It’s a strange competition. The SPFL Trust Trophy, or the Challenge Cup as some people might still refer to it, has been part of the fabric of Scottish football for a long time now.
The clubs that are allowed to enter it have changed over the years.
We have had clubs from England, Wales and Northern Ireland taking part together with Scottish Premiership B teams.
I get the impression that fans of lower league clubs enjoy coming up against the teams from other countries.
It just makes a nice change to see clubs you don’t normally see.
Those same fans are less enamoured with the B teams. I think they feel this competition was never designed for top flight clubs so we can do without their youth squads.
The downside of this competition is that few people get really interested in it until their team is in the final. That’s sad as for so many clubs who participate it’s their only chance of winning a national knock-out trophy.
Not that such matters will be an issue for Caley Thistle fans this season.
Young lads certainly didn’t let themselves or the club down
I always felt that there would be significant changes to the Inverness line-up for Saturday but even I was surprised at how they picked ten boys childminded by goalkeeper Mark Ridgers.
The club had warned us about this at the start of last week and I can’t say I disagree with the approach they took.
It was certainly prudent to rest what is left of the first-team squad during the club’s present injury woes.
Though, these young lads went down 2-0 to the Accies they certainly didn’t let themselves or the club down.
They were unlucky not to score and make life more difficult for the home team.
However, when the two clubs meet again in the Championship on Saturday things will be very different.
Inverness will need to take something from that one as they can’t afford to drop any further back from the Championship leaders.
It will not be easy, I suspect.
