The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
Manager’s memory prompted substitution that proved a final masterstroke
It is a substitution that may have changed the course of Caley Thistle history.
James Vincent for Ryan Christie, 72 minutes. Extra midfield resources were required, even before Carl Tremarco had been sent off.
“One of the substitutions was going to be the strikers, because the two of them were staying up front when Falkirk were attacking,” said John Hughes, the victorious Inverness manager.
“I needed one of them in midfield. That’s why we were warming up James Vincent.”
In the pre-amble to the change, Hughes had frantically been looking round for his firstteam coach Scott Kellacher, who had the list of proposed substitutions written down. Kellacher was nowhere to be found; a dash to the toilet left Hughes to make the change from memory.
Vincent’s stint in midfield lasted just three minutes. Tremarco’s red card for wiping out Blair Alston saw him moved to right-back, with Graeme Shinnie moved to the left. It was to prove a masterstroke.
“I was saying to myself ‘we need to get to extra-time’. To get the winner late on; Marley Watkins doing what he does, taking the ball for a run and hitting it, and for James Vincent to get on the end of it from right-back, you’re saying ‘how has he done that?’
“The two of them were thick as thieves and the only two that could understand each other, in terms of their banter and their mindset.
“I take my hat off to James; when Terry Butcher left for Hibs, he came in for James. He was in at Easter Road, looking at the training facilities, but decided to stay at Inverness.
“For him to get the winner in the cup final, when we’re down to 10 men and struggling a wee bit, it’s written in the stars.”
That Caley Thistle triumphed through adversity should came as no surprise. It came a year after they beat Hearts in the League Cup semi-final with nine men.
At that point it was the Caley Jags’ first major final but to Hughes, the preparation was not right.
They travelled to Glasgow the night before the final with Aberdeen, to be played at Parkhead. He wanted to switch things up this time.
“I said to the chairman for the cup final: ‘listen, let’s do it right’. We tried all the teams round about Glasgow, to see if we could use their training facilities. They were all getting their pitches done.
“Livingston said we could use their first-team pitch and we stayed at the Northern Hotel, just opposite Edinburgh Airport.
“The chairman asked how
long we wanted to go for and he let us go for three days before the cup final.
“I roughly knew my team; I had two decisions to make. David Raven was carrying an injury and we were giving him right to the last minute.
“I said to him not to worry about the training, just make sure he was fit for the game. The other one was Danny Williams or Aaron Doran.
“David came back to me and said he wasn’t going to make it.
“I offered to put him on the bench but he came back to me again, the professional that he is, and said ‘that should go to somebody else, I’m injured’.”
During a near hour-long chat on Zoom with Hughes, reflecting on the 2015 success, he repeatedly references unsung heroes during that season. Kellacher and his pledge to wear a mankini should Inverness finish third, the ladies who worked in the club office, kitman and sounding board John Docherty all get a mention.
“Doc wasn’t just a kitman. He was in the dressing room, among all the banter, and a lot of the time I went to him, being an ex-player, to see if we were doing thing right.
“His words would stand you in good stead.”
All, in Hughes’ eyes, played their part in arguably the greatest moment in the club’s 26-year history.
“At the final whistle, emotions are all over the place. Falkirk are my old club – I had 11 great years there and made a lot of good friends.
“But it was our time. I remember saying to the boys ‘take it in. It might never happen again’.”