Inverness Caley Thistle 1 Dunfermline 2
Tuesday, 14th Aug 2018Irn Bru Cup (North) First Round: eleven changes for team to play at Tulloch Caledonian Stadium. Higginbotham penalty (24) 0-1: Jordan White (61) 1-1: Calum Smith (87) 1-2:
For the trip to Inverness Allan Johnston fulfilled his promise to field a side of young boys and experienced players requiring game time. There were eleven changes from the side that faced Ross County on Saturday meaning Tom Beadling returned to start his first match since 7th April.
The last time the Pars made eleven changes to their starting eleven was in May 2014 and that day they drew 1-1 in League One with Rangers.
Andy Ryan, Calum Smith, Aidan Connolly and Lewis McCann made their first competitive starts of the season. There were five starting debuts - Paul Allan, Brandon Luke, Matthew Todd, Lewis McCann and Stuart Morrison. Six teenagers and a team with an average age of under 21.
ICT manager John Robertson made seven changes to his starting eleven handing starts to all seven of his subs from Saturday at home to Ayr. Retaining their places were former Pars Shaun Rooney and Brad Mackay, Liam Polworth and Charlie Trafford. That meant starting debuts for Daniel Mackay and Jamie McCart.
The visitors kicked off against the Irn Bru Cup holders attacking the goal at the Kessock Bridge end. The opening minutes saw the Pars enjoy possession and play in front of the opposition goal but a break by Mackay raised the hopes of the home fans and they were awarded a fifth minute free kick 30 yards out. Liam Polworth fired over the ball and it was headed narrowly wide for a goal kick. Minutes later Mackay was on the end of a cross from the left but sent his effort wide of the near post.
Inverness CT 1-2 Dunfermline
Tue, 14th Aug 2018
Aidan Connolly looked really lively as he dropped back to halfway and he earned a free kick that Allan prodded up for Ryan on the right but he could not control. The Fifers forced an eleventh minute corner, Connolly took that short on the left to skipper Kallum Higginbotham but the cross was too strong.
Cammy Gill had to be out fast to collect a long ball from McKay and as Smith and then Ryan won possession in the final third, the visitors were a bit unlucky with their final ball. Higginbotham ran out of field when he tried to force a route up the right but in 19th minute it was Caley who got the next shot at goal, Mackay sending his shot over the bar from 20 yards out.
Keeper Daniel Hoban held a Higginbotham cross and almost immediately after that was diving at full stretch to turn a Ryan attempt around his right hand post. Connolly sent the ball in from the corner but the Pars were penalised for too strenuously attacking the cross.
Midway through the first half Connolly who had this far been a real aggravation to Caley Thistle dispossessed Trafford midway inside the opposition half, he slipped the ball forward to Ryan to his left and McKay brought the striker down on the edge of the box. Referee Alan Muir stunned the home fans by pointing to the spot. After McKay was shown yellow Kallum HIGGINBOTHAM trotted up and crashed the ball home into the left side of the net. 0-1
Gill dived forward to hold a powerful Polworth cross on the half hour. Mackay then set up Doran to his left but Allan blocked the shot at the edge of the box. A Riccardo Calder cross was cleared by Todd and Caley took a quick free kick after Morrison cut down White but Polworth overhit the cross.
A Caley Thistle corner in 37 minutes was headed over Gill’s crossbar before Welsh, McKay and Calder completed long cross field passes punctuated with a delivery into the box that Todd intercepted.
Four minutes from the break Connolly’s cross was headed back out by McKay, Higginbotham drove the ball and it was going wide left until Ryan put his head on it to test Hoban. Next Luke got forward and he too tested the lime green keeper but again he held.
Half time: Inverness Caley Thistle 0 Dunfermline 1
Within two minutes of the restart the Fifers were denied a second as Calder cleared off the line. The chance came after Ryan smashed a high shot on target that the keeper could only take the sting out of.
Dunfermline kept up the pressure and the home fans grew increasingly frustrated as their side failed to make much headway going forward. The ICT management reacted with a double substitution in 55 minutes, George Oakley and Tom Walsh replacing Daniel Mackay and Charlie Trafford.
Next danger came from the home side from a Walsh cross that Morrison diverted over his own crossbar and Caley came close from the corner, a header going narrowly wide right. In 59 minutes Morrison tracked Oakley but Calder gathered the defended ball and raced in on the left side of the Pars box. The cross came in and Doran met it but sent his header wide.
There had certainly been an injection of urgency since the substitutions and that paid off when Calder’s cross from the left was glanced home in 61 minutes by the former Pars youth WHITE. 1-1
Gill was forced into a fine save low to his left at the midpoint of the second half when Walsh struck a good attempt from 20 yards out. A Pars corner in 69 minutes found no black and white shirts and Caley cleared. Gill was again tested by Walsh from just outside the box and he stopped the powerfully struck ball and then dived on top of it.
Allan blocked a fierce attempt by Doran and then in 72 minutes Morrison again headed over his own bar from a Calder delivery. Five minutes past before Walsh put in another great effort and this time Allan performed the heroics in keeping him out. Morrison headed behind a Walsh cross to hand the Highlanders a corner on the right. A second followed after the ball was turned behind and next time Gill was able to clear.
Inside the final ten minutes Connolly and then Higginbotham worked the ball forward and McCann was a shade unlucky as the ball ricocheted about the box. Gill punched clear an 83rd minute corner after Morrison had blocked another Oakley shot.
Next minute Gill dived to the base of his right hand post to miraculously keep Walsh’s shot out. It had been a sustained period of attack on the Fifers` goal but in 87 minutes they were to score what turned out to be the winner. Ryan gathered the ball on the left, cut inside and nicked the ball back for the in-running SMITH to sweep past Hoban. 1-2
In 90 minutes Rooney sent the ball into the Pars six yard box but Oakley’s header was deflected over the bar. Gill then had to fist another dangerous ball away and Calder crashed a final chance over the top.
After eight trips to Inverness at last a win, the first there for Dunfermline since 2007. Well done to this primarily young inexperienced side.
SUBS NOT USED: Jack Brown, Cameron Harper, Ryan Fyffe, Roddy Kennedy, Cammy Mackay (GK)
SCORERS: White (61)
YELLOW CARD: McKay (24), Rooney (34), Welsh (39)
DUNFERMLINE: Cammy Gill: Paul Allan, Stuart Morrison, Tom Beadling (Gregor Jordan 63), Brandon Luke: Kallum Higginbotham (c), Matty Todd, Aidan Connolly, Calum Smith (Josh Robertson 90+1), Andy Ryan, Lewis McCann
SUBS NOT USED: Kieran Swanson, Lewis Crosbie, Paul Brown, Lewis Sawers, Craig Burt (GK)
SCORERS: Higginbotham (24 pen.), Smith (87)
YELLOW CARD: McCann (64)
REFEREE: Alan Muir
WEATHER: Clear 18C
ATTENDANCE 1046
NEXT MATCH: Betfred Cup Second Round: (home) v Hearts, Saturday 18th August 2108, kick off 3.00pm at East End Park.
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Preview Inverness Caley Thistle
Tuesday, 14th Aug 2018Irn Bru Cup First Round (away): Tuesday 14th August 2014, kick off 7.45pm at the Tulloch Caledonian Stadium
Dunfermline travel north on Tuesday to meet the holders in the Irn Bru Cup. This is a quick return to the Tulloch Caledonian Stadium after Allan Johnston’s men scored a late late goal there in April to dent the Highlanders play off hopes.
Most Pars fans will remember fondly a cup victory over Inverness - the Scottish Cup Semi Final replay at Pittodrie in 2004. Sadly that is the only cup win in six ties.
Inverness has not been Pars favourite hunting ground either but Nicky Clark’s equaliser in the fifth minute of added time felt like a win.
Athletic have only twice travelled back down the A9 with a league win under their belts, in April 2000 and March 2007. That last Pars win at Inverness on St Patrick`s Day 2007, was Stephen Kenny`s first league win in 16 attempts.
This is just Dunfermline’s third match in Inverness since May 2012. The two Championship games there last season saw Caley Thistle win by the only goal of the game, the match in April ended 2-2.
Milestones Inverness Caledonian Thistle (Away)
Last League Victory: 17/03/07: 3-1 SPL
Last League Defeat: 28/10/17: 0-1 Championship
Best League Victory: 22/04/00 2-1 Sc Div 1
Worst League Defeats: 15/08/04 & 29/01/05 0-2 SPL
Last Goalless Draw: 03/05/12: 0-0 Premier League
First visit: 23/10/99: 1-1 Sc Div 1
Last 12 matches v Inverness Caley Thistle
21/04/18: (A) 2-2 [1-0] Ryan, [1-1] Chalmers, [1-2] Austin, [2-2] Clark
13/03/18: (H) 1-0 [1-0] Craigen.
28/10/17: (A) 0-1 [0-1] Bell.
12/08/17: (H) 5-1 [1-0] Smith, [2-0] Ashcroft, [2-1] Vigurs, [3-1] Cardle, [4-1] Hopkirk, [5-1] Cardle.
26/07/16: (H) 1-5 [0-1] Vigurs, [1-1] Geggan, [1-2] Vigurs, [1-3] King, [1-4] Vigurs, [1-5] Tremarco
18/02/12: (H) 1-1 [1-0] Cardle, [1-1] Ross.
18/01/12: (H) 1-3 [1-0] Barrowman, [1-1] Hayes, [1-2] Shinnie, [1-3] Tansey
07/01/12: (A) 1-1 [1-0] Barrowman, [1-1] Hayes
22/10/11: (A) 1-1 [0-1] Tade, [1-1] Buchanan (pen.)
06/08/11: (H) 3-3 [1-0] Kirk, [1-1] Tansey, [2-1] Kirk. [2-2] Hayes, [2-3] Tansey, [3-3] Hardie.
17/04/10: (A) 0-2 [1-0] Rooney, [2-0] Foran.
19/12/09: (H) 0-0
17/10/09: (A) 1-1 [0-1] Proctor, [1-1] Kirk.
08/08/09: (H) 0-1 [0-1] Cox.
Last time at the Caledonian Stadium
Inverness Caley Thistle 2 Dunfermline 2
Championship Saturday 21st April 2018
The perseverance of Lewis Martin earned the Pars the 12th minute opener. The left back hung on to possession up the left and laid the ball back for RYAN to hit the net from 12 yards out. 0-1
The lead lasted all of four minutes. Oakley first missed a chance that looked easier to convert but when Lee Ashcroft conceded a 16th minute free kick some 25 yards out, Joe CHALMERS stepped up and hit the ball low into the bottom right corner. 1-1
Three minutes into the second half a strong run by AUSTIN that left Ashcroft in his wake let the striker in to net from 16 yards. 2-1
In the fifth minute of added time Joe Cardle swept a free kick in from the right and CLARK got the touch to send the travelling support delirious. 2-2
INVERNESS CALEY THISTLE: Mark Ridgers: Collin Seedorf, Brad McKay, Coll Donaldson, Carl Tremarco (c), Liam Polworth, Joe Chalmers, Aaron Doran (Riccardo Calder 90), Charlie Trafford, Nathan Austin (Daniel Mackay 60), George Oakley.
SUBS NOT USED: Connor Bell, Jake Mulraney, Jack Brown, Zach Elbouzedi, Ryan Esson (GK).
DUNFERMLINE: Lee Robinson: Ryan Williamson, Jean-Yves M’Voto, Lee Ashcroft, Lewis Martin: Kallum Higginbotham(Declan McManus 66), James Vincent, James Craigen (Callum Morris 90), Fraser Aird (Joe Cardle 60): Andy Ryan, Nicky Clark (c).
SUBS NOT USED: Dan Armstrong, Nat Wedderburn, Jason Talbot, Cammy Gill (GK)
Form this season
Dunfermline’s defeat to Ross County was their first in six matches this season. If it wasn’t for their Betfred Cup trip to Tynecastle, Caley Thistle would be unbeaten in their last eighteen games since losing to the Pars at East End Park in March.
DUNFERMLINE
Ross County (H) L 1-3
Dundee United (A) W 3-2
Stirling Albion (H) W 3-1
Brechin City (A) W 7-1
Dundee (A) W 1-0
Peterhead (H) W 3-0
INVERNESS CALEY THISTLE
Ayr United (H) D 0-0
Falkirk (A) W 1-0
Hearts (A) L 0-5
Raith Rovers (H) 2-1
Cowdenbeath (A) W 5-2
Cove Rangers (H) W 2-0
Last time out
DUNFERMLINE (v Ross County):Lee Robinson: Lee Ashcroft (c), Mark Durnan, Jackson Longridge: Ryan Williamson (Kallum Higginbotham 66), Joe Thomson (Aidan Connolly 79), James Vincent, Louis Longridge, James Craigen: Faissal El Bakhtaoui, Myles Hippolyte (Andy Ryan 79)
SUBS NOT USED: Matthew Todd, Callum Smith, Lewis McCann, Cammy Gill (GK)
INVERNESS CALEY THISTLE (v Ayr United): Mark Rodgers: Shaun Rooney, Brad MacKay, Coll Donaldson, Carl Tremarco: Liam Polworth, Joe Chalmers, Tom Walsh (Aaron Doran Cogan 70), Charlie Trafford (Daniel Mackay 68), Nathan Austin (Jordan White 59), George Oakley.
SUBS NOT USED: Jamie McCart, Riccardo Calder, Sean Welsh,
Dunfermline Athletic manager Allan Johnston has given warning that he will be fielding a team of fringe and young players in this Irn Bru Cup match.
Other Irn Bru Cup ties
The draw was regionalised but not seeded and is as follows:-
North Section
LIVINGSTON COLTS v FORFAR ATHLETIC
DUNDEE COLTS v HIBERNIAN COLTS
INVERURIE LOCO WORKS or FRASERBURGH v FORMARTINE UNITED
PETERHEAD v BRECHIN CITY
HEART OF MIDLOTHIAN COLTS v ROSS COUNTY
ELGIN CITY v ARBROATH
DUNDEE UNITED v ST. JOHNSTONE COLTS
RAITH ROVERS v ABERDEEN COLTS
ALLOA ATHLETIC v STIRLING ALBION
COVE RANGERS v MONTROSE
COWDENBEATH v EAST FIFE
South Section
EAST KILBRIDE v SPARTANS
QUEEN’S PARK v AYR UNITED
STENHOUSEMUIR v QUEEN OF THE SOUTH
HAMILTON ACADEMICAL COLTS v CLYDE
KILMARNOCK COLTS v ST. MIRREN COLTS
BSC GLASGOW or EAST STIRLINGSHIRE v MOTHERWELL COLTS
ANNAN ATHLETIC v CELTIC COLTS
EDINBURGH CITY v ALBION ROVERS
STRANRAER v PARTICK THISTLE
DUMBARTON v MORTON
BERWICK RANGERS v AIRDRIEONIANS
RANGERS COLTS v FALKIRK
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