Match preview: Momentum and fitness on the agenda for Inverness Caledonian Thistle in Betfred Cup dead rubber against East Fife
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There may not be any chance of Betfred Cup progression for either side in this match, but Inverness Caledonian Thistle still see this afternoon's game against East Fife as important.
With so many injuries affecting the squad this season, it is a chance for several players to get some valuable minutes on the pitch to work towards top form for the resumption of the Championship campaign next week.
Confidence could be another important aspect of today's match, with Caley Thistle looking to back up solid performances so far this season with the substance of goals and, in turn, point.
Team News
Inverness Caledonian Thistle: James Vincent and Brad McKay will both miss out after picking up injuries against Raith Rovers on Tuesday night.
Miles Storey may return to the substitute's bench after training with the squad this week, but he is not yet ready to play 90 minutes.
Cammy MacKay will start in goal in place of Mark Ridgers in a planned change, while John Robertson may rotate his squad further to build match sharpness throughout his squad.
East Fife: Danny Swanson has been the only injury concern for the Fifers in recent weeks, struggling with a knee injury that has limited him to just two appearances since signing in the summer.
Other than that, Darren Young has a full complement of players to pick from for the trip to the Caledonian Stadium.
Recent form
Inverness Caledonian Thistle: drew 3–3 away at Raith Rovers (lost 3–2 on penalties), lost 2–1 away at Hearts, won 3–1 at home against Arbroath, drew 1–1 at home against Ayr United, lost 3–1 away at Dunfermline.
East Fife: lost 3–2 at home against Hearts, won 2–1 at home against Dumbarton, lost 2–0 away at Falkirk, drew 2–2 at home against Montrose, lost 3–1 away at Cove Rangers.
Head-to-head (all competitions)
Inverness Caledonian Thistle 6
Draws 2
East Fife 2
Last five meetings
Inverness Caledonian Thistle 4–0 East Fife – Division Two, Saturday, March 13, 1999
East Fife 3–2 Inverness Caledonian Thistle – Division Two, Sunday, December 27, 1998
Inverness Caledonian Thistle 4–2 East Fife – Division Two, Saturday, October 24, 1998
East Fife 1–5 Inverness Caledonian Thistle – Division Two, Saturday, August 29, 1998
East Fife 0–1 Inverness Caledonian Thistle – Division Two, Saturday, April 25 1998
Ones to watch
Inverness Caledonian Thistle: Kai Kennedy – the youngster has already left his mark on ICT's manager, with John Robertson effusive in his praise for the Rangers loanee while speaking to the media this week.
His pace and crossing ability has caused lots of problems in recent weeks, making life difficult for Hearts and Raith Rovers defenders alike.
He will need to show some mental strength to continue that form after a poor penalty on Tuesday night, but he certainly has the quality to do so – and Inverness will want him on top form if they are to be successful this season.
East Fife: Ryan Wallace – the Hearts youth product is the form player for East Fife, scoring in each of their last two matches.
He also claimed the assist for Jack Hamilton's goal against his former club on Tuesday, so he has shown he is capable of delivering the goods against higher tier opposition.
His own confidence will be sky high, and with East Fife pushing the Jambos all the way midweek they will be looking to go one better against Caley Thistle.
ICT manager John Robertson's pre-match thoughts
"East Fife were unlucky in the end not to get a result against Hearts, they probably deserved at least a point from their attacking forays in the last 20 minutes.
"We will give as much gametime as we can to players who haven't had much and are returning from injury, but ultimately every match we go into we want to win.
"The biggest relevance we can give to Saturday is to build momentum and win games.
"You should never tire of winning football matches, and then ultimately we need to use it to get players ready for the following Saturday against Raith Rovers at the Caledonian Stadium.
"We can't qualify, so we have to use it to our best interest, and that now is to continue to get our injured players back playing football."
