George Oakley hopes Caley Thistle will be smiling all the way to the Championship play-offs after joyous scenes in the Irn-Bru Cup.
The former AFC Wimbledon striker warned tonight’s opponents Dundee United the triumph had lifted clouds of gloom over the Caledonian Stadium and brought the Highland squad much closer together.
John Robertson’s team faces a Tannadice outfit already feeling the strain in the battle for play-off places after just one win in seven games.
Oakley also feels Caley Thistle owe United a beating after leaving Tayside seven days previously feeling aggrieved at taking a solitary point.
The 22-year-old from Tooting in south London said: “Winning the cup just puts a big smile on everyone’s face, I guess.
“Cup final day was a great day out for everyone involved and we’re just happy we won. It just gives the whole place a lift and we just want to get back out there, keep playing – and keep winning.
“If the result had gone the other way, there would be a lot more pressure on us, but now we just want to keep that momentum going, keep that vibe and happiness, and keep that smile on our faces after every game.
“Any team that comes up against us now, with the lift we’ve had, is going to find it hard. Knowing we had a game on the Tuesday, we did enjoy ourselves but not too much.
“We partied a bit and enjoyed a few laughs with the fans. It was nice.
“Winning a cup naturally brings you closer together as a team.
“As a player, you will always remember it.”
The feelgood factor could be a big plus for Inverness as they embark on a run of 10 games in a month. Winning games in hand would thrust them right back into play-off contention.
Oakley certainly feels they are capable of kicking off a run against United.
He said: “We’re very positive about this one.
“We went to their place a week ago and drew, but we genuinely felt we played them off the park.
“We should have had a three or four goal lead by half-time.
“Finishing 1-1 was disappointing and we really have something to prove now they’re coming up here.
“It can go either way against teams like them who are under pressure.
“They could come out and give the performance of their lives, but if we play the way we know we can they could just fall apart and we could open them up.
“It will be interesting. We have this run of games every three or four days, but the lads are looking at it really positively.
“It will be difficult, but it could go in our favour.
“Playing games con-stantly, the momentum could work for us. We’ll see where we end up.”
