Caley Thistle must quickly get over their cup final heartbreak and target a place in the Europa League according to goalkeeper Dean Brill.
The 28-year-old shot-stopper, pictured below, is determined not to let the League Cup penalties defeat to Aberdeen derail the Highland club’s season.
After the despair of losing at Parkhead, fifth-placed Caley Jags head to Motherwell tomorrow night aiming to move within three points of the Steelmen in third.
Brill said: “The season will not crumble, not at all, we just will not let that happen.
“We have 11 games remaining and we have guaranteed our top six place, so our aim now is to finish as high as we can.
“We have games in hand because of the cup com- petitions and it is up to us to do it.
“We are aiming to get into that third spot for Europe.
“It cannot totally compensate for losing a cup final because the players are hurting.
“But Europe is the aim with 11 games to go now and I am sure we can do it.
Inverness will return to a cup final soon believes the former Luton Town player.
He said: “This is not our last chance. The majority of the players in the squad have been secured for next season and we will be back again.
“Hopefully, we can return to a final and take the next step.
“The penalties were a bit of a lottery and maybe we had shown our hand in the semi-final when beating Hearts at Easter Road.
“We took some in the last round and the Aberdeen players had not taken any since the first round against Alloa.
“It was unlucky for us, perhaps, as our hand had been shown. The players just stuck with what they knew and Jamie Langfield did well to save our first one – it was just bad luck.”
Brill felt there was little to separate the sides on cup final day. He said: “It was an even game without a lot of chances.
“It was back and forth. Aberdeen had periods of play and we had periods as well. There were not many chances.
“The ball just would not go in for either team during the 120 minutes. Maybe you give the positives to defenders in the game. It was a match neither side wanted to lose and that is perhaps how it panned out.
“They hit the woodwork and we missed a couple of chances.
“The atmosphere was great and, of course, we wanted to win, but we can hold our heads high and take positives from the afternoon.”