Caley Thistle midfielder David Carson feels his side’s strong end of season form makes it all the more frustrating to fall short in the race for the Championship promotion play-offs.
Inverness’ 3-0 loss to champions Hearts on Saturday ended their hopes of finishing in the top four with one game still to spare after Dunfermline secured a play-off spot with a 4-3 win over Arbroath.
Neil McCann’s side had enjoyed a fine run of seven league matches unbeaten prior to the trip to Tynecastle, which had moved them firmly into contention.
The run catapulted the Highlanders from the second bottom position they occupied at the beginning of March but Englishman Carson is disappointed their first setback since then has resulted in their promotion dream ending.
Carson said: “In the back our head we knew results had to go our way, but ultimately we could only do our job.
“We haven’t done our job on the day, so we can’t be counting on other teams to help us out.
“We had to go out and make it easier for ourselves by winning games, and we haven’t done that on Saturday.
“Looking at where we were a few months ago to how far we have come, it’s massively frustrating.
“We can proud of the way we have gone on a big run and got ourselves out of it, but then the frustration kicks in we haven’t actually gone on and got those final few points to secure the play-offs.
“We have been on a good run of form. This was one of those games that hasn’t gone for us, but looking at our side we have gone from strength to strength in the last few months.”
Carson felt Inverness were made to pay for a below-par first half, in which they conceded to a Gary Mackay-Steven double as well as an Aaron McEneff strike.
He added: “In the first half we didn’t perform to the levels we are capable of and paid the price for some sloppy goals.
“I just don’t think we got going, which gave us a tough task.
“The boys came out and gave what they could in the second half, but ultimately it wasn’t enough because we had let ourselves down in the first half.”
Carson feels the narrative of the day could have been very different had Scott Allan found the net with an early attempt from a short corner, with the 25-year-old adding: “The early chance was a set-piece we had worked on, and we could see from a mile off it was on.
“Unfortunately Scott Allan hasn’t managed to hit the net, but that would have set us off brilliantly.
“It would really have got us going. On the flip side, because it hasn’t gone in it backfired and they put the ball in our net.
“It’s massively frustrating. We know we let ourselves down, and it can’t happen in football because you get punished.”