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Morton return offers Caley Thistle chance to widen gap at top of Championship – Billy Dodds

Caley Thistle head coach Billy Dodds.
Caley Thistle head coach Billy Dodds.

Billy Dodds is eager to put the facilities fiasco aside as Caley Thistle seek to return from Morton still top of the Championship on Saturday night.

The Inverness head coach has not held back on his views since Tuesday’s Scottish Cup penalty shoot-out loss over the base his team were placed in at Cappielow.

He even suggested if there was no solution ahead of the league match, ICT might not play the game.

A failed generator within the portable units the players were using due to Covid restrictions left the squad and managers freezing and having their team talks in pitch darkness.

Morton have hit back, saying alternatives were offered, a claim rejected by Dodds.

On a purely footballing level, ICT will remain first in the table should they win in Greenock.

Second-placed Raith Rovers host third-placed Kilmarnock, while Partick Thistle and Arboath, who are locked on 28 points just behind the top three, meet at Firhill.

So, the one-point lead for Inverness might even be widened, should they respond with a victory four days after the 1-1 cup replay draw preceded a 5-3 shoot-out loss.

The third-round exit earned Morton a trip to Premiership Motherwell next month.

Dodds calling for better performance

Dodds is demanding an improvement from his team, fired up by the chance to at the very least stay first ahead of back-to-back home games against Hamilton Accies and Partick Thistle.

He said: “Results can happen like Tuesday every week in this league. We were disappointed to go out of the cup – I would have loved to have faced Motherwell in the next round. It wasn’t to be.

“We have an opportunity, with the other fixtures, to possibly extend our lead. It will be hard.

“Morton dug in when we were on top on Tuesday. They created a few chances themselves and it was a balanced tie as the score suggested. I want a better performance.

Morton’s Gary Oliver celebrates scoring the winning penalty in the shoot-out.

“We showed it in period of the game, but not enough. I want a bigger percentage of the game.”

There are suggestions fellow Championship clubs Kilmarnock and Ayr have also now raised concerns over the poor facilities they have been forced to use on trips to Cappielow.

Dodds added: “It doesn’t surprise me. They have obviously not said anything at the time. I don’t think they would go through the circumstances we went through.

“If they are complaining, I am sure they had lighting on. We had no lighting and it was a health hazard. We should not have been getting changed in there, simple as that.

“A Morton director apologised to me after the game, which was kind of him. But they don’t seem to be apologising anymore, which is very strange.

“He mentioned a gym they were waiting to be sanctioned by the council. That was the words mentioned to me. We will see how that is.

“I am still angry. I don’t know whether they are trying to wriggle out of this. The same message is not getting through to my CEO (Scot Gardiner) that got through to me after the game.”

Gym might get green light for ICT

Dodds expects an assurance of a better changing area when they arrive in Greenock this weekend.

He said: “It would be nice to be in the changing rooms, but we understand clubs do have hospitality and sometimes you get changed in those areas and lounges. If they are not available, put us in a correct facility.

Caley Thistle’s players go out for the second half at Morton on Tuesday.

“It was relayed to me by a director at full-time that hopefully we will be in a gym that will be passed by the council this Saturday. I hope it’s big enough.

“It would be nice to be assured it will be a facility which is big enough and safe. That’s the main thing. If it is Covid-safe, with heating and lighting, then I will be happy.”

An ankle injury suffered by ICT skipper Sean Welsh rules him out for a couple of weeks, while a knock sustained by midfielder Aaron Doran makes him “touch and go”, according to Dodds.