Edmond Dehodencq Wearing an Inverness Cape, by Alfred Dehodencq.
It's Inverness CT versus Morton.
ICT are fourth with 33 points, Morton sixth with 30. ICT are the better goalscorers with 33 to Morton's 25, and also a bit better defensively with 29 goals allowed to Morton's 32. Head to head this season ICT are in front with a win and a draw in two meetings. Morton's last win in Inverness came a year ago tomorrow.
2018-19 is two-thirds over. Morton have 7 wins, 9 draws and 8 losses, putting them on track to finish with 45 points, which would be equal to 1996-97, worse than 14 other seasons since 1994 and better than 9.
The Championship has separated into two packs. The leaders are Ross County, Ayr United and Dundee United, any of whom could win the division. Then comes a 9-point gap. The teams from fourth place to tenth are grouped together in a ten-point range from 33 points down to 23. All of them have to worry about relegation, even Inverness. And all of them have a shot at fourth place, even Alloa. Going into today's play ICT, QoS, Morton, Dunfermline and Partick each have 7 wins.
Would 45 points be enough to evade the relegation zone?
Since the 3-point win came in, no team with 45 points has been relegated, except in cases of insolvency. But Stranraer were demoted from the Second Division with 44 points at the end of the 2002-03 season.
Would 30 points be enough?
No. Alloa are on track for 33 points, Falkirk 36, Partick 37.
However, Morton have already done better than their worst season of the 3-point-win era, 2013-14, when they finished with 26 points.
Other Championship matches:
Ayr United (2nd) [0 - 1] Dunfermline (7th)
Falkirk (9th) [1 - 1] Dundee United (3rd)
Partick Thistle (8th) [2 - 4] Ross County (1st)
QoS (5th) [1 - 2] Alloa (10th)
[Inverness 1 - 0 Morton.]
Scottish Cup 5th round replay (Tuesday):
Inverness CT 2 - 2 Ross County (ICT win on PK.) Inverness are into the quarter-finals.
How have Morton fared in Match 25 this decade?
2018/2/24 Inverness CT 2 - 0 Morton
2017/2/25 Dundee United 1 - 1 Morton
2016/2/24 Hibs 0 - 3 Morton
2015/2/21 Morton 2 - 0 Stranraer
2014/2/22 Morton 0 - 1 Alloa
2013/2/23 Dunfermline 1 - 4 Morton
2012/3/3 Raith Rovers 5 - 0 Morton
2011/3/5 Dunfermline 1 - 3 Morton
2010/3/17 Morton 2 - 1 Airdrie United
5 wins, 1 draw, 3 losses.
1928-29: Morton hosted Dundee United and won 2 - 0.
1951-52: Morton travelled to Broomfield Park where they were beaten 4 - 0 by Airdrieonians in the third round of the Scottish Cup.
How many games have Inverness CT played against the other 2018-19 Championship clubs?
60 Ross County
53 Dundee United
49 Falkirk
38 Dunfermline
36 Partick Thistle
32 Alloa
32 Ayr United
30 Queen of the South
21 Morton
Top and bottom Championship teams week by week (2 of 3):
Week 13 Ayr United Falkirk
Week 14 Ayr United Falkirk
Week 15 Ayr United Partick Thistle
Week 16 Ayr United Falkirk
Week 17 Ayr United Falkirk
Week 18 Ross County Falkirk
Week 19 Ross County Falkirk
Week 20 Ross County Partick Thistle
Week 21 Ross County Partick Thistle
Week 22 Ross County Falkirk
Week 23 Ross County Falkirk
Week 24 Ross County Alloa Athletic
Most draws in a 36-game season, Morton:
14 2001-02
13 2016-17
12 3 times
11 4 times
10 5 times
9 once + 2018-19 after 24 games
Most draws in a 36-game season, Inverness CT:
15 2012-13
13 three times
12 twice + 2018-19 after 24 games
11 twice
Cowlairs versus Motherwell. These two played together in Division Two in 1893-94 and 1894-95. They each won twice. Motherwell outscored Cowlairs 11 - 9.
SWFL2 W/SW: Morton Women [19 - 0] Annan Athletic Ladies
This game is at Inverclyde Academy.
It's the quarter-finals of the Scottish Junior Cup:
Hurlford [1 - 1] Clydebank
Largs [5 - 0] Kilwinning
Pollok [0 - 3] Auchinleck Talbot
Troon [0 - 2] Lochee United
UEFA Europa League, Round of 32, second leg (Feb 21st):
Valencia 1 - 0 Celtic
Chelsea 3 - 0 Malmö
Celtic are out. Malmö are out.
Swiss Challenge League: Chiasso [1 - 1] Winterthur
Regionalliga Südwest: Eintracht Stadtallendorf [0 - 3] 1. FC Saarbrücken
The playoff stage of the 2019 AFC Champions League was held this midweek. Two J.League clubs were in it:
Sanfrecce Hiroshima 0 - 0 Chiangrai United (Sanfrecce win on PK.)
Kashima Antlers 4 - 1 Newcastle Jets
The 2019 J1 season began last night. J2 starts tomorrow.
Tomorrow Iwaki FC play a pre-season friendly against Fukushima United. [Iwaki 5 - 0 Fukushima United. Reminder: Fukushima United play in J3, and Iwaki FC are in the Tohoku League, two tier below them.]
2019 CONCACAF Champions League Round of 16 (first leg):
Independiente (Panama) 4 - 0 Toronto FC
HFX Wanderers have signed Alex De Carolis, who recently played for Västerås SK and Umeå FC, and Christian Oxner, former goalkeeper for St. Mary's Huskies. Also signed are Koaumé Ouattara, an Ivorian New Brunswicker, and Kodai Iida from Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan. These last two took part in the open tryouts last fall, Ouattara in Halifax and Iida in Montreal. Iida played for Yamanashi Gakuin University in Kofu.
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