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Digging out a 1-0 win will suit Caley Thistle just fine, says head coach Billy Dodds

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

Points matter more than performances right now for Caley Thistle, according to head coach Billy Dodds.

A bitterly poor show at Partick Thistle on Friday saw ICT crash to a 4-1 loss – their first defeat of the season.

That followed a brilliant display where they swept Cove Rangers aside at the Caledonian Stadium to win by the same scoreline.

On Saturday, the Highlanders host Dougie Imrie’s Morton, with both sides having banked just five points from their first four fixtures.

Inverness want to win the league, that much is clear, so, at this early point in the campaign, the result matters more to the manager than how it is achieved.

Dodds said: “Most teams will say you just have to put a run together in this league and you can see where it takes you.

“Confidence comes from digging out a few results, and if you look at last year, we beat Arbroath 3-0 then went to Raith and didn’t play particularly well, but we won 3-2.

“That propelled us on to have another run, so it’s not always about playing well, you just have to make sure you’re competitive and get results at the right times to grow confidence.

“That’s what a lot of teams in this league need. We have a lot of young boys, but they’re good players, and I expect a real reaction on Saturday.

“I don’t mind getting beaten if we pass the ball well, but I do mind getting beaten if we give up and don’t work hard.”

Cove match set such high standards

Austin Samuels finishes to put Caley Thistle 1-0 up against Cove Rangers
Austin Samuels scored a brace recently as ICT defeated Cove Rangers 4-1.

Inverness were widely praised for that last home outing against Cove, but Dodds knows games like that are rarities in the Championship.

He said: “I want more of the Cove performance, but you don’t always get that in this league.

“It’s great if we can play great football and we win by a few goals, but most weeks we’re going to have to dig it out.

“That Cove game set the standard, so we want to get there again.

“I’ll take a 1-0 as long as they’re competitive.

“If we sneak a win by the odd goal, I’ll be delighted – it doesn’t matter to me.”

Senior men would offer helping hand

Two of ICT’s more experienced players, captain Sean Welsh and defender Danny Devine, are sidelined through injury, while striker Shane Sutherland and Tom Walsh have a longer route back.

Since Dodds took over as the boss in the summer of 2021, his team have usually bounced back from disappointments on the way to reaching last year’s Premiership play-off final.

He admits having more senior men to guide his young side would be a massive boost right now.

He added: “I would like my experienced ones back to give my young boys a helping hand.

Caley Jags captain Sean Welsh is working his way back from injury.

“I’m not making excuses, because I think I’ve put together a squad that are still capable of winning games if we have injuries.

“We’re talking as if it’s a crisis – it’s only one defeat, but I would like my experienced ones back.

“We need to go again and show a reaction to the result. I’m sure we’ll get it, but I would like to have a full squad to pick from.”

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