National cups are something special for many teams and supporters. Today's match will decide whether it's Elgin City or Inverness CT that keep their silverware dream alive.
Both participants have had ample time to rest since their last competitive action. Let's trust this will be an active game!
Elgin City form and stats
Elgin have reached this Challenge Cup stage through battling and winning against Hibernian U21. Elgin participated in Challenge Cup the last season, where they reached the quarter-finals.When playing at home in the League Two, Elgin City have managed 1 win, 2 draws and suffered 2 defeats from 5 games. Two defeats in a row at home hurts for Elgin, their manager G. Price and the supporters. There are certain expectations for improvement.
The Elgin fans got no joy from their last match, a League Two game also here at Borough Briggs: A 0-2 defeat against Stirling Albion.
Before that match, a League Two win away at Stenhousemuir.Elgin are certainly not overdoing their scoring at home in league matches, having created 5 goals in 5 games. On the other hand, Elgin have conceded 6 goals.
Inverness CT form and stats
The traveling awayteam has defeated Buckie Thistle in order to reach 3rd round of Challenge Cup. They also participated in Challenge Cup last season. This ended in the semi-finals.The story so far for the visiting team on their Championship travels is 2 wins, 1 draw and 1 defeat.
Inverness CT lost away at Hamilton Academical (1-2) in their previous game and are perhaps starting to feel homesick.
That result followed a home victory 2-1 versus Queen of the South in the Championship.The attacking power of Inverness when travelling is not overwhelming with 3 goals scored from 4 league matches away. Inverness CT are tighter than a frog's bottom, as only 2 away goals have been conceded so far.
Head 2 Head
Numbers for the former four meetings between these two participants are: zero wins for Elgin, zero draws and four wins for Inverness CT. Over 2,5 goals: three times; under 2,5 goals: one game.Top Goalscorers
  D. McHardy 3 goals | K. Hester 3 goals |   M. Gardyne 3 goals |
Elgin City missing players
Inverness CT missing players
| Elgin City | Inverness CT | ||||||
| Total | Home | Statistics | Stat | Away | Total | ||
| 25 | 13 | Played | P | 15 | 25 | ||
| 8 | 4 | Won | W | 7 | 14 | ||
| 5 | 2 | Drew | D | 3 | 6 | ||
| 12 | 7 | Lost | L | 5 | 5 | ||
| 33 | 17 | Scored | S | 19 | 38 | ||
| 47 | 24 | Conceded | C | 17 | 24 | ||
| 96% | 100% | Over 0.5 | O 0.5 | 93% | 96% | ||
| 88% | 85% | Over 1.5 | O 1.5 | 60% | 64% | ||
| 56% | 54% | Over 2.5 | O 2.5 | 47% | 48% | ||
| 40% | 38% | Over 3.5 | O 3.5 | 27% | 32% | ||
| 24% | 23% | Over 4.5 | O 4.5 | 13% | 8% | ||
| 56% | 46% | BTTS | BTTS | 53% | 52% | ||
| 12% | 15% | Clean Sheets | C S | 33% | 40% | ||
| 36% | 38% | Failed to Score | F T | 20% | 12% | ||
| 4.5 | 4.5 | Corners for (avg) | C F | 3.6 | 4 | ||
| 5.3 | 5 | Corners against (avg) | C A | 5.7 | 5 | ||
| 1.5 | 1.4 | Yellow cards (avg) | Y C | 1.4 | 1.5 | ||
| 1 | 1 | Red cards | R C | 1 | 3 | ||
| 8.5 | 9.4 | Shots (avg) | S ( | 9.1 | 9 | ||
| 3.5 | 3.8 | Shots on Target (avg) | S O | 3.2 | 3.8 | ||
| 36% | 34% | Goal Efficiency | G E | 40% | 40% | ||
| Total | Home | Away | |||||||||||||||||||
| # | Team | MP | W | D | L | F | A | MP | W | D | L | F | A | MP | W | D | L | F | A | +/- | P |
| 1 | Kelty Hearts | 9 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 19 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 12 | 4 | 13 | 23 |
| 2 | Stirling Albion | 9 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 17 | 9 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 5 | 8 | 19 |
| 3 | Annan Athletic | 9 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 15 | 11 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 3 | 4 | 15 |
| 4 | Forfar Athletic | 9 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 13 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 14 |
| 5 | Edinburgh City | 9 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 10 | 9 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 1 | 14 |
| 6 | Stranraer | 9 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 7 | 11 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 4 | -4 | 11 |
| 7 | Elgin City | 9 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 9 | 13 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 7 | -4 | 9 |
| 8 | Albion Rovers | 9 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 8 | 16 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 9 | -8 | 7 |
| 9 | Stenhousemuir | 9 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 15 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 9 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 6 | -7 | 6 |
| 10 | Cowdenbeath | 9 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 9 | 17 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 7 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 10 | -8 | 6 |
| Total | Home | Away | |||||||||||||||||||
| # | Team | MP | W | D | L | F | A | MP | W | D | L | F | A | MP | W | D | L | F | A | +/- | P |
| 1 | Inverness CT | 8 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 19 |
| 2 | Kilmarnock | 8 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 9 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 16 |
| 3 | Arbroath | 8 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 16 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 9 | 4 | 10 | 15 |
| 4 | Raith Rovers | 8 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 14 | 10 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 8 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 14 |
| 5 | Partick Thistle | 8 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 17 | 13 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 9 | 4 | 12 |
| 6 | Queen of the South | 8 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 9 | 12 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 7 | -3 | 9 |
| 7 | Ayr United | 8 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 7 | 12 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 7 | -5 | 8 |
| 8 | Hamilton Academical | 8 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 8 | 15 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 9 | -7 | 8 |
| 9 | Greenock Morton | 8 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 12 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | -5 | 6 |
| 10 | Dunfermline Athletic | 8 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 13 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 7 | -9 | 4 |