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Stenhousemuir -V- I.C.T.


Scotty

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Poor game dictated by the weather. I thought we played very well in the opening 20 mins before Stenny started to muscle their wau back in. After that we were sluggish and over all it was a below par performamce. But how many times as a lower league team did we see SPL opposition come to our stadium and peform poorly. We are through.

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I must admit I thought it was curtains when Foran missed the first penalty. But well done to the other lads for stepping up (especially the two youngsters, Morrison and Roberts), and seeing us through to the next round, and a step nearer to Hampden.

All the stats from the game, possession, shots, shots on target, corners, in fact everything but goals, were well in our favour, so perhaps it wasn't such a bad performance after all.

Anyway, roll on the next round.

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Hands were covering my eyes everytime we stepped had a bad feeling for them all just thought it wasnt going to be our night but the boys did it THANK GOD. Stenny fans taking the mick out of Raven was a highlight of a cold wet night at football. Thats the first time i've seen a game being played on astroturf and thought it was quite good. Stenny were up for it from the word go and i can see why they put Killie out of the cup they are a decent side.

Wasnt really any player who stood out for me last night but i would give the MOTM award to Foran he had a hard battle in the middle of the park but battled away at it. Gutted he missed the pen.

Esson once again comes to our rescue.

Also decent crowd of ICT fans down at the match well done to all who travlled through the horrible weather

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The SFL usually put highlights on their website a few days after each round is complete.

Thanks, just had a quick look at the Killie v Stenhousemuir highlights in the last round, Stenny certainly look a difficult team to beat.

Main thing from last night was getting through, hopefully we get a favourable tie in the next round and improve our performance

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Mainly what Yngwie says. The guys got another 120 minutes under their belts to gel and you could see which team had the quality on a very difficult wet and windy night. The Warriors are a decent side, clearly used to the plastic pitch and usually trying to pass it.

Our guys must get their share of training on these pitches but probably indoors? This one was so wet and slick the ball kept skidding out if you overplayed a pass slightly.

The pen looked a wee bit unnecessary, a rash challenge from 'The White Lionel' who otherwise did OK.

Strictly speaking Stenny did hit the bar before ht but it was a harmless cross cum shot from out right which was going well over till it swirled in the wind and glanced off the bar and went over. Ryan never really had much to do all night and looked frozen. His back four kept him pretty covered all night apart from the time 3 of them were standing in a wee group leaving it to each other :crazy:

Just like at Easter Road, Roberts came on and injected a bit of urgency. He was getting pelters from the home support for his 'enthusiastic' challenges. He'll be one of these players everybody in the SPL will know, like Foran or Tokely and once he settles cools down he could be a real asset.

Respect to the home keeper for his banter :clapoverhead: but not so much to the pen taker who flashed us a girfuy after he scored :lol:

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Respect to the home keeper for his banter

He's on loan from Celtic - Robbie Thomson, son of Scott who was a keeper at numerous clubs.

but not so much to the pen taker who flashed us a girfuy after he scored

Think that was the no. 9 Gemmell, who scored for them at Killie.

A Shinnie GIRFUY'd their keeper after scoring, obviously didn't like his banter.

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When we got the teamsheets in the bar pre-match there was some discussion about whether we would go with two up front, Foran and McKay. It turned out that we stuck with the 4-2-3-1 that we have used so far this season, with Foran sitting deep alongside Draper and McKay on his own up front. Pepper stayed in the XI following his first start at Easter Road and Graeme Shinnie dropped back to left-back, for the presumably injured Blackman.

The game started in terrible conditions, with pouring rain and swirling wind. Stenny looked bright, moving the ball well in midfield and looking solid. ICT also did well on the ball but in terms of creating chances we were somewhat lacking. Most of our attacks were based around playing balls into channels for Billy McKay to chase and, while he did well and worked hard, nothing much seemed to come of them. I'd have liked to have seen our wide men getting more time on the ball and trying to create something from those positions. We also misjudged the pitch on a number of occasions, hitting balls for players to chase but then seeing the ball skid off out of play.

We made the breakthrough midway through the half when Richie Foran hit a through ball for McKay, the pass took a deflection which took some of the pace of it and allowed McKay to nip in before the keeper and nod it home. It was a decent goal, well taken from McKay who, as usual, was a willing worker up front.

Stenny hit back just before half-time when Raven gave away a penalty and was booked, Brown Ferguson crashing home the spot-kick. I was in the terracing behind the opposite goal so couldn't really see what it had been given for but Raven again looked shaky and it wasn't surprising to see him at fault. We don't have another option at the moment at right back so we're going to have to persist and hope he improves. To add to our nervousness, Stenny hit the bar just after they scored with a looping shot.

The second half wasn't great from our point of view, we lacked ideas and when we did manage to get into decent positions we didn't pull the trigger. Eventually Pepper was withdrawn for Morrison, who slotted into central midfield while Foran went up front. We looked a bit more dangerous after this, with Foran forcing the Stenny keeper into a good save from a header. Raven also had a chance, a difficult shot that he put just wide. The best opportunity came in injury time when Stenny had a man over on the left, clean through on Esson, only to put the shot wide. It was a real opportunity and you sensed that perhaps that was their best chance of a win.

Extra time wasn't great with the introduction of Philip Roberts generating the only excitement. The on-loan Arsenal forward had a couple of nibbles at goal and showed good pace to get free from his marker. It wasn't enough though and we went to penalties.

Richie Foran, fresh from scoring from the spot against ABerdeen, stepped up confidently for the first penalty but struck the post. The next three were scored until Bryan Hodge, who had a good game, sent his effort well over the bar. Neither keeper really came close following that with all penalties being well taken. It wasn't until sudden death that Ryan Esson made a good save, diving to his left to deny Darren Smith and send us through.

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A Shinnie GIRFUY'd their keeper after scoring, obviously didn't like his banter.

Oh aye, forgot about that one. They seemed all pals at the end though.......

Oh well, we'll not be seeded in the last 8, so no more nice wee trips for the time being :sad:

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Not strictly ICT related, but as the Matchday Thread encompasses all games from a particular day, and there is a link to an ICT supporter, I just have to mention it and give a big shoutout to Luvgravy from this site ....

A few of you probably met him when he was in Inverness a couple of years ago, and most have read his posts, but I see him a little more often as he lives a couple of hours west of Toronto and comes to a lot of TFC games, and has done since day 1 in 2007 ...

Well last night he was famous all over Canadian TV along with a couple of pals ... He was one of three TFC supporters who made the 2200 mile journey, in midweek, from Toronto to El Salvador for a pretty much meaningless** (Concacaf) Champions League match (TFC won 0-3) .... now THAT is an away trip !!! The three of them also outsung the 300 or 400 CD Aguila fans that were there too !!!!

post-2-0-51575200-1348668330_thumb.jpg

** meaningless because to qualify for the QFs, TFC have to go to Torreon, Mexico and beat one of their top teams, Santos Laguna, by 3 clear goals (or by 2 if TFC score 4 or more), at altitude, and with all three 'designated players' out through injury.

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Yesterday was probaly the worst I've seen caley play in ages. No player, apart from Esson and Roberts, wanted it win the tie. Too many silly mistakes. We didn't deserve the win. Fair play to stenhousemuir they were by far the better team. But a wins and win and we'll take it.

Enjoyed the away match and would defiantly go back again. Nice standing in the terraces makes the atmospher more enjoyable. Was worth the tiredness.

Roll on the next draw. One match from Hamden.

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John McGlynn has rightly pointed out that the SFL missed a trick by not making the draw straight after last night's ties. It could have been broadcast live after the Rangers game on BBC1, to help generate and sustain interest in the tournament. Do the SFL not work after 5pm? Do they need more time to 'prepare' the balls?

As it is, a day after the round is complete, the SFL still haven't even decided when the draw is going to take place! All they can say is that it will take place next week some time. You'd think the date and time of the draw could have been decided a few days ago, it's not difficult!

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But the BBC were already at Ibrox, all that was needed was a couple of SFL representatives to turn up and pull out their colourful balls, so to speak.

Failing that, the BBC presenter could have said "And now over to Celtic Park, for the 4th round draw....."

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