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  1. Scottish Cup 4th Round It's a break from League action this weekend should the weather allow after a week of heavy snow and Arctic like conditions across the North of Scotland. The club have been busy clearing the pitch on Friday with six inches of snow on top of the covers. The visitors, should we get the green light, are Broomhill. No no no, not Broomhill at Nethybridge, but Broomhill FC from the Scottish Lowland League who play their home games at Dumbarton Football Stadium. They come from the same League as Cowdenbeath who we played in the last round and found it difficult to break them down until the introduction of Wotherspoon and Billy Mckay, so expect the same again with our rather depleted squad. Fourth Round Pitch Inspection. There will be a pitch inspection at Caledonian Stadium tomorrow at 10am. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Pitch Inspection 10:00am Match/Ticket Info Offski ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ <<<Well done Rhys Beaton: First down to help at the Stadium It was all hands to the pumps on Friday after the massive dump of snow this week left the pitch covered. With the hard frost since the beginning of the week it was the best thing for it to leave the snow on top of the covers to protect the grass beneath, let's hope the big thaw does not end up flooding the pitch. Mantis gave us a qick résumé on Broomhill: This is the team that played out of Alloa as BSC Glasgow, before becoming Open Goal Broomhill (or “Podcast FC”) when they were taken over by Si Ferry, but that partnership was dissolved and they are now simply Broomhill FC. Broomhill Sports Club originally ran youth football teams back to 2004 and the senior team has been kicking around the LL in its various guises since 2014. Last Round: We thrashed struggled to overcome the miners of Cowdenbeath until the late introducton of David Wotherspoon and Billy Mckay that saw us squeeze into the next round. Of course Spoony is now off to Tannadice and Billy is carrying a knee injury so that leaves us with, erm, nothing. Here's the Broomhill Match Report from their own website Match Report | Cumnock Juniors 0 – Broomhill 3 | 26/11/2023 | Townhead Park by David McIntyre Broomhill scored three goals without reply to fire themselves into the Fourth Round of the Scottish Cup. It was another successful away fixture for the Broom in the Scottish Cup as they headed off to Townhead Park, home of Cumnock Juniors from the West of Scotland Football League. The match started at lightning pace as both teams looked to get an early foothold in the game. Broomhill were boosted with the return of some of their injured players, giving manager Stephen Swift more options to change the game. Cumnock Juniors grew into the match and had been doing better with their possession. Although Cumnock had more possession they failed to create many goal-scoring opportunities to trouble Luke Scullion. In the 29th minute, Broomhill took the lead after Ally McColm rifled a low shot into the bottom corner. The goal was created with lovely play down the left-hand side of the pitch involving four players. After the goal, Broomhill took control of the match and continued to pressure Cumnock’s defence. The second half could not have started any better, with Corey O’Donnell doubling Broomhill’s advantage. Martin Grehan assisted the goal with a lovely touch to set up O’Donnell with a 1v1 with the keeper which the striker deftly dispatched. The second goal was huge, as it allowed Broomhill to play more freely. Every time they attacked, there was a sense of enthusiasm as they moved up the pitch. The two goal scorers were involved in the third after O’Donnell’s initial shot was parried into the path of McColm to fire into the back of the net and fire Broomhill into the next round. We have a great History......in the past Don't we. Latest Team News Devine, Harper, Mckay all carrying niggles, Samuels out, Harry out, MacGregor not mentioned. Basically we are down to the bare bones of players likely to be involved in first team games. By my calculations we only have around 15 outfield players fit, plus two capable youths (Bray, Thompson) and four still injured although Roddy seems to flit between still injured or on the bench. Basically, if you have a pulse, you're in the squad. And just like magic, we have taken striker Alex Samuels on loan for the rest of the season from Ross County. Hope they gave him a shovel... Broomhill manager Stepen Swift saw his side knock Cumnock Juniors out in the last round at Townhead Park with this comfortable away win. Broomhill went 4-3-3 against Cumnock Att: 322 - Goals: McColm (30, 65) O'Donnell (49) Scullion McKnight Smith Moy (Hunter 70) Ellis Miller Murphy Chalmers O'Donnell Grehan McColm (Max Wright 69) Subs Not Used: Barr (gk), Ben Wright, Robinson, Omar
  2. Weather Permitting... The Spiders will be back a week and a bit on from the no scoring Championship draw at the Caledonian Stadium. Not too much has changed within either camp although plenty has changed weather wise. There had been nearly a foot of snow dumped across the area since Monday into Tuesday over a week ago. That caused the original tie to be called off. Conditions have improved since then but there is a strong wind warning in force from this Tuesday night into Wednesday. The prize for the winner is an away tie at Livingston. The League game was as entertaining a goalless encounter as you will see with plenty of chances and big saves at both ends. However, this week it's Scottish Cup action. It's nearly eight years since the Caley Jags lifted the trophy. Spare a thought for Spiders fans, their last success in this competition was 1893, although they have won it 10 times: 1874, 1875, 1876, 1880, 1881, 1882, 1884, 1886, 1890, 1893. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Match Info/Tickets ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Mind you, plenty has changed over the last 150 years, although there was a lot of scurrilous goings on back in the day including Vale of Leven refusing to turn up for the final in 1884. Even the 1993 final had controversy surrounding it. I wonder why they never told anyone until half the game had been played. Final: 25 February 1893 (see Wiki links) Celtic 1 – 0 Queen's Park Towie Ibrox Park, Govan Attendance: 30,000 Referee: R. F. Harrison Match declared void due to frozen pitch (decided pre-match after inspection, but not announced to spectators until the second half) What, no undersoil heating? Cup Final replay (11th March 1983) From Wikipedia Queen's Park 2 – 1 Celtic Sellar Blessington Ibrox Park, Govan Attendance: 15,000 Referee: R. F. Harrison The winning goal was believed by some observers not to have fully entered the goal before being cleared, and Celtic protested but the score stood. Although their use would not have resolved that particular incident, this controversy and debate led to goal nets being introduced in the latter stages of the Scottish Cup from then on. Same old Celtic, always greeting I'm told Mantis and Gringo were at that replay. Anyway, nostalgia is great, but let's get back to the future>>> Last Time Out Inverness came from behind twice to earn a point at Raith Rovers. Not a great spectacle in the first half where Rovers went ahead when a Vaughan shot from near thirty yards caught out Ridgers who seemed to be wrong footed as the ball bounced into the net. A tidy move saw Billy Mckay feed Jay Henderson to rifle the ball home from outside the corner of the six yard box just after the interval. Rovers went ahead again when Aidan Connolly shot round Ridgers into the bottom of the net for another seemingly loose strike but a tremendous early run and head glance saw Mckay level the game from a Sean Welsh free kick. Queens Park got a sharp lesson at Dundee as the hosts scored three goals in a twenty minute period in the second half to run away with the points. Interestingly enough, only since Euan Henderson entered the game. The recent Championship draw was an entertaining affair with chances aplenty. More of the same would make for an entertaining game, if we could just add some goals to that all will be well. Latest Team News 2023 Billy Dodds has seen Nathan Shaw, Sean Welsh and Zak Delaney, return in recent weeks. However we have lost Max Ram for around a month. Scott Allardice and Cammy Harper returned to the squad at Raith Rovers on Saturday with Allardice getting nearly half an hour and Harper made his 100th appearance in a final ten minute cameo at the end. Austin Samuels still nowhere to be seen as the plot thickens. The Spiders may well be along the same lines as their Dundee defeat and Manager Owen Coyle has added a late arrival as the transfer deadline window drew to a close. He has secured the loan of Euan Henderson the 22 year old attacking left winger from Hearts who joined Queens on 27th January and came off the bench in the 3-0 defeat at Dens Park. It was 0-0 at the time...
  3. Weather Permitting... The Spiders will be back a week and a bit on from the no scoring Championship draw at the Caledonian Stadium. Not too much has changed within either camp although plenty has changed weather wise. There had been nearly a foot of snow dumped across the area since Monday into Tuesday over a week ago. That caused the original tie to be called off. Conditions have improved since then but there is a strong wind warning in force from this Tuesday night into Wednesday. The prize for the winner is an away tie at Livingston. The League game was as entertaining a goalless encounter as you will see with plenty of chances and big saves at both ends. However, this week it's Scottish Cup action. It's nearly eight years since the Caley Jags lifted the trophy. Spare a thought for Spiders fans, their last success in this competition was 1893, although they have won it 10 times: 1874, 1875, 1876, 1880, 1881, 1882, 1884, 1886, 1890, 1893. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Match Info/Tickets ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Mind you, plenty has changed over the last 150 years, although there was a lot of scurrilous goings on back in the day including Vale of Leven refusing to turn up for the final in 1884. Even the 1993 final had controversy surrounding it. I wonder why they never told anyone until half the game had been played. Final: 25 February 1893 (see Wiki links) Celtic 1 – 0 Queen's Park Towie Ibrox Park, Govan Attendance: 30,000 Referee: R. F. Harrison Match declared void due to frozen pitch (decided pre-match after inspection, but not announced to spectators until the second half) What, no undersoil heating? Cup Final replay (11th March 1983) From Wikipedia Queen's Park 2 – 1 Celtic Sellar Blessington Ibrox Park, Govan Attendance: 15,000 Referee: R. F. Harrison The winning goal was believed by some observers not to have fully entered the goal before being cleared, and Celtic protested but the score stood. Although their use would not have resolved that particular incident, this controversy and debate led to goal nets being introduced in the latter stages of the Scottish Cup from then on. Same old Celtic, always greeting I'm told Mantis and Gringo were at that replay. Anyway, nostalgia is great, but let's get back to the future>>> Last Time Out Inverness came from behind twice to earn a point at Raith Rovers. Not a great spectacle in the first half where Rovers went ahead when a Vaughan shot from near thirty yards caught out Ridgers who seemed to be wrong footed as the ball bounced into the net. A tidy move saw Billy Mckay feed Jay Henderson to rifle the ball home from outside the corner of the six yard box just after the interval. Rovers went ahead again when Aidan Connolly shot round Ridgers into the bottom of the net for another seemingly loose strike but a tremendous early run and head glance saw Mckay level the game from a Sean Welsh free kick. Queens Park got a sharp lesson at Dundee as the hosts scored three goals in a twenty minute period in the second half to run away with the points. Interestingly enough, only since Euan Henderson entered the game. The recent Championship draw was an entertaining affair with chances aplenty. More of the same would make for an entertaining game, if we could just add some goals to that all will be well. Latest Team News 2023 Billy Dodds has seen Nathan Shaw, Sean Welsh and Zak Delaney, return in recent weeks. However we have lost Max Ram for around a month. Scott Allardice and Cammy Harper returned to the squad at Raith Rovers on Saturday with Allardice getting nearly half an hour and Harper made his 100th appearance in a final ten minute cameo at the end. Austin Samuels still nowhere to be seen as the plot thickens. The Spiders may well be along the same lines as their Dundee defeat and Manager Owen Coyle has added a late arrival as the transfer deadline window drew to a close. He has secured the loan of Euan Henderson the 22 year old attacking left winger from Hearts who joined Queens on 27th January and came off the bench in the 3-0 defeat at Dens Park. It was 0-0 at the time... View full article
  4. Spiders out despite win on the night *** Breaking News. Queens Park ejected from Scottish Cup for fielding an ineligible player*** Seventeen days after their Championship no scoring draw at the Caledonian Stadium, Queens Park and Inverness battled it out in the 4th round of the Scottish Cup with a tie away to Livingston the unglamorous reward for the victor. This game was originally scheduled for the 21st of January but a serious dump of snow and frost put paid to that. After a day of heavy showers the game would get underway with the threat of strong winds building from around kick-off. Big news before kick-off was that Simon Murray has joined Ross County and will not be in the Queens Park squad. Scott Allardice and Cammy Harper started for Inverness and Queens had new signing Euan Henderson starting in Murray's absence. And that may yet be their downfall. The rules clearly state that a player has to be signed before the date of the original tie. That was 21st of January. Henderson was only signed on the 27th of January and came on as a sub against Dundee in the Championship the following day. In all honesty Queens Park deserved to go through but as they say, thems the rules. Maybe the Spiders will be caught in their own web of deceit. Queens Park started the liveliest and Stephen Eze fired over after fifteen minutes with Sean Welsh replicating a minute later at the other end. Jay Henderson struck the post from just outside the box as Inverness got up to speed and Cammy Harper tested Ferrie in the visitors goal. New signing Euan Henderson broke clear and brought Mark Ridgers into action and the keeper did well to keep the scores level. Queens shoot on site policy meant Ridgers was the busier keeper and he would deny Henderson again as half time approached followed by a save from Tommy Robson and then Dom Thomas as Queens pressed for the opening goal. Louis Longridge was next up to have a go and Ridgers was there once more to ensure it stayed level at the break with Queens having the better of the first 45. HALF TIME: 0-0 Aaron Doran replaced Cameron Harper at the interval and seven minutes later he passed up a good opportunity as he lost his footing when fed through on goal by Billy Mckay. The two Henderson's had efforts shortly after with Ridgers blocking Euan's with his legs when through on goal before Jay shot over. He would shoot over again after 65 minutes. The dangerous (and ineligible) Euan Henderson was replaced with twenty minutes remaining. Thomas saw Ridgers save his effort and Danny Devine headed just wide after a corner. Thomas would not be denied though and he curled Queens Park in front with an excellent strike from outside the box after a loose pass out of defence was intercepted. Minutes later, Scott Williamson was next to be denied after hitting the post with a header as Queens looked to kill the tie off. Billy Mckay latched onto the ball in the box but Callum Ferrie was equal to it. Mckay then scooped a ball from Welsh over the bar as the game slipped away from Inverness. With five minutes remaining it certainly did just that as Williamson swept home number two after outmuscling Devine. A poor night for the hosts defensively who never really got to grips with the pace of the game. FULL TIME: 0-2 Result pending the outcome of enquiry regarding Queens Park fielding Euan Henderson who was ineligible according to the rules. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Spiders were too good for a sluggish Caley Jags even without Simon Murray. Mark Ridgers was the busier keeper throughout and kept the score down. A really disappointing night in the Highlands as the wind started to get up ended with Queens Park heading for Livingston in the next round unless the fielding of Henderson sees them knocked out of the cup. That's life! Back to the drawing board for Inverness who can now concentrate solely on the league table. More match reaction to follow>>> From BBC Sport Euan Henderson joined on loan from Hearts after the tie was postponed on 21 January, but Scottish FA rules state that only those registered before the initial date are permitted to play. It remains unclear what the punishment might be but it could render this victory, earned with goals by Dom Thomas and Scott Williamson, moot. Queen's Park thought they had set up a tie at Livingston but it may be that the top-flight side will welcome Inverness Caledonian Thistle instead next weekend. Inverness CT head coach Billy Dodds: "Queen's Park had a lot of possession and a few chances. But we had really good chances - if we take the lead then it's a different game. "We made two big errors and lost two bad goals and you are never going to win games if you make those type of errors." Queen's Park manager Owen Coyle: "Inverness are a very good team. I think that's three times we've been up now this season and there's not many teams leave unbeaten over the three games. "Our level of performance was excellent tonight. We scored two very good goals. We thoroughly deserved to win and to move into the next round of the cup." As it stands, this is the draw for the fifth round of the Scottish Cup. However, as we all know now, Euan Hendersons participation might change that. <<<Hmmn, we should know on Friday who will face Livi. *** Breaking News. Queens Park ejected from Scottish Cup for fielding an ineligible player*** Official Statement This means that Inverness will play Livingston next Saturday 11th February in the 5th round of the Scottish Cup. From BBC Sport: Queen's Park president David Hunter said: "An error was made regarding the eligibility of a player who featured in Tuesday night's game with Inverness Caledonian Thistle and we have accepted the SFA's decision. "It is a regrettable mistake. One we will learn from. Our team put on a tremendous display on Tuesday to win the tie and obviously today's result is a hugely disappointing outcome. As upsetting as this matter is, it's vital that we put this behind us quickly, move on and focus on our league campaign." Oh well, another few of these errors and the cup is ours once more. Date: 31/01/2023 Venue: Caledonian Stadium Attendance: 869 Referee: Chris Graham Inverness CT: 0 Manager: Billy Dodds Lineup: Ridgers; Carson, Duffy, Devine, Delaney, Shaw (D Mackay 65), Welsh, Allardice (Hyde 65), Harper (Doran 45), Henderson, B Mckay Subs (not used): C Mackay; Strachan, Boyd, Scorers: none Booked: Duffy (39) Sent Off: none Queens Park: 2 Manager: Owen Coyle Lineup: Ferrie; Davidson (Bannon 77), Longridge (Biggar 89), Eze, Fox, Robson, Boateng, Thomas, Henderson (Williamson 69), McPake, Savoury Subs (not used): Heraghty; Kilday, , Healy Scorers: Thomas (74), Williamson (84) Booked: Longridge (81) Sent Off: none a
  5. Scottish Cup Movement A bit of light relief this weekend as Scottish Cup action takes centre stage. It's off to Paisley to face St Mirren in the fourth round of the Scottish Cup at St Mirren Park, or the Simple Digital Arena or even the SMISA Stadium, whatever cranks yer handle. Well it would have taken centre stage had the Duke of Edinburgh not taken his leave of this earth. With his funeral kicking-off at 3:00pm all Scottish Cup ties have been moved from the traditional kick-off slots and we find ourselves heading to Paisley for an early Friday night start at 6:00pm. The climax to the Championship season is going down to the wire apart from already promoted Hearts. Everyone else has something to play for although Alloa will do well to get out of this one with only three games left. So with the business end of the season in full swing, the Cup will be a welcome distraction for the Caley Jags, or Caley Jabs as we are now known given our vaccination involvement. Three games left to decide our fate. Dundee (H), Hearts (A), Ayr United (H). Anyway, that's for another Preview. STREAMING £12 OFFICIAL PREVIEW TODOROV STATEMENT DAVID CARSON To the Cup We find ourselves here having squeezed past Buckie away then eliminating Ross County at Dingwall. Dan Mackay's goal against County has been nominated for goal of the round. This will be our third away game in a row in the Cup and our seventh out of the last eight games overall. During that run we have won six on the bounce and a draw on Saturday against Queen of the South where Nikolay Todorov scored his tenth goal of the season. Check out the contenders for goal of the round St Mirren entered the Cup in the 3rd round and beat Hamilton 0-3 Jamie McGrath (2) and Kristian Dennis were the scorers. McGrath's first was a great lofted finish (see video above) in the fourth minute, his second a penalty and Dennis ended the scoring with a long range curling strike which can also be seen in the goal of the round contenders. Our last win over the Buddies was in February 2015 at St Mirren Park when goals by Greg Tansey and Ryan Christie were enough to see off the Buddies who replied through Jim Goodwin. Incidentally, the last time we met in the Cup, we trounced St Mirren 4-0 in a replayed tie in Inverness following a 1-1 draw in Paisley. We went on to lift the Cup that year. Deja Vu anyone? No replays this time out, extra time and penalties should it go that far. St Mirren's last season playing us regularly saw them win the Chamionship, beating us three times and drawing one. St Mirren's last outing was a surprise 1-0 defeat to Motherwell where they dominated for long spells and the result was compounded when McGrath missed a first half penalty. Last 10 Competitive Meetings with St Mirren (2018 - 2014) - St Mirren's last FIVE Championship games -> D W L D L 2 - 2 (H) 0 - 1 (A) 0 - 2 (H) 2 - 4 (A) 2 - 1 (A) 1 - 0 (H) 4 - 0 (H) 1 - 1 (A) 1 - 0 (A) 2 - 2 (H) Double congratulations are due to born again David Carson for some tremendous performances at right back since his return from injury. Not only has he been awarded the Championship Player of the Month award for March, but he has agreed a three year contract to keep him here until 2024. He has kept some tricky players quiet at right back during this spell, notably against Raith Rovers and Dunfermline where he scored his first goal for the club as they claimed the three points. He has continued this form into April with tremendous performances at Dingwall in the Cup and at Cappiellow in the League where he made his 50th appearance for the Caley Jags in a 4-1 win. Brad Mckay also get's a mention for inclusion in the team of the week for sterling defensive work at Dingwall, Morton and Palmerston. Great recognition for the work the Caley Jags have been doing under the temporary leadership of Neil McCann and Billy Dodds. ***Latest Team News*** We have bigger fish to fry as we enter the final three games in the Championship. Neil McCann has a balancing act to get right as we strive to push for a top four finish. So does he go all out for a cup shock or does he keep his top players fresh for the Championship run-in. James Keatings has not featured much since news of his departure leaked out and injuries came along, but I wonder if the cup will see him re-instated. Unsettling news about on form Toddy, I hope he can put this behind him for now and do what he does best. Maybe we could wheel Ross Tokely out for this one, the Buddies fans love him! Jim Goodwin has built a battle hardened side who can play with the best of them on their day. Former County captain Marcus Fraser has been performing well for the Buddies. Attacking midfielder Jamie McGrath is top scorer so far this season with thirteen goals to his credit. Striker Jon Obika is struggling to make this one and midfielder Ryan Flynn has picked up a hamstring strain and could be out for a month. Colin Quaner (medial ligament) and Eamonn Brophy (broken foot) are also receiving treatment and unlikely to feature. They will also have to get through this tie without their manager in the dugout. St Mirren have confirmed that manager Jim Goodwin has been issued with a three-match suspension after breaching Disciplinary Rule 203 in the match against Hamilton Academical on Saturday 20th March. He will serve two matches immediately beginning with the cup tie against Inverness. St Mirren's starting XI v Motherwell: Jak Alnwick; Fraser, McCarthy, Shaughnessy, Connolly, Flynn, Erhahon, Doyle-Hayes, Durmus, Erwin, McGrath Subs: Lyness; Tait, McAllister, MacPherson, Finlayson, Reid, Dennis, Henderson View full article
  6. Saints go marching on Inverness took the game to their Premiership opponents from the off and there were plenty of opportunities for both sides, but Jak Alnwick was the busier keeper with Ridgers also making a couple of good saves. Scott Allan saw a shot brilliantly tipped onto the outside of the post after a great run by Carson and Dennis had an effort deflected onto Ridgers's crossbar near the interval. Just after the break Nikolay Todorov volleyed in the opener from a deep corner but Kristian Dennis replied two minutes later with a strike from the edge of the box. We were heading for extra time when Marcus Fraser popped up almost on the line to stab home after Jon Obika had hit the post. When the ball came back in from the left Fraser was on hand to tap in. Sutherland, twice almost rescued the tie but was unfortunate with both attempts. Great effort from Inverness and good luck to St Mirren in the next round. The last time these clubs met in the Scottish Cup Inverness beat St Mirren 4-0 after a replay in the Highlands. That turned out to be a good year for the Caley Jags as we went on to beat Falkirk in the final in May 2015. St Mirren have upped their game since then and now ply their trade in the Premiership since 2018 and are well entrenched there. We now find ourselves in the Championship but it's the Scottish Cup. Anything can happen; can't it? Jim Goodwin was banned from the dugout for this game and was without the services of Eamonn Brophy, Ryan Flynn and Colin Quaner. Jon Obika was fit enough to start up front with the dangerous Kristian Dennis and top scorer Jamie McGrath. Neil McCann kept his side under wraps until inside the final hour before revealing all, with James Keatings and Wallace Duffy out but Sean Welsh back in the starting XI with Roddy MacGregor returning to the bench. A beautiful evening in Paisley met the sides as they entered the park with Inverness once more in the pink and a minutes silence was observed for the Duke before Inverness kicked off at the SMISA Stadium. Daniel Mackay appeared to fresh air a lay off in the box from a great position, an opportunity lost as Inverness opened well in the first five minutes. An audacious acrobatic effort from the tricky Durmus went well over the bar from around the penalty spot in the seventh minute. Jamie McGrath picked up a loose ball out of defence but shot wide and at the other end Jak Alnwick had to block a shot from Mackay at the expense of a corner and a second great save followed from the same player as Inverness buzzed around the Buddies box. Ridgers made a super save from Dennis as he entered the left side of the box as the game opened out. Sean Welsh wasted a well won free kick from the left side of the box, firing the ball two yards over the bar as we approached the twenty minute mark. Durmus shot just over as he cut in from the left side, his shot from the edge of the box rising just over. Kristian Dennis had an effort deflected just wide off Brad Mckay for a corner with Ridgers at full stretch covering his post. After a tremendous break and cross down the left from Dan Mackay, Toddy did brilliantly to get a shot away on the turn under pressure but Alnwick produced a fantastic save low down to his right. A fabulous break from defence by David Carson saw Scott Allan get a shot on target but again Alnwick denied Inverness with another great diving save, the ball going for a corner via the post. Doyle-Hayes went off injured six minutes before the break with Richard Tait replacing him. Out of the blue a long ball by McCarthy found Dennis close to goal, he controlled it well but Carson blocked his shot onto the bar and Inverness cleared. Best moment for Saints in a first half mostly dominated by the visitors. Half Time: 0-0 Second half saw Saint's make a substitution before kick off with Macpherson on for McAllister, but it was Alnwick who was straight into action saving well when Dan Mackay volleyed from the edge of the box. From the deep corner, Inverness took the lead as Nikolay Todorov volleyed brilliantly high into the net. St Mirren responded immediately when Kristian Dennis shot home from the edge of the box after McGrath layed the ball off for another excellent goal. Jon Obika unleashed a powerful shot from outside the box but Ridgers did superbly to beat the ball away as the follow up was flagged offside. Saints were pressing forward and Durmus rattled Ridgers' bar with a wonderful dipping shot from distance. A chip back across goal was tipped behind for a corner by Alnwick as Inverness responded to the hosts pressure. Storey set Robbie Deas up with a defence splitting pass but Deas rolled it across the face of goal when a shot might have paid dividends. Minutes later Allardice set Allan through on the right and his low shot whistled narrowly past the keepers far post. Fifteen minutes left and it had been a highly entertaining Cup tie. Deas almost broke the offside trap as he gathered a superb ball from Danny Devine but the flag halted him. Ridgers was fortunate when a long ball into the box was headed onto the base of the post by Durmus and neatly bounced back into the keepers hands. A let off for the visitors. From a cleared corner, Allardice lofted the ball back towards the goal but it went over the bar and Toddy left the field to be replaced by Shane Sutherland. Well well, it was fun while it lasted, but with two minutes to go St Mirren went ahead after Obika hit the post, when the ball came back in Marcus Fraser knocked it in from two yards. Sutherland had a shot blocked as we responded again but time was running out. Sutherland again turned in the box and was a whisker wide in stoppage time but that was the last chance and Saints progress. Full Time: 2-1 What a great cup tie and the visitors can feel aggrieved not to have gone to extra time, but them's the breaks. Jack Alnwick was probably MotM but all in pink can be proud of their contribution tonight in what turned out to be one of the most entertaining games of the season. Back to League duty on Tuesday night as we face Dundee. More match reaction to come... Date: 16/04/2021 Venue: St Mirren Park, Paisley Attendance: 0000 Referee: John Beaton St Mirren: 2 Manager: Jim Goodwin Lineup: Alnwick; Fraser, McCarthy, Shaughnessy, Connolly, McGrath, Doyle-Hayes (Tait 41) McAllister (Macpherson 45),Durmus, Dennis (Mason 75), Obika Subs (not used): Lyness; Finlayson, Reid, Henderson, Erwin Scorers: Dennis (50) Fraser (89) Booked: Dennis (53) Sent Off: none Inverness CT: 1 Manager: Neil McCann (temporary) Lineup: Ridgers; Carson, B Mckay, Devine, Deas, D Mackay, Welsh (Lyall 90+1), Allardice, Storey, Allan, Todorov (Sutherland 87) Subs (not used): C Mackay; McHattie, Harper, Vincent, Doran, MacGregor Scorers: Todorov (48) Booked: Deas (90+1) Sent Off: none a
  7. Scottish Cup Movement A bit of light relief this weekend as Scottish Cup action takes centre stage. It's off to Paisley to face St Mirren in the fourth round of the Scottish Cup at St Mirren Park, or the Simple Digital Arena or even the SMISA Stadium, whatever cranks yer handle. Well it would have taken centre stage had the Duke of Edinburgh not taken his leave of this earth. With his funeral kicking-off at 3:00pm all Scottish Cup ties have been moved from the traditional kick-off slots and we find ourselves heading to Paisley for an early Friday night start at 6:00pm. The climax to the Championship season is going down to the wire apart from already promoted Hearts. Everyone else has something to play for although Alloa will do well to get out of this one with only three games left. So with the business end of the season in full swing, the Cup will be a welcome distraction for the Caley Jags, or Caley Jabs as we are now known given our vaccination involvement. Three games left to decide our fate. Dundee (H), Hearts (A), Ayr United (H). Anyway, that's for another Preview. STREAMING £12 OFFICIAL PREVIEW TODOROV STATEMENT DAVID CARSON To the Cup We find ourselves here having squeezed past Buckie away then eliminating Ross County at Dingwall. Dan Mackay's goal against County has been nominated for goal of the round. This will be our third away game in a row in the Cup and our seventh out of the last eight games overall. During that run we have won six on the bounce and a draw on Saturday against Queen of the South where Nikolay Todorov scored his tenth goal of the season. Check out the contenders for goal of the round St Mirren entered the Cup in the 3rd round and beat Hamilton 0-3 Jamie McGrath (2) and Kristian Dennis were the scorers. McGrath's first was a great lofted finish (see video above) in the fourth minute, his second a penalty and Dennis ended the scoring with a long range curling strike which can also be seen in the goal of the round contenders. Our last win over the Buddies was in February 2015 at St Mirren Park when goals by Greg Tansey and Ryan Christie were enough to see off the Buddies who replied through Jim Goodwin. Incidentally, the last time we met in the Cup, we trounced St Mirren 4-0 in a replayed tie in Inverness following a 1-1 draw in Paisley. We went on to lift the Cup that year. Deja Vu anyone? No replays this time out, extra time and penalties should it go that far. St Mirren's last season playing us regularly saw them win the Championship, beating us three times and drawing once. St Mirren's last outing was a surprise 1-0 defeat to Motherwell where they dominated for long spells and the result was compounded when McGrath missed a first half penalty. Last 10 Competitive Meetings with St Mirren (2018 - 2014) - St Mirren's last FIVE Championship games -> D W L D L 2 - 2 (H) 0 - 1 (A) 0 - 2 (H) 2 - 4 (A) 2 - 1 (A) 1 - 0 (H) 4 - 0 (H) 1 - 1 (A) 1 - 0 (A) 2 - 2 (H) Double congratulations are due to born again David Carson for some tremendous performances at right back since his return from injury. Not only has he been awarded the Championship Player of the Month award for March, but he has agreed a three year contract to keep him here until 2024. He has kept some tricky players quiet at right back during this spell, notably against Raith Rovers and Dunfermline where he scored his first goal for the club as they claimed the three points. He has continued this form into April with tremendous performances at Dingwall in the Cup and at Cappiellow in the League where he made his 50th appearance for the Caley Jags in a 4-1 win. Brad Mckay also get's a mention for inclusion in the team of the week for sterling defensive work at Dingwall, Morton and Palmerston. Great recognition for the work the Caley Jags have been doing under the temporary leadership of Neil McCann and Billy Dodds. ***Latest Team News*** We have bigger fish to fry as we enter the final three games in the Championship. Neil McCann has a balancing act to get right as we strive to push for a top four finish. So does he go all out for a cup shock or does he keep his top players fresh for the Championship run-in. James Keatings has not featured much since news of his departure leaked out and injuries came along, but I wonder if the cup will see him re-instated. Unsettling news about on form Toddy, I hope he can put this behind him for now and do what he does best. Maybe we could wheel Ross Tokely out for this one, the Buddies fans love him! Jim Goodwin has built a battle hardened side who can play with the best of them on their day. Former County captain Marcus Fraser has been performing well for the Buddies. Attacking midfielder Jamie McGrath is top scorer so far this season with thirteen goals to his credit. Striker Jon Obika is struggling to make this one and midfielder Ryan Flynn has picked up a hamstring strain and could be out for a month. Colin Quaner (medial ligament) and Eamonn Brophy (broken foot) are also receiving treatment and unlikely to feature. They will also have to get through this tie without their manager in the dugout. St Mirren have confirmed that manager Jim Goodwin has been issued with a three-match suspension after breaching Disciplinary Rule 203 in the match against Hamilton Academical on Saturday 20th March. He will serve two matches immediately beginning with the cup tie against Inverness. St Mirren's starting XI v Motherwell: Jak Alnwick; Fraser, McCarthy, Shaughnessy, Connolly, Flynn, Erhahon, Doyle-Hayes, Durmus, Erwin, McGrath Subs: Lyness; Tait, McAllister, MacPherson, Finlayson, Reid, Dennis, Henderson
  8. Charlie is me darling....... Inverness go into the hat for the fifth round draw tomorrow night, and that's not something that Coll Donaldson can say. Aaron Doran fired in a tremendous early opening goal but Kevin O'Hara levelled before the break. Jordan White headed a second on the hour but again the Wasps struck back again through Kevin O'Hara before a late Charlie Trafford header saw Inverness through this difficult tie without the need for a replay. Happy days for Inverness and even happier for Jordan White who scored a goal and announced a baby boy incoming with his wife Alana. Congratulations from all at CTOxxx. With Coll Donaldson preferring to play his football over the bridge, and Jamie McCart tellingly on the bench, we drafted fit again Brad Mckay and Kevin McHattie into central defence with Jordan White leading the attack. The good news was that Tom Walsh and Sean Welsh were both on the bench with Tom making an appearance after the interval. Alloa were without veteran and top scorer Alan Trouten, the onus falling to Liam Buchanan to get the goals. Top Championship shot stopper Jamie MacDonald was in goals for the Wasps with top shut-out keeper Mark Ridgers at the opposite end. Something was going to give. Thankfully the rain had relented and it was game on, and it only took eight minutes for Aaron Doran to bulge the net after a defensive slip gave him room to score after Shaun Rooney crossed in from the right. Ten minutes later Alloa were level when Kevin Cawley met a near post corner from Flannigan to squeeze the ball into the net. Jamie MacDonald had to save from Jordan White as the visitors tried to regain the upper hand but it was the hosts that began to take control of proceedings as Alloa's Jon Robertson shot wide. Adam Brown had two efforts saved by Mark Ridgers in the space of three minutes as the pace of the game increased, Ridgers making a third save from Brown just before the break. Half time 1-1 No changes at the interval and Inverness made a strong start to the second half with White hooking a ball over the bar and Ridgers making an excellent save to deny Liam Buchanan. Tom Walsh made his comeback with Storey leaving the field and after Inverness won a couple of corners, the third one proved fruitful when White headed Doran's ball behind MacDonald to put the visitors back in front. The lead lasted fourteen minutes this time before Kevin O'Hara volleyed a second equaliser for Alloa from a deflected cross. Game on once more! Carl Tremarco had a header deflected wide as we looked to get our noses back in front in this see-saw tussle and substitute Tom Walsh was just too high with a shot over the bar as the game entered the final ten minutes. An unlikely hero would emerge from the pack in the shape of Charlie Trafford when he nodded in from close range in the 86th minute after a Doran corner had been headed back into the box by Shaun Rooney. Scenes! Goal hero Trafford left the field shortly after scoring with a possible head knock to be replaced by David Carson to see out the final few minutes. Caught on camera.................. That's a good win for Inverness after a difficult week with tranfers and speculation. By the way, how did your weekend go Coll? Robbo happy enough after a tough tie....... Here's the scores on the doors from the Scottish Cup weekend. Dundee United v Hibs on Sunday afternoon. Only one replay so far and congratulations to BSC Glasgow who go into the fifth round. Aberdeen scrape through against the Sons, Hissy unlucky against Clyde and Ayr United dump some team out of the event. You've got to love a bit of Scottish Cup action. The highlights from Alloa TV Date: 18/01/2020 Venue: Recreation Park, Alloa Attendance: 590 Referee: Willie Collum Alloa Athletic : 2 Lineup: MacDonald; Robertson, Taggart, Deas, Dick, Cawley, Hetherington, Brown (Thomson 65), Flannigan, Buchanan (Connelly), O'Hara Subs (not used): Henry, Gilhooley, Malcolm, O'Donnell. Scorers: O'Hara (18) O'Hara(75) Booked: none Sent Off: none Inverness CT: 3 Lineup: Ridgers; Rooney, B Mckay, McHattie, Tremarco, Doran, Trafford (Carson 90), Vincent, Storey (Walsh 57), Keatings (MacGregor 83), White Subs (not used): C Mackay, McCart, Wesh, Todorov. Scorers: Doran (8), White (61), Trafford (86) Booked: none Sent Off: none a
  9. Scottish Cup 4th round Since winning the Scottish Cup in May 2015, it has been all downhill for Inverness. Relegation from the Premiership followed in season 2016/2017 and we find ourselves now in our third season in the Championship watching Dundee United disappear into the distance with a play-off place our only hope of getting back into the promised land. However, it's time for a break as it's Scottish Cup weekend. Who is going to take the trophy away from Parkhead? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Match info and Travel Club details can be found on ICTFC ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ For The Caley Jags it's a tricky trip to Clackmannanshire to face Alloa Athletic on the synthetic surface, a surface that fell foul of the weather last weekend as rain lashed the whole of Scotland with postponements curtailing the fixture lists. The cup game kicks off at 3:00pm at Recreation Park, or if the sponsors want to be heard, then it's the Indodrill Stadium. Robbo will have his work cut out to motivate the squad with all the transfer talk and that could have an effect on his squad for this game. Coll Donaldson has left the building already, others will follow as money talks. Look for Lewis Toshney coming in to the squad for the Championship games. Brad Mckay and Kevin McHattie already having some game time in central defence will surely replace Coll Donaldson this weekend with Toshney cuptied, having played for Falkirk already in the competition. At least we still have the top shut-out keeper in the Championship in Mark Ridgers. He likes to keep his sheets clean and has racked up 11 so far this season. That's better than Siegrist (Dundee United), MacGregor (Rangers) and Forster (Celtic). Mark has made 60 saves from 20 appearances. Incidentally, our opposition keeper this week, Jamie MacDonald has made the most saves so far with 78 from 16 games. Busy man, let's hope we keep him busy this weekend. Robbo has confirmed that Tom Walsh is available for selection after a prolonged hamstring injury and Sean Welsh is close to making a comeback after his second broken foot. Gringo's Gripe: Super Caley have a great cup pedigree but, as you point out, the squad could be side tracked by on going transfer talk and unsettled players. Dreams of a higher wage and a 'well-I'm-leaving-soon-anyway' attitude may take it's toll if we concede the first goal. On paper we should win this tie but if the paper is soggy we could slip up on the banana skins on the plastic pitch. Tommy Tremarco said pick that one out Jamie..... Scottish Cup 4th round Should be some entertaining ties coming up and at least one non league side will be in the draw with East Kilbride playing BSC Glasgow. BSC put East Fife out of the cup in the previous round with an excellent 3-4 win. Brora Rangers were the last Highland league side to go out of the competition this year after a 3-1 defeat to Morton in a replay at Dudgeon Park. The action kicks off on Friday night when Rangers entertain Stranraer and ends on Sunday evening when runaway Championship side Dundee United host Hibernian. Holders Celtic begin their defence of the trophy with an all Glasgow tie against championship strugglers Partick Thistle on Saturday evening. Alloa have only made the fifth round once in the last 13 seasons. Inverness have made it that far in nine of the last ten seasons. Here's the best goals from the previous round..... The January Sales. The sales are in full swing and the rumour mill is working overtime. Mitch Curry has already returned to Middlesbrough and Cameron Harper has gone to Elgin City. Coming back to Inverness on a pre-contract is striker Shane Sutherland unless we feel the need to get him in sooner. Shane left Inverness in 2013 to play at Borough Briggs having previously been on loan there. As it looks like we will need to re-assemble almost our entire defence, Robbo has made a shrewd signing in 27 year old defender Lewis Toshney who last played for Falkirk. Money does talk, and rumours of major departures from the Caley Jags seem to be surrounding our defence with Coll Donaldson already heading over the bridge with immediate effect. He has gone to Roy for an undisclosed fee, maybe he will show some interest now that his wages have increased, something we were unable to offer due to our financial plight. Maybe our paths will cross in the promotion play-offs, now that would be fun. Shaun Rooney and Jamie McCart are also attracting a lot of attention with St Johnstone, Dundee and Partick Thistle allegedly courting these players. The departures will open the door for Lewis Toshney, Brad Mckay and Kevin McHattie to stake their claim for a regular start. Well, there's nobody else in the way now.
  10. All to do again. Inverness went to Dundee in search of a minor shock in this fourth round Scottish Cup tie almost three years on from lifting the trophy. However, it's a much changed side from back then. It looked bleak until three minutes from the end when George Oakley stabbed in the equaliser from close range. Aaron Doran had scored the opener with a deflected shot to give the visitors the lead before the break. Sofien Moussa deflected a shot in to level before Mark O'Hara looked to have put Dundee through. John Robertson has been the architect of a few Cup surprises over the years. During his previous tenure at Inverness, he knocked out Celtic en route to the 2003 semi-finals where today's opponents Dundee ended our run by virtue of a 1-0 win. Robbo benched attacking midfielder Liam Polworth who had been struggling with a virus, and to add more steel to the engine room he slotted Canadian Charlie Trafford in alongside creative playmaker Iain Vigurs. Jake Mulraney took a knock a couple of weeks ago and he made the bench along with John Baird and Nathan Austin who has also been receiving treatment. McCann managed to get a few contracts extended during the winter break and he started with Josh Meekings, Darren O'Dea and talented striker Sofien Moussa on the park. Sitting on the bench were Kerr Waddell and Marcus Haber and Jack Hendry missed out through illness. Paul McGowan was first to have a go in front of 3507 fans but his shot from distance was well wide of the target and at the other end Iain Vigurs shot straight at Elliott Parish. Great start to the game by the visitors who were playing in their Premier League opponents faces, causing Dundee to be error strewn. Joe Chalmers almost got on the end of a Brad Mckay cross as we took the game to Dundee. Fifteen minutes in and Inverness opened the scoring when a long throw-in from Mckay bounced through Josh Meekings and found Aaron Doran in the box and he volleyed in the first goal of the game. Almost another after a mix up in the home box, George Oakley playing Connor Bell in but Parish collected just in time. That warning seemed to perk Dundee up and they managed to fashion a couple of corners which the visiting defence were able to clear. Scott Allan hit one from 25 yards but Mark Ridgers dealt with it as Dee came more into the game and Mckay blocked Moussa as he let fly, Ridgers able to save the rebound from A-Jay Leitch-Smith. Surprise surprise, Iain Vigurs received a yellow card midway through the half and Ridgers saved a Scott Allan free kick. Ten minutes before the break and a let off for Inverness as Moussa headed onto the underside of the bar from an Allan corner. Dundee had certainly been stung during that brisk opening quarter by Inverness but the game was more evenly balanced now. Mark Ridgers pulled off a tremendous save to deny Leitch-Smith as he bore in on goal and preserved the narrow advantage. Just before the interval, some great play by Doran forced a corner with Bell waiting for a tap-in, Vigurs heading the resultant corner over. Moments later Parish stopped Oakley from notching number two with his feet as the striker broke free. Half Time 0-1 Dundee got the second half underway with Glen Kamara kicking off towards the Bobby Cox stand, no doubt looking to get back on level term quickly. And hey presto, just two minutes in and a second deflected goal of the afternoon draws Dundee level. Leitch-Smith shooting but Moussa credited with the goal this time as the ball deflects off him and goes out of Ridgers' reach. Bell was denied by a reaction save from Parish as the visitors almost went back in front just after being pulled level, and it was Parish again to deny Bell as the game swung back towards Inverness. Charlie Trafford got the worse of a clash with Darren O'Dea and had to leave the field. O'Dea continued after treatment but Trafford is off down the tunnel. Liam Polworth replaced the Canadian. The lively Scott Allan went off to be replaced by El Bakhtaoui, not a popular choice with the home support given Allan was possibly the most effective Dundee player. Dundee edged ahead through Mark O'Hara as he burst forward when Vigurs gave the ball away in the halfway area and O'Hara went on to fire low past Ridgers from the edge of the box. El Bakhtaoui fired over for the Dee and Vigurs tried to make amends for Inverness but his effort was woeful. Substitute Liam Polworth tried from distance but it was another straight down the keepers throat. Entering the final ten minutes and Inverness won a free kick in a promising position, but Doran's cross was cleared. Robbo freshened up his strikers and threw John Baird on and withdrew Connor Bell as Polworth entered the ref's jotter for catching McGowan with an arm. The Dundee midfielder missed a good opportunity to end the contest but he headed a Kerr cross over after a good break forward. John Baird passed on a couple of decent chances for Inverness as we pressed for a leveller. However, it was strike partner George Oakley that got on the scoresheet when he got on the end of a Riccardo Calder cross to level the tie. The ball was poorly defended and when the half cleared it was headed back into the six yard box by Joe Chalmers where Oakley pounced to send the tie to a replay. Calder joined Vigurs, Donaldson and Polworth in the refs book as he brought down Moussa in time added on and right at the death a last ditch tackle thwarted Aaron Doran from getting clean through. Full Time 2-2 All in, a great day out for the 357 Caley Jags away fans and the team thoroughly deserved another crack at getting into the fifth round, something our near neighbours will not manage this season. Good to get the draw without a couple of influential players on the park. Nathan Austin and Jake Mulraney will benefit from the time off, although Charlie Trafford might now be struggling to make the replay. Speaking on BBC Radio, Robbo said : "There was little between the teams. We started well, got the goal, looked dangerous, then Dundee come into it. They turned the screw, created opportunities, and it was a terrific second goal. "We had to change it. Liam Polworth was in his sick bed all week, but travelled because he knew we were short, came on and started to cause problems. Then big George managed to get a goal and we deserved it for our bravery, because we kept going forward and throwing men into the box. A replay was about right. "It's taken us a while to get going, but we've got a shape that suits us now. The players have confidence and to come here to Dens Park and put on that kind of performance shows our improvement. We'll go at them in the replay with the same vigour and resilience, and we'll have a chance." Replay has been scheduled for Tuesday 30th January 19:45 kick off at the Caledonian Stadium. The prize for the winner is a home tie against Motherwell. Video Highlights from Caley Jags TV Robbo spoke after the game..... George to the rescue..... Highlights can be seen on BBC TV for those that can access the channel. Date: 20/01/2018 Venue: Dens Park, Dundee Attendance: 3507 Referee: Stephen Finnie Dundee: 2 Lineup: Parish; Kerr, Meekings, O'Dea, Aurtenetxe, McGowan (Wolters 85), Kamara, O'Hara, Leitch-Smith, Allan (El Bakhtaoui 61), Moussa Subs (not used): Malherbe; Holt, Curran, Waddell, Henvey. Scorers: Moussa (47), O'Hara (64) Booked: none Sent Off: none Inverness CT: 2 Lineup: Ridgers; Mckay, Donaldson, Warren, Calder, Trafford (Polworth 58), Vigurs, Chalmers, Doran, Oakley, Bell (Baird 81) Subs (not used): Esson; Austin, Mulraney, Seedorf, Brown. Scorers: Doran (16), Oakley (87) Booked: Vigurs (27), Donaldson (66), Polworth (82), Calder (90+4) Sent Off: none a
  11. Video clip from semi-final 2003 in preview.
  12. It's Scottish Cup time. A break from the rigours of the Championship this weekend as we travel to the City of Discovery to discover if Dundee are any better than they were when we left them in the Premiership, or are we any worse. It's the Fourth Round of the competition and that opens it up for the big boys. It also creates the opportunity for some banana skin ties. We have been an integral part of the major shocks section over the years, none greater than knocking Celtic out of the competition on three occasions. However, John Robertson won't consider this a shock should we advance to the next round. Speaking to the press ahead of the game Robbo said: “It’s a free one for us as no one expects us to go to Dundee and win but I do as that’s the way I am. I expect us to win every game, that’s the attitude I want from my players. We have been preparing for Dundee this week, while they have watched us three times and I’m sure they will give us a massive amount of respect. Neil McCann is a very clever manager and they’ve got good players. If we play the way we’ve been playing, and pass the ball the way we have been, we’ve got an opportunity to go there and cause an upset in other people’s minds but not in mine.” The last time we played each other in the Scottish Cup was at Hampden in 2003 and John Robertson was in charge then as well. We had a tremendous side back then with great strikers like Dennis Wyness and Paul Ritchie with Barry Robson out wide. What we would give for that quality right now. Back then Dundee boasted an array of foreign stars. We had Ross Tokely, Roy Macbain Stuart Golabek, Russel Duncan and of course the great Bobby Mann amongst others. Great occasion for Inverness at the time, something we would go on to better in 2015. We started the game the better side and Dennis Wyness smacked the top of the post via the keepers fingertips with a ferocious right foot shot from 35 yards. "Here we go" we all thought but it was not to be as Georgi Nemsadze scored the only goal. Dundee had eased into the game and their undoubted talent shone through in the end. That was the semi-final and we went down to that scuffed Georgi Nemsadze strike late in the game (think Joe Chalmers) and bowed out of the competition having eliminated Raith Rovers, Hamilton Accies and Celtic. However, Dundee went on to lose the final 1-0 thanks to a Lorenzo Amoruso goal giving Rangers the trophy. Fifteen years on from then and we have been drawn away at Dens Park for this fourth round tie, as both clubs enter the 2018 competition. It's coming up for three years since we lifted this trophy. Ahhh, those were the days! Our last visit to Dens Park offered us a glimmer of hope in the battle to avoid relegation. It was Richie Forans final fling and we beat Dundee 2-0 thanks to early goals from Billy Mckay and Alex Fisher. We did beat Motherwell 3-2 in the last game of the season, alas it was too little too late for Inverness and Foran as we were relegated thanks to Hamilton stuffing Dundee 4-0 and Richie got his P45. Thanks, we owe you one for that. Our season took a while to get off and running, but a seven game run of clean sheets has seen us steady the ship and we are now building nicely towards a promotion play-off slot. Our last two outings have seen us pick up maximum points and scoring seven goals against Falkirk and Queen of the South. Dundee are sitting third bottom of the Premiership, only Partick Thistle and Ross County are below them. They too had an inauspicious start to their campaign. They qualified from their group in the League Cup, drawing 1-1 with Dundee United in the final group game (United won 4-3 on penalties). They gained revenge in the next round beating the Arabs 2-0, but their League form was poor. Only one point from their first five games before beating St Johnstone and then crashing out of the League Cup 4-0 at the hands of Celtic. They picked up zero points in October before they beat Rangers 2-1 at the end of September. Three wins in December saw them get off the foot of the table before the winter break and that takes them to this encounter with Inverness. Robbo will be without Carl Tremarco for a couple of months with a hamstring injury. Riccardo Calder deputised last week and should continue. Nathan Austin missed out similarly against Queen of the South and that opened the door for a Bell-Oakley strike pairing. Neil McCann has been busy getting some players tied up on longer deals during the winter break. They have extended the deal for young defender Kerr Waddell, and Spanish defender Jon Aurtenetxe has signed on for the rest of the season. A-Jay Leitch-Smith, the man with more hyphens than a hyphen shop has also extended his loan deal. tm4tj prediction:- Given our recent impressive form and this chance to let our hair down, I'm looking for a minimum of a replay here, although with cup ties, you never know. With Coll Donaldson knitting the defence together at the back, Iain Vigurs, orchestrating the engine room (should he remain on the park), and our strikers having the audacity to score goals, things are looking a lot healthier than they were three months go. This will be a step up in overall quality for our new look side, but we are showing more resilience and if we can keep the Dark Blues at bay, then let's hope we can continue our recent scoring spree and get something from this game. A couple of guys to look out for - Loan signing and former Shrewsbury player A-Jay Leitch-Smith who is their top League scorer this season with five. Tunisian Sofien Moussa from Lokomotiv Gorna seems like a tricky customer with an eye for goal as well, so great test for our re-born defence. One player who will be familiar is of course Josh Meekings, fondly remembered for his unorthodox style in keeping the ball out of the net against Celtic. Here is a link to The Dark Blues website where I answered a few questions put to me by Daniel Smith from the Dark Blues.
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