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Lions Tamed Livingston had the better of the opening exchanges and Nouble had the ball in the net but was flagged offside. Ridgers was the busier keeper early on but a swift counter attack saw Austin Samuels open the scoring after 37 minutes. Inverness held that advantage until the break. Daniel Mackay bundled in a second shortly after Max Stryjek was sent off for felling Austin Samuels in the box. Jason Holt pulled a goal back late on then proceeded to miss a penalty three minutes later as Inverness saw out the game to win 1-2 and go top of Group G. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Inverness were without half a dozen regulars and no defenders on the bench: Sounds familiar. Devine, Duffy, Welsh, Walsh and Sutherland were the main casualties with Saturday's scorer George Oakley benched. Jason Holt was tasked with getting the game underway as Livi kicked off this Premier Sport cup tie. Joel Nouble puts the ball into the net for the hosts but was adjudged offside. The bustling forward who was a nuisance at Arbroath last season will be a nuisance again tonight. Former Hearts player Esmael Goncalves did well to fire a ball across goal for Scott Pittman, but he was unable to get on the end of it. Three minutes later the powerful Nouble and Goncalves combined well but Mark Ridgers saves well on his line. All the early pressure came from the home side but in the nineteenth minute a Cammy Harper free kick was met by Robbie Deas and his header looped beyond Stryjek and the ball came back off the bar before Phill Cancar cleared at the expense of a corner. Stryjek was called into action minutes later when Daniel Mackay bent a shot goalwards and the keeper pulled off a diving save to deny the Caley Jags forward. Ten minutes before the break Ridgers did brilliantly to tip a Nicky Devlin shot from his own half onto the crossbar at full stretch. Two minutes later and Austin Samuels gave Inverness the lead. From twitter @ASutherland1983: Woooof! Scintillating counter attack from Caley Thistle. Starts on our own goal line featuring a stunning pass from Allardice to get MacKay away and he crosses to the back post for Samuels to tuck it away from close range. Just before the interval Jack Fitzwalker was booked for a late challenge on Scott Allardice. HALF TIME: 0-1 Again, Livi came out of the blocks fast without over troubling Ridgers. The main topic of conversation happened on the hour when keeper Max Stryjek did some sort of Kung Fu on Austin Samuels. RIG on Twitter: Livingston are down to ten men as goalkeeper Max Stryjek is sent off for a late challenge on Austin Samuels inside the box! Samuels is released by a quick ball from Ridgers and the Livingston keeper is sent off for a late challenge on the ICT striker.RIG saw it like this: The drama kicked off when a long clearance downfield by Ridgers got Samuels in behind the Livi defence and Stryjek came rushing out and leathered him in the face Street Fighter style. Out came the red card and Livi were down to 10. Cammy Harper was denied from the free kick as sub keeper Konovalov saved brilliantly in the top left of his goal. RIG: A piece of MacKay magic saw us extend the lead. A raking pass sent Mackay away and he ghosted past Devlin using some kind of elastico type skill that had us on our feet. He drove into the box and stabbed an effort towards goal which looked like it may have gone in possibly with a touch off a Livi defender. It was a stunning piece of skill that I hope we get to see back again. Inverness looked comfortable until the final few minutes when Livi got a lifeline. Substitutions maybe played a part in this as we looked disjointed with the incoming players getting up to speed. The final few minutes suddenly became uncomfortable after Jason Holt reduced the deficit with six minutes left after he turned on the edge of the box and drilled a shot into the bottom corner of Ridgers' net. He missed a great opportunity to level the game three minutes later as he ballooned a penalty high over the bar after Oakley was deemed to have pulled Scott Bitsindou to the ground. Game over as we saw out the remainder of the time. Inverness were best served by the three D's. Delaney, Deas and Dan. Sounds like an Irish Showband If you can keep up with the ball, here's some highlights...Worms eye view form Tony Macaroni At home to Albion Rovers next Tuesday night No game on Saturday. Date: 12/07/2022 Venue: Almondvale, Livingston Attendance: **** Referee: Alan Muir Livingston FC: 1 Manager: Lineup: Stryjek; Devlin, Fitzwater, Cancar, Penrice, Kelly (Bitsindou 74), Pittman, Holt, Bahamboula (Konovalov 61), Goncalves (Anderson 46), Nouble (Shinnie 74) Subs (not used): Longridge, Brandon, Montaño, Omeonga, Mullin. Scorers: Holt (84) Booked: Fitzwater (44), Kelly (56) Sent Off: Stryjek (59) Inverness CT: 2 Manager: Billy Dodds Lineup: Ridgers; Carson, Deas, Harper, Delaney, D Mackay (Doran 72), Allardice (Oakley 77), MacGregor, Hyde, Shaw (B Mckay 63), Samuels Subs (not used): C Mackay; Oakley, Cairns Scorers: Samuels (37), B Mckay (67) Booked: MacGregor (21), Delaney (69), Oakley (88) Sent Off: none a

Olde Rivalries Resumed Inverness and Livingston meet up again with both clubs having previous as they made their way to the top divisions. This time it's a Group G League Cup encounter, or Premier Sports Cup for all you anorak's out there. Game is at Livingston on Tuesday night with a 7:45pm kick-off. The teams are level at the top of group G and this game could go a long way to decide who progresses into the knockout stages of the competition, something we have failed to do in recent years. However, let's not forget we are still warming up for the main task ahead. Tickets and Transport Info The Future of ICT Both clubs recorded away wins on Saturday as the season got underway: Inverness left it late before seeing off Kelty Hearts in a testing fixture at New Central Park. With six new faces getting game time for the Caley Jags it was an old head on familiar shoulders that scored the only goal in a highly competitive match. Substitute George Oakley scored on his second debut for Inverness in the last minute of the ninety to break Kelty hearts (see what i did there) Livingston were 3-0 up just after the break at Albion Rovers through Scott Pittman, Josh Mullin and Bruce Anderson. However, Rovers staged a fightback after Livi made a spate of substitutions and counters from Ayrton Sonkur and Michael Paton left them twenty minutes to get an equaliser. Alas for the wee Rovers, Livi held on to get the win. Venue H2H v Livi Pld Won Drn Lst For Agst + / - Home 19 9 4 6 32 25 +7 Away 20 7 6 7 30 31 -1 Neutral 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Total 39 16 10 13 62 56 +6 Decent record overall against Livingston. The last encounter saw Inverness knock Livi out of the Scottish cup on a landmark day for this club. A Sean Welsh strike was the difference between the sides. Most Recent Competitive Meeting - Click on score to show more stats and Highlights Feb 8th, 2020 Scottish Cup (5th round) (H) 1 - 0 Both clubs have come a long way since this first competitive meeting between the sides in August 1995. First Competitive Meeting - Cick on score and peer through your fingers... Aug 12th, 1995 League (H) 0 - 3 Latest Team News Billy Dodds used all six of his Summer signings at some stage of the game on Saturday. Unfortunately Max Ram was injured early on and Zak Delaney stood in for him. Danny Devine Wallace Duffy and Sean Welsh were not on duty and Shane Sutherland and Tom Walsh are out longer term. From Barry's coy interview, sounds like Welsh will miss out. Barry holding back.... Eric's Livi squad checker shows this: Manager David Martindale has added to his defensive options with signings Philip Cancar a centre back from Western Sydney Wanderers, Jamie Brandon ex Hearts right back and a defensive midfield player in Scott Bitsindou who came through the Anderlecht youth system and recently at Belgian second tier club KSK Lierse Kempenzonen. Up front Esmael Goncalves joins on a free, has previously popped up in Scotland with St Mirrren and Hearts. Dylan Bahamboula having been a Republic of Congo International player, once of AS Monaco and more recently at Oldham Athletic added to the attacking options. There's a couple we know plenty about. Andrew Shinnie, Josh Mullin and Joel Nouble. Shinnie left Inverness to join Birmingham City in July 2013. Josh Mullin was at Hamilton Accies last term and scored a screamer against us. Nouble was an important striker for Arbroath last season on loan and they missed him when he returned to Livi in January.

Livingston -V- Inverness CT Ticket Info : to follow - will be posted on official site https://ictfc.com Supporters Bus Info : Venue Info : https://livingstonfc.co.uk/stadium/find-us/

Livi hanging on... Another frustrating afternoon for the home fans as Caley Thistle played well in spells but failed to convert their chances. Relegation-threatened Livingston fought hard and scored the one goal that took the points. ICT started brightly and Roy McBain shot over the bar in just 13 seconds. In the first four minutes Wilson took two free kicks from outside the box - the first was held high by Roddy McKenzie and the second went low and just wide. Stuart Golabek shot wide then a bouncing effort from Bryan Prunty was taken by McKenzie. Livi came close in 21 minutes when a Derek Lilley attempt was headed off the line by Ian Black. Five minutes later Prunty was through and one-on-one with McKenzie but, as the keeper came out, the striker chipped over the bar. Livingston's goal in 29 minutes was deceptively simple. A neat Hassan Kachloul flick over the defence reached the unmarked Jason Dair and he headed home from six yards. Two minutes later Prunty again hit over the bar. Livi captain Burton O'Brien sent a hard shot on target in 42 minutes but Mark Brown held it comfortably. On the whistle Hart found space wide left of the goal but his cross back into the box went over Graham Bayne as he fell to the ground. Half Time: 0-1 Two minutes into a wet and windy second half Livingston nearly doubled their lead when Lilley hit the bar after an O'Brien cross. Russell Duncan then let fly from 25 yards but the rising ball was beaten away by McKenzie. Ross Tokely connected with the resultant corner but it was cleared off the line. Livingston were fighting for their SPL lives and they held firm against all that Caley Thistle could throw at them. The chance of the half fell to Graham Bayne in 70 minutes. Tokely raced down the right and his cross found Bayne faced with an empty goal. Bayne's shot looked a certain goal but somehow McKenzie scrambled back and saved the day. Shots from Hart and Bayne in 78 minutes both seemed to hit Livi hands but the referee ignored protests. The closing stages were dominated by ICT but nothing came off. Substitute Rory McAllister chased a long ball from Stuart Golabek in added time but, despite appearing to be held back, nothing was given. It was the same story seconds later when McAllister headed on for Golabek and the Caley Thistle captain went down under pressure but to no avail. Full Time: 0-1 Livingston took the points and gained a vital step up the league. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Inverness CT: 0 Team: Brown; Tokely, Dods, Munro, Golabek, Wilson (Hart 37), Duncan, Black, McBain (Hastings 64), Bayne, Prunty (McAllister 64) Subs not used: Fraser; Proctor, Fox, Fetai - Booked: Wilson (30) Livingston: 1 (Jason Dair 29) Team: McKenzie; McNamee, Dorado, Deloumeaux, Dair (Easton 61), Bahoken, Vincze, O'Brien, McMenamin, Lilley, Kachloul (Strong 73) Subs not used: Meldrum; Horvath, Brittain, Snodgrass, Dorrans - Booked: Bahoken, Kachloul Attendance: 3021 Referee: Brian Winter

Caley Jags go Nuts at Almondvale A stirring performance and, unlike last week, the efforts were turned into goals. With Ross Tokely still suspended Stuart McCaffrey continued at right back and new loan signing Bajram Fetai took a place on the bench. Livi had the first shot on goal in the second minute but Jim Hamilton hit over. It only took eight minutes for Richie Hart to give ICT the lead. Stuart Lovell fouled Barry Wilson on the left, Hart sent the free kick to Juanjo and he passed to McCaffrey. When the defenders cross came into the box Hart was there to head home. Colin Meldrum saved Graham Bayne's header in 19 minutes then in 28 minutes the keeper saved from Wilson. In between Hamilton headed past at the other end and Attila Kriston shot high. ICT went two ahead in 38 minutes when Juanjo split the Livi defence to find Bayne, his shot was blocked by Meldrum but Russell Duncan ran in to score before the keeper could recover. The home side pulled one back just before the break when Ferenc Horvath latched onto Jamie Hand's deep cross and headed past Mark Brown. Half Time: 1-2 This failed to halt Caley Thistle's dominance and Bayne scored a third just into the second half. Horvath sliced a clearance across his own area and Bayne slid in to chip over Meldrum. Darren Dods headed wide in 53 minutes then Brown easily held a Kriston shot. Brewster shot over and Meldrum held two shots from Wilson before Juanjo capped a fine performance with the fourth goal in 73 minutes. He latched onto a through ball and hit it past the advancing Meldrum to put the result beyond doubt. On-loan Ranger Bajram Fetai came on in 76 minutes for Bayne. There were few chances after that but a touch from Brewster two minutes from time set up Fetai - Meldrum had it covered. Full Time: 4-1 A fine victory, three valuable points and a climb to eighth ahead of next weeks return to Inverness. With the completion of two new stands, and undersoil heating in place, all is set for the visit of Dunfermline. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Livingston: 1 (Horvath 43) Team: Meldrum, Hand, Dorado, Bahoken, Stanic (Snodgrass 45), Kriston, Vincze, Lovell, O'Brien, Hamilton (Lilley 69), Horvath. Subs Not Used: McKenzie, Brittain, Harding, Easton, Adam. - Booked: Bahoken, Vincze. Inverness CT: 4 (Hart 8, Duncan 38, Bayne 50, Juanjo 73) Team: Brown, Golabek, Dods, McCaffrey, Wilson, Bayne (Fatai 76), Hart, Juanjo (Prunty 85), Duncan, Munro, Brewster. Subs Not Used: Fraser, McBain, Hastings, Proctor, Fox - Booked: Dods (60). . Attendance: 4,106 - Referee: Eddie Smith

Revenge for opening day defeat Another fantastic result for the club on a day that speculation was rife that John Robertson was off to Hearts. Another fine performance by the team made it a week to remember - seven points from three games. Praise in this game must go to a resolute defence who played superbly well in the second half as they protected our young substitute goalkeeper Michael Fraser, who replaced the injured Mark Brown at half-time, to record their second clean sheet of the season. ICT began the match with the same team that played Dundee. Caley Thistle started well and Juanjo saw his shot eventually cleared by MacKenzie in the away goal. ICT continued to press but most of the action was in midfield. Livingston had a couple of efforts from Lilley and Brittain before the home side opened the scoring through Graham Bayne. Barry Wilson's free-kick was headed on by Ross Tokely and Bayne was on hand to fire a superb shot into the net. Just on the half-time break Wilson's free-kick went inches wide of the target after Juanjo was brought down. Half Time: 1-0 In the second half Michael Fraser was introduced into the action due to a recurrence of Mark Brown's ankle injury. Livingston came more into the game and Derek Lilley saw his 25 yard drive come back off the post with Darren Dods blocking his follow-up. Burton O’Brien’s drive bounced off the bar before Fraser produced a superb save to deny Jim Hamilton then Mark Libbra had a goal disallowed for offside. ICT deservedly netted a second goal with three minutes remaining. Oscar Rubio made an error which allowed Wilson to run in on goal. His first attempt was saved by McKenzie but his second effort crossed the line before the goalkeeper scooped the ball away. Wild celebrations by the ICT fans as they could now rest easy knowing that the three points were secure. Full Time: 2-0 The referee eventually blew for the end of the game after four minutes of added time. Three points, a further two goals scored, a clean sheet, and up to ninth in the league. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Inverness CT: 2 (Bayne 39, Wilson 87) Team: Brown (Fraser 45), Tokely, Dods, Munro, Golabek, Wilson, McBain, Hart (Keogh 74), Duncan, Bayne, Juanjo (Thomson 80). Subs Not Used: McCaffrey, Prunty, Fox, Black - Booked: Duncan (60), Tokely (60). Livingston: 0 Team: McKenzie, McNamee, Rubio, Dorado, Stanic, Brittain, Easton, Lovell (Snodgrass 67), O'Brien, Hamilton, Lilley (Libbra 76). Subs Not Used: Boyack, Snowdon, McLaughlin, McMenamin, Meldrum - Booked: Hamilton, Dorado. Attendance: 1,279 Referee: Mike McCurry

First SPL game ends in defeat An historic day in the short life of Inverness Caledonian Thistle but, in the end, bitter disappointment. The meeting of the two clubs in the SPL completed a piece of Scottish football history – Livingston and ICT became the first clubs to meet in all four divisions. Unfortunately for Inverness it was not the introduction to the SPL that they wanted, but a lesson learned for the future, and one they would heed. As Vera Lynn once said: We'll Meet Again SAT 7th AUGUST 2004 ALMONDVALE STADIUM LIVINGSTON 3 (O’Brien 44, Easton 57, Lovell 66) Team: McKenzie, McNamee, Rubio, Dorado, Boyack, O’Brien, Easton, McLaughlin, Lilley, Lovell, Libbra (Hamilton 65) Subs – McMenamin, Dair, Brittain, Snowdon, Bahoken & Meldrum INVERNESS CALEDONIAN THISTLE 0 Team: Brown, Tokely, McCaffrey, Munro, Golabek, Wilson, Duncan (Hart 58), Keogh, McBain (Black 65), Hislop (Juanjo 58), Bayne Subs – Dods, Proctor, Prunty & Fraser Referee C Richmond Attendance 3310 Man of the Match Stuart Lovell A new SPL rule meant that seven substitutes were named but only three could play. Caley Thistle started brightly and in the second minute a Russell Duncan header was only partly cleared and the ball fell to Liam Keogh – from 15 yards he shot high. In nine minutes Livi’s Scott McLaughlin raced down the left, found Steve Boyack and his ball across goal came off the woodwork. Wilson hit low and just wide of the Livi goal and a David McNamee shot was blocked. Burton O’Brien hit wide in 33 minutes after Mark Brown pushed down a cross then Brown held a shot from Derek Lilley. With the half-time whistle only seconds away Livi made the breakthrough when McCaffrey tried to head back to Brown. Communications broke down as the ‘keeper came out and O’Brien only had to tap in to the empty goal for 1-0. Half Time: 1-0 The second half was mostly Livingston but in 54 minutes Steve Hislop set Wilson up one-on-one with Roddy McKenzie but it fell to his left foot and he hit wide. It was no surprise when Livi extended their lead in 57 minutes. Boyack sprinted down the right, neatly rounded Golabek then his low ball was turned in at the near post by Easton. Substitute Richie Hart tried from 25 yards in 63 minutes but it went wide then McKenzie held a deflected Hart effort from long range. The third goal in 66 minutes was a simple one as Lovell and Jim Hamilton combined to walk through the defence – Lovell touched it in from close-range. ICT created a couple of good late chances when a curling Hart free kick was headed over by Tokely then a McCaffrey lob gave Bayne an opening – Rubio stepped in quickly to clear. With two minutes added time on the clock Lilley headed wide and it stayed 3-0. Full Time: 3-0 A bad start to the season and a taste of the level of football to expect in the coming months. Welcome to the SPL!

Ian Broadfoot reports as Alan Morgan helps grab a point for Caley Thistle at Almondvale against Livingston with a late goal after Harald Pinxten had opened the scoring early in the first half. Saturday 22nd October 2005 Almondvale Stadium, Livingston LIVINGSTON (Paul Lambert) 1 (Pinxten 13) Team: McKenzie, MacKay, Pinxten, Strong, Tierney, Brittain, Walker (N Barrett 60), Adams, Dair (Adam 39), G Barrett, Snodgrass (Scott 66) Subs - Boyd, Pereira, Miller & Roy INVERNESS CALEDONIAN THISTLE 1 (Morgan 72) Team: Brown, Tokely, Dods, Munro, Morgan, Hart (Proctor 70), Fox, Duncan, Wilson, Wyness, Brewster Subs - Bayne, Hastings, Dargo, Parratt, Black & Fraser Referee M Ritchie Attendance 3372 Man of the Match Harold Pinxten (Livingston) For a long time it looked as if Livingston were going to record their first league win of the season but Alan Morgan's 72nd minute goal changed all that. It was an opportune moment for the youngster to record his first goal for the club and it set up a hectic last period. The home side's cause was not helped by Graham Barrett's injury just after Morgan's equaliser. Barrett was stretchered off with suspected cruciate ligament damage and, with three substitutes on the field, Livingston were forced to play for the last 15 minutes with ten men. Craig Brewster returned to the Caley Thistle line-up after suspension and Grant Munro came back from injury. Richie Hart replaced David Proctor and Alan Morgan continued in place of the injured captain Stuart Golabek. Livingston player/manager Paul Lambert chose not to name himself despite reserve team outings on his way back from injury. Caley Thistle started brightly and looked confident until Livingston took the lead in 13 minutes. Mark Brown touched a Robert Snodgrass header over the bar to concede a corner and Richard Brittain's kick from the left side was hit home by Harold Pinxten from six yards. This lifted the home side and they dominated the rest of the first half. Allan Walker could easily have extended the lead in 23 minutes when he was well placed on the right side of the box but he blasted it over the bar. A Richard Brittain free kick in 37 minutes led to Mark Brown making excellent saves from a glancing header and a strong follow-up shot. It was not all one way and in 38 minutes Liam Fox hit just wide from 25 yards. Close to the break a low shot from Morgan was pushed for a corner by Roddy McKenzie then a dipping Barry Wilson shot went just over. Half Time: 1-0 In the period after the break Wilson shot just wide, an angled Fox drive was cleared by David MacKay, McKenzie held a Hart ball which was helped on by Brewster, Wilson again shot wide and another Fox effort shaved the post. At the other end a Derek Adams shot was blocked on the hour mark then a Paul Tierney close range flick went wide but looked as if it could have crept in. Dennis Wyness raced in on goal from the left in 67 minutes but his angled shot went wide. Caley Thistle's reward came in 72 minutes when Darren Dods was brought down 25 yards out by Greg Strong. A minor fracas ensued and both Strong and Fox were booked. Morgan's low free kick curled into the corner of the net despite McKenzie getting a hand to it. Graham Barrett's injury came with no one around him - his foot caught in the soft ground and he went down. After his enforced departure Caley Thistle tried to take advantage of the ten men but failed. Wilson sent in a sidefoot shot from 18 yards in 83 minutes but McKenzie dived to hold it. Brewster hit over the bar a minute later then a Wilson shot was blocked after he beat three defenders to create space. The three added minutes produced a wide shot from Wilson, a Brewster shot which was deflected clear and an angled Wyness ball which cleared the bar. Full Time: 1-1 Livi were happy to take their third point of the season but felt they could have sealed the game in the first half. Caley Thistle were relieved to take something from a game that had looked lost but also felt they could have won. Caley Thistle remain eighth and Livingston stay rooted at the foot of the table.

Low key affair Inverness eased into the 4th round of the League Cup with a low key 2-0 win at the Tony Macaroni Arena in Livingston. First half goals from Miles Storey and defender Danny Devine settled the tie in our favour. It was a no frills win for Yogi who fielded his strongest available side against a Livingston team who are already adrift at the foot of the Championship table. Comedy moment supplied by Storey after clipping the ball over the keeper inside the six-yard box he then almost fell over the ball on the goal line. He did regain composure just in time to nudge the ball into the net. Owain Fon-Williams pulled off a good save in the first half to deny former Hearts and County striker Gary Glen and his opposite number, Jamieson did likewise in the second half for Livi as Storey forced his way through. Mutombo and Lopez came on late in the second period and combined well only for Lopez to have his shot saved. Mutombo hit the post a few moments later but the two first half goals were enough to see Inverness through. They will join earlier winners St Johnstone in the last eight. The Perth men saw off Championship leaders The Rangers with a first half goal blitz. Despite a spirited fightback by the first division side, St Johnstone held on to win 1-3. Move on, nothing to see here as the big team beat the wee team. Ross County crushed Falkirk 7-0 (seven), and it was rumoured there will be an open topped bus parading through Dingwall tomorrow after this. Mind you, they were only playing Bairns. Dundee United went to extra-time before ousting Dunfermline by 3-1, and Morton put out Motherwell after they were pegged back in the 90th minute by the Steelmen. However the Greenock men went through thanks to a brace from Alex Samuel. Michael Tidser added a third and it was 3-2 the final score after extra-time and a bit of unrest in the stands. Wednesday night saw Celtic go through after a tougher than expected tussle with Raith Rovers. the Hoops winning 2-0 on the night. Kilmarnock and Hearts were heading for extra-time at 2-2 after ninety minutes, but Nicholson snatched a last ditch winner to put the Jambo's into the pot. The big shock of the round was undefeated Premiership leaders Aberdeen going down at Hibernian by 2-0. The draw for the quarter final takes place on Monday afternoon at 2:30. Date: 22/09/15 Venue: Tony Macaroni Arena, Livingston Attendance: 644 Referee: Alan Muir Livingston: 0 Lineup: Jamieson, Millen, Longridge, Cole, Pittman, White (Buchanan 74), Hippolyte (Georgiev 73), Gallagher, Neill, Sheerin, Glen (Currie 82) Subs (not used): Gould, Gordon, Faria, Gibbons Scorers: none Booked: Neill (90) Sent Off: none Inverness CT: 2 Lineup: Fon Williams, Raven, Meekings, Devine, Tremarco (Polworth 76), Draper, Tansey, Vincent (Mbuyi-Mutombo 86), Christie, Williams, Storey (Lopez 86) Subs (not used): Esson, Foran, Wedderburn, Horner Scorers: Storey (12), Devine (43) Booked: Raven (47) Sent Off: none

Livi Blown Away. An even first half where both sides had efforts cleared from the goalmouth produced no goals with defences on top. The wind was causing as much havoc as the officials. Sean Welsh fired just wide at the start of the second half, but he made no mistake with a free kick on the hour to open the scoring. Plenty of huff and puff thereafter, but no further scoring and it's the Caley Jags that go into tomorrows draw for the next round. That draw has now been made and we will travel to Easter Road to take on Hibernian on the weekend of the 29th February. Welsh buries the free kick.......scorcher. Despite claiming a clean bill of health, there was no sign of Aaron Doran's name on the paperwork. Sean Welsh started but James Keatings was on the bench. Livi made five changes to the squad that went to Dingwall in midweek, but Dolly Menga still started on the bench. In went Schofield, Lawson, Lamie, Jacobs and Souda, out went McCrorie, McMillan, Taylor-Sinclair, Sibbald & Robinson. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The managers on BBC Sport Inverness CT manager John Robertson: "It's a measure of this club's history in the Scottish Cup that people don't really see our result today as a shock. A surprise maybe, but not a shock." Livingston manager Gary Holt: "We talked at half-time about not making mistakes, and it's a mistake that cost us, simple as that." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ RIG summed it up like this............... the midfield trio of Welsh, Carson and Trafford were excellent. Slightly disappointed in Storey and Walsh as, in the first half, we seemed to get real joy out of attacking Livi down the flanks, particularly the right side, and it was a shame we didn't try and take advantage of their apparent lack of midfield cover for the fullback. Although Livi had more of the ball I think we had the better chances overall. Ridgers didn't have much to do until late in the game when Livi flashed a shot straight at him. Defensively I think we were pretty comfortable. Tremarco had a good game and Rooney started well but was less involved in the second half.Good away support in both numbers and voice. Fair play to them. Good to see Douglas Ross still as effective a linesman as he is a politician. Doofers Dad added........... We certainly coped with the conditions better but it was the commitment of the entire team which so impressed. Livi were chased and harried when they got the ball, and as a result were rarely able to impose themselves on the game. Nobody had a poor game but Welsh, Carson and Trafford were all excellent in midfield. Also a mention to Mckay and McHattie who did a great job in central defence following the departure of the established 1st choice pairing. We have these excellent team performances from time to time and one just wishes that this level of commitment was shown on a more regular basis. Match highlights from Caley Jags TV Robbo likes it.... Hear from goal scorer Sean Welsh Date: 08/02/2020 Venue: Caledonian Stadium Attendance: 1512 Referee: Don Robertson Inverness CT: 1 Lineup: Ridgers; Rooney, B Mckay, McHattie, Tremarco, Walsh (Vincent 83), Trafford, Welsh, Carson, Storey (Todorov 90), White. Subs (not used): C Mackay; Harper, Keatings, MacGregor. Scorers: Welsh (61) Booked: Tremarco (74), Carson (90+3) Sent Off: none Livingston Fc: 0 Lineup: Schofield; Lawson, Brown, Guthrie, Lamie, Bartley, Jacobs (Sibbald 77), Pittman, Souda (Robinson 73), Lawless (Menga 66), Dykes. Subs (not used): Maley; McMillan, Taylor-Sinclair, Crawford Scorers: none Booked: Lawless (45) Sent Off: none a

A Blast from the past. It could be billed as an explosive cup tie as auld mates Livingston provide the opposition on Saturday as we meet in the 5th round of the Scottish Cup. BOOM BOOM! (Apparently the road opened with a bang after the device was detonated) Here's something to ponder over. On the day of this tie, 20 years ago to the day, Inverness Caledonian Thistle emerged from the ashes and this phrase was begat. SuperCaleygoballisticCelticareatrocious. Just let that sink in for a minute or two. This will be Livi's second trip to the Highlands in four days having played Ross County in a midweek premiership game. We made it thus far by beating Alloa Athletic 2-3 and Livi produced a late comeback to dispose of Raith Rovers 3-1 after Rovers led until the last 13 minutes. So, it's a wee while since we last hung out with Livi, having followed them through the leagues. We have had some memorable games against the Lions, and some instantly forgettable ones. Our last game against them was a 1-0 win for the Caley Jags in a Championship encounter in April 2018 when Liam Polworth (remember him), scored the only goal of the game in front of 740 fans at the Toni Macaroni. Ahhhh, those were the days...... Livingston went on to gain promotion via the play-offs that season by removing Partick Thistle from the premiership, winning home and away, while we just failed to make the top four after making a late run in the league, but falling at the third last hurdle when Dunfermline snatched a 95th minute equalising goal to deny us. Overall results against Livi are pretty even, the Caley Jags just shading it by a couple of wins and five goals. However, since we went down, Livi have been able to deal with life in the Premiership whilst we are struggling against the Arbroath's, Alloa's and Ayr's of this world. Livi sit comfortably in fifth place in the premiership and well clear of the dreaded drop, a top six place looks to be on the cards. It appears that Livi don't play quite as well when they are on the grass, their form away from the comfort of their own synthetic surface shows them to be vulnerable, something the village team at Dingwall exploited in midweek as a brace from Billy Mckay saw County take the points on Wednesday night. However, a word of warning, they are a strapping side and will pose problems to whoever our defence are. Dolly Menga, a substitute in midweek is a bag of tricks and will need to be shackled. Of the current squads there are a few players who have been on the books of both clubs. Our gaffer John Robertson was a player manager and present coach Barry Wilson played in Europe for them. Strikers Jordan White and Nikolay Todorov also donned both shirts. As well as departed players, the Caley Jags have injury concerns over the rest of the defence with Shaun Rooney, Kevin McHattie and Mark Ridgers all nursing knocks after the Alloa game last week. Lewis Toshney is cup-tied (is he even a real thing), although Cameron Harper has been recalled from Elgin City. According to the latest news, we have a clean bill of health after all the knocks last week, minus Toshney who is cup-tied. Here's Johnny..... Livingston went with an unchanged starting XI against Ross County in midweek, but added Dolly Menga to the bench in place of Alan Lithgow. XI: McCrorie; McMillan, Taylor-Sinclair, Brown, Guthrie, Bartley, Pittman, Sibbald, Lawless, Robinson, Dykes. Subs: Maley, Lamie, Lawson, Jacobs, Crawford, Souda, Menga.

All down to the final game Despite beating Livingston 0-1, Inverness have left themselves too much to do on the final day of the season and will be in the Championship for another year........ unless miracles do happen and Dumbarton beat Dunfermline. Robbo made one change from the side that agonisingly drew with Dunfermline at the weekend. Nathan Austin made his way to the bench with Connor Bell starting. Iain Vigurs sat out the second of his two game suspension, no doubt pleased that he has scooped the CTO Player of the year award as well as Players Player and Fans Player award. Having secured second place in the Championship, David Hopkin rested one or two players with play-off games getting close. Neil Alexander, Craig Halkett, Nicky Cadden and Scott Pittman were all on the bench. Plenty of posturing in the opening few minutes and a couple of free kicks for the visitors but nothing doing. Early opportunity for the Caley Jags but Maley parried Polworth's free kick and grabbed the loose ball from Tremarco. Frizzell forced Ridgers to save with his feet as Livi ventured forth and Robinson went close shortly after. From a corner, Tremarco cleared a goalbound effort and at the other end a Polworth effort was deflected just over. Livi were racking up the corner count and Buchanan went close with a powerful header just over as the hosts set the pace. Near the interval Mullin picked up the ball in the box and snapped a volley just wide, however we made it to the oranges without conceding, but playing second fiddle for most of the half. As it stands at the break, the play-offs are beyond Inverness. It looks as though Robbo will need to introduce a bit of width for the second half as the narrow approach was just not working. Half Time 0-0 There must have been something good in the oranges. Less than one minute after the break a Tremarco cross came loose off Oakley and Polly drilled the ball low and hard into the net to open the scoring from twenty five yards. Superb strike from Polly. His next effort a couple of minutes later was less flattering. New balls please. Jordan Thompson tried to replicate Liam Polworth's strike but missed the target. McMillan did likewise soon after. Livi made their first change with Cadden replacing Mullin. Inverness reacted by bringing on Hearts target Jake Mulraney with Aaron Doran going off on the hour mark. Polworth broke forward and his cut back found Chalmers but his low shot was gathered by Maley in the Livi goal. Polly becoming more prominent and he combined with Bell but his close range effort went over. Livi made a double change with McMillan and Frizzell being replaced by Halkett and Miller as they tried to get back on level terms, but it was Oakley that went close for the visitors, his shot deflected behind for a corner with around twenty minutes left. Ridgers did well to deny Ryan Hardie and from the corner, Declan Gallagher almost netted an equaliser. Polworth blazed a thirty yard free kick wide and at the opposite end Craig Halkett fluffed his lines and shot wide. Livi were cranking up the pressure in the final ten minutes looking to preserve their eight game unbeaten home run, De Vita looking the likeliest to make the breakthrough. A Cadden corner was headed wide by Halkett as the clock ticked slowly towards the end, and we all know what happened at the weekend. Oakley broke the home possession but his powerful shot was palmed away by Maley, and with five minutes left Zak Elbouzedi came on for Connor Bell. Coll Donaldson took a knock in the last couple of minutes but Inverness held on to take the points and extend the season to the final game against Morton. Full Time 0-1 So, it all boils down to the last scheduled day of the season after we beat Livingston to set up the play off qualifier against Morton. Unfortunately, after their late equaliser against us last weekend, Dunfermline can get the job done by taking a point from the visit of Dumbarton as we would need to score something like eight or nine goals to replace them in the play-offs. Great result for Inverness who have given everything over the last hectic month and what a strike from Polworth to win the points. Catch the action here.................... Date: 24/04/2018 Venue: Tony Macaroni Arena, Livingston Attendance: 740 Referee: Colin Steven Livingston: 0 Lineup: Maley; Longridge, Buchanan, Gallagher, McMillan (Miller 71), Frizzell (Halkett 71), Mullin (Cadden 58), De-Vita, Thompson, Robinson, Hardie Subs (not used): Alexander; Jacobs, Pittman, Byrne. Scorers: none Booked: none Sent Off: none Inverness CT: 1 Lineup: Ridgers; Seedorf, Mckay, Donaldson, Tremarco, Polworth, Trafford, Chalmers, Doran (Mulraney 60), Bell (Elbouzedi 86), Oakley Subs (not used): Esson; Calder, Austin, Mackay, Brown Scorers: Polworth (46) Booked: none Sent Off: none a

You can't beat a bit of Bully With the dream all but over for another season, Inverness travel to second place Livingston on Tuesday night. It's a bit like Bullseye now. Let's see what you could have won - promotion to the Premiership, super smashing great, as Jim Bowen would say. After the dramatic injury time goal for Dunfermline, it's all academic now. We need Dumbarton to beat Dunfermline at East End Park, or a draw at East End Park while we score a minimum of eight goals in two games without reply. Fat chance to be honest. First things first, we have to beat Championship runners up Livingston on Tuesday night. The big game against Dunfermline was going to plan right up until the 95th minute. A soft free kick awarded to the Pars and the rest is history as Nicky Clark stooped to head home a Jo Cardle free kick. Cruel stuff after we had come from behind to get our noses in front and at one point looked like running up a cricket score. Andy Ryan put Dunfermline ahead but Joe Chalmers levelled from a free kick. Nathan Austin scored a tremendous second for Inverness and we roasted the Pars for the next half hour. They weathered the storm and struck the fatal blow deep into time added on. A sickener for Inverness, jubilation for the Pars. Meh! Livingston had a much less frenetic time of it as three second half goals saw them beat hopeless, hapless and winless Brechin City. Goals from Pittman, Longridge and Hardie were enough to take the points and ensure they enter the play-offs at the semi-final stage. Brechin are doomed and will be going down after a poor season where they were simply out of their depth. Despite the gloom, we are on a fantastic run just now. Unbeaten in out last ten games which has taken us to the brink of the play-offs. Unfortunately that is now out of our own hands. We have two draws and a defeat against Livi this season. The Lions are second top scorers in the league with 56 goals and are three better off than us in goals against. Iain Vigurs captured the players player of the year and the supporters player of the year awards, although nobody can quite work out who voted and where they voted. Whatever, he is suspended for this game. Gary Warren missed out against the Pars and he will miss this one as well. Nathan Austin came off as well and could be a doubt. Livingston have nothing to prove after a great season and could save some players with a view to the play-off games coming up. tm4tj prediction:- The Dunfermline game was the proverbial must win game and we almost did it. I hope the heads have not gone down as it has been a wonderful late push for promotion which looks like just falling short. Whichever way this one swings, it's been a hectic last few weeks which gave the fans something to cling on to. That has all but gone, but these guys are still playing with belief and confidence. It would not surprise me if we turned over Livingston. Now that would be interesting.

Time for Vigurs to grow up. For the third game in a row, Inverness were reduced to ten men after Iain Vigurs got a second yellow for an attempted overhead kick. However it was the circumstances surrounding the first yellow that leaves a nasty taste in the mouth and something our talented midfielder needs to grow out of. Many felt that his sending off changed the game. We were leading 1-0 at the time after Aaron Doran drilled in the opener, but Livi levelled in the second half when Alan Lithgow headed home unchallenged. John Robertson made a few changes to the starting XI, some enforced and some to freshen up the side. Carl Tremarco missed out through suspension and Colin Seedorf through injury. John Baird paid the price for his lack of goals and George Oakley started. Connor Bell made way for Aaron Doran and captain Gary Warren returned to the defence. Brad Mckay was the right back and Joe Chalmers filled Tremarco's boots. Nathan Austin began on the bench with David Raven who would make his last home appearance for the Caley Jags later in the game when Chalmers had to leave the field through injury. It all started so well for Inverness and Aaron Doran scored in the sixth minute with a low shot placed beyond the keeper from within the left side of the box. It was starting to look good for the hosts and a Doran cross/shot bounced off the crossbar as we searched for a second goal. Liam Polworth was booked for fouling Josh Mullin in the 36th minute. Iain Vigurs poked his nose in and was also foolishly booked and that would lead to his dismissal later in the game, just before the break. Gary Warren had a header saved as we pressed hard then in the 43rd minuted after a scramble in the Livi box Vigurs was shown a second yellow followed by a red for his attempted overhead. The Livi defender doing the dying swan act obviously caught the referee's attention and that was sufficient to see Vigurs head for an early bath. Livi were nowhere to be seen in the first half, but that sending off would change the shape of the game and ultimately the outcome. Half Time 1-0 Robbo reacted at the interval by removing Jake Mulraney and fitting Ricardo Calder in at left back and moving Joe Chalmers into the space vacated by Vigurs' departure. That would change again when Chalmers had to leave the field and Raven ended up at left back with Calder moving into midfield. Down to ten men for the third game in a row is something that Robbo needs to look into and the flow of the game began to swing towards Livi now as we reshuffled. However, we still looked dangerous on the break and should have scored a second when Trafford burst into the box only for his cross to fall awkwardly for Doran and the moment passed without him getting a clean shot away. Livi were seeing plenty of the ball but most of their crosses were mopped up by the home defence and keeper Mark Ridgers. Just when it looked as though we might hold out for all three points, Livi equaised. Raven and Calder combined to give away a free kick on the Livi right. When Raffaele De Vita swung in the ball it was Lithgow who climbed first to head past Ridgers as our defence watched on. Liam Polworth almost scored after the restart when he gathered a ball just outside the box but his curled effort just shaved the side netting on it's way past the post with the keeper beaten. We did manage another couple of moments around the visitors box after the introduction of Nathan Austin who seems to have the abiity to drift past defenders as if they were not there. Surprisingly, we almost lost the game in injury time when Dale Carrick skied a shot over when it looked much easier to at least hit the target and thus endedeth the match. Full Time 1-1 Iain Vigurs needs to have a word with himself. Having an abundance of skill is no use to anyone when you are taking an early bath. There is no doubt in my mind that his sending off cost us two points and the chance to climb the table next week. Nathan Austin looks a tasty addition and Aaron Doran took his goal well. Mark Ridgers was fairly comfortable all afternoon and will be disappointed in the defence at the goal. Chalmers went off injured as well and that will be another midfielder missing for the next game with Vigurs needlessly out. David Raven played his final home game coming on around the hour and got a good send off at the end as the fans chanted his name. Difficult to pick a MotM in this one with so many playing in unfamiliar roles. I'll go for Gary Warren who returned to the heart of the defence and made some crucial tackles and blocks as Livi used their extra man to good effect late in the game. However, it's not a point gained but two dropped when others around us were drawing, so Vigurs, think about your actions next time for the good of the team and not your own inflated ego. You let your team mates down today. If I'm honest, it's not just today as he has been booked far too many times for petulant immature actions all too often. Tough game next week away to St Mirren who were held to a 1-1 draw by Morton today. Video footage and match reaction to follow....... Date: 02/01/2018 Venue: Caledonian Stadium Attendance: 2239 Referee: Greg Aitken Inverness CT: 1 Lineup: Ridgers; B Mckay, Donaldson, Warren, Chalmers (Raven 58), Polworth, Trafford, Vigurs, Mulraney (Calder 45), Oakley, Doran (Austin 70). Subs (not used): .Esson; Baird, Bell, Cooper. Scorers: Doran (6) Booked: Vigurs (36), Polworth (36), Calder (81) Sent Off: Vigurs (43) Livingston: 1 Lineup: Alexander; Lithgow, Halkett, Gallagher, Longridge, Byrne, Mullin (Todorov 66), Cadden (Carrick 58), De Vita, Mackin (Robinson 66), Pittman Subs (not used): Knox, Malley Scorers: Lithgow (82) Booked: Gallagher (41), Halkett (84) Sent Off: none a

New Year, New Striker? Livingston are the first footers on 2nd January 2018 at 15:00 as we look to build on our hard fought away win at Brechin in the final game of 2017 when we came from behind to win with ten men. An upset looked to be on the cards after we squandered an early lead at Glebe Park. Jordan Sinclair scored from the spot then volleyed home a tremendous second before the break to give Brechin some hope. Substitute George Oakley levelled the game but Carl Tremarco picked up a second yellow, therefore a red to give the hosts some impetus. However, some baller skills from big Coll ended up with Oakley tapping home his second and the winner to give us all three points which might have been harsh on Brechin, but showed some real determination from Inverness and that was not lost on Robbo in his post match reaction. Livi had a break before the bells when their game with Dunfermline was called off, one of six SPFL games to fall foul of the weather. Their previous game saw them thump Dumbarton 4-1 at the Rock, with goals coming from Craig Halkett, Scott Pittman, Dylan Mackin and Scott Robinson The current report card for Livi will show that they have made a tremendous start to life in the Championship and sit comfortably within the play-off positions at the end of 2017. However, more recent defeats to St Mirren and Dundee United and a draw against Falkirk have taken some of the shine off their results. Our own report card will show much improvement, but more required to make the play-off zone. Livi are third in the table on 29 points, four places above Inverness on 23 points. Defensively there is nothing between the sides, but Livi have the edge in attack with 28 goals to our 21. In fact, if you take Brechin out of the equation, then we would have only ten goals to our credit! Thank you Brechin City, call again. In the previous games this season, Livi came out on top in the first encounter winning 3-1 at the Caledonian Stadium when Todorov, Robertson and Halkett answered a Connor Bell strike. The return at the Pasta Place saw us draw 0-0 during our record breaking clean sheet run. So, we have improved, but a draw at Palmerston, defeat at Cappielow and a scrambled win at Brechin show we still have some way to go before we can consider ourselves candidates. David Raven could return after suspension in what could be his final game for the Caley Jags. Carl Tremarco will miss this one after being red carded at Brechin. Collin Seedorf is a doubt after being subbed at Brechin. New signing Nathan Austin could be in line for a start, but will have to climb over George Oakley to get it unless Robbo realises that scoring goals is not John Baird's best attribute and finally benches him. There's no doubting Baird's commitment, but scoring goals is not for him at the moment. Matt Elsdon and Big Susan look to be on their way out after failing to impress for whatever reasons. Nathan has plenty of style as you can see from this photoshoot. Welcome to the Caley Jags. Livi will have to do without the Mullen streak. Five goal striker Daniel Mullen signed for St Mirren on loan in mid-December and that will become permanent in January along with a five figure fee. Possible line-up for Livi: Alexander, Penrice, Lithgow, Gallagher, Halkett, Mullin, Jacobs, Byrne, Pittman, Boyd, Toderov or Makin. tm4tj prediction:- Let's not get too carried away after a stirring performance to beat Brechin. Yes, that's right, it was only Brechin. With Neil Alexander in goal, that makes it a more difficult task, and having Halkett, Pittman and Todorov in your side, goals are a distinct possibility. However, with results mainly on the up I will be looking for at least a point from this game. Anything less would be a severe setback to our aspirations and will have us looking over our shoulders once more. More info on Official Site

Grim Stuff Inverness slumped badly against Livingston who were able to win the game 1-3 without having to try too hard. Our defensive frailties were exposed once more as we struggled to clear our lines with any authority. Nikolay Todorov was given the freedom of the box to slot home from a corner. Connor Bell scored a beauty from a tight angle to level matters three minutes later. Scott Robinson restored the visitors lead after some shoddy defending and it was no surprise when Craig Halkett benefitted from a couple of poor clearances to sweetly volley home and end the scoring. Connor Bell started with Ricardo Calder missing out through injury and the game kicked off on a sodden surface with just over 2000 fans looking on. John Baird should have opened the scoring inside a minute as he was slipped through by Iain Vigurs, but Neil Alexander blocked the strikers effort. It was looking good for the hosts as they stroked the ball around with Livi looking second best for long spells. It was a bit of a false dawn however as despite plenty of possession, we never really troubled Alexander thereafter. The sucker punch came after a corner from Livi. The home defence parted like the Red Sea. The ball landed on the foot of Todorov who found himself totally unmarked and he knocked the ball home from ten yards to open the scoring. The lead was short lived as Connor Bell chased a ball down the left side of the box from Vigurs. He turned inside and and from a pretty tight angle he caught Alexander out as the ball flew high into the net for a tremendous equaliser. Moments later we should have been ahead when Bell nodded home. However, the linesman flagged him offside, a poor decision by the official that would set the tone for the rest of the game. Unfortunately, that was about the only action of note in a half we dominated, but failed to get the upper hand. Half Time 1-1 The second half should have seen us take the game to Livi. Instead we were treated to a third rate display and more schoolboy defending. This time the finger will not be pointed at under fire keeper Mark Ridgers, but the whole defence should hang their heads in shame. Sloppy defending of the highest order gave Livi the opportunity to get back in front and they duly accepted the gift with Robinson poking the ball home from close range, again, without much attention from the creaky defence. The fans were expecting some sort of urgency. The fact that it never materialised made the game flat and it was no surprise that it was Livi that took advantage of another poorly cleared ball. Nothing wrong with the strike though as Halkett drilled a volley home from the edge of the box to part empty the ground. Many fans had seen enough by this time. It's not just the comedy defending, it's the lack of desire to do something about it and a complete dearth of quality that is cheesing most people off. I don't recall us troubling the keeper in that second 45 and the players looked resigned to defeat long before the end. Full Time 1-3 It looked promising early on but that never lasted. Livi were there for the taking but we were not capable of sustaining any sort of challenge and the table is beginning to take on a rather sinister look with Falkirk unlikely to struggle for much longer. Connor Bell was our liveliest performer with Vigurs, Trafford and Polworth controlling the midfield for long spells without causing too many problems for the visitors, who were much more streetwise and their no nonsense approach turned out to be for the best. This was a great opportunity for Inverness to settle into the Championship table, but a weak second half performance and defensive blunderland cost us dearly. It's clear that on this evidence it's going to be a long slog this season with far too many players not of the required standard to get us out of the League at the correct end of the table. At the moment, they look quite capable of getting us back to back relegation's. That's a mere 4 points out of a possible 18. It's not looking good at the minute. A dejected looking Robbo interviewed after the game. Date: 16/09/2017 Venue: Caledonian Stadium Attendance: 2007 Referee: Craig Charleston Inverness CT: 1 Lineup: Ridgers; Raven, Mckay, Warren, Chalmers (Tremarco, 78), Trafford, Polworth, Vigurs, Bell, Cooper (Oakley, 64), Baird (Mulraney, 71). Subs (not used): Esson, Elsdon, Calder, Donaldson. Booked: Trafford, Vigurs. Scorers: Bell (27) Booked: Trafford (35), Vigurs (67) Sent Off: none Livingston: 3 Lineup: Alexander; Lithgow, Halkett, Todorov, Mullin, Byrne, Longridge, Pittman, Robinson (McMillan, 64), Mullen (Penrice, 74), Mackin (Cadden, 59)Subs (not used): Maley, Jacobs, Carrick, De Vita. Booked: Mullen, Lithgow, Byrne. Scorers: Todorov (24), Robinson (52), Mackin (72) Booked: Mullin (43),Lithgow (45+2),Byrne (54), Sent Off: none a

The Eagle versus the Lion. The visitors this weekend are Livingston, a side we have had some great tussles with over the years as we came through the ranks together. Some common denominators are, Robbo once managed Livi, Barry Wilson played for both sides as did Davide Xausa, Mark McCulloch, Steve Hislop, Liam Fox, Coll Donaldson and the talented David Bingham. Just as we have come a long way since the amalgamation of Inverness Thistle and Inverness Caledonian, Livingston have also made an arduous journey since beginning life as Ferranti Thistle in 1943 and making their way to Livingston via Meadowbank Thistle. The clubs have had mixed fortunes since the heady days back in the late 90's. Both have tasted European football, both have dabbled in the Premier Division, both have had Barry Wilson, and both are back in the Championship. Livi almost tasted liquidation in 2009 and Inverness are noted for their ability to survive on a shoestring, but they will meet on league business for the first time since April 2006 when Inverness won 0-1 thanks to a Barry Wilson goal. Livi were so good in those days that not even Robert Snodgrass or Graham Dorrans could get a start. Richard Brittain and Wes Hoolahan did though. Inverness boasted some great servants of their own, with Dennis Wyness, Craig Dargo, Darren Dods and Ross Tokely all starting. Rory McAllister was a sub, (whatever happened to him). There was a league cup game at the same venue in 2015 where Inverness ran out 0-2 winners with Miles Storey and Danny Devine both scoring. Livi came up at the end of last season after winning the League 1 title. They will be without 27 goal Liam Buchanan who has opted to remain in that league with Raith Rovers (how strange). He is the biggest loss for Livi and it could be argued that keeper Neil Alexander will be their best signing for this season. The former Rangers and Hearts keeper returns to Livingston after a 16 year exile. His longest spell was at Cardiff City where he made 213 appearances. The form guide for this season shows that Livi have one win, three draws and one defeat. Unlike us, they have remained competitive in every game, their only loss was a 3-1 defeat to St Mirren. That results give them six points from the five games played, and they sit one place above us in the league. Josh Mullin and Dylan Mackin were the men on target in their last outing when they drew 2-2 with Queen of the South. Our last game against St Mirren went pear shaped as we gifted a couple of goals. We showed good character to get back on level terms twice, but eventually were beaten by the better side. Whilst it was pleasing that a striker scored (John Baird), it's a tad worrying that the defence once again contrived to throw away goals like they are going out of fashion, with Mark Ridgers not covering himself in glory once more. It's been a torrid start for Ridgers, but the whole defence need to give him a bit more assistance as he is seen as the scapegoat for numerous blunders in the final third of the pitch. John Robertson has three long term absentees, Aaron Doran, Zak Elbouzedi and Collin Seedorf. Carl Tremarco has returned to the squad after a couple of cameo appearances from the bench although he did not get on the pitch at Paisley, the intensity of that game maybe coming just too soon for our enigmatic left back given the length of time out after ligament damage. Gary Warren returned last week but even his appearance failed to steady the defence. Ricardo Calder is a doubt. David Hopkin, the former Scotland international has taken Livingston forward with a purpose. Winning the title last season by a massive nineteen points. The Livi Lions last line-up looked like this. Alexander, Lithgow, Halkett, Gallagher, Longridge, Byrne, Mullin, Pitman, Jacobs (Carrick 78), Todorov (Makin 61), Mullen (De Vita 78) tm4tj prediction:- As we all knew before the season started there will be no easy games in the Championship. Forget what has happened in previous years, this is a new build team where getting to know each other is a priority. Until that happens, we will not see the best of our new look squad although there are some signs that we are beginning to head along the right track. Livi have competed well in all their games so far and could easily have turned a couple of draws into wins. We will need to cut out the schoolboy defending and comedy keeping before we can contemplate winning games. The midfield is beginning to take shape and Liam Polworth is flourishing in a more direct role which will hopefully create more space for the main strikers to work. John Baird did score last week, so that particular monkey is off the back. We need to get bodies forward in numbers, especially at home and if we can cut out the errors, then we could reap the benefits and take all three points. I'll stick my neck out here and go for a 3-1 win, and that's allowing for the given comedy goal for our opponents. If the comedy is overpowering, then it could be a long day. The club are firing out Previews in style at the moment and here's the official one with some finer details from the ICTFC Website. Here's a bit of nostalgia for you. Cast your mind back to the old second division in 1999.........

Auld Enemies League Cup duty beckons on Tuesday night as Inverness lock horns with an old enemy in the shape of Livingston FC at the Tony Macaroni Arena. (I kid you not). For most of us, it is better known as the Almondvale Stadium. We have had many a tussle with Livingston over the years as both clubs came through the divisions together. Our first SPL game was a steep learning curve with a 3-0 defeat at Livingston. We did learn quickly though. Many familiar names playing for both sides back then in August 2004. Fortunes have changed since then and Livingston find themselves struggling at the foot of the Championship with only one point from seven games while we have the Scottish Cup in our trophy cabinet. Here's how the sides lined up back then. Livingston: McKenzie, McNamee, Rubio, Dorado, McLaughlin, Boyack, O'Brien, Easton, Lovell, Lilley, Libbra (Hamilton 65). Subs Not Used: Meldrum, McMenamin, Dair, Brittain, Snowdon, Bahoken. Goals: O'Brien 44, Easton 57, Lovell 66. Booked: Lovell, McNamee. Inverness CT: Brown, Tokely, McCaffrey, Munro, Golabek, Wilson, Duncan (Hart 58), Keogh, McBain (Black 65), Hislop (Juanjo 58), Bayne. Subs Not Used: Fraser, Dods, Proctor, Prunty. Ach, nostalgia, it's not what it used to be. Back to the future though and it's the 3rd Round of the competition. It's our first game in the event this season but for Livi, it's their third game. They saw off Clyde 1-0 in the first round, but it took extra time to do it, Jordan White scoring the all important goal. The second round saw them travel to Paisley and they came away with an excellent 3-2 win after a fiery encounter with the Buddies. It was not without controversy and they had six players booked and ended the game with ten men after Daniel Mullen was red carded. But after eight minutes of added time, it was Livingston that went into the draw thanks to goals from Liam Buchanan, Daniel Mullen and Declan Gallagher. That will be the same Liam Buchanan who had been around a bit and played for Partick Thistle and Dunfermline in the top flight, and the same lad has scored 125 goals in a 13 year senior career. Livi have had a disastrous start to the season with only one point from seven games. Their goal difference is the worst in the League at -11 having scored only 4 times. Their solitary point came in a 1-1 draw at home to St Mirren, although there were encouraging signs for manager Mark Burchill in their last League game, a 1-0 defeat by Hibernian. A word of warning however. Livingston have won this trophy before. They beat Hibernian 2-0 in the 2004 final and we normally make hard work in taking anything away from the Almondvale Macaroni Park in the pasta. Our own form is nothing to write home about with only one win so far from eight games. We have something in common with Livi, we are struggling to score goals as well, with only seven from our eight games. We are unbeaten in our last three as our injury list eases slightly. Richie Foran has been on the bench for the last couple of games but he needs game time to get up to speed. Iain Vigurs is out having injured himself against Clach and Tobi Sho-Silva was a late withdrawal at Tannadice. Warren, Doran and Brill are all out but Andrea Mutombo could be considered having served his two game ban. Burchill will be without the suspended Daniel Mullen. tm4tj prediction:- I predict us struggling to get into the next round. We don't do anything the easy way and if our performances this season are anything to go by then we could be in for extra-time to settle this one. We have looked more solid at the back with Meekings returning to the heart of the defence and new runner Miles Storey has pace to burn. He was quieter against United at the weekend but he was the lone player for long spells and will benefit from some company. Maybe this game will allow us to open up a bit and Ryan Christie could be a key figure. I'll go for a win to get us into the next round, ugly or otherwise, but as it's a cup game, that doesn't matter much.