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Inverness CT -V- St Johnstone - Premiership Play-Off


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Play Off Final 1st Leg

 

It's the second time we have faced St Johnstone in a crucial promotion encounter at the Caledonian Stadium. This game kicks off on Friday night on 20th May at 7:45pm. The last crucial one was back in 2004. It was Saturday 15th of May when Inverness beat St Johnstone 3-1 to top the League on the final day of the season. It took a bit more wrangling to finally clinch promotion after a legal battle, but we got there. 

We are an appealing side: Inverness have lodged an appeal to overturn the red card awarded to Danny Devine by the incompetent Willie Collum for not fouling Jack Hamilton. Danny was sent off after 66 minutes as he challenged for a high ball with Arbroath's Hamilton. TV evidence showed little happened but it was of course the Wilie Collum show. Red card for Devine. We will know on Wednesday if the appeal has been successful. He also gave Wallace Duffy a second yellow. Unfortunately, due to some archaic rule, that means we can't appeal against that one despite it looking like the second tackle appeared to be a clean one. Cheers Willie.

***Latest News*** Devine Intervention by Willie Collum: We will have to do it without Danny Devine as the equally incompetent SFA have upheld his decision to issue a red card. Absolutely total incompetency shown here by the self preservation society.

Helicopter Saturday

CTO Report from 15th May 2004 - 3-1: A triumphant end to a fantastic day, season and decade. The sun shone, the ground was packed, there was tension in the air and the First Division trophy was waiting in a helicopter at Braemar. It just remained for the team to make one last major effort and they did just that. Clyde were leading Brechin 1-0 before the Inverness match even started but this changed nothing as it had always been clear that a win was essential. David Bingham headed a Liam Keogh corner past in the second minute then Craig Nelson tipped over a Stuart Golabek shot from 18 yards. A Bobby Mann header from Keogh's corner scraped past the post. In 14 minutes Barry Wilson raced to stop the ball crossing the bye line but Paul Ritchie touched his cross past. The home pressure finally paid off on the half-hour mark in bizarre circumstances. Stuart McCaffrey's free kick reached David Bingham and his overhead kick fooled Nelson; the keeper backtracked but could only help the ball into the net. This was what most of the crowd wanted and they went wild. It was back to earth just before half-time when Keigan Parker raced through and hammered an equaliser past Mark Brown from long range. Seconds later Wilson scored with a low shot but the offside flag was up. Steve Hislop came on for Keogh in the second half. Saints began to play some good football, particularly through Parker and Simon Donnelly, but ICT always looked more like scoring. In 56 minutes Bingham's through ball set Wilson heading for goal and, as he waited for the moment to shoot, Nelson brought him down. The penalty was a certainty and the pressure was all on Barry Wilson. A trademark short run and it was 2-1. A male streaker joined in the celebrations and was promptly evicted. As the excitement reached fever pitch all that was needed was a third goal to calm the nerves. Roy McBain tried to provide it in 64 minutes with a neat lob over Nelson but it cleared the bar. Bingham headed a Wilson corner goalwards in 71 minutes but Mark Reilly hit it off the line then Stuart McCaffrey headed wide. A third goal came in 76 minutes and fittingly it was from Paul Ritchie who was playing his last game for the club. Wilson took a corner from the left and Ritchie stooped low to head home his 63rd goal in three years. The title was a certainty and the final period was all about waiting for the whistle. Wilson shot wide in 86 minutes then the ball spent vital minutes deep in the Saints half and around the corner flag. The final whistle went, the crowd invaded the pitch, the cup arrived by helicopter, Bobby Mann stepped up to receive the trophy from Lord Macfarlane and the whole of Inverness went ballistic. Now for the SPL........maybe. (Crowd: 6092)

Venue H2H (all comps) Pld Won Drn Lst For Agst + / -
Home 18 10 3 5 21 15 +6
Away 16 3 4 9 10 20 -10
Neutral 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Total 34 13 7 14 31 35 -4

As the stats show, the home sides have had the better of these encounters over the years. However, it's over five years since we last played the Perth side and on that occasion we lost 3-0 at home as relegation loomed large.

CTO SUMMARY APRIL 8TH 2017: On the brink:  Inverness are on the brink of relegation after a shambolic, hapless and gutless performance against a mediocre St Johnstone, who themselves were without two of their stalwart players after an altercation last week. As it turned out, it mattered not a jot as we slumped to an embarrassing 0 - 3 defeat after Larnell Cole was sent off for dissent. We crumbled thereafter. 😠

Here's how we got here

 

 

Latest Team News

Shane Sutherland, Tom Walsh and Roddy MacGregor are all out through injury, although rumours of a face mask for Roddy are circulating. If he get's one, let's make it a Lionel Messi mask. Time will tell. Wallace Duffy misses this one after his two yellow cards. Danny Devine ????? Wait for the Wednesday reveal :redcard: or :banana:

There will be a lot of tired bodies both physically and mentally after that emotionally draining shoot-out win at Gayfield. Our bench was thin prior to that game, it will have less bums on it now. Duffy will miss this game but might return for the second leg at Perth if its only a one match suspension. Scott Allardice has been on the bench in the previous play-off games, however after his long lay off, i wonder if we are still protecting him, or best scenario, keeping him fresh for these final two games. What a bonus that would be. To be honest, should we be competitive after all this, it really would be a Roy of the Rovers finale to a rollercoaster of a season.

St Johnstone limbered up for this game by resting more than half of their regulars in an abject 4-0 defeat at Easter Road. I wouldn't read too much into that result as they were obviously preparing themselves for the play-off finals which are infinitely more important than a dead end of season game against Hibs that would have gained them nothing. So, no fresh injury worries for Callum Davidson to worry about, and know doubt a full bench to fall back on.

We will be able to renew acquaintances with a couple of former players in defenders Jamie McCart and Shaun Rooney who had cult status at the Caledonian Stadium with his marauding Ross Tokely style runs down the right flank. In Zander Clark they have an imposing presence and top quality keeper. Scoring goals has been their downfall this season, but let's not forget they have been playing in a League a notch or two above where we are at just now. They also have the experienced Nadir Ciftci  in the squad who has a trick or two up his sleeve. Michael O'Halloran and Liam Craig will also add more experience and quality to the side, so plenty of options for the Super J's.

Having watched our performances in the Play-Off semi's, I doubt Callum Davidson will have lost much sleep. However, we are at our best when the odds are stacked against us. :ictscarf:

 

 

 

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  • tm4tj changed the title to Inverness CT -V- St Johnstone - Premiership Play-Off

I heard a rumour MacGregor could be back for the St Johnstone games. Supposedly broke his cheekbone but could play with a mask protecting it. It would be nice if it was true. 

Edited by SteveA
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I did wonder why we never did something like that given Callum MacGregor wears one every week. Thanks for that, good news if happening.

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So on the bench we could have Roddy in a mask, Tom on crutches and Shane with a stookie and crutches. Clearly Tom and Shane would struggle if they had to join in the penalty shoot out. However, if we were forced to put these guys on the bench I am sure they would give everything if brought on.

PS If we have problems, think about Rangers and Hearts - they are part of the Willie Collum card fest at Hampden Park this Saturday.

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9 minutes ago, CELTIC1CALEY3 said:

So on the bench we could have Roddy in a mask, Tom on crutches and Shane with a stookie and crutches. Clearly Tom and Shane would struggle if they had to join in the penalty shoot out. However, if we were forced to put these guys on the bench I am sure they would give everything if brought on.

PS If we have problems, think about Rangers and Hearts - they are part of the Willie Collum card fest at Hampden Park this Saturday.

The Rangers and Hearts can look after themselves.

Personally, as far as football is concerned, my focus over the next week or so will be entirely on ICT.

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Just watched the clip v St Johnstone from 2004. Great memories.

Would be good to see a crowd of that proportions filling the stadium on Friday evening.....

 

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It was Bingham’s goal of course I was right behind it and it wasn’t such a fluke but a crafty left footed lob catching the goalie out for sure. A Radio Scotland sports debate a number of days later discussing if we should be allowed into the Premier followed. It prompted me to send texts in and I was delighted to hear my point of view read out on air. Can’t remember my exact words but at the time it was like ‘SPL your having a laugh’ that was very topical and I also said ‘If any other team won Division 1 apart from Inverness would there be such a hoo-haa and that it was just the cost and distance that was worrying everyone’!  I think it must’ve been my texts that got us over the line!😀

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10 hours ago, SteveA said:

I heard a rumour MacGregor could be back for the St Johnstone games. Supposedly broke his cheekbone but could play with a mask protecting it. It would be nice if it was true. 

Billy Dodds had said it was a light fracture of his jaw which was reported in the P&J a couple of week ago so don't think a mask would work for that.  Whatever it was I would be delighted if he took part even as a sub.

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10 hours ago, Kingsmills said:

Neither can be remotely as bad as Collum was on Friday.

If memory serves me well, wasn't it Steven McLean who missed the Meekings handball verses Celtic in the Scottish Cup, and Nick Walsh who unbelievably sent Polworth off against Dundee United in a playoff game? So a mixed bag there. 

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Add this to your pre-match build up, a must for all ICT fans from the Wyness Shufflers :clapoverhead:

MERRY XMAS DICK

Running order >>>

Wyness Shuffle.jpg01.00 Xmas has come early 

01.55 The Headlines 

02.25 Highland Highlight 

05.42 Game by Game

22.00 Interview: ICT and St Johnstone legend Paul Cherry 

41.05 Head to Head/Historical records 

48.33 A Quiztion of Perth 

51.28 Interview: Danny Williams from the Dogger Saints podcast  

1.14.47 The Premiership Play-off final games: the analysis 

1.23.57 Interview: Everpresent Robbie Deas (he's from Kinross you know) 

1.36.13 Cheerio and thanks for listening, oh, and predictions!  

ENJOY! 

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10 minutes ago, GaliantGrunt said:

Divine appeal turned down! SPL your having a laugh !

I'm honestly not shocked or surprised, I expected nothing less. It's almost as if the panel feel they are there to vindicate the referee, given he's the cup final ref they were never going to overturn it and therefore potentially cause ridicule for Collum.

Had it been Rangers or Celtic you better believe it would have been a different outcome.

Good on the club for releasing the statement they did.

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Presumably this is for the one game. Therefore Devine & Duffy should be ready for the 2nd Leg on Monday. l

Although not wishing to refer to the Scottish Cup Final on Saturday this is also going to be setting a precedent and a rod for Collum`s back,

we`ll definitely be on CollumWatch if something similar happens would he be consistent and if not serious questions would need to be asked.

The appeals panel has now heaped the pressure on Collum rather than alleviated it !!🥵

 

 

 

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39 minutes ago, GaliantGrunt said:

Divine appeal turned down! SPL your having a laugh !

The SFA turned it down. The SPL ceased to exist almost a decade ago.

26 minutes ago, MrCaleyjag said:

Good on the club for releasing the statement they did.

The end of the statement is utterly embarrassing. I appreciate emotions are running high but the final few lines are absolute drivel.

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15 minutes ago, MrCaleyjag said:

I'm honestly not shocked or surprised, I expected nothing less. It's almost as if the panel feel they are there to vindicate the referee, given he's the cup final ref they were never going to overturn it and therefore potentially cause ridicule for Collum.

At one point on Friday, probably when Duffy was sent off, I was saying "What's the point?".  Well, OK, there might have been a sweary word or two in there as well.

Every player, manager, coach and everyone else associated with a club tries their hardest and does their best.  But some self-important clown with a whistle ruins everything, safe in the knowledge that his chums will back him up.  That's when everyone must ask "What's the point?".

I would say that surely a majority of clubs would support major reform of the SFA? But then again I've been hearing that since I was a kid  :frustrated01: 

 

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I don't see anything wrong in the statement. Dreadful refereeing is backed up by the SFA. Have we learned nothing from the Keatings saga? What recourse do we have other than releasing a damming statement? Which actually worked in his case.

 

You can be sure if it was Celtic or Rangers they would be giving it a closer look.

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15 minutes ago, RiG said:

The SFA turned it down. The SPL ceased to exist almost a decade ago.

The end of the statement is utterly embarrassing. I appreciate emotions are running high but the final few lines are absolute drivel.

Yes I know SPL doesn’t exist I was referring to an earlier post where ‘SPL your having a laugh was topical’  I think we are all angry and shocked to be fair and we’re not all perfect in every statement or post!!!

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Devine Intervention by Willie Collum: We will have to do it without Danny Devine as the equally incompetent SFA have upheld his decision to issue a red card. Absolutely total incompetency shown here by the self preservation society.

It really is a joke.

Also the utterly useless excuse for a referee Nick Walsh is in charge the fixture at Perth.

God help us.

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