Caley Thistle manager John Robertson is taking nothing for granted despite the Highlanders’ dominant recent record over fellow Championship promotion hopefuls Ayr United.
Ayr have not triumphed over Inverness since a League Cup victory in August 2011, with the Honest Men’s last league triumph coming in April 2003.
With the two sides separated by just two points ahead of today’s Caledonian Stadium encounter, Robertson believes the hoodoo will only serve to give Mark Kerr’s men added motivation to take three points from their trip to the Highlands.
Robertson said: “Sometimes you get lucky teams. That may be the case, but certainly since I’ve come back here as manager, we have played well against them.
“We have carried a bit of luck as well, you need that – fortunate decisions and a fortunate goal.
“We are looking to keep that good run going against Ayr. It’s hard work. We tend to find the team that works hardest tends to win the game. There is very little between the teams in ability.
“Alloa are second bottom but one of the best passing and possession teams in the league. There are no easy games.
“Yes, we’ve had a good tun against Ayr, but I’m sure if you’re their manager you’re saying that run has to come to an end sometime.
“There’s no secret – it’s just hard work, a little luck and being clinical at both ends of the park.”
Ayr were defeated 1-0 by Dunfermline on Tuesday in what was their first game since a 3-1 loss to Queen of the South on November 9, however Robertson insists his own side’s sharpness is his only concern.
Robertson added: “Ayr have been disrupted a little, I think, by the weather and the free Scottish Cup weekend. That can affect you.
“They’ll come here, with good players – they were terrific in the first 15-20 minutes of our game at Somerset Park.
“We’ve got to be ready for that, but Ayr’s form is irrelevant. We look at ourselves and how well we’re playing. Can we keep it up?
“Can we work on the things we’re not so good at? We understand we’ve got weaknesses, but the whole point is to accentuate the positives – and we’ve done a lot of things well in the last three weeks. We want to continue that in another tough game.”
Inverness will be without midfield pair Sean Welsh and Tom Walsh through injury.
