cinch Championship – Inverness CT v Partick Thistle (Friday 24th March)
While the top flight pauses for the international break, the lower leagues roll on! The BBC Scotland cameras are headed to the Highlands this evening for a crucial clash in the race for the play-offs.
Inconsistency has plagued Billy Dodds’ Caley Thistle side this season. Aside from a purple patch across September and October, Inverness have struggled to put together a real run of positive results. The Caley Jags are currently sat in seventh place and while they are all but clear of the relegation dogfight, play-off hopes look slim for last season’s finalists.
Attacker Billy Mckay has been a bright spark, netting 11 league goals as well as crucial strikes in Scottish Cup wins over Livingston & Kilmarnock en route to an unlikely semi-final meeting with Falkirk. If they are to have a chance of keeping any play-off aspirations alive, Caley will need to pick up a win over a Partick Thistle side who they have already beaten in Inverness this season. Though, they have also suffered two heavy defeats at the hands of the Maryhill Jags.
Things are looking up for Partick Thistle. Currently on a run of six without defeat in the cinch Championship, Kris Doolan’s short tenure in the dugout has breathed new life into the side. Promotion hopes seemed to be slipping through the Jags’ fingers, but positive results have made a return to the top tier a tangible possibility this season.
Despite drawing blanks in their two most recent league fixtures, Thistle will be heartened by their ability to stand firm at the back and grind out points in the absence of victory. Star striker Brian Graham will be desperate to add to his 11 league goals this evening. He has scored in each of Partick Thistle’s two wins over Inverness earlier in the season.
cinch League 1 – Clyde v Airdrieonians (Friday 24th March)
A key clash at either end of the cinch League 1 table. Struggling Clyde are tasked with quelling the attacking prowess of an Airdrie side which has scored 13 goals in its last 2 league outings.
2022/23 has been a season of real uphill struggle for the Bully Wee. Clyde have managed just 3 league wins all season, with just one of those coming in their last 26 cinch League 1 fixtures. 58 goals conceded with just 28 scored doesn’t make for great reading. Jim Duffy’s side look to be in a straight shootout with bottom side Peterhead over the occupation of the relegation play-off spot, with just 3 points separating the sides.
With just 7 matches of the regular season to go, every point is crucial. If Clyde are to give themselves the best possible chance of survival they need to be turning losses into draws and draws into wins in order to maintain their small safety buffer above Peterhead. The Bully Wee have still to face their relegation rivals at Balmoor before the end of the season, so any possible advantage heading into that fixture could prove vital.
Airdrie have been in sensational scoring form of late, backing up a 6-1 thrashing of Kelty Hearts with a 7-0 rout over Peterhead. Rhys McCabe’s side are the division’s top scorers and have momentum firmly with them heading into the end of season run-in. The Diamonds currently occupy 4th place. But, the gap between 3rd place Alloa and 5th place Edinburgh is just 2 points, meaning that momentum must continue if Airdrie are to secure their spot in the play-offs.
Airdrie have already defeated Clyde on three occasions this term. A dominant 5-0 home win backed up by a pair of narrow 1-0 victories shows that the Diamonds clearly have Clyde’s number thus far. In-form divisional top scorer Calum Gallagher (with 18 league strikes) is yet to find the net against the Bully Wee this season. He will be keen to maintain his sparkling form in front of goal, having bagged 6 times in his last 4 outings.
cinch League 2 – Stirling Albion v Dumbarton (Saturday 25th March)
There’s a huge game at Forthbank tomorrow as the race for the cinch League 2 title hots up.
The Binos took over at the top on Tuesday night following a 2-0 home win over Forfar Athletic thanks to goals in the last 20 minutes from defender Ross McGeachie and top scorer Dale Carrick, who netted his 20th of the campaign across all competitions.
Both Stirling and Dumbarton have nine matches still to play and Darren Young’s men have a two-point advantage and a superior goal difference. Stevie Farrell’s side head for Forthbank on the back of a shock 5-1 defeat at home to Albion Rovers last weekend but with the incentive of knowing a win will take them back to the summit. They would then have the opportunity to go further clear when they host Forfar on Wednesday night.
Dumbarton won the first meeting of the sides 2-0 on the opening day before Stirling stormed to a 6-0 success at Forthbank in October. The Binos had to dig deep to earn a 1-1 draw at Stranraer last Saturday but are unbeaten since losing at Stair Park back on December 3.
Stirling’s home record is very strong – 10 wins, two draws and one defeat – although it took a last-minute Jack Leitch goal to see off Bonnyrigg Rose a fortnight ago. Dumbarton have won seven, drawn three and lost four of their 14 away matches so far.
This game will obviously be crucial to the title hopes of both teams but there is still a lot of football to be played and the sides meet again in a rearranged fixture on Tuesday April 11.
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