Inverness CT 1 Dunfermline 2

Saturday, 13th Nov 2021

cinch Championship: three changes as Dorrans, Macdonald and McCann start. Billy McKay (22) 1-0: Danny Devine (51 og) 1-1: Dom Thomas (64) 1-2:

It was second v tenth when Dunfermline travelled north to play Billy Dodds’ Inverness Caledonian Thistle side. Although the Fifers had announced the appointment of John Hughes as the successor to Peter Grant the previous day, it was Greg Shields and Steven Whittaker who took this game. Hughes would watch the match from the Jock McDonald Stand but stood trackside during the warm up.

Kai Kennedy and Vytas Gašpuitis were away on international duty and so there had to be at least one change. There turned out to be three changes to the starting eleven as Kyle Macdonald, Graham Dorrans and Lewis McCann started in place of Ryan Dow, Paul Allan and Kennedy.

Caley Thistle’s team showed two changes from the one that drew 2-2 at Somerset Park the previous Saturday. David Carson and Reece McAlear started in place of Wallace Duffy and Sean Welsh.

The sun shone brightly across the Highland capital as the teams warmed up in incredibly pleasant conditions for mid November. Dunfermline entered the pitch first from the south east corner and acknowledged the travelling support in the stand behind the goal. There was a minute’s Remembrance silence prior to kick off before Kevin O’Hara kicked off with Dunfermline attacking the goal at the Kessock Bridge end.

In fourth minute Mark Ridgers was the first goalkeeper called into action to hold a Dom Thomas cross after exchanging passes with O’Hara. Next minute Owain Fon Williams made a serious stop after Billy McKay headed the ball down for Aaron Doran to thrash it on target from 20 yards out.

Mckay got an opportunity from the edge of the box but hooked his 11th minute effort over the crossbar. Five more minutes had past before the home side forced the first corner of the afternoon when Mark Connolly was required to head behind a dangerous ball into the Pars box from Scott Allardice. Michael Gardyne’s delivery from the right would be headed over the crossbar by Kirk Broadfoot.

Inverness had looked the most likely to open the scoring and they duly took the lead in 22 minutes after a Gardyne run created the chance to shoot and from 25 yards out his effort rebounded back off the crossbar only for McKAY to follow up and net. 1-0

When Danny Devine took down O’Hara on the half hour, Thomas pinged the 25 yard free kick from the right to the far post but some good defending kept the Pars out. Next a Thomas ball from deep picked out Macdonald and his strong play on the right side of the Caley box posed a threat until the defence got that away for a throw in but the Pars pressed and won their first corner of the game. Thomas’ ball in from the right was met by Rhys Breen who made Ridgers save and the next corner was attacked by Connolly and then Breen but the ball went behind.

The Fifers looked better as half time approached and Josh Edwards was forward to make Ridgers hold his drive from outside the box. A couple of Pars corners changed nothing however

Half time: Inverness Caledonian Thistle 1 Dunfermline 0

Early action in the second period saw O’Hara with the first attempt blocked before Caley broke and Dorrans was yellow carded for his challenge on Doran. Fortunately the 28 yard free kick was defended and then in 50 minutes Macdonald picked out O’Hara on the right wing, his powerful run put the Pars striker in position to drill the ball across the face of goal where former Pars defender Danny Devine turned the ball into his own net denying McCann the pleasure. 1-1

Dunfermline were now showing much more positivity in their play. Thomas was stopped by Carson on the left before on the hour he did get free down the left to receive an O’Hara pass and having made ground into the Caley box, tried to set up O’Hara but his shot was blocked.

Dan Pybus became the first substitute used in replacing Matthew Todd in 62 minutes. THOMAS continued to terrorise the right side of the Caley defence and got his reward with a wonderful 64th minute shot from 15 yards out that he floated in at the far post for the visitors to take the lead. 1-2

Rhys Breen injured himself tackling Doran and after treatment and returning to the pitch was forced to retire in 74 minute with Ross Graham being his replacement. It was the sub who conceded a free kick 30 yards out just four minutes later but fortunately the flag went up as Gardyne sent the ball into the Fifers box.

They then survived an Allardice shot that narrowly cleared the left upright, quickly followed by a similar Macgregor effort with the same result. Fon Williams held a headed attempt from 80th minute sub Anthony McDonald.

There was an excellent chance for O’Hara to clinch a third in 88 minutes but instead it was to be an anxious end to the game. Inverness tried hard to get the equaliser and two corners from the right made it a nervy ending for the 200 or so Pars fans at the other end of the park. In the fourth minute of time added keeper Mark Ridgers was up for another Gardyne corner but miraculously the ball was cleared off the line.

Into the sixth minute of time added on and Ridgers was up again as Gardyne pumped another corner into the Pars six yard box but this time Fon Williams punched away and Gardyne drove the final chance wide right. Dunfermline hung on for what was their first league victory in Inverness since 2007. Well done to all concerned, the first three points of this Championship season.

INVERNESS CT: Mark Ridgers: David Carson (Anthony McDonald 80), Kirk Broadfoot (c), Danny Devine, Robbie Deas, Michael Gardyne, Reece McAlear (Lewis Jamieson 67), Scott Allardice, Aaron Doran, Tom Walsh (Roddy MacGregor 67), Billy McKay
SUBS NOT USED: Cameron Harper, Cameron Mackay (GK).
SCORERS: McKay (22)

DUNFERMLINE: Owain Fôn Williams: Aaron Comrie, Mark Connolly, Rhys Breen (Ross Graham 74), Josh Edwards: Kyle Macdonald, Matthew Todd (Dan Pybus 62), Graham Dorrans (c), Dom Thomas: Lewis McCann (Ryan Dow 84), Kevin O’Hara.
SUBS NOT USED: Craig Wighton, Nikolay Todorov, Paul Allan, Deniz Mehmet (GK)
SCORERS: Devine (51 og), Thomas (64)
YELLOW CARD: Dorrans (49), Wighton (71), Breen (73), Graham (87)

REFEREE: Grant Irvine
WEATHER: Sunny 10°C
ATTENDANCE 2111

NEXT MATCH: cinch Championship (home) v Ayr United. Saturday 20th November 2021, kick off 3.00pm at East End Park

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Preview Inverness CT

Saturday, 13th Nov 2021

cinch Championship: (away) v Inverness Caley Thistle, Saturday 13th November 2021, 3.00pm kick off at the Caledonian Stadium

In the search of their first league win away from home since October last year, Dunfermline take the A9 to Inverness this weekend where it will be second v tenth. Odds against an away win are strengthened by the poor record of away teams making that journey - just five home defeats in the 26 home matches in the last two league seasons.

The Pars have only won two of the previous 18 league matches away to Inverness and against all opponents their win percentage against Inverness Caley Thistle is only worse against Aberdeen and the Old Firm. Records are there to be broken though and one bright spot in the recent trips to Inverness is the Challenge Cup win there in August 2018 and that was registered by a team including both last Saturday’s midfielders, Paul Allan and Matty Todd.

That victory means that in the last six visits to Inverness there has been one Pars win, three draws and two defeats.

Milestones Inverness Caledonian Thistle (Away)
Last Victory: 14/08/18: 2-1 Challenge Cup
Last League Victory: 17/03/07: 3-1 SPL
Last League Defeat: 04/05/19: 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 Time at Inverness Caledonian Stadium
Championship, Wednesday 29th December 2020
Inverness Caley Thistle 1 Dunfermline 1

Midway through the first half McCann got the break of the ball and when he got the bite thrashed the ball across the six yard line. Inverness defended but Mayo got in a shot that was blocked but TURNER gathered and turned to drive a left footed shot into the bottom left from 16 yards out. Kyle’s first goal of the season made it 0-1.

Kai Kennedy was a half time substitute for the home side and half way through the second half Miles Storey, controlling the ball from a long throw, curled an impossible to stop shot into the top left corner. 1-1

Inverness Caley Thistle completed 2020 unbeaten at home but they still sat seventh, seven places behind the Pars who would start the new year five points behind league leaders, Hearts.

INVERNESS CT: Mark Ridgers: Brad McKay, Danny Devine, Robbie Deas, Cameron Harper, Scott Allardice, James Vincent, Aaron Doran (Kai Kennedy HT), Sean Welsh, Shane Sutherland (Daniel MacKay 88), Miles Storey (Nikolay Todorov 85)
SUBS NOT USED: Wallace Duffy, Roddy Macgregor, David Carson, Cameron MacKay (GK).

DUNFERMLINE: Owain Fôn Williams: Aaron Comrie, Paul Watson, Euan Murray (c), Josh Edwards: Lewis Mayo: Kyle Turner, Iain Wilson, Kerr McInroy (Ryan Dow 66): Lewis McCann (Declan McManus 69), Kevin O’Hara (Dom Thomas 80).
SUBS NOT USED: Steven Whittaker, Fraser Murray, Lucas Berry, Cammy Gill (GK)

It is twelve league games back since Dunfermline last took three points away from the Caledonian Stadium. The last dozen league matches between the teams have seen two Dunfermline wins, four draws and six Caley Thistle wins.

Last 12 League matches v Inverness Caley Thistle

18/09/21: (H) D 0-0
20/03/21: (H) L 0-1 [0-1] Carson
29/12/20: (A) D 1-1 [1-0] Turner, [1-1] Todorov
17/10/20: (H) W 3-1 [0-1] Todorov, [1-1] E Murray, [2-1] Dow, [3-1] McManus
25/02/20: (H) L 1-2 [0-1] Doran, [1-1] Thomas, [1-2] Walsh
21/12/19: (A) L 0-2 [0-1] Rooney, [0-2] McCart
14/09/19: (H) L 0-1 [0-1] Welsh
04/05/19: (A) L 0-1 [0-1] Austin
16/02/19: (H) W 1-0 [1-0] Thomson
30/10/18: (A) D 2-2 [1-0] Keena, [1-1] Calder, [2-1] Keena, [2-2] White
01/09/18: (H) L 0-3 [0-1] Rooney, [0-2] Polworth, [0-3] Oakley
21/04/18: (A) D 2-2 [1-0] Ryan, [1-1] Chalmers, [1-2] Austin, [2-2] Clark.

Recent Form

Dunfermline have now gone 14 matches without a win. Of those 14 six were drawn. Despite sitting second behind Kilmarnock Inverness have not won any of their last four league games and lost their last home match 1-0 to Arbroath.

Last six matches

DUNFERMLINE
Morton (H) L 1-3
Arbroath (A) L 2-4
Raith Rovers (H) D 1-1
Partick Thistle (A) D 0-0
Kilmarnock (H) D 2-2
Queen of the South (A) L 0-1

INVERNESS CALEY THISTLE
Ayr United (A) D 2-2
Partick Thistle (A) D 0-0
Arbroath (H ) L 0-1
Raith Rovers (A) D 1-1
Morton (H) W 2-0
Elgin City (A) W 2-4

League Record

DUNFERMLINE
League Position: 10th
League Points: 7
Goal Difference: -13
League Record: P13 W0 D7 L6 GF10 GA23
Last Six Match Form: LDDDLL

INVERNESS CALEY THISTLE
League Position: 2nd
League Points: 25
Goal Difference: +7
League Record: P13 W7 D4 L2 GF15 GA8
Last Six Match Form: WWDLDD

Last Time Out

DUNFERMLINE (v Morton): Owain Fôn Williams (c): Aaron Comrie, Mark Connolly, Rhys Breen, Josh Edwards: Matthew Todd (Kyle Macdonald 78), Paul Allan: Kai Kennedy, Ryan Dow, Dom Thomas (Craig Wighton 66): Kevin O’Hara (Nikolay Todorov 78)
SUBS NOT USED: Vytas Gašpuitis, Lewis McCann, Dan Pybus, Deniz Mehmet (GK)

INVERNESS CALEY THISTLE (v Ayr United): Mark Ridgers; Wallace Duffy, Kirk Broadfoot, Danny Devine, Robbie Deas, Michael Gardyne, Sean Welsh (Roddy MacGregor 76), Scott Allardice, Aaron Doran, Tom Walsh (Manny Duku71), Billy McKay
SUBS NOT USED: Cameron Harper, Anthony McDonald, Reece McAlear, Lewis Jamieson, Cameron Mackay (GK).

Dunfermline will be without Kai Kennedy and Vytas Gašpuitis, both away on international duty. Former Pars Danny Devine (pictured above) and Anthony McDonald (below) could face Dunfermline this Saturday.

Referee will be Grant Irvine who was in charge of last month’s Pars 0-0 draw at Firhill.

Other Championship Fixtures

Arbroath v Queen of the South
Ayr United v Partick Thistle
Hamilton Academical v Raith Rovers
Morton v Kilmarnock

14/08/18: Inverness Caley 1 Dunfermline 2


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