Happy Halloween: Caley 4-1 Morton
By: Ian Rose |
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I apologize to both of my readers for the long hiatus from Caley Thistle Offside blogging. It’s been a busy time, but there was no way I was going to miss reporting on this. Caley Thistle, until today the only side in the First Division not to record a win at home, finally broke their Caledonian Stadium drought with a 4-1 romp over Greenock Morton. Adam Rooney, surprisingly, was the hero of the day, with a hat trick from the Irishman.
The result, along with some others in the league (notably Ross County -spit- losing to Queen of the South and Raith beating Partick, makes the First Division a very tight race. Caley sit in sixth, but only four points separate us from new league leaders Queen of the South and Dundee, tied on 23 points to our 19.
Today’s win makes it four unbeaten in the league, our last loss coming October 10th to QotS. In our last two matches, we’ve outscored our opponents 9-2. Granted, those opponents are among the worst in the league, Ayr and Morton, but we’ve had big problem in the past putting away the teams that we should beat, and with the league as close as it is, goal difference might very well make a difference, so two blowout wins in a row are meaningful. More important, though, is that we did it at home. Caledonian Stadium has been all too friendly to visiting teams this season, with Caley only taking two points from five matches before today. Meanwhile, we have remained undefeated this season on the road, with four wins and two draws from six matches. We are the best road team in the league.
That away record will be challenged in the next month, with road trips to three of the five teams ahead of us (Ross County, Dundee and Queen of the South), with one home game with Airdrie mixed in. We are in form, but it’s a hard road ahead. It’s going to be a very interesting November.
Mon the Caley.
Category: Caley Thistle Team News
Redemption and a Cup Final: Caley 1-0 Ross County
By: Ian Rose | Add Comments
Leave the scoreline and the competition aside – this is our biggest win in years. We came into this match on a 2-match losing skid, on terrible home form, and just a few weeks after losing to our biggest rival at home 3-1. We faced that same rival, Ross County (spit), today at Caledonian Stadium in a Challenge Cup semifinal, and came away 1-0 winners.
The reward for Robert Eagle’s 44th minute goal will be a trip to the Challenge Cup final on November 22nd, where we will face today’s other semifinal winner, Dundee. This is the third time we’ve reached the final of the lower-league-only competition, the others being a 4-4 loss on penalties to Alloa Athletic in 2000 and our 2-0 win over Airdrie United in 2004. For those who don’t follow the Caley closely (for shame), a win in November would be only the fourth national trophy in our history (the others being our previous Challenge Cup, the Third Division title in 1997, and the First Division in 2004 (it was a good year).
I don’t think I realized it before, but the only time we won the Challenge Cup, we also won the league. It may be an invented statistic with only one point, but it’s a hopeful one and I’ll take it.
A day for celebration in the Highlands, for all but our neighbors the County fans. Inverness Caley Thistle will play for a Cup. Mon the Caley.
Category: PostgameCounty Comes a Calling
By: Ian Rose | Add Comments
Just a short update, as I’m a little under the weather and need to get myself to 100% for tomorrow. Tomorrow, after all, is a big big day for Caley Thistle. A cup semifinal at home is always a big day, but we’re hosting Ross County (spit), hated Highland Derby rivals, just a few weeks after they came to our house and did us damage, 3-1. Another such result will not stand. County is having a good start to the season, and nothing would do better to remedy that situation than throwing them the whole kilometer home with a loss, and putting ourselves in the Challenge Cup final.
On a personal note, tomorrow is a sort of meeting of the football worlds for me, as both the team of my heart (Caley Thistle) and the team of my locality (the Portland Timbers) are in semifinals at home. Though I admit without pause that I’d rather be at the match in Inverness than the one in Portland, I will cheer wholeheartedly for both. I’ve been a mostly good boy, football gods. Two finals would be much appreciated. Mon the Caley.
Category: Match PreviewValiant defeat still worth no points
By: Ian Rose | Add Comments
It’s been a rough week at the office for the Caley. On Tuesday, we went to Motherwell to face our first SPL opponent of the season, and were eliminated from our first competition, as we played competitively, but lost 3-2. Today, it was a home league match to Partick Thistle. Again, 3-2. Again, we weren’t the 3.
There are positives to take from both of these matches. The fact that we went to extra time with Motherwell shows that this squad can compete with the middle of the SPL table. Today’s match was 3-0 at halftime, and we fought back and owned the second half to make a game of it. But valiant losses are worth just as many points as cowardly ones, and the points we’re dropping are points we’ll miss. Our home form continues to be rubbish, and as long as we look forward to road trips more than home stands, we aren’t going to win this league.
There is, of course, another element to the recent league slip that bears mentioning. After last week’s results, Ross County (spit) was top of the league, bringing into our minds the worst possible scenario, that in the span of two seasons, we could go from one league above County to one below them. Dundee helped out a bit today with their 2-0 win over the Staggies, but since Raith lost, County remain top. This cannot stand.
I have been a bit slow on the Caley blogging lately, owing to many factors that I won’t bother mentioning. I’ll be better. Hopefully the team will give me more to write about than a series of almosts, but not quites.
Category: PostgameA Game of Two Halves: Morton 0-3 Caley
By: Ian Rose | Add Comments
First, I’m sorry for the break in posting. I took a short break from my obsession with the Caley to feed my older (and if I’m honest, slightly stronger) obsession with Scotland. Now that my dreams of watching the Scots in South Africa is well and truly dead, I can return full-strength to my Caley Thistle duties.
The Jaggies went into the international break in a very mixed mood. On one hand, we had just lost a home Highland derby to Ross County (spit). On the other, we survived penalties against Partick to move on to the semifinals of the Challenge Cup, where we will get our revenge on County.
Today’s match was basically what it should have been – at least in terms of final scoreline – a comfortable victory. Morton is having a horrible season, with just three points so far and anchored at the bottom of the table. In fact, in a season where so many teams could win the First Division, Morton is one of the few that have distinguished themselves as absolutely not capable of that task. So, our 3-0 win is about as it should be. I’m happy, but really more I would have been disappointed with any less.
The striking thing about this match, and the point that gives me a bit of confidence, is that we improved as the match went on. Now, an argument could be made that what actually happened was Morton disintegrating and not us stepping up. But the point remains valid that we often play much better in the first half than the second, a source of constant frustration. Halftime is rarely our friend, and often seems to give great comfort to our enemies. In this match, it seemed like we were the side to make progress between the halves.
Now, the way we went into halftime certainly had a lot to do with it. After 45 minutes of the standard missed chances and wasted possession, Dani Sanchez netted with the last kick before the interval, sending us visitors into the locker room on the unique high of a last-gasp goal. Terry Butcher, to his credit, seemed to be able to maintain that feeling, and we came out in the second half still running on all cylinders. At the hour mark, Richie Foran made it two, a very significant goal considering his struggle for fitness and his potential importance to the Caley attack. Sanchez has had an impressive strike rate so far, but we know Foran can both create and score, and it’s great to have him on the board. David Proctor made it three late, and we were never really threatened with anything less than three points in the second half.
A good effort, a good result, and well dones all around. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Another road trip, and another expected win, comes next as we travel to face Airdrie United. Then we have two vital home matches, against Partick and Queen of the South, which will go a long way to resolving the early promotion favorites. It’s ironic that we are looking to our road matches to build confidence to go back home, but that’s the nature of Caley Thistle right now, and often in the past – we are traveling far better than we defend our own fortress.
And mixed in that schedule, of course, there’s also the small matter of a cup semifinal next month against County. Altogether, a pretty important month of football for the Caley, and one I am hugely looking forward to. Mon the Jags.
Category: PostgameCaley 1-3 Ross County: A return to reality
By: Ian Rose | Add Comments
It was a brilliant start to the season. An away win at Dunfermline, a draw at Dundee, and two rounds each successfully navigated in the League Cup and Challenge Cup. Seven matches undefeated. Until today. In one of the most important matches of the season to Caley fans, the resumption of the Highland Derby with Ross County (spit), we stumbled.
I’ll try to find it in me to do a better report later. Right now, there’s a fresh wound to tend. County bought heavily this summer, largely from us, and they showed today how they’ve changed and what they gained with those purchases. It was former Caley man Iain Vigurs who scored what would end up the match winner just after halftime.
You never like to lose, and there’s no loss that stings like a derby loss. It must be said that the match probably meant more to County, being the less successful of the two teams, as is often the case with rivalries. But this one hurts. In addition to the bruising our pride took, we dropped three points to Partick, who rocked lowly Morton 5-0, and one to Dundee, who drew on the road to Airdrie. Raith Rovers continue to perform very well against the top teams, and beat league leaders Dunfermline 2-0.
Off now to watch Man U and Arsenal, clearing the palate of the crap sandwich that was this match. More later. Mon the Caley.
Category: PostgameAnother Cup Win: Caley 4-0 Albion Rovers
By: Ian Rose | Add Comments
We’ve been lucky in the cup draws so far, but I can’t complain about what we’ve done with our luck. Since the early scare of penalties with Montrose in the Challenge Cup, it’s been smooth sailing in the knockout competitions for Caley Thistle. This week found Caley in the second round of the League Cup with a very favorable home draw against Albion Rovers. I’m happy to say that we did just what we should have done and took a comfortable win, 4-0, on goals from Eagle, Rooney, Bulvitis and Munro. It’s especially good to see Adam Rooney on the scoresheet, considering the trouble the Irishman has had putting ball to netting lately.
Elsewhere in the competition, County barely managed an SPL scalp by beating Hamilton 2-1 at home. The Accies are looking in a bit of trouble, and I have a feeling that if we rise back up to the SPL, we may very well pass them headed down. Dundee beat Forfar 4-2, allowing me to once again enjoy saying the words “Forfar 2″. Killie beat up First Division bottom side Morton 3-1, and in the big First Division battle of the round, Queen of the South got a great road victory to knock out Partick 2-1. The blowout of the round (as if 4-0 isn’t enough) came from St. Johnstone, who ran roughshod over Arbroath 6-0. Milne and Deuchar each got two in that match, but more importantly to Caley fans, Filipe Morais netted one. There are always mixed feelings when a former teammate has success, but I like Morais a lot, and wish him well in every match he plays that is not against us.
This was our seventh competitive match of the season (3 league, 2 league cup, 2 challenge cup) and we are still undefeated so far this season, with 5 wins (if you include the penalty one, which I do) and 2 draws. This weekend is the one we really want, though, as Ross County make the exceedingly short trip to Caledonian Stadium for the renewal of the Highland Derby. More on that soon. Mon the Caley.
Category: PostgameA Good Point: Dundee 2-2 Caley
By: Ian Rose | 2 Comments
Scorelines, as every fan knows, can be deceiving. On the surface, there’s not much difference between our draw last weekend and the point we took today, and it’s true that they’re worth the same amount come season’s end. But there is a gulf of playing quality between both our performances and our opponents in those two matches, and at this point in the season, this is quite a good result. While the draw with Airdrie Ayr United was two points lost, this is certainly one earned.
Dundee fans could be forgiven for being a bit out of breath the past two weeks. Last time around, they trailed twice to Raith and twice came back, earning a 2-2 draw. This time around, they led twice, and were twice equalized, for another 2-2. They certainly have an argument for the most exciting team to watch in the first division so far, but that’s not an altogether complimentary title. I’m sure they’d rather have Dunfermline’s relatively quiet six points (as we would) than the five they’ve earned with back and forth matches.
Dundee’s offense was all Gary Harkins, and the former Partick man opened the scoring on just nine minutes. It was Dani Sanchez who gave us our first equalizer in the 20th. Harkins took back the lead just nine minutes later, but Lee Cox hammered one in before the break to keep us even. It’s really looking like Lee Cox is a legitimate scoring threat from the wing, which is something we haven’t always had. With our front men (aside from Sanchez) seeming to need a trip to the target range, it’s important that the midfield can step up and score. The second half was the more exciting, but fruitless for both sides. Some of the best end to end football in Scotland this season was seen, but the nets remained unbulged, and 2-2 was our final.
The draw brings both Caley and Dundee to five points. Dunfermline took the league lead alone today, with a 2-0 over Airdrie (the result I predicted we’d have, and that we should have had, against them). Queen of the South and Raith did the Caley great favors by beating Ross County (spit) and Partick respectively, so we gained a valuable point on both our local enemies and one of our big rivals for promotion.
Next up – the first Highland Derby in years, as hated County comes to Caledonian Stadium. I’ll be talking about the matchup as the week goes on, but this one is about more than points and standings, as all derbies are. Good result today, and I’m happy with it, especially the stylish way we went about it. Mon the Caley.
Category: PostgameThe First Big Test: Dundee v. Caley Preview
By: Ian Rose | 1 Comment
It’s been a good start to the 2009-10 campaign for my beloved Caley Thistle. In our first five competitive matches of the young season, we have yet to lose, with four wins and a draw. Three of those wins have been in the cups, and we’re on four points from the first two in the league. Some would say that our first major test on the road to SPL promotion was matchday 1, on the road at Dunfermline. But I disagree – to me, this week presents the real challenge. This week is a trial by fire, and we will emerge either stronger or singed.
Dundee is the most popular pick among Scottish pundits to win the league and join their rivals United in the SPL, mostly because of their strong transfer season. They picked up two former Caley men, Brian Kerr from us and Richie Hart from Ross County (spit), as well as Chris Casement from Ipswitch, all on frees. They also paid, handsomely by First Division standards, for Gary Harkins from Partick and Leigh Griffiths from Livingston. Altogether, they are probably the most improved squad in the league from last season.
But a lot of that quality is missing for the visit of Caley Thistle, and we must take advantage. If Dundee is the dragon of the First Division, they definitely look a little drowsy, if not asleep. Last week, they found themselves twice trailing Raith Rovers before fighting back for a 2-2 draw that kept them even with Caley on points and goal differential at the top of the league. This week, they’re back home, but find themselves without the services of Rab Douglas, Craig McKeown, Darren Young and Pat Clarke, with several other players either a doubt or just coming off of injuries themselves. There is an advantage here to be taken, and we must take it.
The Caley have not had much success on past trips to Dens Park, though it’s been a while since we’ve made the trek. In three matches there, we’ve lost two and drawn one, with 2 goals scored and 7 conceded. In other words, this is not Dunfermline. This is a tough, tough place to play.
Our own attack should be a bit on the mend this time around, with Andy Barrowman likely to make his first appearance of the season. Though Andy gives us another option, I’d still like to see him start on the bench, with Dani Sanchez and Richie Foran starting up front. But I’m not the manager, so we’ll see. In the back, Ross Tokely is still suspended (seems like forever now), and the back four should be unchanged in his absence.
Again, I can’t stress enough how important this match is. It basically determines the early promotion favorite. It’s not that losing takes us out of the race, or winning lets us rest on our laurels, but if we can notch away wins at both Dunfermline and Dundee in the first three weeks of the season, we have to be considered front runners. Let’s grab that title and not let go. I predict a scrappy 2-1 win for the Caley, with Foran and Coxy getting us on the board. Maybe Barrowman can make it three – we’ll just have to see. Mon the Caley.
Category: Match PreviewCaley 3-0 Stranraer. And I’m out 30 quid.
By: Ian Rose | Add Comments
No, I didn’t bet against Caley Thistle. Bite your damned tongue. But to do my part to save one of the oldest clubs in Scottish football (Click here to help), I vowed to donate 10 pounds for each goal we put past them. Thanks to Richie Foran and Danny Sanchez, that’s 30 quid I’m out. There are worse things.
Not much to say about the match itself. Stranraer technically had two shots on goal, but in reality only one real chance, which Ryan Esson handled. Caley got all three of our goals by halftime, then coasted a little and looked more like the Caley of the weekend, the Caley that couldn’t hit a barn door. It was really shameful finishing in the second half, and since we’ll likely face a First Division opponent in the next round, it won’t serve us.
There are eight clubs left in the Challenge Cup, and five are from the First Division. We have a 1/7 chance of drawing Ross County (spit), and a 4/7 chance of drawing one of our league-mates. Long story short, the cakewalk is probably over. The quarterfinals beckon, and we are three matches from a trophy. Mon the Caley.
Category: Postgame
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