The Final Run In

[ICTPaisley]

I have worked out that the top 4 "real" contenders last remaining fixtures and have noticed the following.

Dundee only have 5 remaining home matches out of 13 games.

Inverness have 8 matches at home remaining in 14 games

County have 6 home matches remaining in 15 games

Queens have 7 matches remaining in 16 games

This IMO means we have the better Home advantage over the last course of the season and Dundee along with Ross County may struggle having all those away games still to play.

[Stevie]

Interesting.

I don't know if I'm being pessimistic though, but had a wee look at Dundee's run-in last night and I thought it looked fairly easyish.

So saying they got beat by Airdrie a couple of weeks ago , so who knows.

[+DoofersDad]

But our away form is better than our home form. 22 pts from 12 games away compared with 15 from 10 at home. We need to give the team the support at home that they get away.

[Kingsmills]

Given our indifferent home form having the majority of our remaining matches in Inverness may be a mixed blessing.

[Caley Stan]

We've played 10 league games at home, taking just 2 points from the first 5 (3 defeats and 2 draws) before taking 13 from the next 5 (4 wins and draw). Given that turnaround, i'm happy that we have have more home games than our rivals during the run-in. If belief grows among the home fans then support for the team on the park will also grow. I might event ake a trip up a home game myself.

[tm4tj]

It's what happens from now on in that will determine who will be promoted. I believe we are one of, if not the top team in the division on present form. The home games are a must win really. It's in our own hands to close the gap and we are capable. Will it happen, who knows. We started sluggishly but have slowly built a head of steam and the early season form is irrelevant now. Dundee are a decent side though as are County. These are the main players now, I think Queens will drop off the pace.

[Kylef]

The fact that we have turned our home form around since the start of the season, where it was dire, then i am quite pleased about this.

In saying that, our away form is still strong, so will just have to see what happens. I just hope our bad form at the start of the season is over with, and that Dundee an County have yet to have their bad blip. Some might say Dundee are in theirs just now.

[caleytillidie]

Really cant see county staying on to be honest. They are a decent enough team and have done really well so far but with more games to play away, then i can see them falling away. They haven't had a bad spell yet and everyone team has to have one. Im also hoping that their cup run will be a big distraction for them and that they will soon start to drop points. Im hoping that its between us and dundee

[+DoofersDad]

Fair comment above about improved home form. We have also tightened up defensively with only 2 goals conceded in the last 6 league games. We are the form team at the moment with 14 pooints from those 6 games. There's no reason why we can't win this league!

[AJS]

I think we have tightened up in every derpartment overall.

We haven't lost at home since October now i think, as DD says we have tigthened up at the back line and we look dangerous going forward, we also got a monkey of our backs by beating a team that was above us in the league in Partick and now we are above them. We have come along way since the start of the season

There is no reason why a very strong run in to the season isn't possible.

[Joe DiMaggio]

We need to start beating the other title challangers though which are prob Dundee, County and QOS. We haven't beaten any of them yet. We can start to put that one right this saturday.

Would be good for QOS to drop points tonight and then an ICT victory on sat could put them out of the title race.

[Ronaldo]

I'll settle for promotion on the last day of the season.

What are the bookies saying at the moment?

[Kylef]

I'll settle for promotion on the last day of the season.

What are the bookies saying at the moment?

I also wondered this. but dont want to jinx. I remember having a line on that would win me ?180, only team that let me down was ICT, Hamilton beat them 1-0 with a pen. Alot of you will remember THAT game, and the events that followed.

Jocky Scott in the papers today saying he thinks the league will go right down to the wire, and that Inverness are Dundee's real title challengers. Makes me smile :D

[Joe DiMaggio]

I'll settle for promotion on the last day of the season.

What are the bookies saying at the moment?

From Bet365-

Dundee 4/9

ICT 5/1

County 13/2

QOS 8/1

Dunfermline and Partick 20/1

Edit to say I checked the odds for the league a few days ago and County were above us.

Edited February 16, 2010 by Joe DiMaggio

[12th Man]

I'll settle for promotion on the last day of the season.

What are the bookies saying at the moment?

Dundee are still the favourites with us in second http://www.oddscomparisons.com/football/sc...ivision/winner/

but you would probably expect that seeing as they already have the points on the board.

Seeing as we are good on the road with a great vocal support to back the team and undefeated at home since 10/10/09 in all competitions I don't really think it makes much difference to us if we play home or away now but it seems to make more of a difference to the other teams, who seem to fare better at home so it could be a case of even more points dropped by the other teams seeing as they have a lot of away games.

But we have our own games to concentrate on and at least our experienced players can continue playing in the SPL as a team and have the bottle to keep pushing on to win games when the prospect of lifting the cup becomes more of a reality.

Other teams may bottle it in the run in to the last few games of the season, with the thought of promotion to the SPL.

The Dundee team would be split up, with the players shown the door as a way of thanks for the cup if they won, as their backer looks for more prolific players for their SPL squad, but its back in our own hands now to ensure that doesn't happen.

[CELTIC1CALEY3]

Ross County are very strong and very difficult to beat. I am not sure our players really want to beat them once let alone twice. Dundee have a massive advantage over the rest just like St Johnstone last year. QOS are formidable opponents. Ayr away is difficult to say the least.

Our biggest problem is getting cocky. I see bits creeping back now.

We really should look no forward than this Saturday and work for a vital win.

Historically the Caledonian Stadium for years hosted the Champions of Division 1 on the last day.

If there is real hunger there with our lads we certainly create chances in most games. Pulling back 7 points against Dundee will be difficult.

[Joe DiMaggio]

Ross County are very strong and very difficult to beat. I am not sure our players really want to beat them once let alone twice. Dundee have a massive advantage over the rest just like St Johnstone last year. QOS are formidable opponents. Ayr away is difficult to say the least.

Our biggest problem is getting cocky. I see bits creeping back now.

We really should look no forward than this Saturday and work for a vital win.

Historically the Caledonian Stadium for years hosted the Champions of Division 1 on the last day.

If there is real hunger there with our lads we certainly create chances in most games. Pulling back 7 points against Dundee will be difficult.

:D Eh!?? Your not sure our players want to beat County at all?? What are you talking about?

Also ht QOS are 1-0 up against 10 men so at the moment they would go 1 point against us with a game in hand still so the game on sat is just as big for them and they really need the win as well to keep their challenge going. If we are going to win the league we have to win on sat and will be a real test of our challenge for the title.

[TopSix]

Airdrie did us no favours tonight going down 3-0. Looks like they've given up the ghost.

[Kylef]

Top Six, it was Ayr, but your right, its no good holding on to hope for the relegation battlers to take points of our contenders.

That is in our hands. And until we beat QOS, County, and Dundee at least once in the two times we have yet to play them, we dont really deserve to go up. I dont mean that in a bad way, but look how many times we have beat the top 5 already....once? Partick. But at least that was recently, in our good form.

To beat those teams at least once, starting on saturday, means we are leaving it in our own hands to challenge for promotion. This is a good feeling right now though, once which im happy to have knowing we are still in the race.