Airdrie @ home March2024

[tm4tj]

Diamondonians

 

Promoted Airdrie are sitting in fifth place in the table, just below the play-off places with former Caley Jag Nikolay Todorov getting amongst the goals and he will provide a big test for our central defence. We have found Airdrie a difficult proposition at times this season but we did win the last home encounter against them. Our off-field problems are out in the open now after a meeting with fans on Wednesday evening. See the responses below from the CTO forum page 16 onwards. Suffice to say it is worth a lot of money and it does have a massive part to play in the future of our club.

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Match/Ticket Info

Battery Farm - CTO Topic

Chairmans Response after meeting

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Venue

Pld

Won

Drn

Lst

For

Agst

+ / -

Home	9	5	0	4	14	12	+2
Away	8	2	2	4	9	17	-8
Neutral	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Total	17	7	2	8	23	29	-6

Only this season's games are relevant as prior to the 2-3 defeat in the League Cup group stages, our previous game against Airdrie was in 2002 when a Martin Bavidge strike was the only goal of the game. Not only that, it keeps our record thrashing of 0 - 6 out of sight as though it never happened. (just for the record, Owen Coyle scored a hat-trick, Neil McFarlane planted a header behind Nicky Walker, Lee Gardiner drove in from the edge of the box and Paul Armstrong ended the rout five minutes before the end. Gubbed!)

This season's Competitive Meetings

0 - 2 (A)

1 - 0 (H)

1 - 2 (A)

2 - 3 (H)

Not much success for us this season against the Diamonds although we did win the last home game against them thanks to a superb finish from the long gone Spoony: FULL TIME: 1 - 0. The fabulous execution of his goal was a great introduction for David Wotherspoon but for me the Man of the Match and new version of Bobby Mann was Nikola Ujdur. The Aussie defender is solid, strolled through the game unflustered and can pick a pass. Good graft in midfield but Sheridan and Big Harry need some work done. Shaw picked up a booking at the end when Big Dunc sent him back onto the pitch to get treatment.

Last Time Out

Inverness extended their unbeaten run to four games (3xD & 1xW) with an excellent result at Cappielow that ended Morton's 14 game Championship undefeated run. Clinical strikes from Billy Mckay, his 110th goal for the club, and a first from Sean McAllister (video below) ensured we grabbed all three points in a crucial game at the bottom end of the table given Arbroath's unexpected win over Raith Rovers the night before. Last Five: L D D D W 

Airdrieonians played twice this week. A 1-1 draw last Saturday at home to Queens Park was followed in midweek by a stunning 2-0 win at East End Park. Mason Hancock scored the leveler against QP with two former Dunfermline players Nikolay Todorov and Gabby McGill (video below) sinking their old team.

Manager Rhys McCabe said on BBC Sport:  "We knew coming here it was about playing the percentages really well, doing the basics really well. We never really felt in danger towards the latter stages of the game." Last Five: L L W D W 

 

Pos Team Pld W D L F A Pts Only four games this weekend as Morton are on Scottish Cup duty 1. Dundee Utd 27 16 7 4 51 17 55 2. Raith Rovers 26 15 6 5 46 36 51 3. Partick Thistle 26 10 9 7 51 45 39 4. Morton 27 10 7 10 34 31 37 5. Airdrieonians 26 10 5 11 28 30 35 6. Dunfermline 27 8 8 11 30 36 32 7. Ayr United 27 9 5 13 38 50 32 8. Queens Park 27 8 7 12 39 45 31 9. Inverness CT 27 7 9 11 32 32 30 10. Arbroath 26 6 5 15 28 55 23

        SATURDAY 9TH MARCH

1. Dundee Utd v Arbroath fc  
2.  Inverness CT v Airdrieonians
3.  Queen's Park v Partick Thistle
4. Raith Rovers v Dunfermline

Latest Team News

Inverness beat the injury woes last weekend to take all three points at Morton. New loan signing Samson Lawal from Livingston remained on the bench.  We have a number of long term casualties in Charlie Gilmour, Luis Longstaff, Chilokoa-Mullen, Harry Lodovica and Lewis Nicolson. Roddy MacGregor, Nathan Shaw and Morgan Boyes were shorter term injuries. Austin Samuels has yet to be unleashed after his return to the bench and the similarly named Alex Samuel has been through the wars but has continued to feature despite a broken hand and numerous stitches about his body. He's a warrior. A number of players have also been carrying injuries so we will have to wait and see what Big Dunc is saying.

Dunc's Update: Sean McAllister out for at least a couple of weeks (thigh). Boyes and Ujdur might make the bench. Dunc's loon (Cameron) might be a signing option . And surprise surprise, even our trialists are picking up knocks aren't they!

 

Airdrie had a good week picking up four points. Calum Gallagher and Nikolay Todorov are their top scorers this season so far with seven goals each. Despite that, they are the lowest scoring side in the Championship with only 28 goals, four less than Inverness. Defences are similar with Airdrie two goals better off although they have played one game less than us.

Airdrie team v Pars:

Rae

 

Megwa   Watson   Fordyce   Hancock

 

McCabe

 

Telfer   Frizzell   McStravick (McMaster 72)

 

McGill (Donnell 66)   Todorov (Gallagher 72)

 

Subs Not Used: Hutton; Lyall, Dunlop, O'Connor, Taylor-Sinclair

 

[bdu98196]

Big game day. Big excitement for it.

Drab draw to match the pre game build up.

 

[Robert]

It’s as though there’s not a game today: we must all be distracted by something!

We beat them at home earlier in the season and need to beat them again today.

With McAllister now out, it’s hard to say what our starting 11 will be. Unchanged other than Doran or Lawal in for McAllister?

[IBM]

Not much excitement all round but I will be wrapping up well and heading down. Another must win game!

[+DoofersDad]

I'll be heading down too.  I'm not going with much enthusiasm or expectation, but you have to endure the grim times to fully appreciate the successes when they come.

[dougal]

I’m going to spend the afternoon in the Tarry the glenalbyn and the gellions.

Much more welcoming establishments than the dump currently. 
 

Dougal

 

[STFU]

I'll be digging out the firestick and joining Bezos in the growing global screw ictfc out of millions campaign.  Rumours that Musky has had a satellite strategically positioned so he can watch and save himself £20 as well.

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

I'm off to the Fairways to campaign against the Councill 

[+roarer]

Fairways or foul. Let's hope for a win today!

[+roarer]

Well maybe except those in the black isle and the Tarry isle. 

[caley100]

2 hours ago, dougal said:

I’m going to spend the afternoon in the Tarry the glenalbyn and the gellions.

Much more welcoming establishments than the dump currently. 
 

Dougal

 

Oh aye...  moving up from your normal level then?

[caley100]

Jeez I'm on hols in Aussie and it's nearly midnight! Where the F is everyone?  No updates, nowt.   

[Duke of Inverness]

Everyone at the match has probably fallen asleep given the BBC match stats. Those not there are probably drunk it seems.

[Satan]

1 minute ago, Duke of Inverness said:

Everyone at the match has probably fallen asleep given the BBC match stats. Those not there are probably drunk it seems.

At least something has got your attention. 

[Duke of Inverness]

55 minutes ago, Satan said:

At least something has got your attention. 

100% increase in shots on target from the Dunfermline game. Progress?

[Yngwie]

FT 0-0, meh. I feel so sorry for our home fans this season, so little to cheer.

[Yngwie]

If anyone can bring themselves to feel at all positive, we are now unbeaten in 5 and have 3 consecutive clean sheets. 

[Jack Waddington]

Played brilliantly imo, just need players to push down the wing rather than trying to double back on themselves, and players that will actually get a shot off

[Douglas Mackenzie]

I thought we played well today and MOM Kerr.He has made midfield his own.

The new lads all did well particularly Lawal.

Thought the officials were poor and the standside linesman could have helped more.

If I Could tell the boys three words to help it would be Shoot,Shoot SHOOT!!!

 

 

[Satan]

First half wasn't the best, both teams probing. Whilst I feel we shaded it in terms of controlling possession Airdrie looked dangerous & quick on the counter. 

Apart from a frenetic first ten minutes in the second half where we continually gave the ball back to Airdrie we pretty much bossed it from there on in.

A lot of good performances,  notably Lawal in the middle along with Kerr. Also Carragher Devine and Savage looked pretty assured in front of Ridgers.

Pepple even had an impact, notably on the keepers head.

Only the goals were missing.

Edited March 9 by Satan

[RednBlackComeback]

Groundhog day at Inverness again. Can't remember their keeper having a save to make. Sad !

[robbo1985]

Considering they hadn't played together before, I though Kerr, Anderson and Lawal combined well in midfield with Cammy Kerr head and shoulders above anybody else on the park.

Unfortunately, despite no lack of trying, we are still missing that cutting edge upfront that could turn these stalemates into wins.  Came away from today more positive than some weeks though as the boys really gave it their all today.  It's going to be a battle until the end of the season but there is enough characters in the team to drag us to safety in my opinion. 

Edited March 9 by robbo1985

[dougal]

2 hours ago, caley100 said:

Jeez I'm on hols in Aussie and it's nearly midnight! Where the F is everyone?  No updates, nowt.   

Poor Australia  

At least there will have been less inane ranting at the dump today which is a positive in itself along with another clean sheet. 

Dougal

[Robert]

I agree with the comments above from those at the game. We should have won that quite comfortably, but a combination of our continuing reluctance to shoot, poor attempts and bad luck saw us draw a blank.

Kerr was the pick, but the defence was solid and we were largely on top in midfield.

The jury is out for me on Lawal. He had some nice touches but was dispossessed too easily on occasions. Game time should help him.

I don’t think it changed the outcome, but that was one of the weakest refereeing performances I have seen in a long time. How many times was Samuel, in particular, being held, pushed or fouled and nothing was given.

5 unbeaten, 3 clean sheets in a row but we are still stuck in 9th. Another really big game next week when Ayr come here. A win gets us up the table. A defeat does not bear thinking about. 

[forresjags]

What is with Austin Samuels never getting a kick, surely we have try out all our options, because at the moment we ain't gonna scoring.

Solid at the back, but absolutely no creativity going forward.