‘S e seachdainn math a th’ air a bhith ann do na sgiobaidhean Gàidhealach gu ruige seo, le Caley ‘s County a’ dèanamh a’ chùis ‘s a’ faighinn troimhe dhan cairteal cuairt-dheireannach de Chupa an Lìog.
Bhuannaich Caley 2-0 an aghaidh Baile Lèibhinn le dà thadhail sa chiad leth a’ dhèanamh cìnnteach gun soirbhich iad ann an geama a dh’ fhaodadh a bhith na duilgheadas dhaibh.
Rinn Ross County masladh as an t-Eaglais Bhreac, ged ta, a bhuannachadh 7-0 an aghaidh an sgioba bhon Championship. Fhuair Liam Boyce treas-tarraing ron fhìdeag airson leth-ùine le ceithir cluicheadearan a’ cuir na h-ainmean ris a’ chlàr-sgòraidh san ath leth airson crìoch a chuir air buaidh cofhurtail.
A-nis le sùil dhan deireadh-seachdainn seo tighinn ‘s e Obair Dheathain an dùbhlain airson Caley – ‘s abair gun e geama doirbh a dh’fhaodadh sin a bhith ann dhaibh. Tha Obair Dheathain aig mullach an lìog leis iad air gach geam aca a’ bhuannachadh, fiù ‘s an aghaidh Celtic.
Ach tha mi den bheachd gu bheil cothrom aig Caley puing fhaighinn às a gheam leis mar a tha cùisean do dh’ Obair Dheathain. Chaidh Graeme Shinnie a leòn oidhche Diciadain nuair a chaill iad do Hibs sa chupa, agus leis cho math ‘s a tha an cluicheadear a bhith dhaibh ‘s dòcha gum bidh iad ga ionndrainn Disathairne. Sheall iad an oidhche sin nach robh iad an aon sgioba as aonais Shinnie, agus mur eil e a’ cluich an aghaidh an seann sgioba aige ‘s dòcha gu bheil cothrom nas fheàrr aig Caley tadhail neo dha fhaighinn ‘s a chùis a’ dhèanamh air an sgioba as fheàrr san dùthaich gu ruige seo.
Tha Ross County a’ siubhal do Dun Dèigh airson an sgioba ann an gorm dorcha a’ cluich. Shaoileadh tu gum biodh County a’ bhuannachadh leis cho math ‘s a tha iad air a bhith ‘s cho lag ‘s a tha Dun Dèigh air a bhith am bliadhna seo. Cuideachd chan eil Dun Dèigh air bhuannachadh an aghaidh County o chionn ceithir bliadhna, le 6 bhuannachdan do Ross County ‘on uair sin.
Tha mi a’ smaoineachadh gum bidh geam duilich ann do County ged ta, ‘s Dun Dèigh feuchainn ri tighinn air ais bhon masladh a bh’ aca ann an Ghlaschu Didòmhnaich seo chaidh far an do chaill iad 6-0 ri Celtic. Cha robh County cho siùbhlach an aghaidh Partick seachdainn seo chaidh ‘s a tha iad air a bhith ron a sin agus tha e cìnnteach gum bidh na cluicheadairean aca beagan nas airtnealaiche na Dun Dèigh air sgath ‘s gun do chluich iad oidhche Dimàirt.
Tha mi dol a’ dhèanamh fàisneachd gum faigh gach sgioba Gàidhealach puing às na geamaichean Disathairne, le geamaichean inntinneach aca ach ‘s dòcha beagan a dhith air tadhail air sgath ‘s gum bidh beagan sgìths ann air a phairce.
Gun diofar dè tha tachairt an deireadh seachdainn-sa, bidh aire luchd-leantainn gach sgioba sa Ghaidhealtachd air an darbaidh an ath sheachdainn ann an Inbhir Pheofhairain. Chan eil na sgiobaidhean air cluich ‘on a gheam san Fhaoilleach agus bidh gach sgioba a’ coimhead air mar cothrom còmharra a’ dhèanamh air far an tèid an seusan aca. Chì sinn de thachras a dh’ aithghearr.
A TRANSLATION – The Gaelic Column: Tricky games after Cup success
It’s been a good week for the Highland teams so far, with Inverness Caley Thistle and Ross County both doing enough to get through to the quarter-finals of the League Cup.
Caley won 2-0 against Livingston scoring in the first half making sure of the win in a game that could have been problematic for them.
Ross County embarrassed Falkirk winning 7-0 against the Championship side. Liam Boyce netted a hat-trick before half-time with four players putting their names on the scoreboard in the second half to cap off a comfortable victory.
They’ll both find out who they face in the next round on Monday, and as there’s no seeding in the draw this time there’s a chance of a derby between the sides for a place in the semi-finals at Hampden in January.
Now with a look at the weekend ahead, Aberdeen are the opponents for Caley – and what a tough game that could be for them. Aberdeen are at the top of the league after winning every game so far this season, even against Celtic. But I think Caley have a chance of getting at least a point out of the game with how things are for Aberdeen.
Graeme Shinnie was injured on Wednesday night as Aberdeen crashed out of the cup to Hibs, and with how good he’s been for them this season they might well miss him on Saturday.
They showed that night they weren’t the same side without Shinnie, and if he doesn’t play against his old side there’s a better chance that Caley could get a goal or two and beat the best side in the country so far this year.
Ross County travel to Dundee to play the Dark Blues. You’d expect County to win with how good they’ve been and how weak Dundee have been this year. Also, Dundee haven’t beaten County in four years, with County notching six wins since then.
I think it’ll be a tough game for County though, with Dundee trying to come back from their embarrassment in Glasgow on Sunday where they lost 6-0 to Celtic. County weren’t as impressive against Partick last week as they have been before that and it’s certain that their players will be a bit more tired than Dundee’s after playing on Tuesday night.
I’m going to predict that both Highland sides will get a point out of their games on Saturday, with interesting games for both but perhaps lacking in goals with the tiredness that will be on display on the park.
No matter what happens this weekend though, the eyes of the Highland teams’ fans will be on the derby next week in Dingwall. The teams haven’t faced each other since January and both sides will be looking at the game as a chance to make a statement on where their seasons are headed. We’ll see what happens soon enough.
