Caley Thistle head coach Billy Dodds praised striking stars Billy Mckay and Shane Sutherland for turning on the style at Morton on Saturday.
The Inverness boss revealed he felt the duo let their high standards slip in last Tuesday’s Scottish Cup penalty defeat at Cappielow as ICT bowed out 5-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw.
While the side in general didn’t demonstrate that night what they were capable of, Dodds feels, when Mckay and Sutherland are razor sharp, their team-mates follow.
The response from all the players was dramatic on Saturday as they returned to Greenock to deliver a 6-1 thumping to Ton, which keeps the Caley Jags one point clear at the top of the Championship.
Strikers showed class at Cappielow
After seeing Sutherland score twice and Mckay net once, Dodds said: “I am delighted for Shane and Billy.
“I put it on them because I don’t think they played to their potential levels in the replay and I let them know. It was constructive criticism. I told them that when they are at it, the team is at it.
“It takes a big man to take it and respond. I asked them to be better on Saturday and they had the bit between their teeth.
6️⃣ of the best 🤩
The goals from our sensational 6-1 win against Morton at Cappielow 😍
What a performance! 🔴🔵 pic.twitter.com/U7sRYVpdFf
— Inverness Caledonian Thistle FC (@ICTFC) December 12, 2021
“It wasn’t just about them though. It was about the collective. My midfield, the central two, were brilliant. The wide men were attacking and the back four were solid. Even the penalty was given away by a midfielder (Reece McAlear).
“Mark was fine in goals. Anything he had to do was routine. Everybody to a man was right at it. While I’d never have said 6-1, I knew we were capable of winning games handsomely if we played like that.
“We’ve created a lot of chances in games and not taken them, but on Saturday we took them.
“The (other) main game where we have dominated was in the 0-0 draw at Partick Thistle and we didn’t take our chances. On Saturday, we took those chances.”
Accies head north in search of points
Sixth-placed Hamilton, who are only four points off the bottom in a competitive bottom five, visit Inverness this Saturday.
Accies stunned Inverness 2-1 at New Douglas Park earlier in the season and Dodds believes with every point vital for all sides, it often narrows the gap during 90 minutes.
He said: “We have now Hamilton and Partick at home, which will be tough games. I watched the Ayr and Hamilton game (1-1 draw) on Friday and it showed that this league is so competitive.
“We always say the bottom teams can beat the top. Of course they can, because they have something to fight for. They are trying to stave off relegation, while we’re trying to win promotion.
“When you have something to play for, it will be a tough game, whether you’re at the top or bottom.”
No surprise when Arbroath win
Dick Campbell’s Arbroath continued to stay firmly in the hunt at the weekend.
Their 2-0 win at promotion rivals Partick Thistle ended a stunning eight-game clean sheet run from the Jags.
Dodds, who played under Campbell, believes it’s no longer a shock to see Arbroath winning any match in this division.
He added: “The time when you say an Arbroath win somewhere is a surprise is long gone. They have been brilliant and Dick tells me that every week. I’m fed up of him saying it, because it’s true.”
