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Caley Thistle boss Billy Dodds praises powerful second half after 4-1 league win at Arbroath

Caley Jags head coach Billy Dodds on the touchline at Gayfield. Images: Euan Cherry/SNS Group
Caley Jags head coach Billy Dodds on the touchline at Gayfield. Images: Euan Cherry/SNS Group

Caley Thistle head coach Billy Dodds believes a real team effort was the key to their 4-1 Championship win at Arbroath.

Dodds was not overly impressed with his players after the opening 45 minutes, but they stepped it up overall and buried the second-bottom side to move into sixth position.

Billy Mckay shot ICT in front early on, but recent Red Lichties signing Yasin Ben El-Mhanni hauled the Angus team level.

Great vision from on-loan St Mirren midfielder Jay Henderson saw him hook the ball over Derek Gaston for a 2-1 Inverness advantage moments before half-time.

Lewis Nicolson celebrates after scoring ICT’s final goal at Arbroath.

On-loan Hibs winger Daniel MacKay added a third goal with a low drive and Lewis Nicolson, just back from a loan stint at Elgin, wrapped it up with a back-post header.

He said: “You always want to take the confidence into the next game, but I wasn’t happy with our first half performance. I told them that, because we didn’t do the basics well enough.

“It wasn’t as windy as it usually is here and that’s why we got goals.

“But, in those conditions, I wanted us to play in the right areas and create chances.

“I thought my back four were excellent in the second half, but in the first half, they were slapping things and Arbroath were nearly scoring.

Jay Henderson steers his high shot into the net to give Inverness a 2-1 advantage at Arbroath.

“But in the second half, as much as my front men were great and were dangerous and got the goals, my back four were brilliant, rock solid.

“My front players were causing havoc anyway and that’s all I wanted, but also praise to my back four because, as much as I’m giving them stick for the first half, they were brilliant in the second half.”

Bouncing back to form with 10 goals

Dodds’ side blasted back to form on Monday thanks to a stirring 6-1 rout against Cove Rangers and they are now just four points away from fourth-placed Partick Thistle.

Ahead of hosting rampant Championship leaders Queen’s Park in the league and cup over the next fortnight, Dodds said the reaction to their pre-Christmas 5-1 defeat at Firhill was been brilliant.

He added: “To score 10 goals in two games is nice, but it comes from having confidence.

“When we were offensively not as good as we can be, I thought it might take a lot of work, but the response from the Partick Thistle game has been magnificent.

“I have nothing but praise for them.  Ten goals comes from doing the right things and winning the right balls in midfield and creating.”

Arbroath manager Dick Campbell.

Defending worries for Arbroath boss

Arbroath manager Dick Campbell accepted Inverness were worthy winners, but felt the goals came all too easily for the visitors.

He said: “I’m absolutely gutted. I’m concerned over how we can play like that after the win at Dundee.

“We were 2-0 up at top of the league Dundee and, even when it went 2-2, we went on to win that game 4-2 on Monday. That’s the fighting spirit that epitomises Arbroath.

“I can’t believe we went in 2-1 down at half-time.  Inverness were really fortunate in three of the four goals they got. It was poor, poor defending from my point of view.

“Inverness were worthy winners in the end, but to say I’m angry is an understatement.”

Arbroath are four points away from fourth-placed Cove Rangers, who crashed 6-0 at home to Queen’s Park on Saturday in Paul Hartley’s return match.

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