Caley Thistle boss Billy Dodds believes the Scottish Cup semi-finalists handed Queen’s Park all three points on Saturday and “let them out of jail” after having led at the interval.
The Inverness side were in front at the breakthrough Daniel MacKay’s strike but goals from Grant Savoury and Stephen Eze gave the Spiders the victory.
Dodds, reflected on Saturday’s loss, which now leaves his side nine points short of Partick Thistle in fourth place in the Championship and in the last of the play-off spots.
Dodds said: “I thought we handed them the game, quite simple.
“We were right at it, created quite a few opportunities and played the game the way we can.
“Then two balls into the box, one corner and one cross and they’ve scored two goals and we’re 2-1 down from nowhere and we’re chasing the game.
“The way we approached the second half I felt we handed them the game. If we had got back on level terms you don’t know what would have happened.
“In the first half we did what we are good at and frustrated the life out of them. For some reason we tried to do the hard pass second half.
“They put a ball in the box and they score. We have let them out of jail. It was a golden opportunity for us spurned.
“I’m more upset about the second half and how we approached it. That’s the bit that angered me and that’s what I said to them. There was too much of doing the hard thing and giving them the ball.”
Frustration at referee decisions
Dodds had an angry exchange of words at full time with referee Alan Muir as they left the field.
The Caley boss explained: “I don’t want to speak about him, I’m fed up speaking about him. I’m not even going to mention his name. He knows what I think of him.
“We were 1-0 up and the ball came across goal and Billy Mackay felt he got pushed in the back and we wanted a penalty and never got it.
“He was making decisions from the wrong side of the play, but I tell him that every time but he never listens.
“Queen’s were there for the taking, they were wide open, because that’s the way they play, with their full backs forward.
“I knew we could hurt them and we have the players to hurt them.
“We kept giving them the ball back instead of finishing them off.
“This wasn’t about Queen’s Park dominating as usual, this was about us handing them the game.”
Dodds now turns his attention to the crucial visit of Partick Thistle on Friday night.
He added: “There are still plenty of points to play for and if some team goes on a bad run and we go on a good run there is still an opportunity of the play-offs.
“It’s going to be very difficult.”
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