Linlithgow Rose 0–2 Inverness: Caley Thistle Ease Past Lowland League Hosts in Scottish League Cup

Inverness Caledonian Thistle kicked off their 2026–27 Scottish League Cup campaign with a professional 2–0 victory over Linlithgow Rose at the M8 Stadium on Saturday evening. The Championship side never looked in danger against their hosts, who compete in the Lowland League, and the result will have pleased manager Duncan Ferguson as his team builds momentum ahead of the league season.

The opening half was dominated by Inverness, who controlled possession and created a handful of clear-cut chances. The deadlock was broken just before the half-hour mark when forward Billy Mckay latched onto a through ball from David Carson and slotted calmly past Linlithgow goalkeeper Andrew Gaughan. The goal gave the visitors a deserved lead and settled any early nerves.

Linlithgow Rose, to their credit, offered resilience and occasional threat on the counter-attack, with winger Jack Smith forcing a save from Inverness keeper Mark Ridgers in the 38th minute. However, the hosts were unable to sustain pressure, and Inverness doubled their advantage early in the second half. Midfielder Roddy MacGregor fired home from the edge of the box after a corner was only half-cleared, making the score 2–0 on 54 minutes.

From that point, Inverness controlled the tempo comfortably. The visitors saw out the match without major alarm, and Ferguson will be pleased with a clean sheet and a composed display. For Linlithgow, the match proved a valuable experience against higher-level opposition, but they will need sharper finishing in upcoming group fixtures if they are to progress.

Key performers: Billy Mckay (goal involvement and intelligent runs), Mark Ridgers (solid when called upon), and Roddy MacGregor (the match-winning second goal). Linlithgow’s best player was probably left-back James McEwan, who worked tirelessly to contain Inverness attacks.

The result puts Inverston top of their group with three points and a healthy goal difference, while Linlithgow will look to bounce back in their next outing against a fellow lower-league side.