Caley Thistle are aiming to throw a spanner in the works of the Scottish football calendar as they chase Scottish Cup glory and a place in the Premiership.
Inverness, who are fifth in the Championship and in the Scottish Cup semi-final, could potentially throw the final weekend of the Scottish season into disarray if they reach the cup final and the play-off final.
John Robertson’s side will face the winners of the replay between Hearts and Partick at Hampden next month in the Scottish Cup semi-final and if they clinch a return to Hampden in May they will force the Scottish season to be extended if they also reach the Premiership play-off final.
The second leg of the play-off final is due to be played on Sunday, May 26, the day after the cup final and Caley Jags coach Barry Wilson would love nothing more than to give the Scottish Professional Football League and the Scottish Football Association a logistical nightmare to contend with.
He said: “The idea is to give the league and the SFA a massive headache by reaching the Scottish Cup final and the Premiership play-off final.
“That is as good as we can hope for but it is important we make that play-off place now and hopefully the boys can kick on and use the momentum.
“We’ve had a couple of good results lately in the cup and we need to get back to winning ways in the league.
“I feel and the manager believes this team is good enough to go up and if we can get a wee rub of the green and take a few more of our chances then we won’t be far away.”
A Hampden date against fellow Championship club Partick or Premiership opposition Hearts also lies ahead next month following Caley Thistle’s dramatic injury-time win at Dundee United in Sunday’s quarter-final and Wilson insists avoiding Celtic and either Rangers or Aberdeen is the best his club could have hoped for.
He said: “Half of the team stayed down after the game but those who were on the bus up to Inverness were in fine fettle after Sunday’s result.
“When you get to a semi-final you expect to play one of the big four or five and we still might if Hearts beat Partick in the replay. I don’t think it mattered which team we got really but if we’re being honest Hearts and Partick would have wanted us.
“Without being disrespectful the tie we would have wanted was against Partick or Hearts as well but you take who you get at this stage of the competition and once we know who we are playing we can say more about it.”
