Warriors away April2025

[tm4tj]

The Final Countdown

 

As Europe once said, it's the Final Countdown: 3...2...1. We are now into the final three games of our Annus Administratus and it all starts with a tricky fixture at Stenhousemuir, who will be in the promotion play-offs. Another emergency loan goalkeeper will be with Inverness for Saturdays game at Stenhousemuir with Musa Dibaga out with a hamstring injury. Marcus Gill, a youngster from Celtic's B team squad will be in goal with big Musa out injured. Marcus, 17 years-old, has played for Celtic B in the Lowland League and has also featured in the UEFA Youth League this season.  Marcus has also represented Ireland at Under 19's level. What a game to be without two of the three players of the year in Dibaga, and Bavidge. We also have Danny Devine with Gregor Buchanan of Stenhousemuir also in the Team of the Year. (see full team at bottom of preview). We will be keeping a watchful eye on Annan Athletic's game at Galabank against promoted Arbroath...

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Match/Ticket/Bus/Info

Admin: join the debate on CTO

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2025

Apr 19th	League (League 1)	-	A	-
Mar 11th	League (League 1)	4 - 1	H	1,482

2024

Dec 21st	League (League 1)	1 - 0	A	719
Sep 28th	League (League 1)	0 - 0	H	1,601

Only this seasons games are relevant to current form as the previous eight games were prior to 1999 apart from a League Cup game in 2012: A dramatic penalty shootout was concluded when Ryan Esson saved Darren Smith's penalty to win the tie for Inverness 6-5 on penalties after a 1-1 draw where Billy Mckay headed in the opener before Brown Ferguson equalised from the spot before the break.
Richie Foran miss 0-1 Brown Ferguson score
Graeme Shinnie score 1-2 Andy Rodgers score
Gavin Morrison score 2-2 Bryan Hodge miss
Aaron Doran score 3-3 John Gemmell score
Andrew Shinnie score 4-4 Ross McMillan score
Ross Draper score 5-5 Stewart Kean score
Philip Roberts score 6-5 Darren Smith miss
ICT WIN.

INVERNESS CT  The Season So Far

D L  D  D W D D D L   / W L  D W W W L  W L  

W W L W W L W D W / W L  D L  W L  

Since Scott Kellacher was handed the reins in game 11, there has been a more positive approach to our matches which has resulted in improved performances and a more enjoyable matchday experience all round. Alas we were brought back to earth with a disappointing result in our last game of 2024, a crushing 1-4 defeat at home to Cove Rangers. We'll have to put that one down to a bad day at the office. However, we bounced back in our first game of the second half of the season in the six pointer against Dumbarton with a hard fought 2-0 win. That win over Dumbarton was a vital one and the introduction of Alfie Bavidge was a welcome one as he opened the scoring early in the first half. Charlie Gilmour slotted in the clincher in the second half to give us a cushion over the Sons and to narrow the gap on Annan to seven points. We took part in the only League1 game the next weekend and came away from Annan with a resounding 3-0 win, Alfie Bavidge netting again with Keith Bray and then Billy Mckay from the spot.  It was then on to Palmerston on the Tuesday night but in a five goal encounter we went down 3-2. Alfie Bavidge notched his third goal in three games and Keith Bray added a second but goals from Adam Brooks (2) and Jordan Allan kept the points in Dumfries. We bounced back with a resilient 1-2 win at Alloa in our third away game on the bounce, Dunfermline bound Keith Bray with his fourth of the season and Alfie Stewart. We got our revenge at home to QotS (1-0) with Alfie Bavidge scoring his fourth goal in five appearances. Alas it was a bridge too far at Arbroath and we went down losing three without reply. The Stenhousemuir fixture was postponed and was re-arranged for March 11th. We went to Kelty and came away with a narrow 1-0 win thanks to Alfie's 5th goal in 7 appearances. Montrose proved to be stubborn opponents and it took a superb diving header from Keith Bray to rescue a point in a rather turgid encounter after Sandilands had opened the scoring in the first half. A last gasp win at Dumbarton on the Saturday with Alfie Bavidge scoring his 6th goal in 9 games. Unfortunately Alfie was injured early on against Stenhousemuir in midweek but that didn't stop us running up a 4-1 win with goals from Brannan, Gilmour, Bray and Allan. Annan came North on Saturday in a six-pointer and it was a disappointing defeat after Annan parked the bus after scoring in the third minute. Next up was a 1-1 draw with Alloa despite hitting the woodwork twice and missing a penalty. Another bad day at the office last weekend at a wet and windswept Palmerston after Queen of the South blitzed us with three second half goals to run away with a 4-1 win in Dumfries. Meh! We bounced back with a rout of our own as a Keith Bray hat-trick sunk Cove Rangers 3-0 at Balmoral Park. What a result that was! Despite what could have been a joyous occasion in front of our home fans after that great result at Cove, we once again failed to produce at the Caledonian Stadium going down 2-0 to Kelty in a six-pointer of a game. It's one step forward and two steps back as we crawl towards relative safety.

Latest Team News:  Musa Dibaga is out with a hamstring injury. Marcus Gill, a youngster from Celtic's B team squad will be in goal with big Musa out and depending on the result of his scan, it could be for the remaining games. No other known new injuries at present.

Pos	Team	Pld	Gd	Pts
1	Arbroath	33	23	63
2	Cove	33	16	52
3	Stenny	33	4	49
4	Queen Sth	33	1	48
5	Alloa Ath	33	8	47
6	Kelty	33	-5	40
7	Montrose	33	-6	39
8	Caley Jags	33	2	36
9	Annan Ath	33	-27	33
10	Sons	33	-16	16

___________________________________________________________________________________________________

Last Six: 

L  D  D L  L  L  

Six games ago we beat Stenny in a re-arranged fixture at the Caledonian Stadium in our finest home game of the season, a crushing 4-1 win. Two 0-0 draws followed against Kelty and Cove then a slump in the last three at home v Montrose (2-3), home v Alloa (1-4) and last weeks title winning defeat at Arbroath (4-0). There are goal scorers in the side though with Corey O'Donnell on 9 and Blair Alston on 8. Yates and Aitken were prominent before injury and big Nat Wedderburn is still there.

 

 

 

 

 

 

𝘼𝙨 𝙫𝙤𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙗𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙮𝙚𝙧𝙨…

Musa Dibaga – Inverness

Scott Taggart – Alloa Ath
Gregor Buchanan – Stenny
Thomas O’Brien – Arbroath
Danny Devine – Inverness

Ross Cunningham – Kelty
Fraser Taylor – Arbroath
Fraser Fyvie – Cove 

Scott Stewart – Arbroath
Mitchel Megginson – Cove
Alfie Bavidge – Inverness

 

Warriors v Caley Jags

In 1928, the wooden grandstand at Ochilview Park burnt down in a fire, which led to a new stand being built in its place, although staircases reputedly had to be added later due to planning errors. (was Scot Gardiner in charge) The 1936–37 season saw the club register a record victory:  9–2 home win against Dundee United. More than a decade later in 1949–50, a Scottish Cup quarter-final tie against East Fife drew a record crowd of 12,525 – the highest ever at Ochilview Park. On 7 November 1951, the first floodlit game between two Scottish senior teams occurred at Ochilview Park, a friendly match between Stenhousemuir and Hibs The floodlights had been paid for three years earlier by Tommy Douglas, a butcher in King Street, Stenhousemuir.

<<Info from Wikipedia>>

 

 

 

 

 

[IBM]

I am thinking rabbit and hat again it worked for our last away game   good luck to the team and I hope the travelling support have a great day.

[tm4tj]

Footage of that fire in 1928 has been found on the butchers mobile phone. It's a bit grainy but you can see the Warriors trying to dowse the flames and a petrol can with the initials SG on it can be seen close to the heart of the flames. Some locals were said to have entered the stadium unauthorised with a loaf of bread, a tub of lurpak and a tin of beans as they tried to feed the weans on the cheap before they were water bombed by the alert Warriors.

[IBM]

You are having great fun with this AI  I think the P&J are using it as well and the editor not checking recently!

[+snorbens_caleyman]

46 minutes ago, tm4tj said:

Some locals were said to have entered the stadium unauthorised with a loaf of bread, a tub of lurpak and a tin of beans as they tried to feed the weans on the cheap before they were water bombed by the alert Warriors.

Oi! That's my wife's family that you are talking about 

What the **** did you feed it to end up with hypodermics stuck into the Ochils???

And you missed out the smell from the McCowans toffee factory next door.  Now sadly closed down.  Could always tell when they were making raspberry.

[IBM]

18 minutes ago, snorbens_caleyman said:

Oi! That's my wife's family that you are talking about 

What the **** did you feed it to end up with hypodermics stuck into the Ochils???

And you missed out the smell from the McCowans toffee factory next door.  Now sadly closed down.  Could always tell when they were making raspberry.

I hope your wife is not on the forum snorbens  

[bishbashbosh]

Sitting here having my brekkie waiting to head off to stenny. Posing myself the question, why have we not tried to get the Celtic keeper, aiden rice again, who we got on emergency loan when musa was away on international duty.

we have gone for a 17 year old from Celtic instead, same age as our keeper. That would suggest to me that kellacher will be using him as back up to our boy.? 

but I will give way to your preview tm4tj, excellent as ever, you say he is playing who am I to differ.

Ps….. i think we will need more than one rabbit out of the hat to get something out of todays game.

edit: had a think, usually a club loaning a player do so if there is an agreement that their player plays. So I will go with you Donnie, the Celtic 17 year old plays.

Edited April 19 by bishbashbosh

[big cherly]

Stenny has been on a terrible run so their confidence will be brittle. That said we have been erratic lately. All I want is ICT to come back up the A9 with at least a point. Don’t care how it’s done.
Expect Annan to be done over by Arbroath so a point for us would ease the pressure.
bc

[bishbashbosh]

28 minutes ago, big cherly said:

Stenny has been on a terrible run so their confidence will be brittle. That said we have been erratic lately. All I want is ICT to come back up the A9 with at least a point. Don’t care how it’s done.
Expect Annan to be done over by Arbroath so a point for us would ease the pressure.
bc

Said before on another thread, and I hope I am wrong ( get it in myself before someone else says it, Again?) Arbroath will play some squad players till end of season to see what they are keeping/letting go for championship football next year. Even if they play their first team will the players give it a real go after a long season of playing footie and working full time jobs. I think only ict and QOS are full time in league this season, but then again I me be wrong.

hope for an Arbroath win though today and they take it easy next week.

ps.. something in my head tells me in the relegation battle between QP and us last season they got a couple of unexpected results against teams who should have beaten them but the teams decided to play fringe players as they were safe.

Edited April 19 by bishbashbosh

[The Mantis]

We had our own AI back in the day- it was called Kodachrome. Here’s a shot from my first visit to Ochilview in 1992. Stenny 1 Caley 4. The old stand was on the opposite side from now. I think two of the figures in the foreground are Lewis MacDonald and his dad Ken.
See you there.

[Robert]

2 hours ago, bishbashbosh said:

Sitting here having my brekkie waiting to head off to stenny. Posing myself the question, why have we not tried to get the Celtic keeper, aiden rice again, who we got on emergency loan when musa was away on international duty.

we have gone for a 17 year old from Celtic instead, same age as our keeper. That would suggest to me that kellacher will be using him as back up to our boy.? 

but I will give way to your preview tm4tj, excellent as ever, you say he is playing who am I to differ.

Ps….. i think we will need more than one rabbit out of the hat to get something out of todays game.

edit: had a think, usually a club loaning a player do so if there is an agreement that their player plays. So I will go with you Donnie, the Celtic 17 year old plays.

Rice is not available as he’s back up for their first team goalies due to Schmeichel being injured.

[Robert]

Not sure what I expect this afternoon.

Both teams are on poor runs and we’ve done well against them this season.

I’m hoping for three points, but not that confident we will get them. 

[Charles Bannerman]

4 hours ago, bishbashbosh said:

Sitting here having my brekkie waiting to head off to stenny. Posing myself the question, why have we not tried to get the Celtic keeper, aiden rice again, who we got on emergency loan when musa was away on international duty.

we have gone for a 17 year old from Celtic instead, same age as our keeper. That would suggest to me that kellacher will be using him as back up to our boy.? 

but I will give way to your preview tm4tj, excellent as ever, you say he is playing who am I to differ.

Ps….. i think we will need more than one rabbit out of the hat to get something out of todays game.

edit: had a think, usually a club loaning a player do so if there is an agreement that their player plays. So I will go with you Donnie, the Celtic 17 year old plays.

Apparently since he did the turn for ICT, he’s been advanced to Celtic’s first team squad and is no longer available for loan.

[Charles Bannerman]

4 hours ago, big cherly said:

Stenny has been on a terrible run so their confidence will be brittle. That said we have been erratic lately. All I want is ICT to come back up the A9 with at least a point. Don’t care how it’s done.
Expect Annan to be done over by Arbroath so a point for us would ease the pressure.
bc

If you are correct about Annan being done over by Arbroath (who on the other hand may be in beachball mode) then the difference between one point and all three for ICT would be enormous since a win would effectively secure safety by a minimum of goal difference.

[tm4tj]

Starting

Yates

Aitken

Wedderburn

Benched

Alston

O'Donnell

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In Goal

Gill

One Back

Longstaff 

[CELTIC1CALEY3]

...Longstaff...

[tm4tj]

As for the Smokies, looks like a skeleton team today

Flynn captains the team  McConnell, King, Steele, Gallagher, Watson, Murray, McKechnie and Spalding start Hamilton misses out through injury.

Nonetheless, Billy King has just opened the scoring...

[Robert]

Arbroath 1 up at Annan. 

[Robert]

13 minutes ago, Robert said:

Arbroath 1 up at Annan. 

Not any more unfortunately. 1-1. 

[CELTIC1CALEY3]

Annan walking it 2-1.

[KennySim93]

I don’t like where this is going…

[caley100]

HT     0  0   67% Possetion and no shots on target.. mmmm   

We really need to win this.

[tm4tj]

Is that eight Arbroath players starting today, including the keeper, who would normally be on the bench?

Disgusting to be honest.

[RednBlackComeback]

32 minutes ago, tm4tj said:

As for the Smokies, looks like a skeleton team today

Flynn captains the team  McConnell, King, Steele, Gallagher, Watson, Murray, McKechnie and Spalding start Hamilton misses out through injury.

Nonetheless, Billy King has just opened the scoring...

Bet it’s not a skeleton team they play next week !

[+Moogthurso]

I am now really nervous.