on third place. Last Time Out Despite Billy Dodds oddly claiming we started well against Airdrie, we went a goal down after 35 seconds. And just to rub it in, it was an own goal as Cammy Harper prodded a deflected cross past Mark Ridgers before the sugar had been added to the coffee. The second goal was another defensive masterclass (NOT) as Devine was caught unawares when Davidson tried to play a short ball to him. Top scorer Calum Ferguson needed no second invitation to bury it behind Ridgers and once more leave us chasing the game. Not even with Airdrie being reduced to 10 men could we get anything. Our MotM Nathan Shaw pulled a goal back in the second half but we were unable to complete the comeback thanks to a combination of keeper Josh Rae, the woodwork and some rank rotten finishing. That was on the back of defeats to Queens Park and Ayr United. Meh! The Pars lost their big Fife derby match with Raith Rovers thanks to a Sam Stanton first half goal. It was a tight affair with Rovers just shading it. Rhys Breen and Ewan Otoo went close after the break for the Pars and Stanton almost added a second in front of over 7500 fans but the hosts fell just short. Dunfermline opened their campaign coming from behind to beat Airdrie 2-1 (Otoo & Allan) and followed that up with an encouraging 1-1 draw at Tannadice. Wighton had put the Pars ahead and it took United until the 95th minute to make their point. Pld W D L F A +/- Pts 1. Queens Park 4 3 0 1 6 5 1 9 2. Dundee Utd 3 2 1 0 8 1 7 7 3. Raith Rovers 3 2 1 0 6 4 2 7 4. Airdrieonians 3 2 0 1 5 4 1 6 5. Partick Thistle 3 1 1 1 6 5 1 4 6. Dunfermline 3 1 1 1 3 3 0 4 7. Morton 3 1 0 2 5 7 -2 3 8. Arbroath 4 1 0 3 4 7 -3 3 9. Ayr United 3 1 0 2 2 6 -4 3 10. Inverness CT 3 0 0 3 2 5 -3 0 Championship Fixtures Saturday 2nd September Inverness CT v Dunfermline Arbroath v Ayr Utd United v Airdrie Morton v Partick Rovers v Queen's Results so far Inverness 1-2 Queens Pk Ayr United 1-0 Inverness Airdrie 2-1 Inverness Dunfermline 2-1 Airdrieonians Dundee Utd 1-1 Dunfermline Dunfermline 0-1 Raith Rovers Latest Team News Inverness moved into the transfer market to try and arrest our slump and have secured a season long loan for Max Anderson from Dundee. Does this tell us that MacGregor and Welsh might be out for some time or that Glimour and co are not up to the task? Welsh and MacGregor missed out at Airdrie again along with long term Lewis Nicolson. Aaron Doran also missed the Airdrie game. Not sure what's up there as he played in the Inverness Cup game against Clach and looked sharp. Apparently we are actively trying to source a defender to plug the gaps........... And, ask and ye shall get. We have signed defender Morgan Boyes on a season long loan from Livingston and he will be available for selection for the Pars game tomorrow. We have also signed Nikola Ujdur, an Australian defender, on a two year deal. Sean Welsh is still out so I would expext Max Anderson to be in with a shout of starting this one. Here's our latest Max Dunfermline have some new faces. We won't concern ourselves with who they don't have, but here are their latest signings: In: Michael O'Halloran, forward (St Johnstone); Kane Ritchie-Hosler, midfielder (Rangers, loan to permanent); Ewan Otoo, defender (Celtic, loan to permanent); Sam Fisher, defender (Dundee). Loan in: Harry Sharp, goalkeeper (Dundee); Ben Summers, midfielder (Celtic). Joe Chalmers is still at East End Park and Michael O'Halloren and Craig Wighton are an experienced partnership up front. Pars Team v Raith Rovers last week Sharp Fisher Benedictus Breen (Sutherland 86) Comrie Chalmers Otoo McCann Edwards Wighton O'Halloran (Summers 63) Subs not used: Little; Hamilton, Allan, Fenton, Tod
  4. Crucial Times Ahead   The big games keep coming as we reach the business end of the season, the intensity of this one heightened in midweek after the Pars thrashed Partick Thistle 4-1 on Tuesday night ahead of their visit to the Caledonian Stadium on Saturday. The game kicks off at 3:00pm with points vital for both sides for different reasons. John Hughes is the man tasked with saving Dunfermline's season and it's not all gone to plan so far, but the midweek rout of Partick is an untimely reminder that they can cause problems to the best sides in this division. How many people, like me, had the Pars down as one of the favourites to get promotion given the depth and quality of their squad. I certainly did not expect them to be exiting the Championship at the bottom end. Crazy season heading for a tense finish at both ends of the table. MATCH/TICKETS/STREAMING INFO OFFICIAL PREVIEW Venue Head 2 Head Pld Won Drn Lst For Agst + / - Home 22 9 8 5 28 21 +7 Away 24 9 10 5 29 26 +3 Neutral 2 0 1 1 3 4 -1 Total 48 18 19 11 60 51 +9 Last 10 Competitive Meetings v Pars 1 - 1 (A) 1 - 2 (H) 0 - 0 (A) 1 - 0 (A) 1 - 1 (H) 1 - 3 (A) 2 - 1 (A) 2 - 0 (H) 1 - 0 (A) 1 - 0 (H) The honours tilt towards us over the years, a far cry from our first taste of the big time when Dunfermline pumped us 4-0 at East End Park in our first game in Division one or the Championship as we know it now. August 7th 1999 with nearly 5,000 in attendance, steak bridies and all. At last we had made the big time....Alas, we had a lot to learn.  Click on the link below to see Ian Broadfoot's brief report as we ended the game with 10 men against an accomplished Dunfermline Athletic.  Aug 7th League 0 - 4  (A)    4,865   Fast Forward to May 12th 2007 when Dunfermline were officially relegated after we beat them at the Caledonian Stadium; full report from Ian Broadfoot. Look at that crowd back in 2007, no doubt swelled by the Fifers as they tried to stave off relegation.  May 12th League 2 - 1  (H)    6,464     All games Saturday 3:00pm     Arbroath v Raith Rvrs Hamilton v Queens        Killie v Partick     Morton v Ayr Utd  Inverness CT v Dunfermline Pos Team Pld W D L F A Pts   1. Kilmarnock 30 17 5 8 41 21 56 2. Arbroath 30 14 12 4 41 22 54 3. Inverness CT 30 12 10 8 41 29 46 4. Partick Thistle 30 12 9 9 42 34 45 5. Raith Rovers 30 10 12 8 37 37 42 6. Morton 30 8 11 11 33 40 35 7. Hamilton Ac. 30 8 11 11 35 45 35 8. Ayr United 30 8 8 14 30 44 32 9. Dunfermline 30 5 14 11 31 45 29 10. Q.O.S. 30 6 8 16 30 44 26 As a result of Dunfermline swatting away the Jags in midweek, all teams have now played 30 games with Inverness remaining in 3rd position whilst Partick and Raith capitulate. No room to crow about it though as we have only just returned to winning ways after a horrendous run of eleven games with no wins, taking only six points from a possible thirty three. This season we have yet to beat the Pars. We were fortunate to draw 0-0 at East End Park in September as Dunfermline looked for their first win of the season after five games. We were top on 15 points, Dunfermline bottom with just two points after this one. We went down 2-1 at the Caledonian Stadium in November after having led through a Billy Mckay goal. A Danny Devine og restored parity before a superb Dom Thomas solo goal clinched the points. 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. The third encounter was a 1-1 draw at EEP: More points thrown away in our wasteful period in January. Inverness wasted an opportunity to put pressure on the top of the table after squandering a first half lead through Shane Sutherland. Steven Lawless levelled from the spot in the second half with ten minutes remaining after David Carson was adjudged to have blocked a cross with a flailing arm. Another drab performance after a first half full of promise. No surprise really given recent performances, but frustrating nonetheless. So, time to redress the balance for this season as Dunfermline begin to realise the severity of their plight.  Last Time Out We came away with an unlikely three points after Logan Chalmers scored two spectacular goals in the dying embers of a game we looked like losing, even against ten men. Raith took an early lead through Aidan Connolly before Shane Sutherland stabbed in the equaliser. That was short lived as Poplatnik restored Raith's advantage before the break. A couple of enforced changes weakened Raith but we still struggled and even after Kyle Benedictus was red carded with twenty minutes to go we looked spent on ideas. Up popped Chalmers with two sweet left foot strikes to take the points North. That result came on the back of us ending our drought with a 3-0 win over Arbroath the week before to revive our flagging play-off hopes. On yersel Logan As said before, Dunfermline helped us out in midweek by thumping Partick thistle 4-1. More importantly they helped themselves massively and climbed off the foot of the table in doing so. Partick had opened the scoring with a strike from distance through Ross Docherty. They fought back and deservedly levelled with an og from Lewis Mayo. Mathew Todd scored a second for a rampant Pars in the first half followed by Josh Edwards. Man of the Match Dom Thomas scored a spectacular fourth in the second half to put the icing on the cake. Great result for the Pars led of course by none other that John Hughes, our former Scottish Cup winning manager. Latest Team News Scott Allardice is out long term with Roddy MacGregor rumoured to be returned to full training. More team news to follow... View full article
  5. Crucial Times Ahead The big games keep coming as we reach the business end of the season, the intensity of this one heightened in midweek after the Pars thrashed Partick Thistle 4-1 on Tuesday night ahead of their visit to the Caledonian Stadium on Saturday. The game kicks off at 3:00pm with points vital for both sides for different reasons. John Hughes is the man tasked with saving Dunfermline's season and it's not all gone to plan so far, but the midweek rout of Partick is an untimely reminder that they can cause problems to the best sides in this division. How many people, like me, had the Pars down as one of the favourites to get promotion given the depth and quality of their squad. I certainly did not expect them to be exiting the Championship at the bottom end. Crazy season heading for a tense finish at both ends of the table. MATCH/TICKETS/STREAMING INFO OFFICIAL PREVIEW NEW STRIP SPORTS BAR Venue Head 2 Head Pld Won Drn Lst For Agst + / - Home 22 9 8 5 28 21 +7 Away 24 9 10 5 29 26 +3 Neutral 2 0 1 1 3 4 -1 Total 48 18 19 11 60 51 +9 Last 10 Competitive Meetings v Pars 1 - 1 (A) 1 - 2 (H) 0 - 0 (A) 1 - 0 (A) 1 - 1 (H) 1 - 3 (A) 2 - 1 (A) 2 - 0 (H) 1 - 0 (A) 1 - 0 (H) The honours tilt towards us over the years, a far cry from our first taste of the big time when Dunfermline pumped us 4-0 at East End Park in our first game in Division one or the Championship as we know it now. August 7th 1999 with nearly 5,000 in attendance, steak bridies and all. At last we had made the big time....Alas, we had a lot to learn. Click on the link below to see Ian Broadfoot's brief report as we ended the game with 10 men against an accomplished Dunfermline Athletic. Aug 7th League 0 - 4 (A) 4,865 Fast Forward to May 12th 2007 when Dunfermline were officially relegated after we beat them at the Caledonian Stadium; full report from Ian Broadfoot. Look at that crowd back in 2007, no doubt swelled by the Fifers as they tried to stave off relegation. May 12th League 2 - 1 (H) 6,464 All games Saturday 3:00pm Arbroath v Raith Rvrs Hamilton v Queens Killie v Partick Morton v Ayr Utd Inverness CT v Dunfermline Pos Team Pld W D L F A Pts 1. Kilmarnock 30 17 5 8 41 21 56 2. Arbroath 30 14 12 4 41 22 54 3. Inverness CT 30 12 10 8 41 29 46 4. Partick Thistle 30 12 9 9 42 34 45 5. Raith Rovers 30 10 12 8 37 37 42 6. Morton 30 8 11 11 33 40 35 7. Hamilton Ac. 30 8 11 11 35 45 35 8. Ayr United 30 8 8 14 30 44 32 9. Dunfermline 30 5 14 11 31 45 29 10. Q.O.S. 30 6 8 16 30 44 26 As a result of Dunfermline swatting away the Jags in midweek, all teams have now played 30 games with Inverness remaining in 3rd position whilst Partick and Raith capitulate. No room to crow about it though as we have only just returned to winning ways after a horrendous run of eleven games with no wins, taking only six points from a possible thirty three. This season we have yet to beat the Pars. We were fortunate to draw 0-0 at East End Park in September as Dunfermline looked for their first win of the season after five games. We were top on 15 points, Dunfermline bottom with just two points after this one. We went down 2-1 at the Caledonian Stadium in November after having led through a Billy Mckay goal. A Danny Devine og restored parity before a superb Dom Thomas solo goal clinched the points. 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. The third encounter was a 1-1 draw at EEP: More points thrown away in our wasteful period in January. Inverness wasted an opportunity to put pressure on the top of the table after squandering a first half lead through Shane Sutherland. Steven Lawless levelled from the spot in the second half with ten minutes remaining after David Carson was adjudged to have blocked a cross with a flailing arm. Another drab performance after a first half full of promise. No surprise really given recent performances, but frustrating nonetheless. So, time to redress the balance for this season as Dunfermline begin to realise the severity of their plight. Last Time Out We came away with an unlikely three points after Logan Chalmers scored two spectacular goals in the dying embers of a game we looked like losing, even against ten men. Raith took an early lead through Aidan Connolly before Shane Sutherland stabbed in the equaliser. That was short lived as Poplatnik restored Raith's advantage before the break. A couple of enforced changes weakened Raith but we still struggled and even after Kyle Benedictus was red carded with twenty minutes to go we looked spent on ideas. Up popped Chalmers with two sweet left foot strikes to take the points North. That result came on the back of us ending our drought with a 3-0 win over Arbroath the week before to revive our flagging play-off hopes. On yersel Logan As said before, Dunfermline helped us out in midweek by thumping Partick thistle 4-1. More importantly they helped themselves massively and climbed off the foot of the table in doing so. Partick had opened the scoring with a strike from distance through Ross Docherty. They fought back and deservedly levelled with an og from Lewis Mayo. Mathew Todd scored a second for a rampant Pars in the first half followed by Josh Edwards. Man of the Match Dom Thomas scored a spectacular fourth in the second half to put the icing on the cake. Great result for the Pars led of course by none other that John Hughes, our former Scottish Cup winning manager. Dom Thomas' name has cropped up a lot recently and he will be worth watching as he has bagged a few special goals this season and is also well up on assists. Latest Team News Scott Allardice is out long term with Roddy MacGregor rumoured to be returned to full training. Possibly as you were if no fresh injuries are thrown into the mix, however some late fitness tests required according to Dodds. Sam Pearson is on international duty with Wales u21. Billy Dodds ahead of Pars fixture Steven Lawless had stitches inserted in a head wound picked up against Partick Thistle. Lewis McCann should come back into contention after being injured against Morton but the injury is not as serious as first feared (dislocation). Keeper Jakub Stolarczyc was on international duty with Poland's u21's in midweek and they have another game on Tuesday night although stand-in Deniz Mehmet did little wrong when called in to replace him against Partick. Dunfermline last starting XI: Mehmet, Todd, Ambrose, Donaldson, Edwards, Pybus, Chalmers, Lawless, Polworth, Thomas, O’Hara Some familiar names in there, with Toddy coming off the bench against Partick. Eric the Stats Pars roundup Changes to Dunfermline squad since we last met at East End Park Departures Owain Fon Williams - the one time ICT and Welsh international painter goalkeeper has left the East End Park club. In press release from DAFC on 28th February. " Dunfermline Athletic wish to announce that we have agreed to cancel Owain Fon Williams contract with effect from today. Owain wishes to leave for family reasons." Vytas Gaspuitis - The defender left the club on the 18th March on a free transfer to play in his home country Lithuania with FA Siauliai Kyle Macdonald - a right back who is now on loan at Airdrieonians. Iain Wilson - Midfielder left on a free to join Greenock Morton. Players in Jakub Stolarczyk - Goalkeeping cover on loan from Leicester City U23. Efe Ambrose - the centre back is on loan from St Johnstone Liam Polworth - Well known Invernessian is on loan from Kilmarnock. Joe Chalmers - Another familiar name to ICT fans, central midfield player joined DAFC from Ayr United for an undisclosed fee. Bobby Kamwa - The 22 year old forward is on loan from Leeds United U23 for the remainder of the season NEW STRIP INCOMING Soft feel new texture finish – made from 100% Recycled Polyester mesh. Wicking finish, keeps you cooler and drier for longer. Recycled rib contrast cuff detail. Raglan sleeve construction to back of shirt. Contrast elasticated tape hem detail to co-ordinate with shorts PUMA Cat Logo at right chest and on both sleeves. The words of the song on the strip. Oh well, it's the thought that counts I suppose Pic: Trevor Martin
  6. Surprise Surprise East End Park is the venue on Saturday as surprise Championship leaders Inverness visit the Kingdom of Fife to take on surprise packet Dunfermline Athletic. I say surprise packet, as that is exactly what The Pars have become under the guidance of former Alloa Athletic manager Peter Grant. I fully expected the Pars to be challenging at the opposite end of the table given their financial backing and the assumed quality of their squad. Unfortunately for them they find themselves languishing at the foot of the table and winless after four games with only a draw against Morton to show for their troubles. They do have a Fife derby to come against Raith Rovers, but that won't be easy either. They have shipped three goals against Partick, Arbroath and Ayr United and their fans are now talking boycotts in an attempt to use fan power to force the board to act now before their season is completely ruined. Look out for the mass exodus on the hour. However, beware the scalded cat! In stark contrast, Inverness are on a winning run of five games on the bounce in the Championship, have the manager of the month in Billy Dodds, and sit top of the table having already beaten three of the favourites in Raith, Kilmarnock and Partick Thistle. What could possibly go wrong? PPV Stream @ ParsTV £12 OFFICIAL PREVIEW ROBBO BOOK VIDEO WATCH SUPPORTERS BUS Stat Attack First Competitive Meeting Aug 7th, 1999 League (A) 0 - 4 Most Recent Competitive Meeting Mar 20th, 2021 League (Championship) (A) 1 - 0 Last 10 Competitive Meetings 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) 3 - 0 (A) Biggest Victories Jul 26th, 2016 League Cup (Group C) (A) 5 - 1 Heaviest Defeats <ouch> Aug 12th, 2017 League (A) 1 - 5 Aug 7th, 1999 League (A) 0 - 4 Highest Attendance Apr 10th, 2004 Scottish Cup (Semi-Final) (N) 13,255 Head 2 Head Venue Pld Won Drn Lst For Agst + / - Home 21 9 8 4 27 19 +8 Away 22 9 8 5 28 25 +3 Neutral 2 0 1 1 3 4 -1 Total 45 18 17 10 58 48 +10 Overall stats sway in our favour with the last ten meetings showing that Inverness have been more dominant in recent years. A far cry from the 4-0 thrashing dished out on our first venture into the Championship back in August 1999 when the Pars brushed aside the upstarts from the Highlands who dared to move up through the leagues to challenge the central belt dominance. In our defence we were reduced to ten men and conceded two late goals. Pld W D L F A +/- Pts 1. Inverness CT 5 5 0 0 7 1 6 15 2. Kilmarnock 5 4 0 1 6 1 5 12 3. Arbroath 5 3 1 1 12 4 8 10 4. Partick Thistle 5 3 0 2 11 8 3 9 5. Queen of the South 5 2 0 3 7 8 -1 6 6. Raith Rovers 4 1 1 2 6 6 0 4 7. Ayr United 5 1 1 3 5 8 -3 4 8. Morton 5 1 1 3 5 9 -4 4 9. Hamilton Academical 5 1 1 3 6 12 -6 4 10. Dunfermline 4 0 1 3 3 11 -8 1 Other fixtures this weekend, all 3:00pm Saturday Hamilton v Ayr United Morton v Raith Rovers Partick v Kilmarnock Queens v Arbroath LATEST TEAM NEWS Michael Gardyne missed out last week having picked up a knock in training prior to the Buckie Thistle cup game. Looks like we are mostly free from injury with Billy Mckay and Lewis Jamieson champing at the bit as they remained on the bench last week. Look for a relatively unchanged squad this weekend. If it's not broke, don't fix it! We have also recruited someone to watch videos. Good work if you can get it. Dunfermline will have Owain Fon Williams, Nikolay Todorov and Kai Kennedy in their squad as they look to get off the bottom of the table. Aaron Doran will make his 300th appearance this weekend. Let's see if he can add to his 50 goals he has scored for the Caley Jags View full article
  7. Surprise Surprise East End Park is the venue on Saturday as surprise Championship leaders Inverness visit the Kingdom of Fife to take on surprise packet Dunfermline Athletic. I say surprise packet, as that is exactly what The Pars have become under the guidance of former Alloa Athletic manager Peter Grant. I fully expected the Pars to be challenging at the opposite end of the table given their financial backing and the assumed quality of their squad. Unfortunately for them they find themselves languishing at the foot of the table and winless after four games with only a draw against Morton to show for their troubles. They do have a Fife derby to come against Raith Rovers, but that won't be easy either. They have shipped three goals against Partick, Arbroath and Ayr United and their fans are now talking boycotts in an attempt to use fan power to force the board to act now before their season is completely ruined. Look out for the mass exodus on the hour. However, beware the scalded cat! In stark contrast, Inverness are on a winning run of five games on the bounce in the Championship, have the manager of the month in Billy Dodds, and sit top of the table having already beaten three of the favourites in Raith, Kilmarnock and Partick Thistle. What could possibly go wrong? PPV Stream @ ParsTV £12 OFFICIAL PREVIEW ROBBO BOOK VIDEO WATCH SUPPORTERS BUS Stat Attack First Competitive Meeting Aug 7th, 1999 League (A) 0 - 4 Most Recent Competitive Meeting Mar 20th, 2021 League (Championship) (A) 1 - 0 Last 10 Competitive Meetings 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) 3 - 0 (A) Biggest Victories Jul 26th, 2016 League Cup (Group C) (A) 5 - 1 Heaviest Defeats <ouch> Aug 12th, 2017 League (A) 1 - 5 Aug 7th, 1999 League (A) 0 - 4 Highest Attendance Apr 10th, 2004 Scottish Cup (Semi-Final) (N) 13,255 Head 2 Head Venue Pld Won Drn Lst For Agst + / - Home 21 9 8 4 27 19 +8 Away 22 9 8 5 28 25 +3 Neutral 2 0 1 1 3 4 -1 Total 45 18 17 10 58 48 +10 Overall stats sway in our favour with the last ten meetings showing that Inverness have been more dominant in recent years. A far cry from the 4-0 thrashing dished out on our first venture into the Championship back in August 1999 when the Pars brushed aside the upstarts from the Highlands who dared to move up through the leagues to challenge the central belt dominance. In our defence we were reduced to ten men and conceded two late goals. Pld W D L F A +/- Pts 1. Inverness CT 5 5 0 0 7 1 6 15 2. Kilmarnock 5 4 0 1 6 1 5 12 3. Arbroath 5 3 1 1 12 4 8 10 4. Partick Thistle 5 3 0 2 11 8 3 9 5. Queen of the South 5 2 0 3 7 8 -1 6 6. Raith Rovers 4 1 1 2 6 6 0 4 7. Ayr United 5 1 1 3 5 8 -3 4 8. Morton 5 1 1 3 5 9 -4 4 9. Hamilton Academical 5 1 1 3 6 12 -6 4 10. Dunfermline 4 0 1 3 3 11 -8 1 Other fixtures this weekend, all 3:00pm Saturday Hamilton v Ayr United Morton v Raith Rovers Partick v Kilmarnock Queens v Arbroath LATEST TEAM NEWS Michael Gardyne missed out last week having picked up a knock in training prior to the Buckie Thistle cup game. Looks like we are mostly free from injury with Billy Mckay and Lewis Jamieson champing at the bit as they remained on the bench last week. Look for a relatively unchanged squad this weekend. If it's not broke, don't fix it! We have also recruited someone to watch videos. Good work if you can get it. Dunfermline will have Owain Fon Williams, Nikolay Todorov and Kai Kennedy in their squad as they look to get off the bottom of the table. Aaron Doran will make his 300th appearance this weekend. Let's see if he can add to his 50 goals he has scored for the Caley Jags
  8. With St Mirren winning at Motherwell, and Caley Thistle scoring a couple of late goals to win this game, Dunfermline are officially relegated from the Scottish Premier League. Club Historian Ian Broadfoot reports from the Tulloch Caledonian Stadium. ICT 2-1 DUNFERMLINE 12th May 2007 Tulloch Caledonian Stadium, Inverness INVERNESS CALEDONIAN THISTLE FC 2 (Hastings 76, McAllister 88) Team: Fraser, Tokely, Dods, Munro (McAllister 75), Hastings, Hart, Black, McBain (Sutherland 68), Paatelainen (Wilson 61), Dargo, Bayne Subs: McCaffrey, Duncan, Rankin & Ridgers DUNFERMLINE 1 (McIntyre 37) Team: De Vries, Shields, Bamba, McGuire, Muirhead, Mason, Glass (Morrison 81), Hammill (McCunnie 66), O' Brien (Burchill, 81), McManus, McIntyre Subs: Hamilton, Young, Woods & McKenzie Referee Mike Ritchie Attendance 6464 Man of the Match Richard Hastings (ICT) It was a day of high drama as Dunfermline came north hoping to keep their fine run going and at least take the relegation battle to the wire. They brought a large vocal support and the team fought for every ball, but in the end it was not enough. At Fir Park the other possible candidates for the drop, Motherwell and St Mirren, were playing each other and there were many possible permutations after the final whistles. In the event St Mirren fought back from 2-0 down to win 3-2, but the 2-1 win for Caley Thistle meant it did not matter. Dunfermline were relegated. Two months ago Caley Thistle were 1-0 up on Dunfermline at half time then surrendered the second half to lose 3-1. Today it was 1-0 to the Pars at half time and it was Caley Thistle who came back to win. There were two milestones as Ross Tokely became the first player to reach the 400 appearance mark and Darren Dods played his 100th league match for ICT. The end of the season is often a time to give fringe players a run but, with relegation at stake, it would have been unfair to go down this route. Charlie Christie did shuffle his pack but with no loss of strength - John Rankin, Stuart McCaffrey and Russell Duncan dropped to the bench and Ross Tokely, Ian Black and Markus Paatelainen came back to start the match. The newly-blond Barry Wilson returned from suspension and injury to the bench. It was frantic from the off and play surged from end to end. There was no danger however until the twelfth minute when Dunfermline ’s Jim McIntyre sent a low angled ball skidding past the post from the right. Five minutes later the first ICT effort came when Craig Dargo latched onto a long Grant Munro throw but his angled shot was held well by Dorus De Vries. Caley Thistle began to create openings but could not make them pay. In 28 minutes a Richie Hart free kick from the right reached Graham Bayne but his header from the back of the box was held by De Vries. Three minutes later a clearance from the ‘keeper reached Hart 40 yards out with the goal vacated – Hart hesitated and was closed down before he could try for a spectacular goal. The opening came at the other end in 37 minutes when Tam McManus headed into the path of McIntyre and he volleyed home from just inside the home box. Half Time: 0-1 With St Mirren trailing to Motherwell the Dunfermline fans began to sing ‘We’re staying up’ but their optimism was premature. The second half started bizarrely when a Dods attempted clearance was stabbed goalwards and Mike Fraser had to be alert to tip it over. Nothing came off at either end and Dunfermline began to slow things down to retain their lead. In 71 minutes a poor back pass towards De Vries allowed substitute Wilson to nip in and steal the ball but he was forced wide and could only chip it to the centre of the box with no one following up. With fifteen minutes left Charlie Christie went for broke when he replaced defender Grant Munro with striker Rory McAllister. It was to prove decisive as within a minute McAllister was brought down by Sol Bamba 25 yards out on the right. Richard Hastings took the free kick and its power was too much for De Vries as he dropped it over the line – this was only the defender’s third goal for the club with the others coming in October and November 1995. Zander Sutherland did well down the left in 84 minutes and found McAllister inside – he ran on and blasted just wide from 25 yards. With two minutes of regular time left Wilson beat Phil McGuire to the ball and passed to McAllister who once more struck for goal from 25 yards. This time it took a deflection to fool De Vries and give ICT a 2-1 lead. The three added minutes stretched to four and Dunfermline pushed hard. De Vries joined the attack for the final few minutes to try to make amends for his error but it all came to nothing. Full Time: 2-1 The whistle went and the Dunfermline players slumped to the ground despondent. It had been a brave fight but the Pars were down and out. For Caley Thistle there was a one spot climb to eighth and just one game left away to St Mirren.
  9. Stephen Kenny will no doubt enjoy the rest of his St Patrick's day after this victory threw the Pars an SPL survival lifeline !! The Dunfermline manager hadn't seen his side win in sixteen games but this victory had nothing to do with luck as the Pars broke that unenviable record convincingly. Surprisingly enough, this was also Dunfermline's first ever SPL victory against ICT. Club Historian Ian Broadfoot provides the official report from the game. ICT 1-3 DUNFERMLINE 17th March 2007 Tulloch Caledonian Stadium, Inverness INVERNESS CALEDONIAN THISTLE FC 1 (Paatelainen 23) Team: Fraser, Tokely, McCaffrey, Dods, Hastings, Wilson, Duncan (Rankin 63), Black, Paatelainen, McSwegan (Dargo 63), Bayne Subs: Hart, Morgan, Sutherland, McAllister & Ridgers DUNFERMLINE 3 (Glass 47, 78pen , McIntyre 60) Team: De Vries, Ross, McGuire, Wilson (Harris 80), S. Morrison, O'Brien, Mason, Glass, Hammill (Muirhead 86), McManus, McIntyre Subs - McCunnie, O. Morrison, Crawford, Hamilton & McKenzie Referee Chris Boyle Attendance 4447 Man of the Match Markus Paatelainen (ICT) Bitter disappointment for Caley Thistle but all credit to Dunfermline for a spirited second half fight back. It was 1-0 to ICT at half time and all looked well. Dunfermline scored two goals in the second half then a very controversial penalty award led to a third and the match was over. Dunfermline are almost down and out of the SPL but more victories like this and all that could change. ICT’s defeat means that a top six finish is impossible and the SPL split is finally decided. With Grant Munro still suspended Stuart McCaffrey again partnered Darren Dods in central defence. Markus Paatelainen continued in midfield instead of the injured Roy McBain and Gary McSwegan started up front. Craig Dargo came back from injury to a bench spot and he came on for 27 minutes. Charlie Christie was scathing in his appraisal: "The players have to take responsibility for performances like that along with myself, we like to take the plaudits when we do well so we must take the brunt of it when we don't do well." A bitterly cold wind dominated the day but Caley Thistle started well. In six minutes strong shots from Ian Black and Gary McSwegan were blocked then four minutes later danger was averted at the other end by Stuart McCaffrey’s timely tackle on Adam Hammill. In 19 minutes a Barry Wilson free kick from 25 yards deflected off the wall and Graham Bayne just failed to touch it past Dorus De Vries. The opening goal came in 23 minutes when a Ross Tokely high ball from the right bounced about in the box before Paatelainen blasted it in from 12 yards. Despite continuing to dominate the home side could not find another goal – an angled Ian Black snap shot was taken well by De Vries in 36 minutes then the keeper tipped over a Wilson cross just before the break. Half Time: 1-0 Just two minutes into the second half Dunfermline came right back into it. A Jim O’Brien cross was volleyed past Mike Fraser from 15 yards by Stephen Glass with the home defence absent. Another O’Brien cross was deflected to Jim McIntyre on the hour mark and he touched it in from close range for 2-1. A Paatelainen ball from the left was tipped over by De Vries in 76 minutes as Caley Thistle tried to claw their way back into the game. The final nail in the coffin came two minutes later when Hammill went down in a clash with Hastings on the edge of the box. The home fans were livid when the referee pointed to the spot. Glass ignored the controversy and hit low into the net despite Mike Fraser guessing correctly and getting a hand to it. In 83 minutes the controversy moved to the other end when Wilson was brought down by Scott Morrison – Wilson landed in the box but the offence was decreed to have happened just outside. The scoring was over but not the drama. A minute over time Tom McManus came in heavily on Black and a straight red was shown. Full Time: 1-3 It made no difference as the match was effectively over. Caley Thistle moved to eighth and Dunfermline gained three points on the rest of lower teams.
  10. Inverness CT 1-0 Dunfermline Caley Thistle have never lost to Dunfermline in the SPL and thanks to Ross Tokely that record remains intact. In a game that looked destined to finish as a no-score draw the big man popped up in the last minute to grab all three points. 30th September 2006 Tulloch Caledonian Stadium Inverness Caledonian Thistle 1 (Tokely 90) Team: Brown, Tokely, Dods, Munro, Hastings, Wilson, Rankin, McBain (Keogh 81), Hart (Sutherland 75), Dargo (McAllister 70), Bayne. Subs: McCaffrey, Black, Duncan & Fraser. Dunfermline (Jim Leishman) 0 Team: De Vries, Shields, S. Wilson, Young, Mason, Morrison (Muirhead 58), Hamilton (Tod 73), Woods, Ross (Daquin 65), Bamba, Crawford Subs: McCunnie, Labonte, C.Wilson, & McKenzie Referee Calum Murray Attendance 3517 Man of the Match Barry Wilson (ICT) Caley Thistle’s fine SPL record against Dunfermline continued with this 1-0 victory but it took a 90th minute Ross Tokely goal to secure the points. Tokely has a remarkable talent for popping up with goals at vital moments and this 28th career goal was as well timed as it gets. It may have been late September but nobody told the weather gods and the Moray Firth could have easily passed for the French Riviera. The football was not quite as good as the weather. Charlie Christie made one well-publicised change from last week’s side with the relegation of Ian Black to the bench. Richie Hart came in and had a fine game. Dennis Wyness was not quite fit so Graham Bayne and Craig Dargo continued up front. Dunfermline manager Jim Leishman was almost unrecognisable without his trademark moustache – he was happy with the £2000 raised for charity by shaving it off, but he was clearly disappointed that his side did not go back south with a point. Caley Thistle had the best of the match but the Pars held out until they were finally broken down by intense late pressure. Dunfermline had a fast start and in just 15 seconds Greg Ross sent over a dangerous cross from the right and Darren Dods had to head it for a corner. Roy McBain was the architect of a good move in six minutes when he broke down the right and into the Dunfermline box. His shot was blocked, as was Craig Dargo’s follow-up, then a Richie Hart effort was sent for a corner. Steve Crawford hit an angled ball over the bar at the other end then Darus De Vries held a Dargo low shot. Chances were rare until just before the break when Bayne latched onto a Hart cross and headed just past. Half Time: 0-0 Mark Brown held a Jim Hamilton header just into the second half then Crawford once more hit over the bar. As time wore on it looked like a stalemate but the fresh legs of ICT substitutes Zander Sutherland, Rory McAllister and Liam Keogh helped to up the tempo and the home side pressed hard They were all over the Dunfermline defence for the last 15 minutes but the best chances came in the final five minutes. First a McAllister flick and a Bayne lob set John Rankin on a race for goal with a defender at his shoulder and De Vries advancing – in the end his shot disappointingly trundled past for a goal kick. With two minutes left Bayne shot on the turn from 12 yards but De Vries produced the save of the match to touch the ball for a corner. Then came the final drama with Caley Thistle once more attacking in numbers and the Dunfermline box crowded. The ball broke to Tokely just outside the area and, after a neat turn, he hit a low ball goalwards and it ended up in the corner of the net. De Vries was deceived by a slight deflection but it was most definitely Tokely’s goal. There was still time for a final fast run down the left by the impressive Sutherland but he was brought down by Freddy Daquin – his yellow card allowed time to run out and the points were secure. Full Time: 1-0 Despite wins by Motherwell (am amazing 5-0 against Kilmarnock) and St Mirren, ICT moved up to joint seventh but eighth on goal difference.
  11. until
    Inverness CT -V- Dunfermline Athletic Caledonian Stadium Tuesday night 29th December @ 18:30pm ***Early kick-off*** Championship Football Covid restrictions apply Live Streaming available from ICTFC Happy New Year when it comes
  12. Fife Flyers TV sets were barely switched on when Nokolay Todorov opened the scoring in the second minute. He would leave the field injured to be replaced by James Vincent after nineteen minutes. Inverness held that lead until the twenty-third minute when captain Euan Murray headed his fourth goal of the season to level matters. That's how it stood at the break as both sides searched for a second goal. Ryan Dow put the Pars in front with twelve minutes left in a rather turgid second half. Declan McManus scored a superb third to seal the points turning on the angle of the box and firing high into the net. Deserved 3 points for the Pars as they get off to a flyer. The eagerly awaited start of the 20/21 Championship was here and our first game was a visit to an eerie East End Park for this closed doors encounter against Dunfermline Athletic. The Pars had invested their Commerzbank cash injection well taking on the likes of prolific striker Kevin O'Hara from Alloa Athletic. They have also added plenty of experience as well with Paul Watson, Declan McManus and Steven Whittaker (suspended for today) amongst others. This would be a stern test for an Inverness side still without regulars Aaron Doran, and David Carson, with Miles Storey and Shane Sutherland both injuring hamstrings in League Cup games. Kevin McHattie James Vincent and Danny Devine managed some game time against Cowdenbeath in midweek. With Hearts throwing down the gauntlet last night in a 6-2 drubbing of Dundee, it will be interesting to see who will cling on to their coat tails in a season of only 27 scheduled Championship matches. The Skids will introduce the players as normal, the fans will be glued to PPV streaming, and here we go as they also welcome Inverness into the valley...... Former Inverness keeper Owain Fon Williams was in goals for the Pars and Kevin O'Hara started up front with Declan McManus. Inverness had a new look back four since we last played Championship football. Inverness were without the injured strikers Storey and Sutherland. Danny Devine and James Vincent made the bench where we were down to the bare bones. RIG saw the game unfold like this........... Agree with that there maybe wasn't much in it in terms of possession but when the few chances in front of goal did arrive they tended to fall the way of Dunfermline. Good save from Ridgers to deny O'Hara (I think) at the near post in the second half. Criminal defending for all three of the Pars goals from our PoV with Mckay looking very limp for the both the first and third with the entire defence looking suspect for the second. The third, whilst being a cracking strike by McManus, should never have been offered up as an opportunity had Mckay just dealt with the ball instead of dallying on it. So many problems the result of our own slack play. Very little to get excited about in an attacking sense as well. As mentioned above MacGregor was ineffective on the left continually wanting to check back inside to get the ball onto his right foot and McHattie seldom got beyond him to offer a wide option. Duffy was a bit more aggressive down the right flank and but certainly not in a similar manner to what we have been used to with Rooney in the last. I think only Harper put in a decent cross after he came on with a lot of our attacking play focused through the middle of the pitch where I thought Wilson protected the defence well snuffing out any attacks that were building in the centre. Trying to be positive, we did have a lot of attacking players out that would hopefully have made a difference today but we would still have had that defence out there so... Pars TV worked fine for me although it did drop a couple of times but a quick refresh sorted that out. Commentary wasn't too bad either. ICT FC OFFICIAL REPORT Robbo talking after the game....... Here's the goals from DAFC Twitter feed Date: 17/10/2020 Venue: Caledonian Stadium Attendance: 0 Referee: Willie Collum Dunfermline: 3 Lineup: Fon Williams; Comrie, Edwards, Watson, E Murray (c), Dow, Wilson, Turner (McInroy 78), Thomas, O'Hara (F Murray 64), McManus. Subs (not used): .Gill; Mayo, Allan, McCann, Martin Scorers: E Murray (23), Dow (78), McManus (84) Booked: Wilson (45), Edwards (81), McManus (85) Sent Off: none Inverness CT: 1 Lineup: Ridgers; Duffy, B Mckay, Deas, McHattie, MacGregor (Harper 85), Welsh (c), Allardice, D Mackay, Keatings, Todorov (Vincent 19). Subs (not used): .C Mackay; Fyffe, Devine, Hyde, Harkness Scorers: Todorov (2) Booked: B Mckay (88) Sent Off: none a
  13. Xmas Cheer Inverness collected all three points with an ultimately deserved win over a persistent Dunfermline Athletic. Despite mostly dominating the first half, we had Mark Ridgers to thank thrice for excellent blocks to deny Kevin Nisbet on each occasion, one just before the break was crucial, and that meant that Shaun Rooney's goal around the half hour gave Inverness the lead at the interval. The Pars were more prominent in the second half without really threatening, but Ridgers had to make another good block to thwart Nisbet again to keep his clean sheet, and a second half header from Jamie McCart sealed the win with ten minutes remaining. This result keeps Inverness four clear in second place with Dundee United disappearing over the horizon. Carl Tremarco was out injured with Kevin McHattie taking his place and Tom Walsh and Brad Mckay missed out again. Stevie Crawford was without the suspended Greg Kiltie, Joe Thomson getting his first start for nine months. Paul Paton and Lewis McCann started with Harry Cochrane and Kyle Turner on the bench alongside former Inverness loan player Anthony McDonald. A tentative opening quarter by both sides with James Keatings shooting just wide early on from inside the box. Mark Ridgers made his first save from Kevin Nisbet after 15 minutes when he spread himself well to deny the on form striker, then grabbed his follow up header. That was slightly against the run of play, but showed that the Pars would be dangerous on the counter. Scully was forced into making a fingertip save from what looked to be a header from one of his own defenders, the ball being tipped behind for a corner after a dangerous cross into the box with Jordan White lurking with intent. Neither keeper was overworked but after half an hour Inverness opened the scoring when Shaun Rooney was on hand to knock a Keatings cross behind Scully from 10 yards after a corner was cleared back to the Caley Jags man out wide. The hosts were now in control of midfield with Charlie Trafford and David Carson prominent and Scully had more to deal with than Ridgers, but on the stroke of half time the big Inverness keeper did well to prevent Nisbet getting an equaliser as he spread himself once more when one on one. Half Time 1-0 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ What the managers said on BBC Sport Inverness Caledonian Thistle manager John Robertson: "On the face of it, it seems the perfect day. As a manager you want the three points, a clean sheet and the performance too. "We were a big threat at set pieces and I think that second goal at the end of the day was deserved. We still had to concentrate, still had to be lively as Dunfermline have players who can hurt you if you don't keep an eye on them." Dunfermline manager Stevie Crawford: "It's a very difficult place to come, we had chances we could've scored from and were punished. "The second-half we huffed and puffed. Inverness managed the game really well, and we never created enough goalscoring chances to get back into the game." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Dunfermline looked more determined after the break but with little cutting edge Ridgers was left to deal with the odd cross and a few clearances. The hosts were looking more comfortable as the half wore on and with a bit more composure could have added to their tally. Jamie McCart headed over from a corner with twenty minutes left as the home fans were looking for the cushion of a two goal lead. It would come ten minutes from the end and this time McCart rose unchallenged at the back to loop a header across the keeper into the far corner. Bit of a soft goal for Dunfermline to lose but a vital second goal for Inverness. Still work to do and Ridgers denied Nisbet for a third time with another excellent block to hold on to the clean sheet. The game ran away from the Pars and at the end of the day they can have little complaints after failing to capitalise on three one on ones with Ridgers who stood firm and gets my vote for MotM. Mark was well supported by his back line who were prepared to defend in depth when needed and willing to turn defence into attack with some great out balls. Defensively sound for most of the game that was a great way to get over the defeat at Firhill last week and puts a wee dent in the Pars run towards the play-off places. Shaun Rooney was the sponsors vote and he had a great second half with a couple of trademark bursts down the touchline. Aaron Doran was also lively and kept the visitors defence on their toes. There were some failures, but it's not a day for complaints with three points in the bag and a clean sheet. Here's the goals............ Here's Dunfermlines take on the game..... Robbo match reaction......... Table and Championship scores from yesterday Inverness CT 2-0 Dunfermline Alloa Athletic 0-2 Morton Dundee United 4-0 Ayr United Partick Thistle 0-1 Dundee Queen of the South 2-0 Arbroath Date: 19/12/2019 Venue: Caledonian Stadium Attendance: 2116 Referee: Alan Newlands Inverness CT: 2 Lineup: Ridgers; Rooney, Donaldson, McCart, McHattie, Doran (Todorov 89), Carson, Trafford, Storey, Keatings (Vincent 74), White (Curry 85) Subs (not used): C Mackay, Harper, Machado, MacGregor. Scorers: Rooney (33), McCart (80) Booked: Donaldson (65) Sent Off: none Dunfermline Ath: 0 Lineup: Scully; Comrie, Ashcroft, Devine, Martin, Dow, Beadling (Turner 43), Paton, Thomson (Ryan 74), Nisbet, McCann (McDonald 62) Subs (not used): Gill; Lang, Cochrane, Edwards. Scorers: none Booked: Comrie (35) Sent Off: none a
  14. Festive Fare It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas and Dunfermline Athletic are the visitors on Saturday with both clubs looking to bounce back after disappointing results last weekend. The game will kick off at 3:00pm at the Caledonian Stadium as Xmas shopping start to bite. So, if you want to avoid all the mind numbing festive jingles in the retail park, get yourself down to the Stadium and get behind the Caley Jags as they try to fend off a Dunfermline side who will be challenging for a play-off slot come the end of the season. Once again we slumped to defeat against a Partick side that were thrashed 5-1 by the Pars recently, albeit the Harry Wraggs had a man sent off in the fourth minute. That's a second 3-1 doing from Partick this season. Alex Jones opened the scoring just after the interval but a superb James Keatings overhead kick restored parity before Steve Saunders put the Partick Jags back in front. Dario Zanatta ended the scoring and made the points secure in injury time and left the Inverness fans frustrated by our inability to break down the hosts and take something from the game. Meanwhile, Dunfermline staged a mini comeback with ten men against Dundee after trailing 4-1. A couple of late counters were not quite enough to earn them a point but once more Kevin Nisbet was on the scoresheet. The Pars other scorers were Ryan Dow in the first half and second half goals from Nisbet and Lewis Martin. Greg Kiltie was sent off after an hour which made the fightback all the more remarkable but they fell just short. Kiltie will miss the game against Inverness. Other Championship fixtures this weekend Alloa Athletic v Morton Dundee United v Ayr United Partick Thistle v Dundee Queen of the South v Arbroath Inverness CT v Dunfermline This is the second meeting this season, the first ended in a narrow 1-0 win for Inverness at East End Park. A Danny Devine foul allowing Sean Welsh to score from the spot. Our last ten competitive meetings shows four wins each and two draws. Inverness have won the last two encounters, both by 1-0 scorelines. Five players in the current squads have played for both clubs, Brad Mckay, Jordan White, Shaun Rooney, James Vincent and Danny Devine. Six if Anthony McDonald gets some game time for the Pars. Remember kids, don't let anyone tell you Santa is not for real. Here is Buffy the Vampire Santa all prepared for her day in the press box at the Caledonian Stadium. Prior to the game, she will be in the bar getting tanked up for the day ahead. Busy period for all Santa's. James Vincent returns to the squad on Saturday after a full weeks training although he might have to settle for a place on the bench. No word on Tom Walsh although I suspect he will be missing once more. Brad Mckay was on the bench last week. With the sports bar open from 1:00pm, there's every chance that Santa will be over the limit, watch this space.......... Here's Steveie Crawford ahead of the game this Saturday....
  15. Long Ball Incoming? The Kingdom of Fife is the destination this Saturday, 3:00pm is the time and more specifically walking down the Halbeath Road at East End Park is the venue as Inverness Caledonian Thistle return to Championship action after the Chocolate Cup games last Saturday. The past weekend saw the less glamorous disruption of international football which reared it's ugly head over the weekend. Thankfully that embarrassment has now passed and we can get on with life without shouting and swearing at the TV for a wee while. What a shambles, at least the Chocolate cup brought about some joy for a handful of supporters around the country. Scotland could learn a thing or two from Kosovo about their application during a game. Great commitment from them and no shortage of quality and control. Sadly, Scotland possess none of the required attributes at the moment. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Tickets are available at East End Park on the day of the match Adult: £20 Concessions – (Over 65s, Under 18s, FT Students, Disabled and Unemployed) : £14 Under 12s: £6 The ICT Supporters Travel Club are running a bus to East End Park The Bus leaves the Social Club at 10.15am and the Stadium 10.30am Fares: £20 or under 16s £15 Book through their Facebook page HERE or on 07462218717 On DAFC site Legends and Charlie D's will be open on Saturday for home and away fans from 11.30am. OFFICIAL PREVIEW ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Over last weekend, Dunfermline were dumped out of the Tunnock's Caramel Wafer cup by fellow Championship contenders Alloa Athletic. Despite taking a first half lead through debut signing Greg Kiltie, the Wasps stung the Pars with goals from Thomson and Trouten to progress to the last sixteen. After giving Celtic a tough time in the League Cup, the pars have failed to kick on and subsequent championship defeats by Dundee United and Arbroath were not received well by the fans, exacerbated by Alloa knocking them out of the Challenge Cup last week. That poor form has the Pars second bottom with just one point. However, it's early days yet. Whilst Dunfermline were losing out, Inverness were beating Morton once more. Fresh from the 5-0 thrashing of the Cappielow crew the previous week at the same venue, a much changed side dished out another lesson to the Greenock guys in a comfortable 3-1 win. A superb goal from Nikolay Todorov was added to by Aaron Doran and Miles Storey. Todorov also had a penalty well saved before John Sutton stabbed in a consolation for the Ton. Here's Toddy's cracker...... The Cup draw sees Inverness at home to Dunfermline's conquerors Alloa in the next round. That tie will be played on 12th or 13th October. Incidentally, one week after this game, we play Alloa at home in the Championship. Sounds familiar. Unfortunately, the Chocolate Cup games give little away in terms of possible team selections for the bread and butter of the Championship. Dunfermline handed debuts to Greg Kiltie and Tom Lang with a starting debut for Gabby McGill. Inverness made eight changes from the side that won 5-0 the week before. It was great to see Sean Welsh back at his best as he strolled through this game and a rare start for the big Bulgar, Nikolay Todorov, who took his goal brilliantly. We also had keeper Cammy Mackay along with Roddy MacGregor, Cameron Harper, Kevin McHattie Charlie Trafford and Miles Storey starting. Matheus Machado and Lewis Hyde also came off the bench and showed some great touches. Changes off the park as well as Barry Wilson and Scott Kellacher were in charge of the squad for the day and did a great job of overseeing the occasion. What these games do provide is a challenge for fringe players to show what they can do and it generates competition for starting places. All of the players who played looked as though they had every right to be there and they played with a slickness that is sometimes missing. However, I suspect we will revert to type for the visit to Fife. Long ball incoming! Lot's of activity in the summer sales for the Pars after finishing 7th last season. That was their downfall last year, will it hinder them again this campaign? Here's their list of incomers: Aaron Comrie, defender (St Johnstone); Thomas Bragg, defender (Southampton); Gabriel McGill, forward (Middlesbrough, undisclosed); Paul Paton, midfielder (Falkirk); Euan Murray, defender (Raith Rovers, undisclosed); Josh Edwards, defender (Airdrieonians, undisclosed); Kevin Nisbet, forward (Raith Rovers); Kyle Turner, midfielder (Stranraer); Ryan Dow, forward (Peterhead); Tom Lang, defender (Clyde); Lucas Berry, forward (Fife Elite); Ben Swinton, goalkeeper (AM Soccer Club); Matthew Bowman, defender (unattached). It appears that the loan arranger is pretty shrewd at his job and some talented lads came in on loan: Harry Cochrane, midfielder (Heart of Midlothian); Anthony McDonald, midfielder (Heart of Midlothian); Greg Kiltie, midfielder (Kilmarnock); Josh Coley, midfielder (Norwich City). Out went: Kallum Higginbotham, forward (Real Kashmir); Jackson Longridge, defender (Bradford City, undisclosed); Robbie Muirhead, forward (Greenock Morton); Ryan Williamson, defender (Partick Thistle); Mark Durnan, defender (Falkirk); Aidan Connolly, midfielder (Falkirk); Louis Longridge, forward (Falkirk); Brandon Luke, midfielder (Stenhousemuir); Myles Hippolyte, forward; James Craigen, midfielder; Lee Robinson, goalkeeper; Sean Murdoch, goalkeeper (retired). Loan ended: James Vincent, midfielder (Dundee and now at Inverness); Faissal El Bakhtaoui, forward (Dundee); Ryan Blair, midfielder (Swansea City); Bruce Anderson, forward (Aberdeen). John Robertson has the almost unprecedented luxury of a mostly injury free squad although Brad McKay and Mitch Curry are still absent. However, Sean Welsh played in the Challenge Cup game against Morton and put in a MotM performance and will be knocking on the door. Nikolay Todorov stated his case for a start but Robertson is likely to start with Jordan White ahead of the big Bulgar. I expect the starting XI will be nearer the one that beat Morton 5-0 in the league game although all those that played last week did their prospects no harm at all. That will mean our back five will consist of the new Tokely, (Shaun Rooney), the back on form Coll the wall Donaldson and the man with the laser guided left foot Jamie McCart who has turned into a quality defender. Carl Tremarco should make up the back line and that's a great base to build your team from. Stevie Crawford will have at least one of his loan signings from Hearts available this week. Harry Cochrane is ready to go, but Anthony McDonald could miss out with a back injury. Another loanee Greg Kiltie will no doubt be a shoe-in after his debut goal last week. Crawford is looking for a reaction after last weekends dismal performance against Alloa and will no doubt be making a few changes. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Championship fixtures this weekend Friday 19:05 Arbroath v Partick Thistle Saturday 15:00 Ayr United v Dundee United Dundee v Alloa Athletic Dunfermline v Inverness CT Queen ot South v Morton ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Episide 3 from the Shufflers is online and and can be found on their Wyness Shuffle podcast page. No stone is left unturned as the guys check out everything to do with the Caley Jags, and more. Rubber bumpers and all that, have a listen to these podcasts, it will set you up for the weekend and always remember, any similarities to real life are purely coincidental.....? If you like a wee flutter, our partnership with FansBet can offer you something. Just click on FansBet to get started. "Remember to select CaleyThistleOnline when you register and you’ll be helping us support ICT fan causes." FansBet are partners with Supporters Direct Scotland and already have many impressive stories of giving back to and empowering fans, ranging from funding away travel, share purchases, backing safe standing projects and many more. You can read some of FansBet’s Giving Back stories on their blog at https://blog.fansbet.com/fansbet-giving-back/partners/fan/ Always remember to adopt safe gambling and responsible policies.
  16. League Duty East End Park is the venue for tomorrow's Ladbroke Championship encounter with Dunfermline Athletic, three o'clock is the timeslot, and by five o'clock we should know the outcome. Championship football sandwiched between Scottish Cup derby's, Right eenuff mun. ICTFC Supporters Travel Club Dunfermline bus leaves Caley Club 10.15 Stadium 10.30. Book through Facebook or on 07462 218717. Dunfermline game -Tickets £18 - Concession £12 - U12 £5 It's an opportunity for both clubs to make inroads into their seasons target. For Inverness it's a chance to cement their position within the top four. For the Pars they could be in the peloton trying to close the gap to the pace setters as the end of season sprint nears. This will be the third Championship game between the clubs. The first saw Inverness win 3-0 at East End Park thanks to second half goals from Shaun Rooney, Liam Polworth and the now departed George Oakley. The return fixture at Inverness ended all square. The visitors went ahead through Aiden Keena. Riccardo Calder levelled only for Keena to score again, but big Jordan White squared the game again. All the goals coming in the first half this time. Our last outing was a fierce Scottish Cup tie at Dingwall where we once more looked the side most likely to win, but once more we were unable to hold onto a lead and Josh Mullin levelled in time added on when he beat the high defensive line we held. Aaron Doran scored a tremendous opener only for substitute Ross Stewart to pull County level. Brad Mckay slammed us in front before the late sickener that leads to a replay on Tuesday night at the Caledonian Stadium. Here's the goals from the cup game.............. The Pars last game was a home defeat at the hands of Ross County. On loan Aberdeen striker Bruce Anderson scored their goal but second half strikes from Billy Mckay and Michael Gardyne turned the game in County's favour. We sit fourth in the table with Dunfermline eight points behind us in seventh place. Defensively we are similar, but we have scored ten goals more. Dunfermline are without a win in their last four, Inverness have two wins. Here's the table. Coll Donaldson limped out of the cup game at Dingwall and must be a doubt. Tom Walsh, Mark Ridgers and Carl Tremarco came through it unscathed although it was a tough shift on a difficult night for football. Robbo was being a bit coy on the injury situation, but reading between the lines I would expect two or three changes to the line-up, given the cup game forthcoming on Tuesday night. Twenty six times capped former Scotland International left back Callum Davidson has joined the backroom staff as first team coach at EEP. He has been first team coach at Stoke City recently. Dunfermline had two former Inverness players in their starting XI last time out:- Ryan Scully; Ryan Williamson, Lee Ashcroft (c), Danny Devine, Jackson Longridge, Kallum Higginbotham, James Vincent, Joe Thomson, James Craigen, Bruce Anderson, Faissal El Bakhtaoui Here's Robbo and Anthony McDonald talking before the visit to Dunfermline.......... If you fancy some Matchday Hospitality at the Scottish Cup replay against @RossCounty on Tuesday 19th February, 19:45 kick-off, for £40pp including a welcome drink, curry with accompaniments and main stand seats from which to enjoy what is sure to be another great Derby! So, hurry for your curry!
  17. Heading towards last chance saloon After what seems like an entire season of games put on hold in the Winter of our discontent, we should take on fellow promotion hopefuls Dunfermline Athletic on Tuesday night. It's getting to the stage for both clubs where only a win will suffice. This game has been knocked back already due to inclement weather and frozen pipes but it looks like it could go ahead this time. Our last competitive game was on 24th February when we went down 0-2 against Morton in the Highlands. We only managed two games throughout February. The other one was the IrnBru Cup game against Irish side Crusaders which saw us get into the final after a pulsating 3-2 win. We will play Dumbarton at McDiarmid Park, Perth, in a couple of weeks. The fixtures are now stacking up for Inverness and we will be playing twice a week for the foreseeable future. Dunfermline are without a win in their last seven games since they defeated Dumbarton 0-1 on 6th January. Their last game was a 2-0 defeat to leaders St Mirren at the weekend. They still lead Inverness by five points and sit just outside the play-off zone in sixth place, but we do have two games in hand. We were dropped down into eighth position at the weekend when Falkirk beat Morton 3-1, and only Dumbarton and Brechin are below us. Our season now hinges on us making a grandstand finish to the season, but with our player of the year so far Coll Donaldson injured, it looks like the IrnBru Cup might be our only crumb of comfort after the massive rejig following relegation. Dunfermline warned us how tough this league was going to be by trouncing us 5-1 in the second league game of the season. We did gain a modicum of revenge with a 1-0 win at the Caledonian Stadium at the end of October, but only six wins from thirteen Championship fixtures since then has seen us struggle to climb the league. It's like one step forward and two back at the minute. Coll Donaldson and Nathan Austin are both out with hamstring injuries but Robbo should have a full squad otherwise. Here's the Pars line up in their last outing at St Mirren. Dunfermline: Robinson, Williamson, Talbot, M'Voto, Ashcroft, Craigen, Beadling, Vincent, Armstrong, McManus, Clark. SUBS: Gill, Morris, Martin, Cardle, Wedderburn, Higginbotham, Ryan tm4tj prediction:- With our lack of action recently it's difficult to guess how we will react to our inactivity. Coll Donaldson missing out is a big blow and our cover up front is thin with John Baird off to Morton and Nathan Austin injured. Dunfermline fans don't seem too bothered if we were to help remove Magic Johnston from the managers seat, so let's see if we can help them out here and record an away win. It looks like a tall order though, so I'm going with a no score draw.
  18. Danube to Dunfermline Inverness face Dunfermline on Tuesday night in the League Cup stages where it's getting to the point where only a win will be sufficient to keep us in the competition. Alternative Maryhill looks ahead to this clash, a far cry from one year ago in the scorching heat on the banks of the Danube. For the second year in a row, Inverness Caledonian Thistle’s players find themselves facing a hazardous trip to a post-Communist wasteland needing an away win to avoid elimination from a major trophy before the league season has even begun. Last July it was Giurgiu, Romania; this July, it is West Fife. Despite an opening win against Cowdenbeath and a draw on Saturday against Dundee Utd, ICT already find themselves trailing the Dundee club by three points and Dunfermline by two in the Scottish League Cup Group C league table, having played the same number of games as Dunfermline and one fewer than Utd. Thanks to Utd’s comprehensive win over Cowdenbeath, however, they also boast a goal difference that is four superior to Caley Thistle’s. With only the group winners and four best runners-up progressing to the knock-out stages of the tournament, then realistically, Richie Foran’s men must assume they will have to win both remaining fixtures in order to progress, beginning on Tuesday at East End Park. While the two fixtures ICT have already played may not have yielded as many goals or points as hoped for, they have provided reasons for optimism. The more direct attacking style promised by Foran is already in evidence, with loan signing Billy King proving a handful for the Dundee Utd defence in Saturday’s game, and Jake Mulraney having looked quick, tricky and eager to take on opponents in each of his second-half substitute appearances. Kevin McNaughton, covering for the injured Josh Meekings, offers great game-awareness and composure and looks as comfortable in the middle of the defence as he does in his preferred full back position. Foran must also be grateful to have retained the core of Tansey, Draper and Warren, players who have long since proven themselves to be among the best in Scotland in their positions, and who were typically committed and industrious in the two games to date. If there is an area in the team that still seems to be lacking, it is up front: Scott Boden did well to set up Ross Draper for his goal against Cowdenbeath and to head the opener in the Dundee Utd game, but ideally, if the chances that the likes of King, Mulraney and Polworth are capable of creating are to be converted, then Foran will hope to bring in a slightly more mobile option up front, either to partner or alternate with Boden. Dunfermline’s supporters and management are also justified in feeling optimistic about the season ahead, however. Promoted as champions from League One to the Championship, they have got off to a flyer in the League Cup with three-goal victories against Arbroath and Cowdenbeath, and although they will feel the loss of their talented forward Faisal El Bakhtaoui, they still have a proven goalscorer up front in Michael Moffat as well as Andy Geggan providing goals from midfield – three in the two League Cup games so far. Over the summer, the Pars have added ex-Kilmarnock and Partick forward Kallum Higginbotham, a rumoured ICT signing target, ex-Kilmarnock defender Lee Ashcroft, also a scorer against Cowdenbeath on Saturday, young Celtic striker Paul McMullan on loan, and of course, our own man-mountainous, if somewhat ponderous, Nat Wedderburn, who should help to shore up the midfield. With the addition of so many players with Premiership experience, it is clear that Dunfermline are looking to mount a serious challenge in what should be a highly competitive Championship this season. Being of a more cautious and perhaps pessimistic cast of mind than our previous previewer, I'm not going to offer a result or scoreline prediction; I will predict, however, that this will be a tough game, and another close one. Richie Foran's ICT side and philosophy may still be taking shape, but already we look like a hard-working and well-organised side that will not lie down to anybody, but also, for the moment, a side that struggles somewhat to convert chances. Hopefully Tuesday will be the day when that starts to change.
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