Preview Inverness Caley Thistle

Ladbrokes Championship: (home) Saturday 1st September 2018, 3.00pm kick off at East End Park

Everyone recognises that there are no easy games in the Ladbrokes Championship and this Saturday’s fixture against Inverness Caley Thistle is another in the tough category. A Premier League side just the season before last, Caley Thistle have their sights set firmly on promotion and arrive at East End Park undefeated in the league since March and eyeing Ayr United at the top just two points ahead of them.

While Dunfermline were having their Ayr ‘disaster’ last weekend, Caley were lamenting dropping two points against ten man Alloa. John Robertson felt it was inexcusable for his side to create some many chances without taking any. Nevertheless they were heading for joint top of the league, until Shaun Rooney conceded an 87th minute penalty and Alloa took a point home.

Milestones v Inverness Caley Thistle (home)
Last League Victory | 13/03/18 | 1-0 | Championship
Last League Defeat | 18/01/12 | 1-3 | Division 1
Best League Victory | 07/08/99 | 4-0 | Division 1
Worst League Defeat | 18/01/12 | 1-3 | Division 1
Last Goalless Match | 02/05/12 | 0-0 | Premier League
First Ever Meeting | 07/08/99 | 4-0 | Division 1

Inverness have only lost eight of the 35 matches between the sides. The Pars have lost only one of the last five meetings. That includes the Irn Bru Cup tie that the young Dunfermline side won at the Tulloch Caledonian Stadium just two weeks ago.

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

Last 12 League matches v Inverness Caley Thistle

21/04/18: (A) 2-2 [1-0] Ryan (13), [1-1] Chalmers, [1-2] Austin (48), [2-2] Clark 90+5)
13/03/18: (H) 1-0 [1-0] Craigen (6)
28/10/17: (A) 0-1 [0-1] Bell (23)
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.
12/05/07: (A) 1-2 [1-0] McIntyre, [1-1] Hastings, [1-2] McAllister.

Last Meeting at East End Park
Ladbrokes Championship, Tuesday 13th March 2018
Dunfermline 1 Inverness Caley Thistle 0

James CRAIGEN curled home the only goal of the match with a terrific left-footed shot which flew past Mark Ridgers as it nestled into the back of the Caley Thistle net. It was the former Falkirk midfielder’s first goal for Dunfermline and it came as the home side made the most of their early dominance. It was a fantastic swerving effort into the left-hand corner of the net. 1-0

The win was a great boost to the Pars at a point where they had gone seven matches without a win and set them up for the play off place challenge which they were ultimately secure ahead of Caley Thistle.

DUNFERMLINE: Lee Robinson: Ryan Williamson, Callum Morris (c) Lee Ashcroft, Lewis Martin: James Craigen, Tom Beadling, James Vincent, Kallum Higginbotham, Declan McManus, Nicky Clark.
SUBS NOT USED: Fraser Aird, Dean Shiels, Dan Armstrong, Scott Lochhead, Nat Wedderburn, Andy Ryan, Cammy Gill (GK)

INVERNESS CALEY THISTLE: Mark Ridgers: Collin Seedorf, Gary Warren, Cameron Harper (Brad McKay 5), Carl Tremarco: Jake Mulraney (Zak Elbouzedi 71), Liam Polworth, Iain Vigurs, Joe Chalmers, Aaron Doran (Connor Bell 71), George Oakley.
SUBS NOT USED: Daniel Mackay, Charlie Trafford, Jack Brown, Ryan Esson (GK).

Form last six matches

Inverness Caley Thistle have not lost a league game since Dunfermline beat them 1-0 in March. This season they have defeated Falkirk away from home on the opening day of the league season, then drawn at home to Ayr United and Alloa Athletic. Dunfermline have lost their last two league games after a good win at a Tannadice in the first league fixture.

DUNFERMLINE
Ayr United (A) L 1-4
Hearts (H) L 0-1
Inverness Caley Thisle (A) W 2-1
Ross County (H) L 1-3
Dundee United (A) W 3-2
Stirling Albion (H) W 3-1

INVERNESS CT
Alloa Athletic (H) D 2-2
Dunfermline Athletic (H) L 1-2
Ayr United (H) D 0-0
Falkirk (A) W 1-0
Hearts (A) L 0-5
Raith Rovers (H) W 2-1

Last time out

DUNFERMLINE (v Ayr United) : Lee Robinson: Lee Ashcroft (c), Mark Durnan, Danny Devine (Myles Hippolyte 29): Ryan Williamson, James Vincent, Louis Longridge, James Craigen (Aidan Connolly 69), Jackson Longridge: Faissal El Bakhtaoui, Andy Ryan (Kallum Higginbotham 79).
SUBS NOT USED: Joe Thomson, Matthew Todd, Lewis McCann, Cammy Gill (GK).

INVERNESS (v Alloa Athletic): Mark Ridgers: Shaun Rooney, Brad MacKay, Coll Donaldson, Carl Tremarco: Liam Polworth, Joe Chalmers, Tom Walsh, Sean Welsh (Riccardo Calder 64), Nathan Austin (Jordan White 55), George Oakley (Aaron Doran Cogan 72)
SUBS NOT USED: Charlie Trafford, Daniel Mackay, Jamie McCart, Daniel Hoban (GK).

Other Championship Fixtures
Alloa Athletic v Dundee United
Partick Thistle v Morton
Queen of the South v Ayr United
Ross County v Falkirk

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