Mark Ridgers is warning his Caley Thistle team-mates they cannot let their standards slip against rampant Championship leaders Queen’s Park on Saturday.
The Inverness goalkeeper returned to the team last week as rousing 6-1 and 4-1 league wins over Cove Rangers and Arbroath dramatically brought to an end an eight-match winless league dip.
The 31-year-old shot-stopper lost his place to Cammy MacKay in late October, but was praised by boss Billy Dodds for bringing calmness back to the side following the 5-1 pre-Christmas defeat at Partick Thistle.
A 6-0 win for Queen’s at Cove on Saturday moved them four points clear at the top of the table.
Ten first-team Inverness players are currently sidelined through injury, although some are in the frame to return soon.
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Injured players on the way back
With ICT four points outside the top four and 10 behind their weekend visitors, Ridgers insists they must be at their best against Owen Coyle’s Spiders, who they also face at home in the Scottish Cup fourth round a week on Saturday.
He said: “The performances have been impressive in the last two games. A lot of people were let down by the Partick Thistle game.
“Winning the last two games has been important, but the manner by which we’ve done it is important. That sets the standard that we have to maintain between now and the end of the season.
“Fans want new signings, but I don’t think we need many when we have players coming back fit to offer competition for places.
“These guys really will be like new signings for us. The boys who have been out for a long time will be desperate to play and help the boys out and get us to where we want to be.
“The sympathy is there for the manager because he’s not had his full options, but the players who have come in had their opportunities to cement their places in the team. The frustrating thing is some let themselves down.
“However, in the last two games, we showed a bit of character. When the going got tough, we’ve rolled our sleeves up and finding ourselves in a position we should never have been in.
“We are more than capable of getting back in the race. If we are to have any opportunity of reaching the play-offs or going for the title, we have to keep winning games.”
High confidence after two big wins
The loan addition of right-sided St Mirren midfielder Jay Henderson, 20, has been welcomed by Ridgers for offering width while Nathan Shaw returns from injury.
And the keeper believes beating Queen’s for the first time this season would shoot them right into the promotion chase, with the gap between the teams currently sitting at 10 points.
He said: “Queen’s Park are the team to beat. This is a good test for us to show where we’re really at.
“Cove and Arbroath are tough teams and we’ve done really well to score 10 goals last week against them, especially the four at Arbroath, which is a tough place.
“If we beat Queen’s Park, we will be right back in the mix. They have scored a lot of goals and not conceded many, but we’ve got our confidence back and players are beginning to perform again.
“On our day, we can match anyone. Let’s see what we can do.”
ICT alert to all Spiders’ threats
Four goals against Cove makes Queen’s Park’s lethal forward Simon Murray the Championship’s joint top scorer on 15 goals along with Ayr United’s Dipo Akinyemi.
However, Ridgers explained they have been doing their homework on Queen’s Park, as they do for all opponents, but won’t just be focused on one man.
He added: “We have the match reports available on the Monday morning and we will, along with (goalkeeping coach) Ryan Esson, watch the videos. We know about teams’ threats.
“Simon Murray is scoring a lot of goals right now, but it comes down to the players who are supplying the ball for him. We need to cut off that supply and we’re well prepared for this one.
“After eight straight wins, their confidence will be high, but we’re back in form and feeling good about ourselves. Everyone needs to be on their game.
“Hopefully we can keep scoring the goals as we have and get the result we want to set us up nicely for the Scottish Cup game against them the following week.”
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