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Inverness CT -V- Ayr United - SPFL Championship Football @ Caledonian Stadium, Inverness Friday 30th April 2021 @ 19:45pm Covid Restrictions - No Fans Streaming available

Hearts -V- Inverness CT - SPFL Championship Football @ Tynecastle Park, Edinburgh Saturday 24th April 2021 @ 3:00pm Covid restrictions, no fans Streaming available

HOT TODDY SCORES A PEACH This crucial week kicked off at Cappielow and despite the condition of the pitch Inverness managed to score twice in the first half. We benefitted from what looked like an infringement for a pass back seven minutes before the break. Scott Allardice lashed the ball high into the net after much confusion and two minutes later Nikolay Todorov turned in the box to lash the ball into the net after some defensive bloopers. Two up at the break but the next goal could be important and it was Muirhead that gave Morton some hope. However Todorov superbly volleyed home after chesting down the ball to restore our two goal cushion and Danny Mackay scored a tremendous fourth with a curling shot from the edge of the box. Back up to fourth for Inverness with Dundee also winning at Ayr. After the Scottish Cup heroics at Dingwall we went to Cappielow on a more serious mission, to capture three points in our bid for a play-off slot. Morton find themselves in desperate need of points at the other end of the table and something was going to give. Three league defeats on the trot for Morton, three league wins on the trot for Inverness, but Morton were the last side to beat Inverness. Gus MacPherson made four changes from the side that put East Fife out of the cup. In come Luca Colville, Steven McGinn, Gary Oliver and Robbie Muirhead. For Neil McCann, Wallace Duffy and James Keatings disappear without trace as he goes with the same line-up that put County out of the cup. Morton kicked off on a dry but chilly night in Greenock with Inverness playing in their pink away strip with a change before a ball was kicked as Roddy MacGregor replaced Sean Welsh in the starting XI. It was a scrappy opening to the game on a pitch that has seen better days after a testing winter. First opportunity to make a keeper work fell to Todorov from a Scott Allan free kick but it was headed well wide. Ridgers made a comfortable save fifteen minutes in but the pitch was making passing difficult. He made another save a couple of minutes later from a close range header pushing it out for a corner as Morton threatened. However, it was brutal stuff akin to a welfare league match at the Bught Park. Claims for a penalty were dismissed as an Inverness player went down in the box as the ball bobbled around. Storey ballooned a bouncing ball well over the bar from a decent position on the left side of the box as the surface dictated the pace of the game. Friday's goal hero Danny Mackay was fed through on goal by Scott Allan but his initial shot was weak and McAdams blocked it; when the rebound came back to him he lifted it over the bar from close range. Great opportunity missed. Morton then forced a couple of corners that came to nothing although Aidan Nesbitt was looking dangerous wide on the right. Mystery moment in the Morton box soon after as referee Reid picked up the cleared ball and carried it thirty yards back into the hosts penalty box via the linesman. Rumour has it it may have been a pass-back spotted by the line judge. Unperturbed Scott Allan touched it to Scott Allardice and he ended up lashing the ball high into the net from eight yards. Two minutes later another Scott Allan free kick caused havoc in the Morton box and when the ball was headed back in by Daniel Mackay and Colville fresh aired it, Nikolay Todorov swivelled and opened up his body before hammering it into the net from around 15 yards, the keeper rooted to the spot. Half Time: 0-2 The second half saw no changes and it was only two minutes in when Mark Ridgers had to make a crucial block when McGinty burst into the left side of the box. The resultant corner was perilously close to the goal line as well as Morton's urgency looked to get them a foothold in the game. Morton were pressing the Inverness midfield better in this half and the visitors were living dangerously at times as they forced a number of corners. It was little surprise when Morton pulled a goal back on the hour when Robbie Muirhead drilled a loose ball into the net from twelve yards, swiftly followed by two attacking substitutes with scorer Muirhead going off. Shane Sutherland replaced Scott Allan with twenty minutes left as we became increasingly desperate as our composure deserted us momentarily. He made an immediate impact after collecting the ball on the right before fighting a great ball into the box. Todorov scored a goal of the season contender as he chested the ball down from high and volleyed it into the net on the turn from fifteen yards before the ball hit the deck, the ball flashing high past the astounded keeper. What a fekkin strike from a hot Toddy! Danny Mackay got in on the act as he picked up another great ball from Sutherland before curling a beauty into the top of the net from the edge of the box. Another beauty. James Vincent was denied a fifth as McAdams did well to block the substitutes effort from inside the box and Toddy looked for his hat-trick diving low to try and head a cross goalwards. Full Time:1-4 The game was over as a contest and the points were heading North long before the final whistle with Morton lucky not to concede more. Great win for Inverness who keep the pressure on the top six and jump back up to fourth, but Morton are deep in trouble at the bottom. Dundee beat Ayr 3-0 on the night Match reaction and highlights to follow Date: 06/04/2021 Venue: Cappielow Park, Greenock Attendance: 0000 Referee: Steven Reid Morton FC: 1 Manager: Gus MacPherson Lineup: McAdams, Ledger (Orsi 62), McLean, McGinty, McGinn, Strapp, Colville, Hynes, Nisbett, Oliver (McGuffie 72), Muirhead (Sterling 63) Subs (not used): Fjortoft, Jacobs, Blues, Lyon Scorers: Muirhead (61) Booked: none Sent Off: none Inverness CT: 4 Manager: Neil McCann (temporary) Lineup: Ridgers; Carson, B Mackay, Devine, Deas, D Mackay (Harper 81), Allardice, Allan (Sutherland 69), MacGregor, Storey (Vincent 72), Todorov Subs (not used): C Mackay; Lyall, Welsh, McHattie Scorers: Allardice (38), Todorov (40, 71), D Mackay (81) Booked: none Sent Off: none a

Big week starts tonight The race for a play-off place is entering the final laps now with just five games left for the Caley Jags to try and overhaul one of the clubs above us in the table. Off to Greenock on Tuesday night for a 7:00pm start to face Morton who beat us in Inverness last time we met. In reality, the best we can hope for is overhauling one team before the end of the season and take our chances against the rest if we make the play-offs. Whilst we were on Cup duty last weekend beating the village team from Dingwall, we were looking for Hearts to do us a turn by beating Dunfermline at Tynecastle on the Saturday. They failed to do this in a 0-0 draw and that result has knocked Inverness just out of the coveted top four slots. Fair play from the Pars I suppose who recovered well from the 5-1 hammering they took off Raith Rovers last time out and now sit one point above Inverness. Our next two games will shape our season and are crucial to our success this campaign. Away to Morton followed by a trip to face Queen of the South at Palmerston. Aye, there are no easy games left, it's then Dundee at home, Hearts away and our final game is a home tie with Ayr United. STREAMING £14 from Ton TV OFFICIAL PREVIEW We have dropped five points to Morton this season already. A draw at Cappielow against ten men for over half the game was a low point, especially as we threw away a lead. Worse followed at the Caledonian Stadium when Morton's Aidan Nesbitt scored the only goal as we struggled to make headway and Morton got their first win in ten games. However, since then we are unbeaten in six games, winning the last five including the two cup games. Mark Ridgers made his 150th appearance for the club in the Cup game at Dingwall and he is on a run of three clean Championship sheets in a row. Another one would not go amiss. However, a word of caution. It's all very well owning the bragging rights after the Highland derby, but the big prize this season is promotion, and while that's still achievable it would be criminal to undo the good work of the last few weeks and rest on our laurels, albeit it is rather satisfying. Ayr United v Dundee also tonight at 7:00pm Last 10 Competitive Meetings against Morton 0 - 1 (H) 2 - 2 (A) 3 - 2 (H) 1 - 2 (A) 3 - 1 (H) 5 - 0 (H) 2 - 2 (A) 1 - 0 (H) 2 - 1 (A) 1 - 1 (H) Morton were in cup action at the weekend and had to go all the way before edging past East Fife 1-2 after extra time. They were heading out of the cup until Sean McGinty equalised in the 91st minute before substitute Robbie Muirhead settled the tie with eight minutes of extra time left. Kevin Smith had given the Fifers the lead on the hour and made Morton work hard for their place in the fourth round draw, as they did to Inverness early in the season in a league cup encounter. The Ton were also looking for a wee favour on Saturday when Arbroath hosted Alloa Athletic but the Wasps were unable to help out and went down 2-1. Not a great result for Morton who are now level on points with Arbroath and only hold a one goal advantage over the Smokies. So, for different reasons points at Cappielow will be a prized possession for both clubs as games run out in pursuit of their goals. Our cup exploits have earned us an away tie at Paisley in the fourth round of the Scottish Cup on the weekend of 17th/18th April. That means the League game against Dundee has been re-scheduled for 20th April @ 7:00pm Fabulous goals from Nikolay Todorov, Daniel Mackay and Shane Sutherland were enough to see of County in the cup who opened the scoring through Billy Mckay. St Mirren will offer a much sterner test than County's defence and this will be a difficult tie with the winner heading for a tie at Kilmarnock or Montrose. Morton's extra time win over the wee Fifers earned them an away tie at Motherwell in the fifth round. ***Latest Team News*** Scott Allan has played around an hour and a half now over two games and we have yet to see the best of him as his match sharpness returns. Aaron Doran is reputed to be close to a return but Anthony Macdonald will do well to get any game time this season. Almost a full squad, that's as good as it get's this season. Gus MacPherson is in charge of his sixth game since taking over at Greenock. He began when Morton were sixth in the table a month ago. Strangely enough that was the day after Morton beat Inverness at the Caledonian Stadium where top scorer Aidan Nesbitt got the only goal of the game. He is on four goals at the moment. MacPherson has secured a loan deal for Steven McGinn from St Mirren as they look to avoid a fourth Championship defeat in a row since beating Inverness.

Inverness CT -V- Dundee Championship Football @ Caledonian Stadium, Inverness Tuesday 20th April 2021 @ 19:00pm Covid Restrictions - No Fans

Hearts -V- Inverness CT Championship Football @ Tynecastle Park, Edinburgh Saturday 24th April 2021 @ 15:00pm Covid Restrictions - No Fans Streaming available

Inverness up to fourth... Nikolay Todorov scored the only goal of the game with twenty minutes left in a disappointing encounter where the three points were more important than the performance. Scott Allan made his debut in the second half where Inverness did just enough to move up to a temporary position of fourth in the league ahead of the Dundee v Dunfermline game tonight. Scott Allan was on the bench after much hype about the excellent loan signing from Hibs. Daniel Mackay was declared fit for his 50th appearance and all the big boys returned to the defence with Cameron Harper starting. It was fully fifteen minutes in before anyone had a sight of goal and it was Dale Hilson who dragged a shot wide of Mark Ridgers' post in a rare venture into the hosts box. It was turgid stuff in the opening quarter with both sides struggling to make much headway on a cold but reasonable afternoon for a kickabout. The ball entered the Arbroath net after Danny Devine nodded a free kick towards the goal, and as David Carson appeared on the scene to head into the net the referee signalled for offside or more likely an infringement. Roddy MacGregor burst forward and offloaded from just outside the box but his daisy cutter slid just the wrong side of the post after half an hour. A great turn and pass from Shane Sutherland set Dan Mackay clear down the left but his cross was mopped up by the defence and in the next attack Sutherland got the ball at his feet around the penalty spot but he could not dig it out with his back to goal and once more Arbroath cleared their lines. Four minutes before the break an Arbroath free kick offered the visitors a glimmer of hope but a foul to Inverness was the end product as the ball was whipped into the box. From an Arbroath corner right on the whistle, Ridgers and the defenders had to clear the ball away from the top corner after a good header from Ricky Little looked as if it might creep in. Possibly headed clear by Sean Welsh from just under the bar. Colin Steven brought the half to a close thereafter, presumably to save the ball from further punishment. Half Time:0-0 No surprise when McCann made early changes to the line-up by introducing Miles Storey and Scott Allan for Shane Sutherland and Roddy MacGregor as up until now we had looked impotent. Arbroath looked lively at the start of the second period, in contrast to the Caley Jags who looked rather pedestrian and cumbersome. Todorov was unable to take advantage of a great ball into the box as we looked to get forward. Scott Allan was looking sharp but it looked like he was getting no favours from the officials. Sixty-eight minutes on the clock and a curling Cammy Harper free kick was brilliantly headed home by a stooping Nikolay Todorov to open the scoring. Superb goal and just what we needed, but a defensive disaster for the Smokies. Well I'll be Bulgared, that was Toddy's sixth goal of the season. Hot Toddy opens the scoring... Shortly after the goal a rugby scrum formed in the Caley Jags box and nobody knew where the hell the ball was but a free kick to Inverness was the end result as all around scratched their heads. Substitute Miles Storey latched onto the ball over twenty yards out but Gaston did well to turn it away. He did exactly the same five minutes later from a Scott Allan drive to keep the score the same and denying Allan a debut goal. Hanging on against Arbroath.... How times have changed, but that's what we were doing soaking up waves of attacks until a burst forward by Storey saw Gaston save bravely at his feet, the referee giving a free kick to the keeper and booking Storey for his trouble. Full Time 1-0 However, it was the result that was important, not the performance and three points were secured as Inverness held firm. Up to fourth in the table with Dundee playing Dunfermline tonight. Highlights or lowlights from Caley Jags TV ... Neil.... Scott... Date: 27/03/2021 Venue: Caledonian Stadium Attendance: 0000 Referee: Colin Steven Inverness CT: 1 Manager: Neil McCann (temporary) Lineup: Ridgers; Carson, Deas, Devine, Harper, D Mackay, Welsh, Allardice, MacGregor (Storey 55), Sutherland (Allan 54), Todorov (McHattie 88) Subs (not used): C Mackay; Vincent, Lyall, Keatings Scorers: Todorov (69) Booked: Storey (90+2) Sent Off: none Arbroath FC: 0 Manager: Dick Campbell Lineup: Gaston; Gold, Little, O'Brien, C Hamilton, McKenna (Low 84), Craigen (Stewart 63), Williamson (Whatley 81), Hilson, J Hamilton, Moore Subs (not used): Gallacher; Pignatiello, Doolan, Smith Scorers: none Booked: Craigen (29) Sent Off: none a

Can we get three on the trot Back to League business this weekend at the Caledonian Stadium with Dick Campbell's Arbroath the visitors. It's another covid restricted game meaning no fans will be allowed in the stadium but the game can be caught on Caley Jags TV by streaming the action live from 3:00pm, with Inverness looking for their third Championship win on the bounce. Contrasting results in the Scottish Cup in midweek when Inverness edged out Highland League side Buckie Thistle in a five goal encounter. Sounds exciting but in truth it was a poor game and performance with Buckie taking all the plaudits but not the win. A late winner by Daniel Mackay ended Buckie's brave attempt to get to Dingwall despite giving their all against a much changed Inverness side who did just enough to get through (2-3). Arbroath dropped out of the cup after the beaten finalists in the 2015 showpiece upstaged the Championship side 1-2 at Gayfield. Yes, Falkirk are through to the third round and face a trip to Parkhead. OFFICIAL PREVIEW STREAMING INFO SCOTT ALLAN LEWIS TOSHNEY STATEMENT Pld W D L F A +/- Pts 1. Hearts 21 14 4 3 48 21 27 46 2. Raith Rovers 20 8 6 6 33 26 7 30 3. Dunfermline 19 8 6 5 27 20 7 30 4. Dundee 20 8 6 6 37 35 2 30 5. Inverness CT 21 6 9 6 27 23 4 27 6. Queen of the South 21 8 3 10 33 42 -9 27 7. Ayr United 21 6 7 8 26 25 1 25 8. Morton 21 6 7 8 19 26 -7 25 9. Arbroath 21 5 7 9 17 26 -9 22 10. Alloa Athletic 21 4 5 12 24 47 -23 17 Last 10 Competitive Meetings with Arbroath 1 - 1 (A) 3 - 1 (H) 0 - 1 (H) 0 - 3 (A) 2 - 1 (H) 0 - 3 (H) 7 - 0 (H) 2 - 0 (A) 2 - 2 (A) 3 - 1 (H) In the League, Arbroath have slipped to second bottom After defeats from Queen of the South and Dundee, but a creditable draw against leaders Hearts will give them the confidence that they can beat the drop. We have struggled to perform at times against the bottom sides in the table although we did win 3-1 earlier in the season against Arbroath. A win on Saturday would fire us in the right direction and make it three in a row after good away wins at Raith and Dunfermline. A worried Gringo summed it up on CTO I just hope the lack lustre performance at Buckie hasn't affected the lads too much. Yes, it was a much changed side but could still have an effect. Fingers crossed this won't be the case and we can get the much needed three points. Arbroath have given us some tough games and will be up for the fight against relegation...or is it the fact I worry too much? Championship games at 3:00pm Saturday Alloa Athletic v Ayr United Hearts v Queen of the South Inverness CT v Arbroath Raith Rovers v Morton Dundee v Dunfermline 7:20pm ***Latest Team News*** After what seems like eternity, we don't need to list Lewis Toshney as an injured player anymore. Yes, he is off the injured list, and off down the road. The unfortunate Lewis has left the building by mutual consent after two injury prone seasons. He made four appearances in season 19/20 and zero this season. Good luck to Lewis after what has been a difficult time for him since he came North. No such fortune for Daniel Mackay who has been added to the crocks list after the cup win at Buckie. Kevin McHattie was also subbed in that game by Cameron Harper, who returned to action after a six game lay-off and played for the last half hour. Inverness have boosted their squad for the run-in with an excellent loan signing in the shape of Scott Allan from Hibernian. Scott goes straight into the squad for today's game. OFFICIAL STATEMENT Scott, 29 years old, started his career at Dundee United before moving to West Brom. Scott then moved to Hibs, where he won the 2014/15 Scottish Championship Player of the Year. He then signed for Celtic, where he won the 2015/16 Scottish Premiership. During his time at Celtic, he had loan spells with Rotherham, Dundee and Hibs. Scott then moved to Hibs on a permanent basis in the summer of 2019. Arbroath have signed former Aberdeen player and East Stirlingshire captain Nicky Low on loan til the end of the season. Good signing for the Lichties who have also been hit with a spate of injuries. Gavin Swankie, Bobby Linn and Luke Donnelly look likely to be miss the rest of the season. Defender Jake Davidson has returned to Dundee United after being injured in training. Experienced Berwick Rangers striker Calum Smith has also been added to Dick's squad for the final push to avoid relegation. The return of the Highland derby Next up for the Caley Jags after the Arbroath Fixture is a visit to the quaint market town of Dingwall where we will take on the village team in the third round of the Scottish Cup. That was the prize for defeating Buckie Thistle last Wednesday. Unfortunately covid restrictions are still in place and that has ruled out a great away day for the fans who would no doubt have been pleased to see John Hughes and offered him some words of encouragement in his new job

Queen of the South -V- Inverness CT Championship Football @ Palmerston Park, Dumfries Saturday 10th April 2021 @ 15:00pm Covid Restrictions - No Fans Streaming available

Morton -V- Inverness CT Championship Football @ Cappielow Park, Greenock Tuesday 6th April 2021 @ 19:00pm Covid Restrictions - No Fans

Rovers Return Rovers drew 3-3 with Inverness and won the penalty shoot-out to take the bonus point. Manny Duku scored twice for Raith and Danny Devine put into his own net. Shane Sutherland, a James Keatings (penalty) and Roddy MacGregor got the Inverness goals in what was a good work out for both sides. That was MacGregors first goal for the club, watch him go now. Inverness travelled to Kirkaldy for a Betfred League Cup Group A game against the form team in the Championship, Raith Rovers. The game was a 7:45pm kick-off at Stark's Park with both sides having only a slim chance of progressing, depending on other results. Here's the format for the competition:The eight group winners qualify for the next stage along with the four best placed second teams. There they are then joined by Scotland's Euro representatives in the second round; Celtic, Rangers, Motherwell and Aberdeen. The seeded teams in the last 16 are the four European clubs and the four group winners with the best records. The tournament reverts to a traditional knock-out format from the second round onwards, with ties decided by extra time and penalties if the scores are level after 90 minutes. Here's how it went on the night....... For the hosts, midfielder DylanTait was suspended and Lars Lokotsch was cuptied. Rovers went without Iain Davidson, Kieran MacDonald, Jack Smith, Gozie Ugwu and Lewis Vaughan. John Robertson rested Nikolay Todorov, Roddy MacGregor and Robbie Deas, all three on the bench. Sean Welsh and Daniel Mackay were missing from Saturday's team and Kevin McHattie, Lewis Toshney, Miles Storey and David Carson are all still receiving treatment. Inverness looked pretty in pink as James Keating got the ball rolling on the artificial surface. First chance came after seven minutes for Raith as they broke on the left but a curled effort from Ethan Ross drifted just wide. Striker Manny Duku made Danny Devine look pedestrian as he cut in from the left and drilled low past Ridgers in ten minutes. They never heeded an earlier warning about his pace. James Keatings fired a long range dipping effort just over from almost forty yards as we responded to going behind, but another good ball into the visitors box just eluded Duku at the far post. Wallace Duffy did well to deny Duku at the expense of a corner from a great ball into the box on the right, the striker looked favourite to score. Soon after, Inverness broke forward on the right and Kai Kennedy sped forward before pinging a tremendous ball to the far post where Shane Sutherland nodded through the keeper to level the score. Devine did well to stop a foray forward with a well timed tackle but Raith fed another ball close to Duku's head, the ball bouncing through to Ridgers. Another tremendous tackle by Devine thwarted the ever eager Duku six yards out. What a tackle that was. Most of Raith's good work was coming down their left side and they were getting a lot of success with balls into the box just needing a touch, Duku lurking ominously inside our box. Brad Mckay looked to have caught his studs on the pitch and went down heavily as Raith broke forward, Devine having to concede a free kick twenty-two yards out by upending Ethan Ross, and getting a yellow for his misfortune. James Keatings was ruled offside as he tapped the ball in following a good move forward by Inverness involving Aaron Doran and Kai Kennedy five minutes before the break. Raith missed a penalty soon after when Duffy was adjudged to have fouled Musonda but Armstrong fired well over the bar. Justice done maybe as Duffy looked to have poked the ball from Musonda's toe. Duku was causing all sorts of problems with his pace and movement and Ridgers was forced into a save just on the interval and Brad Mckay eventually had to leave the park just before the whistle, being replaced by Robbie Deas. Half Time 1-1 No changes at the break and a bright start by Inverness as Thomson blocked a ball into the six yard box. A massive kick-out by Ridgers saw Thomson hoof the ball away from the edge of his box. Moments later Keatings almost scored but his rasping shot rose just over the bar from ten yards on the left. Big Raith defender Fernandy Mendy killed the corner flag, body blocking in the Marvin Andrews style. Solid lad, no messing. Some poor defending allowed Raith to break quickly on the left through Ethan Ross and it ended with the ball going behind Ridgers to put the hosts ahead. The ball apparently coming off Devine for an og. Meh! Kennedy did well down the right, but despite a close call for a penalty we had to settle for a corner. Good pressure from the Caley Jags and a header went just over from a corner, but we would not be denied a leveller. Tumilty impeded Roddy MacGregor at the far post as he looked certain to tap in and James Keatings tucked it away nicely. Two minutes later MacGregor won a free kick on the edge of the box. Keatings took the dead ball and he struck the post with a super curling shot, and MacGregor reacted quickest to tuck the rebound away. Inverness looked to be getting on top and Sutherland saw Thomson save down low. A dangerous ball across the face of the visitors box just needed a touch but it went abegging. Moments later Ridgers saved brilliantly from point blank range as Rovers tried to force an equaliser, Benedictus with the shot from six yards. Just on the ninety, Duku grabbed his second after a good knock down in the box by Mendy, our defence looking a tad static. Keatings might have done better from a great ball through the middle from Allardice, in fairness it wasn't an easy chance. We should have had a penalty in a late flurry and then Thomson made a miraculous double save from Kennedy and Todorov to claw away the ball from under the bar. Three corners followed for Inverness but the game ended 3-3. On to penalties for the bonus point, no use to either club but hey ho. Rovers scored their first three penalties through Hendry, Mathews and Armstrong before Spencer skied one. Inverness were poor in the shoot-out missing the first two with Kennedy also missing the last. Toddy - saved Keatings - xbar Deas - Goal! Allardice - Goal! Kennedy - wide Rovers win penalty shoot out 3-2 Cracking nights entertainment and great coverage by Raith Rovers TV. Take note Mr Gardiner, it puts Pixie Lott to shame. Here's the Highlights from Raith TV Post match Robbo https://fb.watch/1HGK9frWHh/ Date: 10/11/2020 Venue: Stark's Park, Kirkaldy Attendance: 0000 Referee: Steven Reid Raith Rovers: 3 (3 pens) Lineup: Thomson; Tumilty, Musonda, Mendy, Benedictus, Armstrong, Hendry, Duku, Matthews, Spencer, Ross Subs (not used): J MacDonald; Mahady, Arnott, Coulson. Scorers: Duku (11, 90), Devine (og 59) Booked: Benedictus (81) Sent Off: none Inverness CT: 3 (2 pens) Lineup: Ridgers; Duffy, B Mckay (Deas 45+1), Devine, Harper, Doran Todorov (85), Vincent (MacGregor 33) Allardice Kennedy, Keatings, Sutherland Subs (not used): C Mackay; Nicolson, Fyffe, Hyde. Scorers: Sutherland (24), Keatings (pen 67), MacGregor (69) Booked: Doran (15), Devine (36), Allardice (79), Duffy (89) Sent Off: none a

Ring Rusty Caley Jags Hamered Doon. Despite the hosts having the better chances, including Miles Storey hitting the bar and Ferguson making some excellent saves, the first half ended goalless. The deadlock was broken just after the hour when Nortei Nortey ran through to score his first goal for Queens. Plenty of effort but not enough guile or composure and lots of misfortune saw Inverness take nothing from this game as the Doonhamers held on for all three points. That result leaves Inverness still second bottom although the table is a mess with postponed games. RIG has this report ready: The stunning lack of creativity in this team was on full display tonight. We might have been missing players but so were QotS so I am not having that as an excuse. Storey and Mackay, whilst willing and hard working on the flanks did not create enough throughout the time they were on the pitch to have us in a more comfortable position. A good cross by Mackay in the first half which found Storey who saw his effort deflect over / wide was as good as it got. When MacGregor came on later on and popped up on the left side he was continuously looking to cut back in on his right and with no support down the left side he was easily nullified. Keatings, despite a nice effort from a free kick in the second half, was largely anonymous and there was a huge gap between him as the 10 and the 6 and 8 at the base of the middle triangle. Defensively I thought we were mostly fine save for the moment that mattered. Grim defending and after that Queens sat back with 9 men behind the ball and challenged an insipid ICT, who had struggled to break them down for most of the game prior to the goal, to work their way through a superbly drilled defensive line. Needless to say it did not go well for us although Harper put in a nice ball for Toddy who probably should have scored. Apart from that though... For all our possession, as alluded to above, we did previous little with it and as such I cannot begrudge Queens the win. Maybe if we had created numerous great chances and Ferguson had pulled off a string of saves then I might feel aggrieved at being "robbed" but from the small number of really good chances we did have I cannot recall him being overly troubled. The action from Wednesday night... OFFICIAL MATCH REPORT FROM ICTFC Thoughts from CTO doofers dad: We've played worse than that and won. I thought we had some decent build up play and put them under a lot of pressure, but too often we hadn't got the close control or inventiveness to create clear cut chances. Then when we did shoot, the shooting was woeful. Maybe lacking a bit of confidence and match sharpness, but we don't have anybody who looks as though they could score goals on a regular basis and that's a worry. Stirling Observer: Positive me thinks there is a decent team there and it's down to a lack of match practice and sharpness due to the fragmented number of games over the last 2 months. I am hopeful it will click into place and we will hit a run of form and climb table. Negative me thinks our central defence is worryingly soft, we have a lack of wingers to create anything, we have a lack of a goalscorer. We are in for a relegation battle or at best a low placed finish. There's also a lot of unhappy bunnies on the forums, only time will tell which faction have the right end of the stick. Date: 17/02/2021 Venue: Caledonian Stadium Attendance: 0000 Referee: David Lowe Inverness CT: 0 Manager: John Robertson Lineup: Ridgers; Duffy, B Mckay, Deas, Harper, D Mackay (MacGregor 73), Welsh (Carson 78), Allardice, Sutherland, Keatings (Todorov )73, Storey Subs (not used): C Mackay; Devine, Nicolson, Hyde Scorers: none Booked: Todorov (87), Allardice (90+5) Sent Off: none Queen of the South: 1 Manager: Allan Johnston Lineup: Ferguson; Gibson, Buchanan, Breen, Maxwell, Nortey, Obileye, Jones (Goss 77), McGrory (McMahon 90+5), East, Dobbie (Joseph 60). Subs (not used): Rae; McKechnie, Camara Sylla. Scorers: Nortey (63) Booked: Maxwell (35), Obileye (87), Joseph (89) Sent Off: none a

Caley Jags beat Ayr and the weather. Wet and windy was the order of the day as Inverness beat Ayr United with a goal in each half. After half an hour, Daniel Mackay finished off a swift break forward after getting on the end of some neat one touch football. Ten minutes after the break Shane Sutherland did well to control, turn, and fire the ball into the net after Todorov drove the ball goalwards. Both keepers pulled off some excellent saves but Inverness were deserved winners to lift them up above Ayr in the league. Andre Wright missed out for Ayr having picked up a groin strain with Michael Moffat starting up front. Former Caley Jags Tom Walsh and Joe Chalmers were both in the starting XI. Inverness shook their squad a bit after failing to hit the target against Queen of the South in midweek. Miles Storey, James Keatings, Brad Mckay and Sean Welsh found themselves on the bench. There were starts for Roddy MacGregor, David Carson, and Nikolay Todorov with Robbie Deas and Danny Devine back in the heart of the defence. A wet and windy afternoon greeted the players at Somerset Park. At least it's football of sorts I hear you say. A wind assisted Ayr came flying out of the blocks and forced a couple of corners in the first minutes and had Mark Ridgers grasping the ball before Ayr players got on the end of it at one point. It took the visitors fully five minutes before we got our foot on the ball. Dan Mackay did put the ball in the net with a lovely bending finish but the whistle had already gone. An early clearance from Ayr keeper Sinisalo bounced menacingly over Ridgers' bar, the keeper watching it anxiously. Ayr were buzzing around the Inverness defensive zone but neither side were able to test the keepers yet. First test for Sinisalo came after a tidy break forward on the right side. Carson drilled a low ball into the box and a turn and shot from Sutherland saw the keeper save comfortably. Ayr also had the ball in the net when Tom Walsh crossed into the box, but Miller climbed all over the defence to head home. Foul given though. Another turn and shot at the other end, this time from Todorov, another comfortable save for the keeper. Had either of these efforts been struck better we might have troubled the keeper, but both efforts were smothered when striking making it easy for the young keeper. After half an hour the visitors opened the scoring with a swift break and excellent low finish from Daniel Mackay. Danny Devine started it with a ball forward and three or four passes later Danny finished superbly with assists from Toddy and Sutherland. Five minutes before the break McCowan had a snapshot saved at his near post by Ridgers. Two minutes later he produced a brilliant save from the same player as his header bounced down to the keepers left, Ridgers diving full length to turn the ball round the post. Joe Chalmers fired a wind assisted effort from distance that had Ridgers scampering across his line but it flew just wide minutes before the break. Half Time: 0-1 Mackay latched onto the ball some distance out at the start of the second half but shot high over the bar, in fact almost over the stand. The Caley Jags doubled their lead ten minutes into the second forty-five when Shane Sutherland shot home from inside the box after controlling a Todorov drive for goal before turning and drilling behind the keeper. Soon after, Todorov found the angle too tight when through on the keeper who made an important block and moments later Ayr did well to scramble an Allardice free kick from the edge of the box away to safety. A free kick to Ayr was charged down when Chalmers tried for goal from the touch sideways as Ayr struggled to make progress and as the weather worsened Miles Storey replaced Nikolay Todorov. Almost immediately Sinisalo pulled off a tremendous save to deny Robbie Deas who had the goal at his mercy after a pinpoint cross from Cameron Harper. Ridgers did have an important block to make as a powerful shot from close range was pushed away for a corner, Walsh with the strike. Up the other end a Storey surge forward ended with Carson firing over the bar. Ayr were running out of ideas and the pitch was starting to look the worse for wear as we entered the final ten minutes, but Inverness were resolute in defence and restricted Ayr to fleeting glimpses of goal whilst always looking dangerous on the break. Time ran away from the hosts as they searched for a way through the visitors defence, but Danny Devine was calm under pressure and most Ayr raids floundered on the big defender back from injury. A deserving away win for Inverness after a frustrating few weeks and nobody was better than David Carson who was my MotM. Highlights from Ayr TV Here's a more detailed report from RIG An excellent result against potentially very difficult opposition in far from ideal weather conditions. As is usually the case in Ayr the home side started very brightly. We often find ourselves under the cosh early doors at Somerset and today was no different with the windy conditions not helping. Ayr settled quickly and were soon stroking the ball around well looking to hit Walsh and McCowan on their respective flanks. The former, well known to ICT fans of course, was the main focus as he frequently cut inside Duffy on the left flank and looked to hang balls up to the back post for team mates to attack. Whilst Walsh was looking threatening on the Ayr left, on the other side the in form McCowan was being marshalled well by Harper with the Ayr player barely in the game until a tactical switch by Kerr later in the first half saw him move into the middle. Bizarrely the first chance of the game fell to the Ayr keeper Sinisalo when he launched a goal kick forward which caught the wind and almost had Ridgers scrambling to keep it out of harms way. Not too long after this Cammy Smith broke through the ICT defence and cut the ball back for team mate Moffat but the ICT defence was able to clear the danger. Most of our attacks were starting from long balls forward with Toddy displaying some deft control to take in these high balls and link with team mates to relieve the pressure on the Caley Thistle rear-guard. Carson, breaking forward, fired a low pass to the feet of Sutherland just inside inside the penalty area and he rolled his marker and shot straight at the United keeper. Ayr were next to threaten when Walsh, again cutting back onto his right foot, swung a high cross to the back post from the left where Michael Miller met it and found the net but it was correctly ruled out for a push on Harper. Todorov then had a chance with a similar effort to that of Sutherland a few minutes before as he also rolled his marker in the box but he too sent his effort down the keepers throat. Not long after this we opened the scoring with a crisp counter attack. Devine sent a controlled ball to the feet of Todorov who collected the ball and played it across to Sutherland on the Ayr right side. He then laid the ball off to the onrushing MacKay who strode onto it confidently and dispatched his shot beyond the despairing Sinisalo to open the scoring. Ayr responded with a tactical switch moving Walsh to the right, Smith to the left and let McCowan roam in the middle behind Moffat and it almost paid off when McCowan found himself just inside the penalty area in acres of space but he wasn't able to make the best of the opportunity and ICT were able to clear the danger. McCowan then almost scored again when his header from a Walsh cross was beaten round the post at close range by Ridgers. This was to be the last we would see of McCowan in the game as he was completely negated by Allardice and Carson in the second half and whilst Walsh continued to offer a threat on the Ayr right Smith drifted from the game on the opposite flank and this change really curtailed Ayr as a fluent attacking force. Only a few minutes into the second half and we grabbed a vital second goal. Todorov saw his effort blocked by his own team mate Sutherland and it was Caithness Cristiano who was first to the ball to fire it into the net with Ayr players claiming for offside. And it was almost three when Todorov bundled his way into the box and with MacKay unmarked in the centre chose to go it alone but saw his shot suppressed by a late challenge. Allardice was next to threaten for Inverness when he sent a free kick low under the Ayr wall as it jumped and it was partially saved by Sinisalo and United cleared at the second attempt. Again, the next best chance fell the way of ICT when Robbie Deas met a free kick from only a few yards out but his header was right at the Ayr keeper. Ayr almost got a goal back when Walsh, still causing problems for Harper on the ICT left, flashed a ball across goal which MacKenzie latched onto but he sent his low effort wide of the goal with Ridgers stranded. Walsh then had an effort at goal himself when he collected the ball at the back post and leathered an effort towards goal which Ridgers saved with his knee with Devine also lunging in to block. In the end though we hung on for a big three points after an excellent performance that probably should have seen us concede a goal but also should really have been much more comfortable given the chances that were passed up. Big call for Robbo to drop four players from Wednesday but they paid dividends with MacGregor, Todorov and Carson all impressing today. MacGregor offers a much more mobile link between our midfield two in front of the defence and the wide players / forward than Keatings does whilst Carson was tenacious alongside Allardice marshalling McCowan well after he moved inside and also breaking forward to support our counters attacks. Todorov showed some excellent touches holding the ball up and Ridgers pulled off some superb saves particularly from McCowan and Walsh in each half. As mentioned earlier I think Kerr's changes to the three behind Moffat disrupted the fluency of Ayr's attacks and whilst Walsh was still a threat McCowan and Smith were anonymous after the break. They didn't seem to have anything in the centre of the pitch to break up our counter attacks with Murdoch and Chalmers nowhere to be seen at times. Cheers RIG, great in depth report on the game and tactics in action And here's Bazza post match Date: 20/02/2021 Venue: Somerset Park Attendance: 0000 Referee: Peter Stuart Ayr United: 0 Manager: Mark Kerr Lineup: Sinisalo; Muirhead, Murdoch, Ndaba, Baird, Moffat, Smith (Hewitt 75), Miller (McKenzie 58) , Chalmers, McCowan, Walsh (Zanatta 86). Subs (not used): Hare-Reid; Reading, Roscoe, McGavin Scorers: none Booked: McCowan (54), Muirhead (63), Ndaba (68) Sent Off: none Inverness CT: 2 Manager: John Robertson Lineup: Ridgers; Duffy, Devine, Deas, Harper, D Mackay (B Mckay 87), Carson, Allardice, MacGregor (Welsh 75), Sutherland, Todorov (Storey 68) Subs (not used): C Mackay; Nicolson, Hyde, Keatings Scorers: D Mackay (31), Sutherland (54) Booked: Todorov (35) Sent Off: none a

Wasps sting the Jags with late penalty With temporary gaffers Barry Wilson and Ryan Esson taking care of proceedings, it was an energetic start for the hosts. However that was disrupted after twenty minutes when Innes Cameron burst through the middle to stroke the ball into the net as Ridgers came off his line. Against the run of play, but the Wasps did not care and they held the advantage to go in at the break one ahead. Not much was happening until Wallace Duffy thundered a left footer from over twenty-five yards high into the net. What a strike for your first senior goal. One minute later and substitute James Keatings was stroking us up to fifth in the table before the late penalty from Alan Trouten brought us back down to earth. Disappointing to throw away the lead, but there's more to be worrying about than a game of football. ***It was announced after the game that Neil McCann will take over until Robbo is ready to return*** A difficult period for the club on and off the park has culminated in manager John Robertson being given compassionate leave by the club due to a family bereavement. I'm sure all who know Robbo will offer their sincere condolences. Assistant manager Scott Kellacher is also recovering from severe illness and he too will require some time to recover and our best wishes go out to our management pairing. With that in mind it was coaches Barry Wilson and Ryan Esson that were in the dugout for tonight's game against Alloa. The hosts were without Aaron Doran, Anthony McDonald, Sean Welsh and James Vincent as well as other long term absentees Lewis Toshney and Kevin McHattie. David Carson was the star man at Ayr and he was in the starting XI tonight. It had been a wet and windy day and but the weather was taking a break with the wind dropping and showers less frequent as the sides took to the field. A bright start to the game for the hosts produced three corners in quick succession for the Caley Jags but the Alloa defence dealt well with the threat and managed to clear their lines. Carson continued where he left off at Somerset Park and was driving forward with menace. Cammy Harper floated a ball towards the edge of the box where Roddy MacGregor knocked down for Daniel Mackay but he miscued and the half chance disappeared. The same pairing created another opportunity soon after but the shot lacked power to trouble Neil Parry. A free kick to Alloa from Innes Murray range saw Ridgers save easily as Alloa came more into the game and a couple of minutes later they took the lead against the run of play. Ray Grant intercepted the ball in midfield from Devene and fed Innes Cameron who burst clear from midway and ran through to neatly side step and slot the ball past Ridgers as the keeper came out. A blow to Inverness and they would need to work a bit harder with Alloa now only two points behind as it stands after twenty minutes. Todorov picked out the run of Carson on the right but his cross come shot drifted just over the bar with 25 minutes gone. Alloa almost doubled their lead but a Cameron shot from around the spot was charged down with the possibility of an arm hitting the ball but nothing given. A free kick offered a heading opportunity for the towering Todorov but his downward header just went the wrong side of the post with Parry beaten. All the pressure coming from the hosts but a couple of testing balls from Toddy and Mackay saw no takers in the box which is surprising considering we were one down. Despite some intricate play, Neil Parry has not had any serious work to do yet and there's only five minutes before the break as he stretches to pluck a deep cross out of the air with aplomb. Carson got the break of the ball on the right and his clipped cross found Todorov at the back post but his header went over junction of post and bar. MacGregor picked up a loose ball on the edge of the box and drilled it home, unfortunately the whistle sounded just as he shot and play was taken back for a free kick to Alloa on the edge of the box Half Time 0-1 Like the first half, we forced a couple of quick corners but the pressure was relieved when a foul was given after the second one. Slack play was evident as a heavy shower lashed the park and Alloa introduced Innes Murray for Scougall five minutes into the half and Inverness racked up the corner count, Devine winning another corner. Parry had some work to do as he gathered a low shot from Allardice as the pressure continued. A rare break forward found substitute Innes Murray at the back post but he slashed his shot well wide of the mark, a let off for the Caley Jags. With half an hour left Miles Storey replaced Dan Mackay. Too many hapless long hanging balls into the box were collected by Parry with ease as we struggled to create decisive opportunities. James Keatings replaced MacGregor as we looked to create more but with less than twenty minutes left, nobody was holding their breath. Out of the blue after a couple of fresh air swipes at the ball inside the box, Wallace Duffy strode onto the ball some twenty five yards out and lashed a thumping left footer high behind Parry for his first goal for the Caley Jags and a much needed goal tonight. In dramatic fashion, moments later Keatings buried the ball into the bottom of the net to turn this game on it's head. It should have been three minutes later but Storey dollied a penalty into the keeper. Inverness were swarming all over the Wasps now and Keatings flashed a header just wide with Parry scrambling to get there, and again Alloa got the benefit of another 'goal' when a Storey header beat Parry once more. The craziness continued when Alloa got a stonewall penalty after Harper tripped Robertson in the box and Trouten did what Storey should have done, scored to make it 2-2. A frantic finish saw corners taken and defenders clearing their lines at the expense of more corners and Alloa still trying to break at pace, but alas for the Caley Jags it ended all square. Full Time 2-2 The second half exploded into life with Duffy's thunderous strike and then Keatings' goal. It all looked rosey when we were awarded a penalty but Why Storey took it only he will know. That could have taken the stuffing out of Alloa but they went up the park and got a penalty of their own, and well, Trouten just does not miss. A frenetic last twenty minutes livened up a dull game, but the joy of turning this game round was neutralised by Trouten's 12 yard dead ball death strike. At that point we had reached fifth in the table, unfortunately it was not to be and Alloa will be delighted with their point. Match reaction from BBC Sport Inverness Caley Thistle coach Barry Wilson: "The performance levels were really high tonight - we created chances and dominated the game. Even though we missed the penalty we should still see out the game. It's really frustrating." Alloa manager Peter Grant: "I thought we should have been more comfortable at half-time. This group have fantastic spirit and they showed that. I'm delighted to get the point at the end." Full highlights from Caley Jags TV Date: 23/02/2021 Venue: Caledonian Stadium Attendance: 0000 Referee: Grant Irvine Inverness CT: 2 Manager: Barry Wilson/Ryan Esson (John Robertson on compassionate leave ) Lineup: Ridgers; Duffy, Deas, Devine, Harper, D Mackay (Storey 61), Carson, Allardice, MacGregor (Keatings 71), Sutherland, Todorov Subs (not used): C Mackay; Nicolson, Harkness, Hyde, B Mckay. Scorers: Duffy(77), Keatings (78) Booked: none Sent Off: none Alloa Athletic: 2 Manager: Peter Grant Lineup: Parry; Taggart, Dick, Graham, Hetherington, Robertson, Cawley (Buchanan 83), Scougall (Murray 53), Grant, Trouten (Jameson 87), Cameron Subs (not used): Wright, Brown, Connelly, Thomson, Scorers: Cameron (20), Trouten (87 pen) Booked: Graham (73) Sent Off: none a

Virtual game ends all square Neil McCann's 'tenure' got off to a tremendous start when Miles Storey made amends for his penalty miss in midweek. He opened the scoring after muscling Michael Smith off the ball to drive it behind Gordon after ten minutes. Hearts were on the slow burner but got back on level terms after half an hour when the defence parted to allow Liam Boyce space and time to knock the ball into the net from six yards. The second half was relatively quiet until a late surge from Hearts saw Boyce hit the bar then Ridgers make a good stop from Walker. Neil McCann's first team selection was a 4-4-2ish which saw Nikolay Todorov, Daniel Mackay and Scott Allardice drop to the bench with Miles Storey, Sean Welsh and James Keatings on from the start in the virtual ticket derby. Robbie Neilson has a wealth of talent with the likes of Jamie Walker, Peter Haring and Christophe Berra on the bench. Recent signing Gary Mackay-Steven, Gary Naismith and Liam Boyce, who loves to score against us, in the starting XI. That's the same line-up that drew against Morton last week. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Some fans made great sacrifices to ' virtually get to the game'. None moreso than our own Gringo and here's his tale: "Even though I was watching on the box it was as if I was there. During the day I'd been building up to the game by posting updates on Facebook of my virtual trip up from Coventry 0 on the motorcycle. I left home at 0800 and got to the stadium around 1720. One or two thought I was actually travelling and they pointed out that I shouldn't be travelling from England to Scotland due to it being non essential travel and dear Nicola said it's against the law" Anyway. I though we played well and deserved the point. The ref was whistle happy and stopped the flow of the game. Craig Gordon needs to grow a pair after his spat with Carson. And there really should have been an early red for whatshisface of Hearts. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The game kicked off in front of a virtual crowd of over 11,000 and Mark Ridgers was the first keeper to pull a shot out of the air in the second minute from McEneff. The same player had another shot charged down in the fourth minute as Hearts pushed forward. Miles Storey had the first meaningful attempt for Inverness, his shot from distance saved comfortably by Craig Gordon after five minutes although the visitors were in control of possession in the early stages. The Caley Jags opened the scoring when Keatings chipped a great ball forward from the half way line for Storey to chase. He had enough pace and power to force the error from Michael Smith and Storey anticipated well to knock the ball into the middle of the empty net. Gervane Kastaneer was booked for a clumsy tackle on Sean Welsh who thankfully recovered after some treatment as we all held our breath. Inverness were denied what looked like a penalty when David Carson was sent to the turf unceremoniously after Propescu turned his back on him but Referee Nick Walsh didn't want to know. (sounds familiar). A couple of minutes later Shane Sutherland appeared to delay his shot allowing it to be blocked inside the six yard box, another hand looked to have been involved, again nothing given. Could easily have been number two. The goodwill from Tynecastle seemed to have gone completely with Storey next to be fouled heavily. From the resultant free kick another scramble in the box saw Carson go down again as the defence hoofed the ball away to safety. Duffy took a booking for halting Mackay-Stevens progress and from the free kick did well to head clear for a corner. The corner flashed across the box dangerously but nobody in maroon was on hand to attack the ball; goal kick. The free kicks were mounting for both sides as retribution seemed to be the order of the night. From one such free kick, Liam Boyce was left unmarked to drive the knockdown into the net from close range. Scorer Boyce knocked a header at the back post wide as Hearts upped the pace, the visitors more prominent for the last fifteen minutes. Heats looked the most likely to add to their tally as the interval drew closer but neither keeper was overworked and it was all square at the break with the visitors having slowly clawed their way back into contention. Half Time 1-1 Armand Gnanduillet was on from the start of the second half but it was Inverness that almost scored when Robbie Deas was just inches away from connecting properly with a back post header, but it went wide. Gnanduillet was looking like he was going to be a handful as he tried to latch onto a couple of balls around the box. Walsh, the clown referee, then booked David Carson for challenging Gordon who also picked up a card for his reaction. Sub Jamie Walker made a good run down the right after Smith set him free but the defence cleared at the expense of a corner. Walker was involved with a few attacking moves since his introduction as Hearts looked for a second goal with twenty minutes left. A bit of checkmate ensued as we entered the last fifteen minutes and Scott Allardice lashed an ambitious effort well over the bar. In truth most of the second half has been untidy as free kicks and tiredness took over. An odd moment from a ball into the Inverness box when Boyce headed onto the top of the bar with Ridgers spectating. He was still spectating when the ball bounced down at his feet and back up again before grabbing it as he faced his own net. Some late Hearts pressure put the home defence under pressure and a ball by the awkward Gnanduillet fizzed across the box but beat everyone and went out for a goal kick. Ridgers made a great block from Walker and his palmed clearance was met by Mackay-Stevens who headed wide under pressure. That was the last action of the game and a hard earned point for Neil McCann in his first game in the dugout. Full Time 1-1 Danny Devine was pleased enough with the point against a top side as he spoke on BBC Sport. Craig Gordon said Hearts were looking for three points but will settle for one. After an entertaining first half, the second was a bit of an anti-climax. Lot's of misplaced passes but plenty of effort. Neil McCann couldn't praise his side enough and thought we were deserving of our point. From BBC Sport Inverness CT interim manager Neil McCann: "I'm proud, I must admit. I'm delighted with the boys. We've only had one-and-a-half sessions. They gave me everything. "They were brilliant and limited Hearts to very little. We'd like to polish up our football, but I can't have any complaints." Hearts head coach Robbie Neilson: "We're disappointed, that's three draws on the bounce. People have got to realise it's very difficult to play in the Championship. You have to earn the right to play. "To be sitting 12 points clear is a fantastic achievement for the players. We have no given right to turn up and win football matches. We've got to take the positives from that." He wears a 'Magic Hat' Full Highlights from Caley Jags TV Date: 26/02/2021 Venue: Caledonian Stadium Virtual Attendance: '11,356' Referee: Nick Walsh Inverness CT: 1 Manager: Neil McCann Lineup: Ridgers; Duffy, Deas, Devine, Harper, Carson (Allardice 66), Welsh, Keatings, (Todorov 78) Macgregor (D Mackay 57), Sutherland, Storey Subs (not used): C Mackay; Nicolson, B Mckay, Hyde, , Scorers: Storey (10) Booked: Duffy (30), Welsh (36), Carson (52) Sent Off: none Hearts: 1 Manager: Robbie Neilson Lineup: Gordon; Smith (Irving 80), Halkett, Popescu, Kingsley, Mackay-Steven, McEneff, Naismith (Walker 62), Kastaneer (Gnanduillet 45), Boyce Subs (not used): Stewart; Haring, Berra, Henderson Scorers: Boyce (36) Booked: Kastaneer (15), Kingsley (32), Gordon (52) Sent Off: none a

Too little too late. Dundee manager Jake McPake looked to have tightened his shoogely peg as first half goals from Max Anderson and Jason Cummings put Dundee in at the break two up. Inverness were out of sorts in a poor first forty-five. Nikolay Todorov pulled a goal back with fifteen minutes left heading home a Cammy Harper cross. Inverness mounted a mini-comeback but fell just short as Dundee held on for all three points. Neil McCann returned to Dens Park where he had mixed fortunes as a player and manager. Tonight he would be in the away dugout with John Robertson on compassionate leave. His first game in charge was a 1-1 draw with Hearts on Friday night. Four days later and here we are at Dens Park looking to keep in touch with the teams in the top four. David Carson was on the bench after two MotM performances and Roddy MacGregor was not in the squad, presumably injured. Daniel Mackay and Scott Allardice were in the starting XI. As expected, Dundee were without Charlie Adam due to the results of the positive covid testing at Dens Park. Here's RiG with his match report Grim, grim, grim. Dundee were well on top at the start and although we pushed them back a bit they quickly re-established their dominance. They knew a high press against our back line would work given McCann's preference to play out from the back and players were often caught in possession. Meanwhile, our defence looked haphazard any time a cross or long throw came anywhere near it. McDaid turning Duffy inside out for a good chunk of the first half before he eventually realised he could nullify him by sending him towards the bye line was criminal in how long it took to be employed. By that time though the damage was largely done. McMullan was ripping Harper apart on the ICT left and he sent in a cross that found Max Anderson as he burst into the penalty area and although Ridgers did well to save his first effort the Dee player made no mistake at the second time of asking and put Dundee 1-0 up. We rallied a little to push the home side back a bit and had some half chances but Dundee took a deserved two goal lead when a high ball into the box was missed and it landed at the feet of Cummings who spun round and whipped the ball into the net. Prior to this Dundee had great chances falling the way of Mullen, Cummings and Anderson who all had goal bound efforts blocked by Deas or Ridgers. It was one way traffic in the first half and ICT could count themselves fortunate not to be further behind. Half Time: 2-0 Second half was less eventful overall compared to the first. A suspiciously offside looking Storey broke through the Dundee defence but shot straight at Hamilton as the angle narrowed whilst Sow blazed over after good work by Cummings on a Dundee counter attack. We did get one goal back when Harper sent over a delicious cross from the left touchline to find Toddy at the back post and he thumped a header past the flailing Hamilton. Great goal from the big striker and one wonders what he needs to do to get a start. A similar move almost lead to an ill deserved equaliser but this time the header went wide. Grim performance from us. As has been the case at times this season we are poor for about 75% of the game then improve markedly for the final 15 to 20 minutes or look like we might do something. I know we have important creative players like Doran and McDonald out but we should be still be doing better than we are. We created precious little for most of that game it is extremely concerning going into a very tough game on Saturday against Alloa. Go behind in that and I don't fancy our chances of turning it around into a much needed 3 points. Neil McCann post match Date: 02/03/2021 Venue: Dens park, Dundee Attendance: 0000 Referee: Steven Kirkland Dundee FC: 2 Manager: James McPake Lineup: Hamilton; Fontaine, Elliot, Ashcroft, Marshall, McGowan, McMullan, Mullen (Sow 53), Anderson (Byrne 87), McDaid, Cummings (Aflabi 91) Subs (not used): Legzdins; Kerr, Fagan-Walcott, Robertson Scorers: Anderson (10), Cummings (45) Booked: McGowan (60) Sent Off: none Inverness CT: 1 Manager: Neil McCann Lineup: Ridgers; Duffy, Deas, Devine (B Mckay 77), Harper, D Mackay (Todorov 61) Welsh, Allardice (Carson 46), Keatings, Sutherland, Storey Subs (not used): C Mackay; Nicolson, Fyffe, Vincent Scorers: Todorov (75) Booked: Deas (63), Welsh (65) Sent Off: none a

Abysmal, a new low! A stormy evening saw no goals at the break. Todorov came closest when he hit the post just before the interval. Could it get worse? The answer was yes when Aidan Nesbitt drilled a low shot into the net from the edge of the box with Inverness unable to make any headway. With twenty minutes left you could see the game slowly drifting away from the hosts. Sutherland hit the woodwork again and Todorov's follow up 'goal' was ruled out. Morton came North on the back of a poor run of form to meet a side with similar problems, hence both sides are languishing perilously close to the foot of the league. Something was going to give. Neil McCann was still looking for his first win in the Caley Jags dugout in this his fourth game in temporary control. He was without Miles Storey and Cameron Harper with Kevin McHattie making the bench alongside Aaron Doran. No sign of Storey or Lewis Toshney. The visitors were without defender Lewis Strapp, Robbie Muirhead and striker Kalvin Orsi. Anton McElhone shook his squad around but somewhat surprisingly Aidan Nesbitt was in the starting XI. A bitterly cold night saw the sides emerge to a stiff breeze with Morton shooting towards the Kessock Bridge end. And they were first to probe into the box when Sterling slipped past Brad Mckay but the defence mopped up. Sterling's pace looks like it will cause problems and he forced Mark Ridgers into a comfortable save in the early exchanges. A tentative opening quarter to the game saw the keepers underworked at either end of the park. Petty fouls and misplaced passes were the order of the day but Inverness were fortunate when Morton broke on the left but Sterling's header was glanced wide as the rain started to fall. Poor decision making saw most moves break down in the final third as the hosts probed for an opening with half an hour gone. The weather was not helping but it was easy to see how both sides were struggling in a stop start game. Ten minutes before the break a long ball forward by Sutherland found Roddy Macgregor chasing into the box and McAdams was brought into action at last as he saved Roddy's low shot from the right side of the box. Poor keeper must have been frozen prior to that. Four minutes before the break Nikolay Todorov hit the top of the post from close range at the far side of the box after determined play by Keatings created an opening for the big striker who got his shot away at the second attempt. The same player earned a yellow just before the interval when a long ball into the box appeared to be handled by Toddy. As it was the ball bounced over the bar and Toddy was booked. Half Time: 0-0 The stiff breeze had grown into a blustery swirling mini storm with relentless driving rain as the teams came out for the second half. Ridgers was early into action as Nesbitt drilled a low shot goalwards after good work by Sterling but the keeper saved comfortably. Aaron Doran made a welcome return to match action after injury as he replaced Keatings ten minutes into the second half. The much maligned Aidan Nesbitt opened the scoring with a low shot from a similar position to his effort five minutes earlier, the ball drilled low behind Ridgers and against the run of play the visitors were ahead with the Caley Jags ball watching. Wallace Duffy forced a corner with a good burst down the right but it came to nothing, as did most of our feeble efforts. In truth we were struggling badly against a mediocre Morton side who almost doubled their advantage from a corner, but the ball was headed just over with Ridgers spectating. Allardice picked up his sixth booking of the season as we entered the final ten minutes and Deas followed him into the book. As desperation set in Sutherland rifled a low shot straight at the keeper from twenty yards with the game slipping away from us. We almost snatched a draw from the jaws of defeat as Sutherland cracked the ball off the bar and when Toddy followed up and headed into the net his 'goal was ruled offside. Meh! Full Time: 0-1 What a shitfest of a game and result. Absolutely hapless and at the moment we are deserving everything we are getting, and that is zilch. We really look jaded. Forget looking up the table, we need to concentrate on the bottom. This is pretty much a low point after 26 years of giving it a go More reaction to follow.... Date: 09/03/2021 Venue: Caledonian Stadium Attendance: 0000 Referee: Gavin Ross Inverness CT: 0 Manager: Neil McCann (temporary) Lineup: Ridgers; Duffy, B Mckay, Devine, Deas, MacGregor, Carson (D Mackay 65), Allardice, Keatings (Doran 53), Sutherland, Todorov Subs (not used): Mackay; Nicolson, McHattie, Fyffe, Welsh Scorers: none Booked: B Mckay(38), Todorov (45+1), Carson (60) Allardice (81), Deas (83) Sent Off: none Morton: 1 Manager: Anton McElhone (interim) Lineup: McAdams; Ledger, Fjørtoft, McLean, McGinty, Jacobs, McGuffie, Colville (Omar 89), Lyon (Blues 84), Nesbitt (Salkeld 89), Sterling Subs (not used): Millar, Oliver, Johnson, Hynes Scorers: Nesbitt (56) Booked: Colville (27) Sent Off: none a

Hard earned point Despite some glaring opportunities for both sides, the score remained blank at the interval. Ugwu sinned a couple of times and Musonda too, but the biggest sinner of all was our own Roddy MacGregor who failed to get the ball past the bodies lying on the goalline from three yards. What an opportunity, what a miss and goalless at the interval. More chances went abegging after the interval and Sean Welsh hit the post with a header. Saves misses and good fortune ensured this entertaining game ended all square. It was not the win we wanted, but trust me this was a massive upgrade from the drivel served up against Morton. The guys got their pride back and played with the passion and desire required to stay in this league. Neil McCann was looking for a reaction after the dross on display against Morton, in fact since we returned to action after the glut of postponements. It was going to be difficult with Doran, Harper, Vincent and Storey all out and three youngsters on the bench alongside the departing James Keatings and a recovering Kevin McHattie. Raith had wing wizard Kai Kennedy on from the start but Manny Duku was on the bench with Gozie Ugwu starting. Looks like it could be a long night. The weather was marginally better than it was for the Morton game, but it was still bitterly cold and damp as a depleted Inverness took to the field. Raith kicked off towards the Kessock Bridge end and Inverness were soon on the back foot with their makeshift side. Ugwu should have scored early but he fresh aired the ball two yards from goal. Musonda had an equally good opportunity after a corner fell to his feet twelve yards out but he scooped his shot just over the bar. The first Inverness involvement was almost twenty minutes in when a Todorov header at the back post went over and wide when it looked like he should have done better. Midway through the half the hosts appeared to have weathered the storm and were looking to create something for themselves. We missed an unbelievable opportunity after Kieran Macdonald slid along the goal line and cleared Dan Mackay's effort off the line as it rolled towards the goal. It fell to Roddy MacGregor who turned and shot from inside the six yard box but again the ball was smothered on the line and eventually cleared. What have we got to do to score. More pressure from the hosts and Todorov had a shot charged down for a corner. Good response by our second string. A tempting ball from Kai Kennedy found Ugwu in prime position in front of Ridgers but he headed just over when he should have hit the target. Carson did well at the other end and delivered a good cross into the area but Toddy could not get enough purchase on the ball and Macdonald saved comfortably. Raith forced a couple of corners just before the interval as Inverness made it to the whistle on level terms. Half Time: 0-0 Six minutes into the second half and a Carson clearance inside his own box could have gone anywhere. As it was it slipped past his own post; sigh of relied all round. A free kick invited Robbie Deas to have a go but he was deemed offside. An Allardice free kick had just too much on it as the Caley Jags forwards closed in. A series of fouls saw Inverness get down the left side and Allardice's driven free kick was was bounced behind off Deas for a goal kick. Determined play by MacGregor down the right and a whipped cross by Carson left Sean Welsh with a headed opportunity, but his header bounced down and off the post with the keeper beaten. Moments later Shane Sutherland went through one on one with MacDonald but the experienced keeper stood firm and blocked Shane's shot as he tried to lift it into the net. Good spell by Inverness and unfortunate not to be ahead. Carson not impressed by Kennedy as he went to ground and handbags were exchanged with around 25 minutes left. Dylan Tait lifted a cut back from the left just over the bar with Ridgers rooted to the spot and Robbie Deas took a knock that required treatment. Up the park and a turn and strike from Mackay won us a corner and Todorov almost got on the end of the cross but Benedictus was first to the ball to clear as Toddy fouled him. With ten minutes left the points were still up for grabs by both sides and Ridgers ably assisted by a couple of defenders smothered the ball close to his near post as Raith homed in on his goal along the bye line. The visitors were pressing hard for the winner and Duku replace Ugwu with five minutes left. Some great defending by the home defence ended with a tremendous save by Ridgers and a scrambulation in the box before the ball was knocked wide. Last chance fell to Todorov in injury time but his shot from the right side was not struck cleanly enough and MacDonald gathered at his near post. Full Time 0-0 Well, McCann asked for a response and despite the scoreline he certainly got one. Considering our available squad it was a good point that could easily have been three. David Carson was given MotM by the BBC pundits and few could argue with that. Great contributions from our entire back line and Ridgers was absolutely solid when called into action and took the pressure off the defence with some confidence boosting catches when under pressure. Should we have scored? Yes, probably three or four, but Raith might feel the same. Onward to Tuesday night with more confidence after a much needed boost tonight with the team showing that they are up for the battle. Well done to all who responded. Highlights Positive Neil Here's Carson talking just after releasing Kai Kennedy from his back pocket Date: 12/03/2021 Venue: Caledonian Stadium Attendance: 0000 Referee: Steven McLean Inverness CT: 0 Manager: Neil McCann (temporary) Lineup: Ridgers; B Mckay, Devine, Deas, Allardice, MacGregor, Carson, Allardice, D Mackay, Sutherland, Todorov Subs (not used): C Mackay; Hyde, Nicolson, Harkness, Duffy, Keatings, McHattie, Scorers: none Booked: Welsh (38) Mckay (60), D Mackay (82), Sent Off: none Raith Rovers: 0 Manager: John McGlynn Lineup: J MacDonald; Tumilty, Benedictus, Hendry, K MacDonald, Kennedy, Tait, Musonda, Ugwu (Duku 85), King (Armstrong 66) Gullan (Mathews 66) Subs (not used): Thomson; Davidson, Abraham, Spencer Scorers: none Booked: Tumilty (2), K MacDonald (60), Mathews (70), Hendry (78), Taut (90+2) Sent Off: none a

McCann breaks his duck Inverness beat ten-man Raith Rovers thanks to a tidy second half goal from Dan Mackay who had controlled a kick out from Ridgers before lifting the ball over keeper MacDonald for the only goal of the game. We were never troubled for long spells but struggled to impose ourselves against the ten men after Iain Davidson was sent off after a midfield clash. A welcome three points and a first win under Neil McCann. After the goalless draw four days earlier, the two sides went toe to toe once more for the fourth time this season. The League Cup encounter ended 3-3 in November, eleven days later at Inverness ended 2-0 for the Caley Jags and Friday's game finished 0-0. Despite the league positions, there was little to choose between the sides at the Caledonian Stadium and both sides were looking for maximum points at different ends of the table. Inverness were somewhat down to the bare bones on Friday and were hoping to have a couple of their missing players back. McCann went with the same starting XI that played the whole game on Friday night and Miles Storey was fit enough to make the bench. John McGlynn had no such problems apart from Fernandy Mendy who is still away on African Nations duty. Ugwu again started up front and there were starts for Armstrong, and Mathews with Duku on the bench alongside Vaughan, Musonda and Tait. Raith set the ball rolling but it was Inverness that started the fastest. A wonderful Allardice header came back off the corner of bar and post from fully fifteen yards and from the resultant return ball into the box it was stabbed into the hands of Jamie MacDonald from four yards by a hesitant Shane Sutherland. Ten minutes in and Iain Davidson was given a straight red after a clash in the middle of the Raith half. That started a wee stushie and Davidson was red carded with Sean Welsh also booked. A great burst down the left by Dan Mackay after twenty minutes ended with keeper MacDonald throwing an arm out to keep the ball out at the expense of a fruitless corner. It was a much faster start by Inverness after we were slow out of the blocks on Friday night but with half an hour gone we were not making the extra man count. In fact we were more impressive when Raith had eleven on the park. A great ball forward found Todorov running into the box but the defender stood his ground to usher the ball clear. Ridgers did well to cut out a great ball in from the left and took a knock as the striker closed in. Some loose passing was restricting our forward play as Rovers dug in. A swift move cut Rovers open but Sutherland was crowded out in the six yard box. As the interval approached Raith were making their way down the touchline with a number of throw-ins as the game turned untidy but it remained goalless at the break. Half Time: 0-0 Macdonald was fortunate that Shane Sutherland was not sharp enough to take advantage of a spilled ball at the edge of the box as it bounced back into his hands off the big forward. Tumilty sent a rasping shot from distance that Ridgers tipped over comfortably. Less than five minutes after the restart the visitors took the lead after a long ball from keeper Ridgers went all the way to the edge of the Raith box where Dan Mackay did brilliantly to get clear of the defender before cheekily lifting the ball over the advancing Macdonald and into the empty net. Great assist from the keeper who brilliantly cut out the cross and sent the ball forward in the same movement. We could have doubled our lead but for a weak finish this time by Mackay as he burst into the left side of the box. From a deep corner, Benedictus lofted a header towards the top of the goal frame and Ridgers took no chances and tipped the ball behind for a corner. Better play from Rovers and their next corner saw a header bounce well wide. A free kick to the Caley Jags ended with a shot being charged down in a crowded defence and Inverness made their first change with Miles Storey replacing Shane Sutherland. Gullan dipped a free kick over with Ridgers watching closely. Rovers were pushing for an equaliser as Ridgers fluffed a punch clear for a corner. A tidy run on the left and cut back by Storey saw a first time effort from Sean Welsh curl just wide with MacDonald beaten. A Keatings free kick found Deas in space inside the box on the left but his clipped shot rolled across the face of the goal and out for a goal kick. Ridgers was forced into a good diving save as Vaughan shot from the edge of the box to remind Inverness how precarious a one goal lead can be with five minutes left on the clock. Full Time: 0-1 However, despite the usual late scares, the Raith ten man challenge petered out and Inverness claimed a valuable three points and manager Neil McCann his first win. What a crucial three points that could be and with Ayr beating Dundee it's getting very tight in the middle section of the table. Highlights from Raith TV Dan's the man First time winner with the Caley Jags... Date: 16/03/2021 Venue: Stark's Park, Kirkaldy Attendance: 0000 Referee: Colin Steven Raith Rovers: 0 Manager: John McGlynn Lineup: J MacDonald; Tumilty, Davidson, Benedictus, K MacDonald, Kennedy (Gullan 66), Armstrong (Musonda 19), Spencer (Vaughan 76), Mathews, Hendry, Ugwu Subs (not used): Thomson; Abraham, Tait, Duku Scorers: none Booked: Mathews (13), Spencer (41), Gullan (89) Sent Off: Armstrong (11) Inverness CT: 1 Manager: Neil McCann (temporary) Lineup: Ridgers; Carson, B Mckay, Devine, Deas, D Mackay, Welsh (Keatings 79 McHattie 91), Allardice, MacGregor, Sutherland (Storey 63), Todorov Subs (not used): C Mackay; Nicolson, Hyde, Duffy Scorers: D Mackay (50) Booked: Welsh (12), Allardice (69) Sent Off: a

Points from Pars as Carson strikes A fortunate goal line clearance after Sutherland hit a defender standing on the line was the best opportunity of a close first half that Inverness just edged, but there was no scoring at the break. The visitors opened the scoring ten minutes from time when MotM David Carson cut in from the right, jinked inside and smashed a right footer off the post and into the net. That was Carson's first goal for the club in his 47th appearance and a vital one it was too. Inverness held on comfortably thereafter to take all three points North and move up to fifth in the table. After an encouraging win at Stark's Park in midweek the Neil McCann entourage were looking for their second win in a week, but it was a tough ask to go to East End Park with the Pars sitting second in the table and try to take all three points back up the A9. This would be McCann's seventh game at the wheel as he tries to steer us clear of the relegation zone whilst still maintaining an interest in the top four play-off places. He would have to do it without the injured Aron Doran, Cameron Harper, Lewis Toshney, Anthony MacDonald, James Keatings and James Vincent who is on compassionate leave after a family bereavement. Condolences to James. Stevie Crawford has an extensive squad with a strong bench so no hassle for him to make his team selections. An ominously strong looking bench for the Pars with O'Hara and McManus lying in wait. Craig Wighton started up front with Scott Banks in midfield. So, both teams unchanged from last time out and it was game on. It was a cagey opening and fully ten minutes before Ridgers had anything to deal with as he pulled a mishit shot from Murray out of the air. An Inverness free kick off the training ground produced a corner and from that a close range shot from Sutherland hit a defender on the line in the nether region (Comrie) before Fon Williams grabbed the loose ball. Craig Wighton slipped the ball into the net from a tight angle soon after but was adjudged to be offside. Moments later Sean Welsh fed MacGregor on the edge of the box but he smothered his shot and the keeper saved comfortably. Half an hour gone and neither side were able to impose themselves on the proceedings as Scott Allardice skied a shot from a corner as Toddy got in his way. A Welsh free kick from thirty yards was straight down the keepers throat with five minutes left to the interval, but it ended goalless at the break. Half Time: 0-0 The visitors got the second half going as the Skids faded out. A great defensive tackle saw Dan Mackay burst forward on the left before cutting in, alas his shot was wayward. Some good pressure from the visitors saw opportunities for offloading shots and Roddy Macgregor's effort had Fon Williams scrambling across his line as the ball slipped past the post. Toddy then saw a shot hit the roof of the net as the hosts were pressed back. Another scramble ensued after MacGregor drilled a ball into the box, the defence eventually blocking and clearing. Poor defending allowed Whittaker an opportunity but Mark Ridgers made a tremendous save low down at full stretch. The game had opened up now as The Pars were getting to grips with the second half and both keepers were called into routine action. Welsh brought out another save from the keeper with another free kick. The visitors opened the scoring ten minutes from time when MotM David Carson cut in from the right, jinked inside and smashed a right footer off the post and into the net. We held on comfortably thereafter to take all three points North and move up to fifth in the table. Full Time: 0-1 That was a solid performance from the Caley Jags to give temporary boss Neil McCann his second win in four days against the second and third placed sides. Brilliant first goal for David Carson who excelled again and a second clean sheet in four days away from home at difficult locations. What a difference a week makes! Match reaction from Neil McCann: Read full story at ICTFC “I don’t think anyone can say we didn’t deserve that today. We got the three points from an unbelievable goal from David Carson, who I though was magnificent today.” “I thought all round we looked a proper unit and a team that was prepared to do everything for each other. I’m delighted today.” “The boys have turned it around. We’ve changed our shape because I looked at them and thought they needed something a little different. It’s just one that makes them feel secure out of possession.” David Carson after his first goal for the club Full highlights from Pars TV Date: 20/03/2021 Venue: East End Park, Dunfermline Attendance: 0000 Referee: Peter Stuart Dunfermline: 0 Manager: Stevie Crawford Lineup: Fon Williams; Comrie, Watson (Gaspuitis 72), E Murray, MacDonald, Whittaker, Wilson (Mayo 57), Banks (McManus 68), F Murray, Thomas, Wighton Subs (not used): Gill; Edwards, McCann, O'Hara Scorers: none Booked: Watson (14), Wighton (79), McManus (82) Sent Off: none Inverness CT: 1 Manager: Neil McCann (temporary) Lineup: Ridgers; Carson, B Mckay, Devine, Deas, D Mackay (McHattie 87), Welsh, Allardice, MacGregor, Sutherland, Todorov (Storey 60) Subs (not used): C Mackay; Nicolson, Hyde, Harkness, Duffy Scorers: Carson (81) Booked: Carson (74) Sent Off: none a

Thick and fast The games are coming thick and fast and it's another fraught weekend ahead as we travel to East End Park, Dunfermline, to take on second top 'Pars' for a 3:00pm kick-off as the league enters a crucial stage with only seven games left for the Caley Jags to determine where we finish this difficult season. April will be a tough month with games coming up against Morton (a) Queens (a) Dundee (h) Hearts (a) Ayr United (h). This game can be streamed from Pars TV for £12 on PPV and you can find out how to do it by clicking HERE. Remember to register first then pay then click on 'watch' icon. Simples. We play Buckie Thistle in Scottish Cup action next Tuesday 23rd March and PPV for that game can be found HERE In midweek we had an encouraging result at Stark's Park where a Daniel Mackay goal gave temporary boss Neil McCann his first win in charge of Inverness at the sixth time of asking. Raith were reduced to ten men after ten minutes when Iain Davidson was red carded after leaving Nikolay Todorov on the turf when he challenged him from behind. Difficult to see exactly what happened on the replay but the referee was in no doubt and his card was coming out of his top pocket before Toddy hit the ground. That was Dan's 4th goal this season. That result coupled with an excellent win for Ayr United at Dens Park shows the table like this with Alloa to play Dundee on Friday night. OFFICIAL PREVIEW Pld W D L F A +/- Pts 1. Hearts 20 14 3 3 48 21 27 45 2. Dunfermline 18 8 6 4 27 19 8 30 3. Raith Rovers 19 8 5 6 32 25 7 29 4. Dundee 19 7 6 6 34 35 -1 27 5. Queen of the South 20 8 3 9 32 40 -8 27 6. Inverness CT 20 5 9 6 26 23 3 24 7. Ayr United 20 6 6 8 25 24 1 24 8. Morton 20 5 7 8 17 25 -8 22 9. Arbroath 20 5 6 9 17 26 -9 21 10. Alloa Athletic 20 4 5 11 24 44 -20 17 Last 10 Competitive Meetings with Dunfermline Athletic 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) 1 - 2 (H) Oh Danny boy... 4th goal this season We played at East End Park on the opening day of the league campaign but went down 3-1 after Todorov opened the scoring in the second minute. Captain Euan Murray levelled with his head before the interval and the Pars eased away with two goals in the final twelve minutes through Ryan Dow and a belter from Declan McManus. Up in the Highlands we came from behind to earn a point after Kyle Turner drilled a low shot behind Ridgers in the first half. The equaliser was a spectacular left footed strike by Miles Storey with twenty-five minutes left and that's how it ended. ***Latest Team News*** Miles Storey played the last half hour against Raith with Kevin McHattie leaving the bench to take up some time added on. Still missing were Aaron Doran, James Vincent and Lewis Toshney. James Keatings was a used substitute against Raith but he came off injured twelve minutes after coming on. With McCann not giving much away I'll guess that one or two are still carrying knocks and we will be along similar lines to Tuesday night with maybe Miles Storey starting. Dunfermline have put promising midfielder Kyle Turner out on loan to Airdieonians. They have taken Craig Wighton on loan from Hearts and the big striker is relishing the challenge with three goals in three games. Another good loan signing is Scott Banks who had spells at Dundee United and Alloa Athletic. Former Caley Jags wage earner Owain Fon Williams is the current No1 at East End Park.

It's only half time! The second phase of the double header is at Stark's Park Kirkaldy as Inverness head South on Tuesday night for a 7:00pm kick-off. Part one ended all square in an enthralling no scoring draw at the Caledonian Stadium last Friday night in front of the BBC cameras and a covid restricted crowd of 000. You can Stream this game live from RAITH TV FOR £12. Log in/register, pay then select game. Follow instructions from Raith TV. Friday's game saw Neil McCann struggle to get a squad together with injuries denying him three or four first choices. Regulars Cammy Harper, Aaron Doran, James Vincent and Miles Storey all missed out which left us down to the bare bones with three youngsters, the departing James Keatings, knackered Wallace Duffy and crocked Kev McHattie our only outfield choices. That'll be one of the reasons we made no subs in this game. Here's hoping we get a couple of our missing bodies back into contention for a start soon. Despite our skeleton squad, we warmed to the task midway through the first half and by the end of the game we gave as good as we got. It could have been a high scoring draw but for various reasons it ended 0-0, not for the want of trying from both sides. Closest to a goal for the hosts were captain Sean Welsh who headed onto the post and Roddy MacGregor who drove the ball into the ruck of bodies lying on the grass on the goal line. He should really have scored, after all it was only two yards out. Raith missed opportunities from Ugwu and Mendosa amongst others in a flying start and before the end both keepers made excellent saves. Overall a point each gives no complaints from me. Since then Neil McCann has added Billy Dodds to his coaching staff to help get the best out of the players at his disposal. Interesting, let's see how that goes. Read about it here Championship fixtures tonight: Dundee v Ayr United & Raith Rovers v Inverness CT, both 7:00pm Kick-Off. Rescheduled 2nd rd Scottish Cup Tie: Buckie Thistle v Inverness CT Tuesday 23rd March 8:00pm Kick-Off PPV £10 on BUCKIE TV Last updated: 13.03.2021 at 12:06 Pos Team Pld W D L F A Pts 1. Hearts 20 14 3 3 48 21 45 2. Dunfermline 18 8 6 4 27 19 30 3. Raith Rovers 18 8 5 5 32 24 29 4. Dundee 18 7 6 5 33 32 27 5. Q.O.S. 20 8 3 9 32 40 27 6. Morton 20 5 7 8 17 25 22 7. Inverness CT 19 4 9 6 25 23 21 8. Ayr United 19 5 6 8 22 23 21 9. Arbroath 20 5 6 9 17 26 21 10. Alloa Athletic 20 4 5 11 24 44 17 Last 10 Competitive Meetings with Raith Rovers 0 - 0 (H) 2 - 0 (H) 3 - 3 (A) 4 - 1 (H) 2 - 1 (H) 1 - 0 (H) 4 - 3 (H) 4 - 0 (A) 1 - 0 (H) 1 - 0 (A) ***Latest Team News*** We were hit with some unannounced call-offs for last Friday's game as McCann was keeping his injury problems close to his chest. Missing for a couple of games now have been Miles Storey, Cameron Harper, James Vincent and the recently returned Aaron Doran. Wallace Duffy was given the night off as well and that all left us a bit thin on the ground. Kevin McHattie is clearly not fully fit and Lewis Toshney featured once on the bench but has since disappeared. OFFICIAL PREVIEW John McGlynn has a simpler task of naming his squad, in fact he has the luxury of picking and choosing who he plays and who goes on the bench and who to leave out altogether, whereas our hands are tied. Ugwu or Duku, .......... Here's a reminder of the teams from Friday night: ICT: Ridgers; B Mckay, Devine, Deas, Allardice, MacGregor, Carson, Allardice, D Mackay, Sutherland, Todorov Subs (not used): C Mackay; Hyde, Nicholson, Harkness, Duffy, Keatings, McHattie, Raith: J MacDonald; Tumilty, Benedictus, Hendry, K MacDonald, Kennedy, Tait, Musonda, Ugwu (Duku 85), King (Armstrong 66) Gullan (Mathews 66) Subs (not used): Thomson; Davidson, Abraham, Spencer The Wyness Shufflers have produced another gem...