Mark Ridgers insists Caley Thistle will shelve any thoughts about their hectic schedule and turn their full focus on trying to reach the SPFL Trust Trophy semi-final.
The Inverness goalkeeper pulled off a number of good stops before eventually being beaten by a late hotly-disputed Gavin Reilly goal as Morton snatched a 1-1 draw to set up a replay next Tuesday down at Cappielow.
However, before that the Caley Jags host Raith Rovers tomorrow in the last eight of the SPFL Trust Trophy then welcome Kilmarnock to the Caledonian Stadium on Friday for a chance to take top spot should they win.
Players will be ready for busy spell
Ridgers reckons the Morton rematch will not enter their thoughts until they get this home double-header played, starting against the Rovers.
He said: “Since I have been at the club, we always seem to have a hectic schedule around now of Saturday, midweek, Saturday, midweek. The boys who have not been at the club long will have to get used to it.
81' | 1-1
Goal. Morton are level through Gavin Reilly.
— Inverness Caledonian Thistle FC (@ICTFC) November 27, 2021
“With the temperature dropping as well going into December, we will have some long nights ahead, but the main thing is we get switched back on for Raith Rovers.”
Caley Thistle are in it to win it
Although the tournament formerly known as the Challenge Cup is not regarded as crucial as the Championship or the Scottish Cup, the Inverness number one explained their eyes are on the prize.
He said: “You get to a point in the SPFL Trust Trophy when you want to win it and that’s what we feel now we’re in the quarter-finals.
“Raith have also done really well and we could have played the final a couple of years ago, so we’re looking forward to it.
“It will be a difficult game for us because they have good a number of good players and they have been flying, so hopefully we can get the result on Tuesday.”
Tie should have been wrapped up
The 31-year-old felt Caley Thistle only had themselves to blame for not finishing Morton off when they were on top on Saturday, but echoed head coach Billy Dodds’ views that the equaliser should not have stood.
He added: “Like in a few league matches recently, (poor) game management shot us in the foot a little bit.
“There are times when you really want to play good football, but we overdone it a bit.
“We were then undone by a long ball and I felt it was a foul (on Kirk Broadfoot) at the time and it seems it really should have been a foul.
“We needed to wrap the game up when we were in control of it, especially in the first half. We dominated for 35-40 minutes and then they got their opportunity and a goalmouth scramble.
“The main thing is we are still in the cup and we will take the positives from it.”
‘Brilliant’ Devine praised by Ridgers
Ridgers looked on course for another clean sheet, keeping Ton out for so long.
He praised team-mate Danny Devine too for making key interventions to keep the team in front until the last 10 minutes.
He said: “It was one of those games, when called upon I did what I had to do.
“It would have been nice to keep a clean sheet, but the goal went against us.
“I thought Danny Devine would have blocked that as well, just like he did with every other shot. He was brilliant on Saturday.”
