Inverness CT 2 Dunfermline 2

Tuesday, 30th Oct 2018

Ladbrokes Championship: five changes to the starting eleven at Tulloch Caledonian Stadium: Aidan Keena (10) 0-1: Riccardo Calder (20) 1-1: Aidan Keena (29) 1-2: Jordan White (34) 2-2:

Dunfermline travelled north in hope of their first league win in the Tulloch Caledonian Stadium since March 2007. To take the three points they would need to end John Robertson’s side’s 21 League match unbeaten record.

Manager Allan Johnston made five changes, three enforced- Tom Beadling, James Vincent and Louis Longridge plus Ryan Williamson and Faissal El Bakhtaoui placed on the bench. In came Andy Ryan, Aidan Connolly, Malaury Martin, Joe Thomson and Aidan Keena for his first start for the club.

For Inverness Caley Thistle, their boss John Robertson made four changes from the side that drew at Alloa on Saturday. He was without Carl Tremarco and he relegated to the bench, Joe Chalmers, Jamie McCart and Aaron Doran to make room for Coll Donaldson, Riccardo Calder, Charlie Trafford and 17 year old Daniel Mackay who was making his first league start.

The Caley Thistle side included two former Pars players, Shaun Rooney and Jordan White. The home side kicked off attacking the goal at the away end after a minutes silence in respect for the Leicester owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha and those killed in the Leicester City helicopter crash.

Lee Robinson was in action after just one minute coming out swiftly to dive at the feet of MacKay who had run on to a through ball from Liam Polwarth. The Pars first attempt came after a Martin free kick was headed out and Thomson tried his luck from 25 yards out only to be blocked.

Then in nine minutes Myles Hippolyte tested Mark Ridgers who kept the ball out with his knees. Next minute Hippolyte accepted a misplaced pass from Welsh on half way and again burst down the right and his pass to the left was accepted by KEENA who showed great composure to net low to the keeper’s left. Great celebration 0-1

White had an effort cleared off the line before Caley were awarded a free kick that earned James Craigen an 13th minute yellow card. The setpiece was defended before the Fifers broke again two minutes later and this time Connolly picked out Keena who was denied when Sean Welsh got back.

Next Jackson Longridge sent a long ball up field that Keena was unlucky to get sufficient control of. Inverness hit back however on 20 minutes when CALDER ran on to a long diagonal from Rooney to net all too easily from the left side of the Pars box. 1-1

Two minutes later Connolly fed Ryan the ball on the right side 25 yards out but his shot went wide right. White tested Robinson again on 28 minutes as play switched from end to end.

In 24 minutes Calder’s loose ball found Martin and when he picked out Keena in the right side of the box, the loanee spun and set himself up for a nice left footed shot that Ridgers stretched to his right to save. Then a pass inside from Connolly led to an opportunists strike out of the blue from KEENA, from some 35 yards out his effort sailed into the top right of the Caley net. 1-2

The teams were back on level terms five minutes later when Tom Walsh was able to get a low cross in from the right and it was met by WHITE who turned the ball in from six yards out. 2-2

On 45 minutes Thomson broke and then was cleverly fed the ball back from Martin on the overlap. His cross from the right byeline was turned behind by the home defence denying Keena to take the opportunity to net a first half hat trick.

It was an exciting first half that kept the hardly fans minds off the freezing cold temperature. Nine shots on target and four goals. Bring on the second half.

Half time: Inverness Caley Thistle 2 Dunfermline 2

After just two minutes Ryan required the physio to treat his right ankle but he returned moments later. Keena picked up a knock as well in 53rd minute although he did not stop. A Caley corner in 54 minutes was headed behind by White and it began to look by the number of slips that the surface was possibly icing up.

On the hour Hippolyte threatened as he rounded Calder but the defender recovered and shielded the ball behind for a bye kick. Sean Welsh then took the feet from Ryan as he burst clear to see yellow but Martin swept the free kick over everyone and out on the right for a goal kick.

A Pars corner midway through the half was sent over from the right by Martin, Devine got his head to it but the back travelled on to Connolly on the left and when he was fouled, Martin curled the set piece towards the goal that Ridgers held.

Both sides committed subs with twenty minutes remaining, Joe Chalmers and Nathan Austin replacing Charlie Trafford and Tom Walsh. The Pars withdrew Andy Ryan to introduce Faissal El Bakhtaoui.

In 77 minutes Calder took down Keena 20 yards out and Connolly assumed responsibility from the free kick and it was kept out by the crossbar. At the other end Calder sent a rocket towards goal but the effort was deflected behind off sub Nathan Austin.

Pars sub Robbie Muirhead had an 83rd minute chance of glory after Longridge raced down the left after Connolly was sacked by his marker. The left back picked out El Bakhtaoui on the edge of the box who laid it off to his right but the striker’s shot was blazed over the crossbar.

Martin chipped an 88th minute cross to El Bakhtaoui on the edge of the Caley box but the offside flag was raised. Next minute a Hippolyte free kick 28 yards out was driven low into the defensive wall but it was to end all square. The sixth successive draw for the Highlanders.

It was a much improved performance from the Pars. They created more chances than of late and the players who came into the side took their chance really well.

INVERNESS CT: Mark Ridgers: Shaun Rooney, Brad McKay, Coll Donaldson, Riccardo Calder: Liam Polworth (Aaron Doran Cogan 74), Charlie Trafford (Nathan Austin 70, Tom Walsh (Joe Chalmers 70), Sean Welsh (c), Jordan White, Daniel Mackay.
SUBS NOT USED: Jamie McCart, Roddy McGregor, George Oakley, Daniel Hoban (GK).
SCORERS: Calder (20), White (34)
YELLOW CARD: Welsh (62)

DUNFERMLINE: Lee Robinson: James Craigen, Lee Ashcroft (c), Danny Devine, Jackson Longridge: Aidan Connolly, Malaury Martin, Joe Thomson, Myles Hippolyte: Andy Ryan (Faissal El Bakhtaoui 70), Aidan Keena (Robbie Muirhead 81).
SUBS NOT USED: Ryan Williamson, Lewis Martin, Kallum Higginbotham, Lewis McCann, Cammy Gill (GK)
SCORERS: Keena (10, 29)
YELLOW CARD: Craigen (13)

REFEREE: Barry Cook
WEATHER: Clear 1C
ATTENDANCE 1994

NEXT MATCH: Ladbrokes Championship (away) v Alloa Athletic, Saturday 3rd November 2018, kick off 3.00pm at the Indodrill Stadium

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Match Photos To Follow.

Preview Inverness CT

Tuesday, 30th Oct 2018

Ladbrokes Championship (away) Tuesday 30th October 2018, 7.45pm kick off at Tulloch Caledonian Stadium

It’s a funny thing but whenever Dunfermline are scheduled to play a midweek game on dark, cold nights, it invariably seems to involve a trip to the farthest flung places. Tuesday night’s crucial game against Inverness is no different.

October will not be out but by the time it is, Dunfermline will have faced Inverness Caley Thistle three times. This is a quick return to the Tulloch Caledonian Stadium after Allan Johnston’s young side knocked the holders out of this season’s Irn Bru Challenge Cup in August. Since then however the Highlanders left East End Park with a 3-0 victory.

Inverness has not been Pars favourite hunting ground either but in April Nicky Clark’s equaliser in the fifth minute of added time made a 2-2 scoreline feel 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 league win at Inverness on St Patrick`s Day 2007, was Stephen Kenny`s first league win in 16 attempts.

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

The last dozen league matches have seen two Dunfermline wins, six draws and four Caley Thistle wins.

Last 12 League matches v Inverness Caley Thistle
01/09/18: (H) 0-3 [0-1] Rooney, [0-2] Polworth, [0-3] Oakley
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.
18/02/12: (H) 1-1 [1-0] Cardle, [1-1] Ross.
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 1 Dunfermline 2
Irn Bru Challenge Cup, Tuesday 14th August

After eight trips to Inverness at last a win and it was well done to this primarily young and inexperienced side.

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

The ICT management made a double substitution in 55 minutes, George Oakley and Tom Walsh replacing Daniel Mackay and Charlie Trafford. This gave an injection of much need urgency that paid off when Calder’s cross from the left was glanced home in 61 minutes by the former Pars youth WHITE. 1-1

There was 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

INVERNESS CALEY THISTLE: Daniel Hoban: Shaun Rooney, Brad MacKay, Jamie McCart: Riccardo Calder: Liam Polworth, Sean Welsh, Charlie Trafford (Tom Walsh 55): Aaron Doran (c), Jordan White, Daniel Mackay (George Oakley 55)
SUBS NOT USED: Jack Brown, Cameron Harper, Ryan Fyffe, Roddy Kennedy, Cammy Mackay (GK)

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)

Inverness have now gone 21 league games without defeat. On the plus side on 13th March, Dunfermline were the last team to register a league win over them and on 14th August Dunfermline were the last team to beat them.

Form Last Six Matches

DUNFERMLINE
Dundee United (H) 0-2
Queen of the South (H) L 0-1
Alloa Athletic (H) D 2-2
Falkirk (A) W 2-0
Partick Thistle (H) W 1-0
Morton (A) D 1-1

INVERNESS
Alloa Athletic (A) D 0-0
Dundee United (A) D 1-1
Morton (H) D 1-1
Queen of the South (H) D 0-0
Ross County (A) D 0-0
Partick Thistle (H) W 3-2

League Form

DUNFERMLINE
League Position: 7th
League Points: 11
League Record: P10 W3 D2 L5 GF7 GA16
Goal Difference: -7
Last Six League Match Form: DDWWLL

INVERNESS
League Position: 5th
League Points: 16
League Record: P10 W3 D7 L0 GF11 GA6
Goal Difference: +5
Last Six League Match Form: WDDDDD

Last time out

DUNFERMLINE (v Dundee United): Lee Robinson: Ryan Williamson, Lee Ashcroft (c), Danny Devine, Jackson Longridge: Louis Longridge (Andy Ryan 69), James Craigen (Aidan Connolly 62), James Vincent (Joe Thomson 77), Tom Beadling, Myles Hippolyte, Faissal El Bakhtaoui. .
SUBS NOT USED: Malaury Martin, Aidan Keena, Robbie Muirhead, Cammy Gill (GK)

INVERNESS CALEY THISTLE (v Alloa Athletic): Mark Ridgers: Shaun Rooney, Jamie McCart, Brad McKay, Carl Tremarco (Riccardo Calder 32): Liam Polworth, Joe Chalmers, Arron Doran Cogan (Daniel Mackay 63), Tom Walsh (Nathan Austin 79), Sean Welsh, Jordan White
SUBS NOT USED: Ryan Fyffe, Charlie Trafford, Cameron Harper, Daniel Hoban (GK).

Referee will be Barry Cook.

Other Championship fixtures on Tuesday night
Ayr United v Alloa Athletic At Somerset Park
Falkirk v Ross County Ross County at The Falkirk Stadium
Queen of the South v Morton at Palmerston Park

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