Montrose away Dec2024

[tm4tj]

Links Park Test

 

It's another away game for the Caley Jags as they head to Links Park, Montrose for another tough fixture on the road in our quest to get closer to the teams above us. We tumbled out of the Cup last weekend at Cove whilst Montrose earned a trip to Hampden, the prize for  beating Peterhead 2-3 at Balmoor Stadium. Scott Kellacher has mounting injury concerns with Defender Remi Savage the latest to be added to the list that already has the names of Jake Davidson, Keith Bray, Charlie Reilly, Connall Ewan and Lewis Nicolson.

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Match/Ticket/Travel/Info

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Last 3 Competitive Meetings are the only relevant ones May (play offs & League1 fixture)

1 - 1 (H)

1 - 0 (H)

0 - 0 (A)

This seasons fixture at the Caledonian Stadium ended all square. New Start Same Problems: The first game after the olde CEO was prized from his oligarchy bubble saw a decent crowd turn out in appreciation of the efforts of Alan Savage to right the wrongs. It won't happen overnight, but the first steps have been taken to put some life back into the ailing Caley Jags. On the park, Musa Dibaga replaced the injured Jack Newman in goal with emergency loan keeper from Clach Martin MacKinnon on the bench. Keith Bray kept his place with Adam Brooks on the bench. Montrose were the visitors and they are a more settled side although Michael Gardyne was suspended with former Inverness youth player Matheus Machado starting. Both teams were looking for their first win of the League campaign. Kane Hester scored after twenty minutes but on the interval Montrose were reduced to ten men when Sean Dillon was sent off. After the break it was one way traffic against the ten men and no surprise when Adam MacKinnon equalised. However the winning goal eluded us and it was a point apiece.
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It was an overcast, breezy and somewhat chilly afternoon with an Autumnal feel about it as the teams emerged from the tunnel, Inverness in their new strip, the visitors in white tops with black shorts. Prior to kick off Captain Billy Mckay was presented with a wee memento on reaching 300 appearances for the Caley Jags, not to mention his 112 goals for the club. The first action saw Keith Bray's shot deflected at the expense of a corner when he spun on the edge of the box and tried to get his shot away in the seventh minute. Twenty minutes in and what a finish for the opening goal. Former Elgin player Kane Hester opened the scoring with a tremendous strike into the top corner from a tight angle after his mis-control seemed to deceive Danny Devine to give the visitors the early advantage. Machado was booked a minute later. Billy Mckay came close to levelling the scores after half an hour when Cammy Gill turned his shot across the keeper onto the post with his fingertips. It was a half littered with fouls and Luis Longstaff shot over ten minutes before the break. Sean Dillon headed over at the other end before he received a second yellow card for a late challenge on Billy Mckay. How dare he on his 300th appearance! That was on the interval to leave the visitors to face the second half a man short but a goal to the good.
HALF TIME: 0-1
Mathew Strachan replaced Flynn Duffy at the start of the second half and Gill denied Longstaff shortly after. The other Duffy was hooked for Callum MacLeod ten minutes into the half and Mckay was again foiled by Gill as he shot from inside the box. It was turning into a procession towards Cammy Gill and Longstaff and Gilmour had a go before Adam Mackinnon equalised just after the hour, drilling home from outside the box. He almost scored a second moments later. Mckay would not find that elusive strike as Gill saved again and Gilmour was blocked before Davidson should have done better at the back post. MacKinnon had another couple of attempts ten minutes from the end and Mckay was denied for the 300th time by the keeper in the top corner. We plugged away until the end but try as we did, the winning goal eluded us and it ended all square.
FULL TIME: 1-1

 

Pos	Team	Pld	Gd	Pts
1	Stenny	15	5	24
2	Kelty Hearts	14	10	22
3	Alloa Ath	15	5	22
4	Arbroath	14	1	22
5	Montrose	15	2	20
6	Cove	15	1	20
7	Queen of Sth	14	-3	18
8	Annan Ath	15	-16	14
9	Inverness CT	14	0	4
10	Dumbarton	15	-5	1

 

Montrose squad last time out at Peterhead. I see that Michael Gardyne is still there along with Kane Hester and Matheus Machado. Plenty experience between the sticks in Cammy Gill and Sean Dillon in defence.

Montrose last six League games: W L L D L W 

Highlights: Wins at Kelty (2-0) & at home to Annan (2-1)

Lowlights: Defeat at home Cove (0-2), QotS away (1-0), Stenny away (1-0)

Meh result: Arbroath at home (1-1)

Last Week: 2-3 win at Peterhead in the Scottish Cup 

 

 

Latest Team News from Inverness CT

INVERNESS CT:  D L D D W D D D L  / W L D W W  That is how our season has gone so far. Scott Kellacher won his last two League games and will be desperate for a third. 

Remi Savage and Keith Bray might make the squad this weekend but it's touch and go.  Jake Davidson, Charlie Reilly, Connall Ewan and Lewis Nicolson are all longer term casualties.

 

 

[IBM]

Just back up the A9 heavy snow from Calvine to Newtonmore and Carrbridge to Tomatin and more forecast through the night so take care anyone travelling 

[+CaleyHedgehog]

Provided that the game goes ahead:

Hope that the casualties have recovered well by today. I have every faith that those 3 points will be ours by teatime. 

C'mon Caley 

[+Moogthurso]

Based on my success of predicting a win using my trademarked scrabble scoring method this weekend i have used my seer like powers in a different way by using predictive yahtzee.

 

I let montrose play first as home team and they managed to get a respectable full house of 3 ×6 +2×4 giving 25 points.

Ict managed to hit a low straight on first roll of 2345 and improved to a high straight on roll 3 with a 6.

So score prediction of  montrose 25 and ict 40 seems a little high but with a bit of rounding and wind disrupted game today maybe it means 2-4 for caley.

Get to the bookies now.

[Yngwie]

2 hours ago, Moogthurso said:

So score prediction of  montrose 25 and ict 40 seems a little high but with a bit of rounding and wind disrupted game today maybe it means 2-4 for caley.

Well Montrose have scored their 2 already, it’s gonna have to be a helluva second half for us to get our 4 

[mazza20]

12 minutes ago, Yngwie said:

Well Montrose have scored their 2 already, it’s gonna have to be a helluva second half for us to get our 4 

Looking at the stats, they've scored from their 2 only shots on target, while we've had 5 ....

[Peleistheman]

See Montrose keeper saved 4 shots.Got to hit the net sometime

[+Moogthurso]

Have faith their gk luck can't continue

 

[KennySim93]

Equaliser!!!  And a few mins left to push for a winner...

[+Moogthurso]

2 more goals cmon

[Peleistheman]

Goal! Paul Allan 2-2

[KennySim93]

GOAL!!! 3-2 WE'VE WON IT!!!

[+Moogthurso]

Yahtzeeeeeeeee!

[Ronaldo]

Thought we were supposed to get 4? Ha ha superb effort boys!

[Peleistheman]

2 minutes ago, Peleistheman said:

Goal! Paul Allan 2-2

Another for Paul Allan  3-2  Brilliant.  Get in

[Yngwie]

1 hour ago, Yngwie said:

Well Montrose have scored their 2 already, it’s gonna have to be a helluva second half for us to get our 4 

Nearly got the 4 but I’ll settle for 3! 

[+Moogthurso]

Well my seer skills were not perfect. 

I was one goal off.

But that was a second half performance we could never have seen under Ferguson.

This team have  

5 minutes ago, Ronaldo said:

Thought we were supposed to get 4? Ha ha superb effort boys!

 

 

[IT86]

That is astounding, i am truly (positively)shocked. Did not see such a positive result coming coming in a million years at 2 nil down.Well done to all the players and management.

[bishbashbosh]

That was a pleasant shock. Going to watch next weeks opponents now. Arbroath v QOS live on bbc alba at 17:30.

storm darragh, 50 mph winds for the remainder of the evening in Arbroath. No need to turn on dick campbell’s wind turbine.

Edited December 7, 2024 by bishbashbosh

[een]

2-0 down, against the run of play and I thought the same old story.

A new manager with a few good results under  his belt, then things begin to sour, that’s how it seemed to me at HT.

Scott K, positive as ever, gets the lads attention at HT and out they come with renewed confidence and completely turns things around, with a little help from a Montrose red card.

This may well be the turning point of the season, coming back from  a two goal deficit and closing the gap on the opposition. A truly great win for the team, management and all the supporters. Onwards and upwards. ️

 

Edited December 7, 2024 by een

[ClickbaitProponent]

We are creating plenty of opportunities, and it would seem, although left until late on, sticking them away. Annan are only 8 points away now and we have a game in hand. Win our game in hand, and then pump Dumbarton and then Annan in January and we could well leap frog Annan. I can see us avoiding the relegation playoffs. What a difference a decent manager makes!

[Robert]

Three in a row (13 points out of 18 too), coming from behind in two of them. That’s the fighting spirit we need and was so badly missing under Ferguson.

We have built some momentum and confidence must be high.

After matches, it’s been clear that the players are a great group and want to do well for us.

Well done to every one of them, plus Kellacher for instilling his beliefs and style into them.

Onwards and upwards!

[Caley Mad In Berks]

Well, we've waited a long time for a result like that.  Sounds like we battered them according to the stats.  Well done lads. Just the pre Xmas tonic we all needed

 

Onwards and upwards

 

[big cherly]

2 minutes ago, een said:

This may well be the turning point of the season, coming back from  two goal deficit and closing the gap on the opposition.

 

Nothing but praise for the team and the result today. Never say die attitude, may it long last. 
A word also to the fans that attended on what can only be the worst weather this season. Well done to both sets and safe journey home. 

[tm4tj]

It's behind you...

Inverness were without Jake Davidson, Charlie Reilly, Connall Ewan, and Lewis Nicolson. Remi Savage started after being injured last week and Keith Bray made the bench. Former Inverness players Michael Gardyne and Matheus Machado started for Montrose. With points at a premium, and despite the Caley Jags creating plenty with Cammy Gill the busier keeper, it was Montrose that went in at the break two goals up. Graeme Webster headed in Michael Gardyne's free kick to open the scoring before Blair Lyons added a second ten minutes before the break. The second half started in the same vein with Inverness pushing to get a goal back but squandering opportunities that came their way. We bucked the trend after the hour when Luis Longstaff drilled in from outside the box. Montrose were reduced to ten men when Steeve's was red carded and a late Paul Allan double saved the day in true pantomime fashion as he scored with a precise shot to take all three points back up the A9.

Oh no he didn't.......Oh yes he did

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Remi Savage took his place in defence but Keith Bray only made it onto the bench. Academy player Ben Gardiner was called into the squad for the first time. James Nolan shot wide early on and Adam MacKinnon brought out a save from Cammy Gill. That would be the order of the day as chances came and went. However, not so for Montrose who took the lead just before the half hour through Webster who headed in a Gardyne free kick. They doubled the lead ten minutes before the break when Lyons fired high into the net from the centre of the box. That apart, the half consisted of missed chances and saves by Cammy Gill who denied Billy Mckay and Adam MacKinnon amongst others.

Half Time: 2-0

The second half was similar to the first with Inverness probing, missing and Gill saving. However he could do nothing to stop Longstaff drilling into the bottom corner after the hour. Game on, and moreso ten minutes later when Steeves received a straight red card. Billy Mckay and Adam Mackinnon were notably denied by keeper Gill and it was all hands to the pumps for Montrose now but they were powerless to stop Paul Allan slotting in an equaliser in the 88th minute. No more than Inverness deserved for their attacking endeavour. However, we weren't finished and absolute limbs in the 94th minute when Paul Allan's shot following a corner ended up in the net for the visitors to snatch a deserved win and three valuable points.

Full Time 2-3 (phew)

A dramatic ending to the game with Paul Allan snatching the win and up until that moment probably the MotM award from Cammy Gill who broke Inverness hearts on at least a dozen occasions throughout the game. When Paul's angled shot ended up in the net, the MotM award was diverted to the Inverness match winner with Gill holding his head in disbelief.

What a comeback. I doubt this would have happened under Duncan Ferguson's tenure. With his negative approach we would have been more likely to take on another couple of defenders and retain possession. Not for Scott Kellacher who continued to drive his team forward and deservedly got all three points at the death. 

 

 

More detail and reaction to follow