Manager Billy Dodds insists Caley Thistle can recover from their Championship play-off heartache – and come back with title ambitions next season.
Inverness will contest the Scottish Cup final against Celtic on June 3, but their promotion hopes were extinguished by Friday’s final night 2-1 loss to Ayr United, who qualified for the play-off semis as league runners-up behind champions Dundee.
Queen’s Park, who lost 5-3 to Dundee in their title showdown, slipped to third spot and will battle it out with Partick Thistle in the play-off quarter-finals on Tuesday and Friday.
Morton’s 2-1 win at now relegated Cove Rangers saw them miss out on goal difference and ICT finished in sixth position, two points outside the top four and eight points away from first place.
Injuries for most of the season hit hard, with up to 12 players at times sidelined, and youth and fringe players called in to cover.
Six league wins and a draw before facing Ayr put ICT in with a chance of making the top four. A win would have secured their spot at Ayr’s expense.
Now, they have just under a month to rest, recharge and prepare for the cup final, which followed last week’s impressive 3-0 semi-final win over Falkirk.
ICT still have a good team – Dodds
Dodds, who like much of his squad will now talk contracts, shares supporters’ frustration at not reaching the play-offs after being finalists in 2022, but he hopes they remain upbeat about the future.
He said: “Even although it’s disappointing not to reach the play-offs, I want Caley Thistle fans to realise it’s been a good season, we’ve a good team and we can look forward.
“There are a lot of good players here and hopefully we can have another good season with the players who stay here.
“We’re hoping to put in another challenge next year and maybe even top the lot and win it. It will be difficult, but we have to avoid injuries.
“Now is time for a reflection. Overall, the Caley Thistle fans can be happy with their team. There is still much to look forward to.
“Yes, there’s disappointment with not getting where we wanted to in terms of the Championship because I think we’re one of the best teams in the league.
“We never got there and that’s disappointing for the fans. I get that. I hope they realise it’s still not been too bad a season.
“We’re gutted to miss the play-offs, but to even be in and about it on the final night was a minor miracle in itself. I would have loved to have had a go in trying to reach the Premiership – but it’s not to be this season.
“It’s been a season of huge ups and downs. It was demoralising when I was losing player after player (to injury) and picking them up to stay in there then we were slowly sliding down the league.
“We then came right back with that run, which showed how good a team we are.”
Poor first half left Caley Jags chasing
Josh Mullin put Ayr in front in the first half, but Nathan Shaw’s reply eight minutes from time offered a lifeline to the Highlanders.
However, substitute Mark McKenzie sealed the late victory for the Honest Men and Austin Samuels had a goal disallowed for offside.
Head coach Dodds felt his side took too long to click into gear and explained the play-offs would have served their purpose ahead of preparing for their Hampden return next month.
He said: “I would have loved to have qualified for the play-offs because this year it was perfect preparation (for the cup final) because there is a week’s rest between the first and second legs of the semi-final.
“If we then reached the play-off final, that would have been put back because of the Scottish Cup final.
“I told the players beforehand that this was the perfect scenario, ‘go and grab it’, but to my amazement we were really poor in the first half.
“Again, we came from behind to equalise and you hear the Morton score and it became like a boxing match with ‘who hits first?’ We were unlucky as it was Ayr United who hit first.
“I think Austin’s goal was slightly offside. We kept pressing. This team never gives up.
“We’re going to enjoy the Scottish Cup final and make sure we don’t just turn up for the occasion.
“We must start better and try to get in Celtic’s faces, but that’s for later.”
Planning put in place for cup final
A trip abroad this month has been talked about for Inverness to find opponents to play ahead of the Scottish Cup final.
But, right now, his shattered squad need to get their feet up to physically and mentally recharge.
He added: “We will maybe go away, and I’ve spoken to my staff about it, but we will definitely give the players time off.
“We have to rest – we can’t just keep training for a month. We will come back and try and get a couple of games and prepare properly.
“The play-offs would have been ideal preparation for the cup final.”
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