Richie Hart reckons Caley Thistle can rejoin the Championship title chase – as they keep the leading pack in sight amid their injury crisis.
Up to nine key players could still be sidelined for Saturday’s trip to basement hosts Hamilton, who knocked Inverness out of the SPFL Trust Trophy last weekend in a fourth-round tie with a difference.
ICT fielded nine under-18s in the starting line-up and Accies also went with a fair sprinkling of youths, especially as the game ran towards its conclusion and the 2-0 home win.
Billy Dodds’ team are nine points away from leaders Ayr United, with Dundee, Queen’s Park, Morton and Partick Thistle are all in front of them to different degrees.
History shows teams can surge on
Former Inverness and Ross County midfielder Hart insists the dream of winning the title is not yet gone, but they need to net victories, having not done so in the league since mid-October.
He said: “Caley Thistle have quickly gone from being within one or two points from the top to being nine points behind Ayr United – that’s what can happen when you go on a bad run. You drift quite quickly.
“They were putting some really fantastic results together and then a couple of poor results, along with losing more players through injury, they find themselves nine points behind and chasing the pack.
“It’s a real shame, because with the form they showed and with the squad they’ve got, they have shown they’re more than capable of competing at the top end of the Championship.
“The injuries have come at the worst time for them.
“Listen, nine points is not insurmountable. I know from my own experience at Dundee (in 2009/10), they have overturned it to win the league (coming from 15 points behind under Terry Butcher).
“It can be done – but they need these players back to try and be within that leading group towards the end of the season.”
Top-two target key for Inverness CT
Hart, who won promotion to the top-table in 2004, was impressed with third-placed ICT last term as they came from nowhere to reach the promotion play-off final, where they lost out to St Johnstone over two legs.
With stars such as Shane Sutherland, Scott Allardice, Tom Walsh, Sean Welsh and Roddy MacGregor out, Hart says the lack of consistency was always going to be a factor in recent weeks.
And he feels the punishing schedule of six games needed for third or fourth-placed finishers to win promotion from the Championship should push ICT on to avoid it.
He said: “Caley Thistle did exceptionally well last season. To get to where they did was testament to their squad – they battled so hard.
“The play-offs are not really set up for teams who finish third or fourth to get promoted with the amount of games they have to play.
“They really have to ensure they finish, at worst, in the runners-up spot. At least they know what they have to do now.
“There are four or five teams in that league who will fancy their chances of winning it. It will go right to the wire and Caley Thistle have to just hang in there and string some wins together to get back within the pack.
“The players who have been missing were those who took them to the brink of promotion last season.
“To have that calibre of player missing would hurt any team. It would always have an effect on the squad and the performances.
“If they can get those boys back, they will give themselves a chance.”