Goalkeeper Mark Ridgers felt Arbroath were destined to continue their dream season as Caley Thistle faced them with nine men in Friday’s crazy Premiership semi-final.
With no goals in the first leg in Inverness last Tuesday, neither side could find a breakthrough in the second tie either.
Referee Willie Collum then sent off ICT defender Danny Devine in the second half for a hotly-disputed last-man challenge before striker Shane Sutherland went off injured and the visitors were not allowed another substitution unless they made it to extra-time.
🔴🔵 Massive game this week at the Caledonian Stadium as we take on St Johnstone in the Premiership Play-Off Final 1st leg
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They had already stopped play three times for subs, so under the new rules, they had reached the maximum.
Back to the wall, with nine players
It meant they played the last part of the tie with nine men as they somehow held on until full-time at 0-0.
Then after Lewis Hyde had come on at the start of extra-time to take them back to 10 players, Collum sent full-back Wallace Duffy off for another call which infuriated ICT. The nine men still kept the Championship runners-up out.
In a gripping penalty shoot-out, Ridgers saved Bobby Linn’s spot-kick, which allowed defender Kirk Broadfoot to put away the clincher for a 5-3 triumph.
Their reward is a Premiership play-off final at home to St Johnstone on Friday then away to the Perth Saints on Monday.
ICT had to deal with Collum’s calls
Inverness number one Ridgers admitted he felt everything going against them at Gayfield pointed towards Dick Campbell’s part-time big–hitters making it through in front of more than 5000 fans and a national TV audience.
He said: “The referee made the decisions and we had to deal with it.
“The game was mayhem and after the season that Arbroath had, when we went down to nine men, I thought that it was written for them as everything was going for them.
🙌 Massive save from Mark Ridgers in the penalty shootout
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“But credit to all of our boys. We grinded it out and dealt with what came. When you do that with the conditions the way they were, it was just mayhem.”
One save set up Broadfoot for winner
Ridgers diving to push away Linn’s penalty was the turning point and the shot-stopper felt it was an example of this side’s relentless will to win.
He said: “A penalty shoot-out is what it is. One save is enough to put us through to the next round, but the way the season has been people have seen our attitude and the way the game was, it will be a long time before we see anything like that again.”
Two games away from promotion
It looks like a knee injury will keep Sutherland sidelined for some time and Ridgers knows the in-form front-man will be a huge miss for the play-offs.
However, he’s urging the rest of his team-mates to go out and deliver a massive result to take ICT back to the Premiership for the first time since 2017.
He added: “Losing Shane is a massive blow. It does not look good. We have to recover as quickly as we can, but at the end of the day we put ourselves in that position, we are two games from the Premiership and when I signed here that was the dream.”
Ridgers relishing chance to step up
Ridgers, 31, has top-table experience and he feels ready and able to return to the Premiership with his home-town club.
He said: “I’ve been there with St Mirren and to play in there again would be amazing. In the last five years since I’ve been here, I’ve grown in games and I’m feeling I’m confident enough.
“To do it with this club, being here you know how big it is. We will put the effort in, try our best and look to get over the line.”
ICT appeal Devine’s straight red card
ICT, meanwhile, have appealed Devine’s straight red, although they cannot do so with Duffy’s sending off as that was a double-yellow.
Devine’s challenge on forward Jack Hamilton seemed a fair one, but Collum reached for the red and sent the Northern Irishman packing.
Inverness are not accepting that and have lodged an appeal to free up the experienced centre half for the two-legged final against St Johnstone.
The fast-track hearing will take place at Hampden on Wednesday where, if successful, the 29-year-old will be free to play in the final.
Saints ended their Premiership season on a low note when they slid to a 4-0 defeat at Hibs on Sunday, although boss Callum Davidson made six changes, resting many of his main men ahead of their trip to Inverness this week.
Caley Thistle are on a streak of eight wins, three draws and one defeat from their last 12 games.
Over the same period, last-year’s double cup-winners won four, drawn three and lost five.
