Billy Dodds knows only a searing run of form can realistically keep alive Caley Thistle’s Championship dream.
The ICT head coach cannot wait to take on shock Championship pacesetters Queen’s Park this Saturday before hosting them in the Scottish Cup seven days later.
The full focus is on slicing the gap between Inverness and Owen Coyle’s high-fliers to seven points, which would also haul the sixth-placed Highlanders closer to the top four.
A much-changed Queen’s side lost 1-0 to SPFL Trust Trophy holders Raith Rovers on Wednesday, but had won their previous eight games and they lead Ayr United and Dundee by four points. Their rousing 6-0 demolition of Cove Rangers last weekend was an eye-opener.
However, Inverness have halted a winter slump and go into this one on the back of a 6-1 rout over Cove and an impressive 4-1 win at Arbroath.
Six wins and a draw started ICT off brilliantly last season before a similar winter dip threatened to wreck their promotion challenge.
However, a run of only one loss in their last 10 games in 2021/22 took them into the promotion play-offs in peak form.
They saw off Partick Thistle and Arbroath to reach the Premiership final where they ultimately lost out in the final leg against St Johnstone.
Unbeaten run is order of day – Dodds
Dodds, lifted by last week’s free-scoring victories, knows it will take a statement result against Queen’s followed by a powerful, consistent, run of form to take Inverness to their goal.
He said: “We have got to go on a run like we did at the early part of last season, or from March last year after beating Arbroath 3-0.
“We need to keep winning games and taking as many points as we can to make sure we’re pushing to be right up there.
“If we can get latched on to the other sides, and with players coming back from injury, I’ll be happy. It will take a lot of concentration and hard work to get there.”
Experience can count after near miss
Dodds, now in his second full season in charge, points back to when he was brought in two years ago to assist interim boss Neil McCann.
The struggling Caley Jags went from relegation candidates to being a fraction away from reaching the play-offs.
He said: “Since I came to this club, when Neil McCann was here, we went on that unbelievable run. We went from looking over our shoulders at the prospect of a relegation battle to missing out narrowly on the promotion play-offs.
“Last season, we got into those play-off places and were just 45 minutes away from Premiership football, so it takes those sorts of runs and those sorts of performance levels to be in the mix come the end of the season.
“We’re lucky we’ve got the experience of doing that. It bodes well in this second half of the season.
“We’ve proven we can be up there, but we have to keep picking up points in most games.”
Movement impressing ICT manager
Dodds, who would like to add another loanee during the transfer window following St Mirren’s midfielder Jay Henderson making an impact, hailed the quality of the goals they’ve been scoring.
He is urging his players to maintain the fluidity within their performances to keep their opponents guessing.
He added: “The players must be fed up with me on the training ground. We need movement.
“We can’t just pass in front of teams – we need to pass, move on the ball and work our socks off when we’re off the ball.
“The dynamics have probably been upped a bit over the last couple of weeks and that’s how we’re getting the results.
“But I can’t emphasise enough about how important confidence is as well. I think you see it now.
“We saw it develop in the Cove game and then we carried it into last week at Arbroath.
“It is coming together now and we’re in a good place.”
Winger Shaw back in frame for team
Wide man Nathan Shaw is available again following a hamstring injury, which kept him out for more than a month.
Dodds hopes the fleet-footed 22-year-old returns to the form he was displaying before he was injured.
He said: “It’s brilliant to have Nathan back. He trained a couple of days last week, but the game came too quick for him.
“It is great to have him available because he was in some vein of form before he got injured. He has trained all week, so I’m happy to add him to the squad.”
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