Billy Dodds feels Caley Thistle’s recent form has vindicated the belief he maintained in his squad during an injury-ravaged period earlier in the season.
Inverness are aiming to rack up their sixth victory on the bounce when they make the trip to Hamilton Accies on Tuesday.
The run has taken Caley Jags to the verge of the promotion play-off spots, and a win in Lanarkshire will send them up to third place in the Championship – although they will have played a game more than rivals Partick Thistle and Ayr United.
A succession of injuries impacted Inverness’ form earlier in the campaign, but Dodds has welcomed back the bulk of his squad in the early months of 2023.
The Caley Jags boss will manage defenders Danny Devine, Robbie Deas and Zak Delaney through niggles, while long-term absentees Shane Sutherland and Tom Walsh are unlikely to feature in the remainder of the campaign.
With the rest of his squad up to fitness, however, Dodds insists it is no coincidence Caley Thistle’s fortunes have improved.
He said: “I know there will be some people thinking we’re bleating on about the injuries again, but it’s the truth.
“Winning and losing is the be all and end all in this game, but if you’re genuine and tell the truth, it usually plays out.
“It played out like I said it would, once we got players back the results have been magnificent.
“We have had a couple of body blows and had to pick ourselves up again, but I knew we would get better results.
“I wasn’t 100% sure we would make the play-offs, but I knew results would come. We’ve still got a hell of a lot of work to do, but we’re in a good place.
“It’s satisfying that it’s gone the way I thought it would when the players came back, and I’m a big backer of my players.
“There aren’t many occasions they’ve let me down, and that’s why we are where we are.
“I’ve got a good blend of youth and experience, and if we had kept them fit, we would have been there or thereabouts (in the Championship title race).
“We can still get in the play-offs, but the end of the season is going to come too soon for us for the top.”
Caley Jags have shown mettle in recent weeks
Inverness came from behind to record a 2-1 victory away to bottom side Cove Rangers on Saturday.
It is not the first adversity the Highlanders have had to face during their five-game winning streak, with wins over Partick Thistle and Arbroath coming despite being reduced to 10 men.
Dodds is pleased with the mental strength his side have shown in recent weeks.
He added: “We’ve had to show that we can win games in different ways.
“We’ve twice seen the game out with 10 men, and looked comfortable – a wee bit of experience managing that helps you do it.
“That tells you the mindset down in the dressing room.
“Some people don’t believe you, but I’ve said right from the start that it’s a special group. It’s brilliant to see, and that helps in some games.
“That unity really helps get you over the line when you shouldn’t really be taking three points at times.”
Inverness aiming for different fortunes against Accies
Hamilton have been a thorn in Inverness’ side in recent times, with John Rankin’s men winning all four encounters between the sides this term.
Dodds hopes to put that right at New Douglas Park this time around.
The Caley Jags boss added: “We have not got a great record against them, but we have played well.
“We need to manage the game properly to make sure that we’re working hard from the start. They are fighting for their lives.
“We can put pressure on other teams, which is great, so we want to keep the run going.
“We’re not going to get carried away, because we need to keep the focus.”
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