Sensible Soccer🏴

Cheers for the advice. Hopefully we're treated to an entertaining match, we're two sets of fans who certainly deserve it!

Can we buy away end tickets on the day?

Here's a cut & paste for those unable to get the story through the link. I was at the game, we had a cracking team back then. SUBSCRIBE Home Sport Football Ross County ROSS COUNTY The game that missed the deadline: 30 years on from Ross County’s memorable final meeting with Caledonian The Staggies triumphed 4-3 against Caley in front of a bumper midweek crowd at Victoria Park. Andy Skinner Andy SkinnerApril 20, 2024, 6:00 am Share0Comment Former Ross County manager Bobby Wilson. Image: DC Thomson. As Ross County prepared to step up to the Scottish league in 1994 – their final match against Caledonian gave them the opportunity to lay down a marker. The Staggies had successfully been voted into the Scottish league setup in January, along with Caledonian and Thistle who would amalgamate that summer to form Inverness Caledonian Thistle. In a midweek encounter which took place 30 years ago today, a bumper crowd arrived at Victoria Park to witness the final meeting between County and Caley. Bobby Wilson had led the Staggies to back-to-back Highland League titles in 1991 and 1992 – while Caledonian last won the league in 1988. Although Huntly were well on their way to wrapping up the title on this occasion, the encounter between two of the league’s most prominent sides of the time captured plenty local attention. A crowd estimated to be over 2,000 arrived in Dingwall – which prompted kick-off to be pushed back. As a result, the conclusion of County’s thrilling 4-3 victory was too late to receive more than a passing mention in the following day’s Press and Journal. How the Press and Journal reported on Ross County’s 4-3 victory against Caledonian in April 1994. Image: DC Thomson. A fitting finale between two strong sides Wilson insists it was a fitting way to bring the curtain down on a rivalry which had intensified since he took over in 1987 – at a time when County were fresh from finishing bottom of the Highland League. Wilson said: “My head was away by that time because we were in the Scottish league. We had been accepted in the January. “Against Caley it was always a hard game. They were always good derby games. “Maybe early on in my time at the club it wasn’t the same, but it was later on when we came good that Caley realised they had a real game. “We had a chance to win the league, but finished third, but we had won it twice in the years before that. Ross County manager Bobby Wilson celebrates with his team after clinching the TSB Highland League title by beating Huntly 2-0 in 1991. “I would say Caley were probably the strongest team in the league when I joined, but eventually you could probably see we were up there beside them.” Staggies’ final Highland League success came that season Both sides would ultimately finish 18 points adrift of champions Huntly, with manager Steve Paterson leading them to the first of five consecutive league triumphs. Caley ultimately finished in second, ahead of County on goal difference. It was still a fruitful campaign for the Dingwall side however, given they had defeated the Black in Golds 2-1 after extra-time in a thrilling Qualifying Cup final at Borough Briggs the previous November. That would go down as the Staggies’ final trophy as a Highland League outfit and one which remains well remembered within the Wilson household as his son Barry, a 21-year-old winger at the time, was left out of the side. Wilson added: “Huntly scooped the league that year but we had beaten them in the Qualifying Cup through in Elgin. How the Press and Journal reported on Ross County’s Qualifying Cup final victory over Huntly in 1993. Image: DC Thomson. “It was an amazing game which went to extra-time. “They were quite a strong team and I wanted to keep Barry back from going on. I had to go through to the bedroom on the Friday night to tell him I wasn’t playing him. “I thought if we had held it, the power and forward running he had would be effective later in the game. “He ended up going on a wee bit earlier because Johnston Belshaw got injured, and I think Gordon Connelly did as well. “We scored late on, and then we scored again in extra-time.” Barry Wilson was relishing Scottish league chance Barry Wilson was among the goalscorers in the final meeting against Caley, with Brian Grant netting a double and Alan Duff also on target. In spite of his goalscoring exploits – Wilson revealed his father once again withdrew him from the side for the subsequent league game against Peterhead. Wilson, who went on to play for Caley Thistle in two separate spells, says the Staggies were already starting to look ahead to their future as a Scottish league outfit. Wilson said: “Alan and Brian were the top scorers for a few years, and I got around 12 or 15 goals that season from out wide which was not bad. Barry Wilson. “I scored and we won 4-3 – but he put me on the bench on the Saturday against Peterhead. “We had lost to Huntly on the Saturday, so that probably would have been the end of our league challenge. “We actually had not a bad run at that point though, after being voted into the league in January. Huntly worthy league winners “I think both clubs probably took their eye off the prize a bit – although that’s taking nothing away from Huntly because they won by 18 points. “I remember they were top of the league anyway by that stage. But they beat us twice in the last 10 games, whereas if we had beaten them it would have been a lot closer. Former Huntly manager Steve Paterson “Huntly were a fantastic team that year, with top players such as Eddie Copland and Martin Stewart. They went on to win it five times in a row. “Thistle were not the force they had once been, so the Caley game was the bigger one. “It was quite ironic that County beat Caley and Thistle at the end of that season, and then Caley Thistle beat County in the first league game. It was probably honours even – which is quite nice considering I played for them both.”

Our last match against caley before they ceased to exist, 30 years ago!! https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/sport/football/ross-county/6437717/story-of-ross-countys-memorable-final-meeting-with-caledonian/?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social

Don Cowie deserves a lot of credit for how he's turned that RC squad around

Kyle Turner hooked at half time today for Raith, not exactly setting the heather alight in Kirkcaldy, is he.

Brophy & White linking up well there before HT, with County having a couple of good chances.

This has home win written all over it. County are certainly improved & better organised under Cowie but we still liable to at least one MAJOR defensive f**k up, per match.

Based on this performance, there's several players not wanting to go to Germany.

Has Ryan Christie touched the ball yet?

Dykes actually turning his back and running away from the ball sums up Scotland's 1st half. Clarke has his work cut out here to salvage something positive out of this, as well, let's face it, he's made an arse of the 1st 45mins.

There's FAR more wrong with this 1st half than Nathan Patterson's defending. Wtf is/was our plan? Embarrassing stuff.

Paterson wtf were you doing there

How the f**k is Ferguson not getting a start.

McGinn & McTominay seem to be constantly standing behind 2 NI defenders. Have hardly seen Christie anywhere near touching the ball. We've been pretty poor so far imo

We're very very static, no one looking to move away from their marker.

Ya Beauty Mon the County

Great save by Marshall from Murray.

You could well be right, but what of tonight's performance makes you come out with that? There's quite a lot of improvement in this performance, than what we have seen from this squad recently (that says a lot I know) & I put that improvement down to Cowie. Hibs rejigged they're line up at HT and taken there two good chances, they have better attacks options up front, that's proven to be the difference.

That's not even a foul, nevermind a yellow card for the Hibs lad.

Also, a great (decoy) run from Connor Randall, to create the space for Sims.

Get in

That could have been a red card for Miller.

Randall's definitely in midfield.

I see that as a 4222, Randall as a holding midfielder beside Loturi.