Morton have been tricky customers for Caley Thistle in recent years – but a victory against Dougie Imrie’s team this weekend is a must for an ICT promotion push.
Fans might feel frustration at no late deadline days moves from ICT, with boss Billy Dodds admitting it was a tough window.
The cash-strapped club brought on St Mirren livewire Jay Henderson on loan and ex-Manchester United youth academy midfielder Ben Woods last month until the end of the season, and will monitor the loan market in the next few weeks.
With players such as midfielder Scott Allardice and Cammy Harper back from injury and more senior stars to follow suit, the options for ICT will soon open up.
There are just 14 fixtures remaining for Inverness in the Championship and these matches will slip past at rapid speed, therefore banking wins, not just draws, matters more now than ever.
ICT sit fifth in the table and are four successive matches unbeaten in the league.
Four league games without defeat
Rousing 6-1 and 4-1 victories against Cove Rangers and Arbroath were followed by a 0-0 draw against Queen’s Park and last weekend’s topsy-turvy 2-2 draw at in-form Raith Rovers.
Dodds’ fifth-place side are one place and one point above Morton, but have played one extra game, while they are two points below Partick Thistle, who are level-pegging with them in terms of fixtures played.
Two years ago, in a season shortened by the Covid pandemic, interim manager Neil McCann, assisted by Dodds, drove the team from the lower end of the table to a fifth-place finish.
It was honours even in over three contests against Morton, with a draw in Greenock that January followed by away wins for each side in the next two meetings.
Strong showing in league last season
Last season, Caley Thistle and Ton clashed six times in total, including a Scottish Cup third-round replay, which Morton won on penalties after the tie went the distance in horrible weather in Greenock.
In league terms, Inverness got the better of the Cappielow club three times out of four, taking nine from a possible 12 points.
Anyone who was at the 6-1 away rout will never forget how ruthless the Caley Jags were just a few days after being knocked out by Ton in the Scottish Cup replay.
Dodds and his players were still angry at being forced to change in darkness during a power plunge in portable cabins in the midweek tie. Revenge was a word used at the time of that victory.
Shane Sutherland claimed a double, with goals from Billy Mckay, Reece McAlear and Lewis Jamieson adding to an early Jack Hamilton own goal.
At the end of the campaign, Morton finished seventh, just five points above the relegation play-off zone, while ICT made it all the way to the Premiership play-off final following a third-spot finish.
It’s so far, so bad for Caley Thistle against Morton in 2022/23.
A late Grant Gillespie penalty earned the Imrie’s side a 1-0 win at the Caledonian Stadium in August, then in October there was a 4-0 thumping live on BBC Scotland at Cappielow.
Oakley could play against Inverness
There is, of course, added spice to this weekend’s game, with striker George Oakley returning to the Caledonian Stadium for the visitors.
The 27-year-old, who rejoined the Highlanders in the summer for a second spell, moved on from Inverness during the transfer window after a frustrating time spent mainly on the bench.
He marked his Morton debut on Saturday with an early goal, but they fell to a 2-1 home defeat against battling visitors Arbroath.
📸 A first goal in 🔵⚪ for George Oakley pic.twitter.com/rOwSVJzZ97
— Greenock Morton (@Morton_FC) January 28, 2023
In all competitions, Morton have failed to win any of their last seven fixtures, with their last league victory being at Cove Rangers on November 19.
The Caley Jags are waiting to discover whether they will be back in the Scottish Cup next weekend if Queen’s Park, who beat them 2-0 on Tuesday, are expelled for allegedly fielding an ineligible player.
The hearing takes place this Friday and, if Queen’s are hammered, Inverness will face Livingston away next weekend in the fifth round of the cup.
After that, they return with two quick-fire games against improvement basement fighters Hamilton Accies on February 18, with a rearranged match at New Douglas Park following three nights later.
If Caley Thistle can rack up victories against Morton and Hamilton (twice), they will spring into March looking like the real deal.
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