Caley Thistle head coach Billy Dodds underlined the role fans can play as his team aim for the Premiership play-off semi-finals by getting past Partick Thistle on Friday night.
The Inverness side are 2-1 ahead from Tuesday’s first leg in Glasgow – after they stormed back from a Robbie Crawford opener to secure the win with goals from man-of-the-match Shane Sutherland and substitute Austin Samuels.
Players lap up the atmosphere
The players and coaches were blown away by the backing at Firhill from their supporters and Dodds is in no doubt the volume from the stands in recent home games has certainly spurred the side on in their push for promotion.
He said: “I have been saying how good the fans were on Tuesday. In the last couple of months at home, our supporters have also been fantastic and we need them more than ever.
“It makes such a difference to the boys and constantly through the 90 minutes we need that on Friday. I’m sure we will get it.
“You only have to go back to lockdown when there are no fans there, (it showed you) what fans mean to the players.
“It was eerie and surreal, whereas at Firhill you have 400 fans singing constantly – what a difference it makes.
“There will be a few thousand there (in Inverness on Friday), so we look forward to that. If they make the noise, it will hit the boys.”
No complacency ahead of second leg
As he did at full-time on Tuesday, Dodds stressed there will be no complacency allowed to creep into the hosts’ minds as he expects a Partick team to come at them like a train.
He said: “We’re confident, but not overconfident. We have to be like that and realise Thistle will have a real go.
“But we will be ready and look forward to the game.
“We are not getting carried away – it was a great result, but it is only half-time.
❤️💙 Thank you for your outstanding support this evening.
Get behind the lads for the second leg as we look to advance to the semi-final 👊
🎟 Tickets for Friday’s second leg available from: https://t.co/6z5nBMn9qE
COME ON ICTFC 🔴🔵 pic.twitter.com/Kg3l1plINL
— Inverness Caledonian Thistle FC (@ICTFC) May 3, 2022
“I will say (to the players): ‘forget Tuesday night’, and I know how we will approach it. I know Thistle will come at us.
“Thistle weren’t performing well going into the game and then they got the goal and it spurred them on.
“We know a goal can change the game. It is not a done deal – we have to be properly at it. If we carry on that mindset, we will be there or thereabouts.”
Plan to be positive for Partick encounter
Seven victories from their last nine outings is brilliant form and Dodds knows it.
He also knows his men must negotiate five more games if they are to start next season as a top-flight club. That has never been achieved by a side finishing third or fourth in the Championship.
He said: “It is nice to have momentum, but it is a long slog this one. No other team has gone through six games and got to the Premiership.
“We know it will be hard and gruelling. We are not looking too far into the future – if you look too far ahead, you’re crazy.
“If you handle these two games, we go on to the next ones and be positive, but we have a job to do against Thistle.”
McCall’s inspirational team talks
Inverness finished the regular season seven points richer than Thistle, but nothing split them on the head-to-heads.
That’s another reason why Dodds is expecting a tie which could go to the wire, with extra-time and penalties an option.
He added: “It was two draws and one win each before Tuesday’s game. I said it will be tight and it was because we went a goal down.
“As soon as we lost the goal, we did something about it and we went from a rigid formation to expansive and it worked a treat.
“I know what (Partick manager) Ian McCall’s dressing room team talks are like. I listened to them when I was at Dundee United. They will be inspiring. He will get his team up for it and they will be ready for it.”
Walsh and MacGregor injured
Winger Tom Walsh’s dazzling double in the 4-0 rout of Hamilton helped promote him to the line-up on Tuesday.
However, his evening ended with a thump on the back of the knee after 19 minutes.
The club are waiting on scan results, but he is unlikely to make it, while midfielder Roddy MacGregor will also miss out again after suffering a hairline jaw fracture against Hamilton last week.
MacGregor had only just returned with a wonderful winner against Morton six days previously.
Dodds says losing the local starlet is a real blow, given the timing.
He said: “Roddy was like a new signing to us and it has been a stop-start season for him.
“He will come back, but we could be doing with him for numbers and quality.”
Fit Allardice back in contention
Midfielder Scott Allardice returned to the bench on Tuesday after a knee injury had sidelined him since January.
Dodds admits having the former Dundee United creator available once more is a massive boost.
He added: “We’re buzzing and the boys in training are happy he is there. It’s great to have the big man on the bench.
“He is ready to do a job.”
The manager also confirmed Aaron Doran has recovered from a knock suffered in the recent win at Morton and will be in the squad.
