Caley Thistle defender Gary Warren has warned that only a perfect finish to the season will keep alive his club’s hopes of playing in Europe.
The Highlanders have been cut adrift of Aberdeen and Motherwell in their attempt to finish in the top three, which carries a place in next season’s Europa League, following a 2-1 home defeat by the Steelmen on Tuesday.
Caley Jags complete a 33-game fixture list with the Highland derby at Ross County tomorrow before playing the rest of the top six sides in the final five post-split fixtures and Warren believes a full 18-point haul is a must if his side is to have any chance of catching the Dons and Well.
He said: “Europe is difficult now but we’ve got six games left and we’ll keep fighting. We’ve still got a chance. Every game is a must-win and we have to hope other teams around us slip up.
“Recent results have been frustrating but it’s always frustrating when you don’t win.
“We need to get back to winning ways by all means possible.”
Warren admits Iain Vigurs’s winning goal for Well was a hammer blow to the Highlanders, who would have moved within five points of the Steelmen if they had won the game.
He said: “When you look at the game as a whole we started brightly.
“But then conceded two sloppy goals, which we need to cut out doing.
“It was a game we had to win and we were pushing for the three points because a draw wasn’t any good and we got caught on the counterattack.
“In the last two or three games we’ve played some good football, so there have been encouraging signs. We’ll click sooner or later.”
To add to the morale-sapping loss, captain Richie Foran had a knee operation yesterday which could end the midfielder’s campaign.
But Warren said: “With Richie you never know. He could be back in a week, he’s that type.”