[ritchiebaby]

A long trip up the A9 (weather permitting) for what will possibly prove to be a season-defining game for Hibs against Super Caley in the Scottish Cup.

Following Hibs' much-improved display against Celtic last night, there will be a new confidence in the team. OK, we still lost (again), but we showed we can be an exciting team to watch. We just need to convert the excitement into cool, clinical finishing. I'm expecting goals galore from this game, probably going right down to the wire for a Hibs win.

ICT will be no pushovers, though, and I'm certain Duncan Ferguson will have his players fired up for this one. They are having their own struggles in the Championship, especially at home, but will look upon this as a welcome break.

GGTTH

[hibeejim21]

We need to start winning games - Its that simple.

[ritchiebaby]

Nick Montgomery on the game
“These games are always difficult, and you could see that against Forfar. We had a lot of players missing in that game, but it was a real battle. We saw the game out and got through to the next round; that’s the most important thing in cup football. You know these games are always big challenges; they’ll be up for it, and we both know a win progresses us into the next round. It’s irrelevant what level you’re playing at, it’s 11 vs 11, so you have to be prepared and you can’t underestimate anyone. I expect a tough battle. They’ve got a manager that wears his heart on his sleeve, like me, so I don’t expect anything other than a physical battle.”

[ritchiebaby]

Inverness CT v Hibernian (15:00)

Inverness CT: Ridgers, Harper, Carragher, Mullen, Kerr, Shaw, Gilmour, Anderson, McAllister, Savage, Mckay.

Substitutes: Pepple, Doran, Samuels, MacGregor, Boyes, Mackay, Brooks, Ujdur.

Hibernian: Marshall, Miller, Fish, Triantis, Obita, Amos, Newell, Moriah-Welsh, Boyle, Mayenda, Maolida.

Substitutes: Wollacott, Hanlon, Levitt, Youan, Vente, Cadden, Stevenson, La Fondre, Emiliano.

James Carragher, son of Liverpool's Jamie Carragher. plays for the home side, watched by his dad. Aaaaahh! No more sentiment allowed.

In other Cup news, while Arron Darge is getting set for a Scottish Cup last-16 tie for Cove Rangers against Kilmarnock at Rugby Park, his older brother Rory is playing actual rugby for Scotland against France at Murrayfield. (Thanks to the Beeb for that one)

[ritchiebaby]

That'll do me - a difficult game out of the way with better finishing, albeit with a slice of luck with the first goal. The youngsters are starting to deliver the goods and it just depends on how long we can keep the loanees. However we are in the next round with the chance to give the youngsters to win a Cup - sorry, that's going too far ahead.

[ritchiebaby]

Hibernian head coach Nick Montgomery
"It was a comfortable victory in the end. Not an easy place to come, always a difficult cup tie and playing against an underdog. But I thought the boys executed the game very well and I thought we more than deserved to get through. We created a lot of opportunities at the end, we probably could have had a couple more and I think they had one shot on target and it was a fantastic finish by the boy."

[hibeejim21]

Tricky tie negotiated, and a big result for the manager.

I honestly think he's signed some good players - Maolida has a decent pedigree in france, Mayenda and Emiliana are on loan from big clubs in England. Amos has lost his way a bit after spells at Spurs and QPR but could be an asset if hes up for it , Moriah-Welsh on paper looks like a bit of a punt but hes looked the better option in midfield since hes came in. The only one im worried about is Triantis who has looked a bit clumsy to me.

Interesting times ahead.