Livi away 12th Oct2024

[tm4tj]

CHALLENGING TIMES AHEAD

 

It certainly is challenging times ahead as we travel to Almondvale (Set Fare Arena) to take on Livingston in the Challenge Cup on Saturday 12th October. However there will be more challenging times ahead as we have set a deadline of the 16th October to see which way the pendulum swings. The leader in the polls at the moment is administration. That's the lesser of two evils. It looks unlikely at the moment that a realistic takeover bid will materialise in time to save our club, but administration is more palatable than liquidation, where the club, as we know it now, would cease to exist. Livingston know a thing or two about this subject. Their rise up through the leagues from 1995 was short-lived as they were plunged into administration on 3 February 2004 less than ten years after becoming Livingston FC from the ashes of Meadowbank Thistle, formerly Ferranti Thistle. It was 13th May 2005 before Livingston emerged from administration, following a period of financial turmoil in which the previous boardroom occupants were ousted to make way for Pearse Flynn's Lionheart Consortium. In July 2009 the club faced further financial problems and were on the verge of suffering liquidation before a deal was struck. It looks like we are living in a parallel universe. Livi went down to League Three before recovering back into the Premiership and currently sit in the Championship after being relegated at the end of last season. Will we have to follow that model as we look to get out of the mess left by Scot Gardiner and his negligent board?

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Livi Match/Ticket/Supporters Bus info

Don't forget: 2:00pm Kick-Off

Open Meeting Full Video

Save ICTFC Fund

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Livi are unbeaten and riding high in the Championship at the moment, third behind Falkirk and Ayr United, having won four and drawn for. They drew 0-0 with leaders Falkirk on Tuesday night which makes them one of the form teams and favourites for promotion this season back into the Premiership.

Inverness are a mess on and off the pitch. Only one league win over Queen of the South in our opening round of fixtures and we sit second bottom of League 1. In our defence, our defence is fairly resilient, it's scoring goals that has been our Achilles heel.

The last time we met Livingston was also in a Cup tie. We knocked them out of the Scottish cup in season 2022/2023 on our way to a jolly at Hampden Park for the Scottish Cup Final, virtue of a terrific 3-0 win at Almondvale. Billy Mckay with two tremendous strikes from distance and a Sean Welsh header.

Let's wallow in this while we still can.

 

Latest Team News

<<<That was the Livi starting XI against Falkirk on Tuesday night. If you can name them all, well done. How unhelpful are these pictorial team lines without names unless you are a superfan!

Jerome Prior (28), Ryan McGowan (5), Liam Sole (7), Scott Pittman (8), Stephen Kelly (10), Jamie Brandon (12), Stevie May (17), Daniel Finlayson (19), Michael Nottingham (21), Robbie Muirhead (23), Cristian Montano (26)

Andrew Shinnie, David Carson, Samson Lawal and Reece McAlear were subs on Tuesday night. McAlear played the final fifteen minutes and Shinnie came on for the final five minutes.  St Johnstone player Stevie May has always been a decent player and is at Livi on loan from Perth.

Steve Pittman has three league goals and Robbie Muirhead and Stephen Kelly two apiece.

 

 

 

 

Inverness

Good news for our u18 squad who beat Hamilton 4-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw to progress into Rnd 4 of the Scottish Youth Cup. We might be needing these guys pretty soon...

Charlie Reilly has a hamstring injury. Other than that it's as you were with Flynn Duffy, Lewis Nicolson and Ethan Cairns no doubt all missing out again. Keith Bray could be in the squad after playing a bounce game in midweek.

 

[Yngwie]

“we travel to Almondvale (Set Fare Arena)”

“Home of the Set Fare Arena” to be precise. Livi are constantly raising the bar when it comes to terrible stadium sponsorship naming deals.

[tm4tj]

Taxi for me! 

[tm4tj]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Morton, who had Austin Samuels as a second half substitute go through along with Alloa and Queens Park where Nikola Ujdur scored with a second half header. 

The final tie will be played on Tuesday 22nd October when a Rangers XI are at home to Stenhousemuir.

 

 

[CELTIC1CALEY3]

Our emotional last game before administration?

[tm4tj]

[tm4tj]

Penalties to decide this one, 2-2 at Full Time.

[+snorbens_caleyman]

Beeb reporting some unusual penalties!

 

"

1'

Goal! Livingston 3(1), Inverness CT 4(1). Andrew Shinnie (Livingston) right footed shot from more than 35 yards to the top right corner.

1'

Goal! Livingston 2(1), Inverness CT 4(1). Charlie Gilmour (Inverness CT) right footed shot from more than 35 yards to the bottom right corner.

1'

Goal! Livingston 2(1), Inverness CT 3(1). Jake Davidson (Inverness CT) right footed shot from more than 35 yards to the high centre of the goal.

"

[Robert]

Sky Sports making a “pig’s ear” of reporting it too.

Despite different scores being shown on BBC, Sky and Live Score, all of which were wrong, we lost 5-4 on penalties.

A better outcome than most of us expected. It will be good to hear how we did. 

Edited October 12, 2024 by Robert
Initially reported as all sorts of penalty shoot out scores, and I wrongly went with BBC reporting 4-2 (which they’ve now changed!).

[+Hiro]

Always a disappointment to lose but I really hope that's not our goal and shot allowance for October used up. 

May have had a chance in the shootout with Dibaga in goals.  Newman couldn't have been further away from any of the Livi penalties. Reminded me of David De Gea in that shoot out a few years ago, laughably bad.

[Yngwie]

Trying to follow this from a beach in Mexico. We seem to have lost the shootout, after having won the match 4-3!

[Yngwie]

All seems corrected now, 5-4 on pens after Robbie Thompson’s was saved.

Had a feeling it might be our day after we found the net not once but twice during a game, but sadly not,

[tm4tj]

Valiant Effort Ends in Penalty Loss

 

It was a case of taxi for the Caley Jags at The Home of the Set Fare Arena after a dramatic penalty shoot-out defeat when Stephen Kelly swept in the final spot kick to put us out of the Challenge Cup.

Danny Devine and Charlie Reilly were missing for the Caley Jags but Keith Bray returned to the starting XI with Jack Newman taking the gloves. Jake Davidson was part of a five man midfield. Livi had former Caley Jags players Samson Lawal and Andy Shinnie starting with Reece McAlear on the bench. David Carson was missing for Livingston. Paul Allan scored his first goal for the Caley Jags in the tenth minute as he headed in an inviting cross from Luis Longstaff. Stevie May levelled after seventeen minutes and top scorer Scott Pittman edged the hosts ahead. However Charlie Gilmour equalised almost immediately in an entertaining first half. 

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Most expected this to be a stroll for Livi but it was Inverness that were first to threaten when Billy Mckay's shot from distance was saved by Pitaluga. Stevie May saw a header saved by Jack Newman before Inverness went back up the park to open the scoring through a Paul Allan header into the bottom corner off a great ball in from Luis Longstaff. The lead was short lived as Stevie May equalised seven minutes later with a low shot in off the post from inside the box, assisted by Scott Pittman. May and Shinnie returned the compliment ten minutes later to leave Pittman with an easy header. However, Charlie Gilmour scored from close range to level matters two minutes later. Minutes later Pitaluga had to tip an effort from Billy Mckay over the bar. Just before the break, Samson Lawal, Andy Shinnie, May and Clarke set up a chance for Pittman but his header was too close to the keeper and easily dealt with by Newman. In an open first forty-five, Inverness had given Livi a run for their money as the whistle went with the score level. No further scoring in the second half and it went to penalties with the hosts prevailing 5-4 Meh!

HALF TIME: 2-2

No changes at the interval but Gilmour got an early booking for a high challenge on Shinnie. May fired a thirty-yarder just wide as the hosts threatened and at the other end Pitaluga pulled off a tremendous double save to deny Adam MacKinnon and Longstaff's follow up was also blocked. With twenty minutes remaining, Keith Bray's cross was knocked over by MacKinnon from the edge of the box. Lawal mishit an effort at the other end and was subbed moments later along with Shinnie. Livi upped the intensity and Montano headed over before fellow substitute Liam Sole was denied by Newman and Clarke's effort on the rebound was blocked. With the pressure mounting on the visitors defence Shinnie headed over. Jack Newman received treatment for a leg injury as we went in to overtime. Despite the late pressure it ended all square and penalties would decide who goes into the hat for the draw.

FULL TIME: 2-2

Livingston win penalty shoot-out 5-4, scoring all five penalties

(Shinnie, McGowan, Winter, Yengi & Kelly)

• ICT:
• Davidson 
• Gilmour   
• Savage     
• B Mckay   
• Thompson  Saved by Keeper

 

 

---

Date:  12/10/2024  Venue: Almondvale Attendance: **** Referee: Colin Steven
 
Livingston: 2 (5 pens)

• Manager: David Martindale
• Lineup:  Pitaluga; Clarke (Yengi 84), Nottingham, McGowan, Finlayson, Lawal (Montano 72), Pittman, Kelly, Shinnie, May (Winter 71), Smith (Sole 55)
• Subs (not used):  Prior; McAlear, Green, Muirhead, Stark
• Scorers: May (17), Pittman (28)
• Booked: Smith (26)
• Sent Off: none

Inverness CT: 2 (4 pens)

• Manager: Duncan Ferguson
• Lineup:  Newman; Bray (Thompson 84), W Duffy, Savage, Nolan (Strachan 63), Longstaff, Davidson, Gilmour, Allan (MacLeod 63), MacKinnon, B Mckay
• Subs (not used): Dibaga; Ewan, C Mackay, Ferguson, Brooks
• Scorers: Allan (10), Gilmour (30)
• Booked: Gilmour (52)
• Sent Off: none

[robbo1985]

1 hour ago, snorbens_caleyman said:

Beeb reporting some unusual penalties!

 

"

1'

Goal! Livingston 3(1), Inverness CT 4(1). Andrew Shinnie (Livingston) right footed shot from more than 35 yards to the top right corner.

1'

Goal! Livingston 2(1), Inverness CT 4(1). Charlie Gilmour (Inverness CT) right footed shot from more than 35 yards to the bottom right corner.

1'

Goal! Livingston 2(1), Inverness CT 3(1). Jake Davidson (Inverness CT) right footed shot from more than 35 yards to the high centre of the goal.

"

Haha hope we can get the game replayed. 

[big cherly]

Fair play to the guys today. Gave it their best when few (if any) of our fans gave them any chance of pulling of a victory. The news that a good number of them will be shown the door was also looming over them. 

So I take my bunnet of to you lads. Going out 4-5 on penalties after a 2-2 draw oan a plastic pitch is OK in my book. Hope the journey up the A9 is an easy one! 

Edited October 12, 2024 by big cherly

[tm4tj]

We lost didn't we

 

[The Mantis]

2 hours ago, tm4tj said:

 

---

Date:  12/10/2024  Venue: Almondvale Attendance: **** Referee: Colin Steven
 

Think the attendance was announced as 943.

[STFU]

26 minutes ago, tm4tj said:

We lost didn't we

 

No we drew as Ferguson doesn't pay any attention to penalties in the same way as he doesn't pay attention to league tables.

Is it a midweek replay?

[tm4tj]

Yes

[RiG]

"...plastic pitch..." 

Drink! 

[CaleyCiuin]

Didn’t manage to get to this match, but it sounded like decent performance from those who were there. We took the lead which is something we are not in the habit of doing recently and seemed more up for it than in recent weeks. I did see DF,s post match interview, positive in support of the players, but seems to be resigned to not being able to stay in L1 if admin happens. Surely that’s the very point at which expectations are reduced and it’s a great opportunity to galvanise the team and supporters for the battle of our lives! Not sensing much fighting spirit from him. Maybe he knows he’s off whether it’s his decision or others! 

[tm4tj]

 

[+Fraz]

21 hours ago, RiG said:

"...plastic pitch..." 

Drink! 

It's pathetic

And tedious.  

[Starscape]

7 hours ago, Fraz said:

It's pathetic

And tedious.  

Be fair. We do have a very young squad.

....and we're always on the wrong end of bad referring decisions. No other club suffers from that, so Dunc does have a point.

[bishbashbosh]

23 hours ago, Fraz said:

It's pathetic

And tedious.  

As is the criticism of a manager working for free. 
Not a bad result/ performance against a championship team, 3rd in the league, with a game in hand that a win would take them to second and firm favourites for promotion.

livi second goal was a big error for us when Duffy was either bullied too easily, ducked out of the headed clearance or got a shout to leave the ball, Dunc fault of course.

anyway off now to Hampden to watch Portugal.

kids are excited to be watching CR 07 live, hope he plays.