Ross County derby win against Caley Thistle (4-0)

Stuart Kettlewell was thrilled to see Ross County finishing off their chances in style to surge to a 4-0 pre-season derby win against Caley Thistle.

The Dingwall side, who have just been relegated to League One, were facing the team who have just won that division to replace them in this season’s Championship.

However, with eight new signings on board, Kettlewell’s team were clinical when it mattered to leave Inverness with no answers.

In a game played at Clachnacuddin’s Grant Street Park, a goal from winger Richard Chin, who signed from Raith Rovers last month, was followed in the second half by strikes from Adam Emslie, Jamie Lindsay and Kieran Phillips.

After posting warm-up wins against Breedon Highland League opponents Invergordon, Forres Mechanics and Clachnacuddin, this was just the kind of game County were after ahead of next Saturday’s Premier Sports Cup opener at League Two side Annan Athletic.

‘It’s about changing culture, changing mindsets and changing standards’

Kettlewell replaced Tony Docherty as the County manager in the new year, but was unable to prevent the club he had played for and managed previously from avoiding relegation.

He explained that he’s seeing the players hit the ground running, with the players willing to put the work in to see the results go in their favour.

He said: “We’ve been moving up the levels, playing against a team today in the division above us and that is no disrespect to the Highland League teams we’ve played. They have provided really good tests for our players to get some minutes.

“The big factor for me was to get to spend some time out of possession.

“We also wanted to become more ruthless. We had a lot of chances against Clach on Tuesday and won 2-0 when it could have been a lot more.

“These are the things you sharpen up on as you go along.

“Inverness would have wanted to beat us today. It’s a good game and there would have been a real appetite for people to see that rivalry given we’re not in the same league.

“The players have worked exceptionally hard over pre-season.

“No points were handed out or advancing to the next round of the cup, but we scored four goals in the fashion we did, and it could have been more.

“It’s about changing culture, changing mindsets and changing standards.

“That’s not me bad-mouthing what’s happened before. It just needs to be at my standards, the standards I believe are right and proper for this football club.

“There have been lots of that on the pitch and off the pitch.

“The players will feel good about themselves today, but we now move on to a bounce game against Aberdeen on Tuesday and that starts to set us up for the competitive action on Saturday.”

New striker needs more game-time

Caley Thistle fielded two new signings in the derby game with Aberdeen attacker Ryan Duncan and former QPR youth and ex-Maidstone striker Hamzad Kargbo making their debuts.

Duncan, who was on loan at Ross County last season in the Championship, signed a two-year contract on Friday night, while 6ft 6ins Kargbo joined on a one-year deal, which was announced just before kick-off.

Inverness are also running the rule over Aston Villa centre half Kerr Smith, who came off the bench against County.

The former Dundee United youth defender, 20, joined Villa in 2022 and has most recently been on loan at English League Two side Barrow.

Ex-Caley Thistle wide player Daniel Mackay continues to gain minutes as an Inverness trialist after he left Partick Thistle at the end of the season, but Fulham academy defender Joe Walters won’t be offered a contract after a few games on trial with Inverness.

Assistant manager Billy Mckay spoke about the latest arrivals.

He said: “Hamzad still needs to get up to speed fitness-wise. He’s been part-time last season.

“He’ll have had a bit of a reality check about how fit you need to be. That’s why we need to persevere and get him games under his belt.

“He got 60 minutes today and has shown us in the last couple of games he was effective.

“Hamzad brings a different attacking option to (Swansea loanee forward) Morgan Bates and we could add to that as well.

“Alfie Bavidge (who is on loan from Aberdeen) will be back in training on Monday and will be fit for Tuesday.

Duncan showed class in training

“Ryan gives us another option in the wide areas.

“He trained one day this week and got 60 minutes today.

“He’s just a bit behind on fitness and sharpness. He showed little bits of quality, but he just needs to get a bit fitter as he trains with the lads and starts learning how we play.

“Ryan will be better for today. He’ll get more minutes at Cove on Tuesday.

“It will take him a couple of weeks to get up to speed but you can see the quality on his left foot.

“I see that in one day of training. It’s about us trying to unlock that. He gives us another option.”

‘The players will know that’s unacceptable’

On the sore defeat by Ross County, Mckay added: “This was why we wanted to play opposition of this quality.

“We’ve had a couple of games against Highland League teams and played The New Saints behind closed doors, but Ross County are a team with Championship players and players who played in the Premiership two years ago, and even last season.

“We knew it would be a tough game to see what level we’re at. We’re not quite there yet.

“We’ve a lot to learn as a group, especially off the ball when we need to match runners better. We need to do the dirty side of the game better.

“On the ball, we need to be better, especially in the final third.

“In the Championship, games might not be pretty at times, and we need to be stronger and stand up and be counted.”

“Overall, we’re disappointed with how today has gone, but it is better to happen today than against Dunfermline in the first league game on August 1.

“We will improve and learn from it. The players will know that’s unacceptable. We will be better for it.”

[Source: Press and Journal]