Caley Thistle forward Jordan White says the hurt of last season’s play-off defeat by Dundee United remains fresh in the memory ahead of today’s opening day Championship return to Tannadice.
Inverness were defeated 4-0 on aggregate by Robbie Neilson’s men in the semi-final of the Premiership play-offs, although United went on to lose to St Mirren and remain in the second tier for a fourth successive season.
Caley Jags were left smarting at the loss after midfielder Liam Polworth was dubiously dismissed in the first leg, while defender Brad Mckay was wrongly penalised for handball in the away leg.
Although White says the disappointment is in the past, the 27-year-old says it makes him all the more determined to start the new campaign in style against United. White said: “It’s going to be a tough one going down there but we have got previous against them from last year and we want to go and put it right.
“We were all hurting after it. The games maybe came too quick for us, a lot of the boys were tired. It was maybe a wee bit mentally draining.
“After we beat Ayr, we were just straight in to Dundee United, and then a few decisions didn’t go our way. It’s fresh but that’s out of our minds now, it’s a new challenge and we need to be confident.”
Caley Jags’ 1-0 defeat to fellow Championship outfit Dundee last Sunday eliminated them from the Betfred Cup but the Belshill-born forward is not reading into early season form as he sizes up the club’s rivals.
White, who finished as Caley Jags’ leading scorer with 16 goals in his debut campaign in the Highlands last season, added: “It’s hard to tell. You see teams like Dunfermline who did really well in the Betfred Cup, which ourselves and Dundee United are out of.
“It is hard to gauge. I have seen so many teams having unbelievable pre-seasons, but when they go in the league they don’t do that well – and vice-versa.
“I know you want to do well in the Betfred Cup, but you are still trying to find your feet and coming off your summer. You can only really predict it after a few games, once you get thick into the league.”