Head coach Billy Dodds is calling on Caley Thistle fans to turn out in force and turn up the volume to roar his patched-up side on to three Championship points.
Inverness saw their sparkling five-fixture winning run halted by Hamilton in Tuesday’s 1-0 defeat at the Caledonian Stadium in a result which lifted Accies off bottom position.
ICT are level top with Partick Thistle, but have now played one match more than the Jags.
On Saturday, they welcome Raith Rovers to the Highlands, with the Kirkcaldy team seventh, but only five off first place following their 1-0 weekend win at Arbroath.
Dan MacKay and Wallace Duffy were added to the already lengthy injury list against Accies, with Danny Devine, Austin Samuels, Roddy MacGregor, Scott Allardice, Shane Sutherland and Tom Walsh out and skipper Sean Welsh not yet having played since his knee operation.
The bench against Hamilton included youngsters Calum MacKay and Matthew Strachan, who both came on, with young midfielder Keith Bray not used.
‘Brilliant’ fans can help us – Dodds
ICT’s recent winning surge took them up the team division but, with injuries biting deep into the resources, Dodds hopes fans will give the team all the possible encouragement against Rovers.
He said: “I’ve said ever since I came here that the fans have been brilliant, but I need them now more than ever on Saturday to help the ones that are left on the pitch.
“If we grind out a result on Saturday, then it has been a brilliant run for us.”
Raith will fancy promotion chances
Rovers’ victory at Gayfield, courtesy of Sam Stanton’s goal, places them two points outside the promotion spots and Dodds is sure they’ll fancy their chances of being top-four rivals this term after finishing fifth last season.
He said: “You put a wee mini-run together – which Raith have – and it’s no surprise that Raith are climbing up the league.
“They are promotion contenders, their remit at the start of the season would have been to try and get into the play-offs.
“They’ve got good players, but it’s still a game I think we can win. If I can put a team out that keeps that effort high, we can do it, and I’m sure we can.”
Defeat not down to any lack of effort
The Inverness manager was disappointed to be edged out by Andy Winter’s goal for Accies on Tuesday, but he saw enough in his side’s display to remain upbeat.
He added: “I can’t fault the effort of the team.
“If we got beat the other night and the effort wasn’t there, if we were meek and just surrendered, it would be bad, but it wasn’t like that.
“Hamilton realised they could be in a relegation battle, so they were right at it. We just fell short on the night, but it wasn’t because of a lack of effort.
“I’d be worried if that run had come to an end and we were weak, but it wasn’t like that at all.”
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