v Ayr @ home Mar2024

[tm4tj]

Ayr we go again

 

Unfortunately it's another home game this Saturday as fellow languishers Ayr United make the long trek North to face home strugglers Inverness Caledonian Thistle. Ayr are one of only two teams we have beaten at home in the Championship this season. However, in the presence of one of our highest profile managers ever, it would be rude not to think about the possibility of a seven goal barrage. Terry Butcher is in the area doing a gig with Richard Gough and will pop along to the stadium for a look at the current side. It has to be said that they are not a patch on what Tel Boy built before being lured to Leith for a custard cream, a team we beat in our next match, however, that is history and the mess we find ourselves in now is a sad indictment of the times we live in now under the present regime.

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Match/Ticket Info

Battery Farm - Rejected

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Venue

Pld

Won

Drn

Lst

For

Agst

+ / -

Home	25	11	11	3	42	27	+15
Away	27	13	6	8	50	33	+17
Neutral	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Total	52	24	17	11	92	60	+32

We have always had the edge over Ayr United and the H2H shows that. Even recent form has us on top, and that is not always the same for all of our recent opponents. Only three defeats at home. Our prime objective this weekend is a win and would be a bonus but avoiding defeat is an absolute priority. Maybe even scoring a goal might ease the pain...

Last 10 Competitive Meetings v Ayr United

3 - 1 (A)

3 - 1 (H)

0 - 1 (A)

1 - 2 (H)

2 - 1 (A)

2 - 2 (H)

1 - 0 (A)

2 - 2 (A)

1 - 2 (H)

2 - 2 (A)

Inverness ease away from the bottom:  3 - 1  Inverness added Sean Welsh to the ever expanding longer term injury list suffering from a recurring back injury, but Luis Longstaff was fit enough to make the bench. Ayr United had Logan Chalmers, Jamie Murphy and Anton Dowds as a triple threat up front. Despite this, Inverness cruised home without having to get out of second gear. Three goals inside the last ten minutes of the first half ended the game as a contest. Two from David Wotherspoon and a penalty from Billy Mckay. Ayr got a consolation penalty in a poor second half, but it was an important three points for the Caley Jags and Big Dunc. As comfortable as it was it was still a poor second half where we should have gone on to put Ayr to the sword. As it was, the result was huge in the context of our season and we can overlook the turgid performance in the light of three excellent points and a step up the table to eighth place with games in hand over some teams. FULL TIME: 3-1. Interesting to note that we only had five of the team that started against Ayr back on November 11th available for selection last week with Carson & Wotherspoon away and the rest injured.

Still here: Mark Ridgers, Cameron Harper, Danny Devine, Max Anderson, Billy Mckay (subs C Mackay, Wallace Duffy)
Gone/Unavailable: Morgan Boyes, Nikola Ujdur, David Wotherspoon, David Carson, Charlie Gilmour, Nathan Shaw (subs Delaney, Thompson, Hyde, Sheridan, Longstaff, Lodovica, Brooks)

Last Time Out

Inverness failed again at home last Saturday against one of the two teams they had already beaten at home this season. The other being this weeks opponent Ayr United. The Airdrie game ended scoreless, and that was no surprise to those at the stadium. Plenty of effort, plenty of passes, however our Achiles Heel of creating and scoring chances has haunted us for most of the season. Last Five: D D D W D 

Ayr United were idle last weekend. Their last game was a 2-0 defeat at East End Park on 2ndMarch. Two goals just before the interval by Chris Hamilton and a first for loan signing Chris Kane was the difference between the sides.Scott Brown's best result was a stunning 4-3 win over Partick Thistle (McAllister, Willoughbyx2 and McHugh were the scorers in a see-saw game). However, Ayr have shipped a massive fifty goals in the League and that's something that we need to capitalise on. They have also scored thirty-eight times, so it's important to keep our fourth clean sheet in a row to give us a platform to build on. Last Five: L W L W L 

Table ahead of Friday nights big game

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	F	A	Pts
Dunfermline v Dundee United Friday night @ 7:45
1.	Dundee Utd	28	17	7	4	55	17	58
2.	Raith Rovers	28	17	6	5	49	36	57
3.	Partick Thistle	28	10	10	8	53	48	40
4.	Morton	27	10	7	10	34	31	37
5.	Airdrieonians	27	10	6	11	28	30	36
6.	Queens Park	28	8	8	12	41	47	32
7.	Dunfermline	28	8	8	12	30	38	32
8.	Ayr United	27	9	5	13	38	50	32
9.	Inverness CT	28	7	10	11	32	32	31
10.	Arbroath	27	6	5	16	28	59	23

SATURDAY 16TH MARCH

1. Airdrie v Arbroath
2. Caley Jags v Ayr United   
3. Partick v Morton
4. Queen's v Rovers 

Latest Team News

Inverness: Still have massive injury worries ahead of this one with most on the bench still nursing knocks.

Long term: Gilmour, Longstaff, Big Harry & Lewis Nicolson.

Out: McAllister, Macgregor, Shaw, Ujdur.

Struggling: Carragher, Boyes... Have I missed any

Duncs pre-match still to come

 

Ayr United: One glaring alteration at Ayr United since they were last here is their manager. Former Hibs and Celtic midfielder Scott Brown is now in charge after Lee Bullen was relieved of his duties on the 15th of January a few days after we had beaten the honest men 3-1 at Somerset Park. He was replaced by Brown some ten days later. Brown has 3 wins to his credit since then from seven games ( QP, Airdrie, Partick), losing to Dundee United, Rangers (cup), Raith Rovers and last time out at Dunfermline.

Ayr's January sales deals.

In: Nathan McGinley, defender (Motherwell)

Loan in: Jack Sanders, defender (Kilmarnock); Josh Clarke, goalkeeper (Celtic); Harry McHugh, midfielder (Wigan Athletic); Kurt Willoughby, forward (Oldham Athletic).

Logan Chalmers was a big threat last time we met and with players like Murphy and McGeady on their books plenty of experience at a higher level. On loan forward Kurt Willoughby looks handy.

Ayr team @ EEP  

Clarke

 

McAllister (Tomlinson 90+1)  Sanders   McGinty   Musonda

 

Bryden (Chalmers 45)  Dempsey (Smith 76)   McHugh   Murphy (Syla 76)

 

Dowds   McKenzie (Willoughby 56)

 

Subs Not Used: Albinson; McGeady, Stanger, McGinley

 

Good to see that bullying in the workplace is alive and kicking in the Highland Council

A heated exchange took place in a Highland Council meeting today.

During the debate of Inverness Caledonian Thistle Football Club’s application for a battery storage facility Councillor Duncan Macpherson was told that he would perhaps be thrown out of the chamber by Highland… pic.twitter.com/l9jCcrzj78

— Inverness Courier (@InvCourier) March 14, 2024

[Robert]

Thanks as always for the preview.

You can add Chilokoa-Mullen to the long term list.

Tomorrow is the first home game (league, cups and even the Elgin friendly) that I am missing this season due to a family birthday.

I will be listening for goal alerts in the BBC Sport app, and am hoping every alert is a home goal.

With the off field issues, the players and Manager need our support more than ever. Let’s get behind them from the outset and help them win three points.

Edited March 15 by Robert

[tm4tj]

Cheers Robert, forgot about him as he has already gone back home I believe.

[Robert]

2 minutes ago, tm4tj said:

Cheers Robert, forgot about him as he has already gone back home I believe.

It makes sense that his parent club handles his recovery given we won’t see him again in his loan spell.

[The Mantis]

24 minutes ago, Robert said:

Thanks as always for the preview.

You can add Chilokoa-Mullen to the long term list.

Tomorrow is the first home game (league, cups and even the Elgin friendly) that I am missing this season due to a family birthday.

I will be listening for goal alerts in the BBC Sport app, and am hoping every alert is a home goal.

With the off field issues, the players and Manager need our support more than ever. Let’s get behind them from the outset and he’ll them win three points.

The BBC are always about 5 minutes behind. Free apps such as LiveScore let you choose favourite teams and inform you instantly, so fast that they have to correct the score if the goal is disallowed

[bdu98196]

Going into this one with hope and enthusiasm after our recent run. Goalless draw but we have a shot on target in each half

[IBM]

We need to win this one to jump above them in the league!  Will Butcher be our lucky charm?

[tm4tj]

Here he is, better late than never...

 

[STFU]

From previous reports it sounds like home performances have been slowly improving.  Could do with it clicking tomorrow to give the team and fans a lift.

Might stick a tenner on the win and McKay to score.

[+DoofersDad]

Can I suggest sticking it on Mckay instead?

[Robert]

45 minutes ago, STFU said:

From previous reports it sounds like home performances have been slowly improving.  Could do with it clicking tomorrow to give the team and fans a lift.

Might stick a tenner on the win and McKay to score.

Why not go to the game?

Maybe your presence will turn our fortunes around. 

[The Mantis]

Doesn’t get any better for us. Pars 2-0 up at ht, Utd absolutely honking.

[tm4tj]

Pars 2-0 ahead of United at the break. Live on BBC Scotland. 

[Satan]

Now 3.pumped.

[DWH]

3 points a must tomorrow with tonight's result...

Realistically 8th will be fine but if we can convert draws into wins, I haven't given up hoope on 4th.

[tm4tj]

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	F	A	Pts
After tonights game 3-1 for Dunfermline. Ooooooft
1.	Dundee Utd	29	17	7	5	56	20	58
2.	Raith Rovers	28	17	6	5	49	36	57
3.	Partick Thistle	28	10	10	8	53	48	40
4.	Morton	27	10	7	10	34	31	37
5.	Airdrieonians	27	10	6	11	28	30	36
6.	Dunfermline	29	9	8	12	33	39	35
7.	Queens Park	28	8	8	12	41	47	32
8.	Ayr United	27	9	5	13	38	50	32
9.	Inverness CT	28	7	10	11	32	32	31
10.	Arbroath	27	6	5	16	28	59	23

[Duke of Inverness]

33 minutes ago, DWH said:

3 points a must tomorrow with tonight's result...

Realistically 8th will be fine but if we can convert draws into wins, I haven't given up hoope on 4th.

Aye, liked we'd want to get promoted with the s##t show we currently are.

[Robert]

13 minutes ago, Duke of Inverness said:

Aye, liked we'd want to get promoted with the s##t show we currently are.

I don’t think anyone thinks promotion is an option for us. We all just want to finish no worse than 8th. 

[Robert]

Interesting discussion about the impact of Ferguson on A View From The Terrace tonight. In brief, they felt we are existing in the Championship, playing defensively and not matching his personality.

Can’t argue with that. 

Edited March 15 by Robert

[+DoofersDad]

1 hour ago, Robert said:

Interesting discussion about the impact of Ferguson on A View From The Terrace tonight. In brief, they felt we are existing in the Championship, playing defensively and not matching his personality.

Can’t argue with that. 

Maybe people are misjudging his personality?  The style of play we are playing is his style of play.  In his pre-match interview he said he wasn't going to change that.

[Jack Waddington]

As long as Butch shifts their arses into gear with a rousing pre match pep talk, I'm happy

[tm4tj]

[caley100]

Well there's a great feckin start!  11pm here in Australia and wondering if I'll stay up to keep an eye on the scores!

[Yngwie]

Can this week get any worse?!

[caley100]

7 minutes ago, Yngwie said:

Can this week get any worse?!

Yes, Arbroath are now winning