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Inverness CT -V- Dunfermline - Preview


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Crucial Times Ahead

 

The big games keep coming as we reach the business end of the season, the intensity of this one heightened in midweek after the Pars thrashed Partick Thistle 4-1 on Tuesday night ahead of their visit to the Caledonian Stadium on Saturday. The game kicks off at 3:00pm with points vital for both sides for different reasons. John Hughes is the man tasked with saving Dunfermline's season and it's not all gone to plan so far, but the midweek rout of Partick is an untimely reminder that they can cause problems to the best sides in this division. How many people, like me, had the Pars down as one of the favourites to get promotion given the depth and quality of their squad. I certainly did not expect them to be exiting the Championship at the bottom end. Crazy season heading for a tense finish at both ends of the table.

MATCH/TICKETS/STREAMING INFO

OFFICIAL PREVIEW

Venue Head 2 Head Pld Won Drn Lst For Agst + / -
Home 22 9 8 5 28 21 +7
Away 24 9 10 5 29 26 +3
Neutral 2 0 1 1 3 4 -1
Total 48 18 19 11 60 51 +9
Last 10 Competitive Meetings v Pars
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1 - 1
(A)
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1 - 2
(H)
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0 - 0
(A)
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1 - 0
(A)
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1 - 1
(H)
loss.png
1 - 3
(A)
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2 - 1
(A)
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2 - 0
(H)
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1 - 0
(A)
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1 - 0
(H)

The honours tilt towards us over the years, a far cry from our first taste of the big time when Dunfermline pumped us 4-0 at East End Park in our first game in Division one or the Championship as we know it now. August 7th 1999 with nearly 5,000 in attendance, steak bridies and all. At last we had made the big time....Alas, we had a lot to learn.  Click on the link below to see Ian Broadfoot's brief report as we ended the game with 10 men against an accomplished Dunfermline Athletic.

 Aug 7th League 0 - 4  (A)    4,865  

Fast Forward to May 12th 2007 when Dunfermline were officially relegated after we beat them at the Caledonian Stadium; full report from Ian Broadfoot. Look at that crowd back in 2007, no doubt swelled by the Fifers as they tried to stave off relegation.

 May 12th League 2 - 1  (H)    6,464  

 

All games Saturday 3:00pm

    Arbroath v Raith Rvrs

Hamilton v Queens

       Killie v Partick 

   Morton v Ayr Utd

 Inverness CT v Dunfermline

Pos Team Pld W D L F A Pts
 
1. Kilmarnock 30 17 5 8 41 21 56
2. Arbroath 30 14 12 4 41 22 54
3. Inverness CT 30 12 10 8 41 29 46
4. Partick Thistle 30 12 9 9 42 34 45
5. Raith Rovers 30 10 12 8 37 37 42
6. Morton 30 8 11 11 33 40 35
7. Hamilton Ac. 30 8 11 11 35 45 35
8. Ayr United 30 8 8 14 30 44 32
9. Dunfermline 30 5 14 11 31 45 29
10. Q.O.S. 30 6 8 16 30 44 26

As a result of Dunfermline swatting away the Jags in midweek, all teams have now played 30 games with Inverness remaining in 3rd position whilst Partick and Raith capitulate. No room to crow about it though as we have only just returned to winning ways after a horrendous run of eleven games with no wins, taking only six points from a possible thirty three.

This season we have yet to beat the Pars. We were fortunate to draw 0-0 at East End Park in September as Dunfermline looked for their first win of the season after five games. We were top on 15 points, Dunfermline bottom with just two points after this one.

We went down 2-1 at the Caledonian Stadium in November after having led through a Billy Mckay goal. A Danny Devine og restored parity before a superb Dom Thomas solo goal clinched the points. Under Par: Inverness opened the scoring after probing well for over twenty minutes. Michael Gardyne drifted inside and the Pars defence opened up allowing him to get a shot away. It came back off the woodwork and Billy Mckay reacted first to knock the ball into the net. However, Dunfermline got their first win of the season as Inverness fired blanks thereafter, and goals from Kevin O'Hara assisted by a massive Danny Devine deflection and a great solo effort from Dom Thomas won the points for the Pars. Another bad day at the office continued with Inverness slipping to third following wins for Killie Raith and Partick.

The third encounter was a 1-1 draw at EEP: More points thrown away in our wasteful period in January. Inverness wasted an opportunity to put pressure on the top of the table after squandering a first half lead through Shane Sutherland. Steven Lawless levelled from the spot in the second half with ten minutes remaining after David Carson was adjudged to have blocked a cross with a flailing arm. Another drab performance after a first half full of promise. No surprise really given recent performances, but frustrating nonetheless.

So, time to redress the balance for this season as Dunfermline begin to realise the severity of their plight. 

Last Time Out

We came away with an unlikely three points after Logan Chalmers scored two spectacular goals in the dying embers of a game we looked like losing, even against ten men. Raith took an early lead through Aidan Connolly before Shane Sutherland stabbed in the equaliser. That was short lived as Poplatnik restored Raith's advantage before the break. A couple of enforced changes weakened Raith but we still struggled and even after Kyle Benedictus was red carded with twenty minutes to go we looked spent on ideas. Up popped Chalmers with two sweet left foot strikes to take the points North. That result came on the back of us ending our drought with a 3-0 win over Arbroath the week before to revive our flagging play-off hopes.

On yersel Logan

As said before, Dunfermline helped us out in midweek by thumping Partick thistle 4-1. More importantly they helped themselves massively and climbed off the foot of the table in doing so. Partick had opened the scoring with a strike from distance through Ross Docherty. They fought back and deservedly levelled with an og from Lewis Mayo. Mathew Todd scored a second for a rampant Pars in the first half followed by Josh Edwards. Man of the Match Dom Thomas scored a spectacular fourth in the second half to put the icing on the cake. Great result for the Pars led of course by none other that John Hughes, our former Scottish Cup winning manager.

Latest Team News

Scott Allardice is out long term with Roddy MacGregor rumoured to be returned to full training.

More team news to follow...


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And for those that want a refreshment before the game:drinking06:

We're delighted to announce that the ICT Family Sports Bar at the Caledonian Stadium will be open in the first time in over 2 years ahead of this Saturday's match against

@officialdafc

, with Home and Away fans welcome.

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48 minutes ago, IBM said:

And for those that want a refreshment before the game:drinking06:

We're delighted to announce that the ICT Family Sports Bar at the Caledonian Stadium will be open in the first time in over 2 years ahead of this Saturday's match against

@officialdafc

, with Home and Away fans welcome.

A welcome touch of normality.

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The forecast is great for tomorrow, the bar is open and the Section 94 squad are all fired up!  After two wins I am hoping for three in a row now so looking forward to the game.

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8 minutes ago, Satan said:

Most controlled performance I've seen from them in months, don't waste the hard work with any second half mistakes.

Agreed.  Some good football being played and some great chances created.

Dunfermline playing pretty well, too, though, and I wonder what Yogi has seen and what changes in tactics he might make for the second half.

Edited by snorbens_caleyman
spilling corexion
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Where are you all?  Celebrating?

A great win today.  A good performance from everyone from Cammy Mackay forwards.  Great saves by Cammy himself. 

Weathered the storm after we went 1-0 up, and Yogi ruffled up his team. 

An inspired substitution - I too would have taken Mckay off.  He wasn't happy, but it was good to see him join in the celebrations when Samuels scored.

Who's next? :lol:

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At last a good performance all over.I have been critical of Sutherland a few times this season,but today I thought he was immense.The big difference was the team had desire,grit,determination and fight.Great to see that spirit back.

We need to build on today get the confidence fully back and believe we can do it.

Maybe we are coming good again at the right time.Well done to all today.

Edited by Douglas Mackenzie
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That was a thoroughly competent performance and another well deserved win.

A few weeks ago we were in a desperate scrap for the final play off place which frankly we looked losing but now, without being complacent, we are firm favourites for for a play off place and, if we maintain today's form, a realistic opportunity to overtake Arbroath for second place and make the play off path a bit smoother.

The only disappointment today was the size of the crowd. Hopefully, we can attract a few hundred more for our remaining home games.

I was somewhat critical about Cammy last week and suggested he should be replaced by Ridgers for the remaining games this season. Today he went a very long way to providing me wrong.

For much of this season watching the team has been an eye bleeding ordeal but, by contrast, today was an absolute pleasure.

Edited by Kingsmills
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A fantastic three points, and a very good performance, once we stopped punting the ball up the park for a ten minute period. An amazing goal from Mcalear, we were right in line with it, what a strike. There were good performances all over the pitch. Some games it was difficult to pick a man of the match, because the performance wasn't good, this game was the opposite, so many players could have been man of the match. Can't remember the last time we won three on the bounce. Happy days.

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