Nathan Shaw insists Caley Thistle have plenty of time to turn their Championship season into a chase for promotion.
The winger scored the opening goal on Saturday away to unbeaten table-toppers Dundee United, only for Kevin Holt to secure a 1-1 draw moments later.
It did extend ICT’s unbeaten run under manager Duncan Ferguson to four matches and, despite their ninth placing, they are just three points behind Arbroath, with at least one game in hand on many sides. They sit just five points adrift of fourth-placed Dunfermline Athletic.
‘We believe we can beat anyone’
After scoring his third goal of the campaign, Shaw says there are plenty of reasons for Inverness to be thinking positively.
He said: “We were on a good run last season, especially in the Scottish Cup when we reached the final.
“At the end of the season, we almost got into the play-offs. It’s all about doing that again this season.
“The play-offs are definitely not beyond us this season. There are still a lot of games and points to play for.
“We’re confident in every game we go into. We believe we can beat whoever we are up against.
“We’re obviously not where we want to be in the league but we have nothing to fear in this league either.
“It’s all about climbing the table to see how high we can reach.”
🤩 What a move
Nathan Shaw's goal against Dundee United yesterday! pic.twitter.com/lARTlCVxjh
— Inverness Caledonian Thistle FC (@ICTFC) November 5, 2023
Momentum growing at Caley Thistle
Shaw’s goal against United stemmed from a cracking counter-attack, with Cammy Harper’s lung-busting run leading to Shaw’s cool finish.
The 22-year-old Englishman was thrilled to have shown the killer touch to earn the draw.
He said: “It was definitely a well-deserved point.
“We could have scored early on and that probably would have changed the game, but in the end we’re delighted with the point and I was delighted to get on the scoresheet.
“We’re now four games unbeaten and gaining momentum each week.
“Not getting beaten is massive and we want to keep that going for as long as possible.”
‘Tweaks’ making a difference – Shaw
Shaw reckons small changes are taking effect under Ferguson, with Saturday’s switch from a back four to three-man defence working well.
He added: “I wouldn’t say the manager has changed a great deal, to be fair.
“We knew what quality we had in this squad, so it’s just been little tweaks here and there.
“On Saturday, we changed our shape and I thought it worked very well, especially early doors.
“Everyone is buzzing around the place. There is a good feeling around the club and that is helping us on the pitch.
51' | 0-1
GOALLLLLLLLL! NATHAN SHAW OPENS THE SCORING! pic.twitter.com/3V66zpTEoK
— Inverness Caledonian Thistle FC (@ICTFC) November 4, 2023
ICT fans ‘made a difference’ – Shaw
And Shaw saved a final word for the vocal Caley Jags fans who backed their team from the first to last whistle at United.
He said: “We thank our supporters for coming all the way to Dundee on Saturday.
“It’s a long distance, but it made a massive difference, especially later in the game when we were digging in to get the point. We have just got thanks them for their support.”
Goodwin tips bright future for ICT
Dundee United remain four points clear of Raith Rovers, having played one match more than the Fifers.
Their manager Jim Goodwin tips Caley Thistle to at the very least be free from any relegation troubles under Ferguson.
He said: “Inverness have been on a decent run of form since Duncan has come in.
“He has them very well organised and I think that’s them unbeaten in four.
“It doesn’t surprise me to be honest and I think Inverness will be absolutely fine this year and I can see them climbing the table with the quality that they have at the top end of the pitch and the physicality they have in defence.”
He added: “I thought it was a decent game for a 1-1 draw, it was an entertaining watch for the people who were here.
“Of course we wanted to give the fans the victory to go home and cheer about because we are not back here for a number of weeks.
“But seven points from the last three games in eight days I don’t think is a terrible return.”
Inverness get set for Honest Men
Caley Thistle’s quest for more points continues on Saturday when they welcome Ayr United to the Caledonian Stadium.
With that fixture taking place on Remembrance Day, the club is offering a free adult and child ticket to current and former military personnel.
Free tickets can be redeemed with relevant ID at the Caledonian Stadium (Mon-Fri, 10am-4pm) and on the day of the match.
Tickets are now available for our upcoming home cinch Championship match against @AyrUnitedFC on Saturday 11th November 2023
With this match taking place on Remembrance Day, we’re pleased to offer a FREE Adult and Child ticket to current and former military personnel.
This… pic.twitter.com/jhmWwxp2GD
— Inverness Caledonian Thistle FC (@ICTFC) November 2, 2023
