Caley Thistle head coach Billy Dodds insists he’s not panicking over their previous winless jousts with Championship rivals Morton – as he believes his team have enough quality to beat them on Saturday.
The Greenock side are four points ahead of sixth-placed ICT, with both on the trail of Partick Thistle, who sit fourth in the final promotion play-off spot.
Last Friday’s 1-0 win against Partick – thanks to Nathan Shaw’s strike – means ICT are still six points outside the top-four, but with a game in hand over the Glasgow Jags.
Two points better off, Morton have beaten the Highlanders home and away this season, as well as sharing four goals at the Caledonian Stadium in February.
The stand-out result was the Ton’s 4-0 win over Dodds’ men in October, but having defeated Partick, who had dished out 4-1 and 5-1 defeats to Inverness this season, the boss is now confident they can land another direct hit on a side above them.
When asked about not yet getting the better of Dougie Imrie’s Morton this term, Dodds said: “I’m not going to kid anyone on, it has been frustrating.
“We had beaten Partick once, but they thumped us twice, so they could have been a hard team for us to play, too, and we proved we can beat them.
“We’ve got to handle Morton in a similar fashion – don’t think about the games that have gone.
“Yes, it was frustrating when they beat us and drew with us, but we proved not that long ago last season that we can beat them as well.
“Dougie has got them well-organised, and we know what we’re going to come up against. If we’re at our best, we can go there and win, and if not they can turn us over again.
“They have been a bit of a bogey team for us this season, but we can go and beat them.”
Errors have cost ICT against Morton
Last season, Inverness defeated Morton three times in the league, including a stunning 6-1 rout, but also lost to them at Cappielow in a Scottish Cup replay.
Dodds is backing his Scottish Cup semi-finalists to deliver another big performance without the sort of errors which, among other meetings, allowed Morton take a point from them in their last clash.
He said: “Even when we drew 2-2 at home, we handed them two goals through two mistakes.
“If we have to do anything different, it’s not making any mistakes at the back.
“That was the game Ethan Cairns came on and scored, and we know we will get chances in the game.
“It’s a very even game, so I wouldn’t change too much.
“I’ve had so many meetings with the boys this season about sticking to what we’re good at – winning possession, getting the ball wide, getting crosses into the box and getting on the end of it.
“If we do that, we’re a pretty good team, so I don’t think it’s been about a style of play.
“There have been times we haven’t been good in certain areas this season, whether it’s making mistakes or missing chances – that’s the difference. It’s not a style of play that has really hurt us.”
Focused Caley Jags still in the hunt – Dodds
Dodds explained he’s got every reason to believe that his squad can get the results required to edge into play-off contention in these closing seven fixtures.
He added: “I’ve always had that belief – even when (former interim manager) Neil McCann brought me in as his number two, we went on a great run and just missed out on the play-offs.
“Last season we were 45 minutes away after a sticky middle part to the season, so I’ve always had belief in these players.
“We’re the type of team that can go on a run, and we’ve started to show that.
“Losing to Queen’s Park recently was disappointing, but if we had won that it would have been a really good month for us.”
Captain Sean Welsh is available after his red card against Thistle was successfully reduced to a yellow on appeal, but defender Danny Devine is a doubt with the calf injury which ruled him out last week.
Conversation