Boss Duncan Ferguson insists Caley Thistle will pick themselves and be ready to go for victory in their Championship play-off semi-final against Montrose.
Inverness finished ninth in the division following a 3-1 final night win against Morton on Friday, one point below Queen’s Park, who survived thanks to a 2-0 home win over Airdrie.
It means their haul of 42 points – the equal-best tally for a team finishing ninth since Airdrie in 2008-09 – wasn’t enough to keep them out of the play-offs.
They go to League One’s fourth-placed finishers Montrose on Tuesday, with the return in Inverness on Saturday. The winners will play either Hamilton Accies or Alloa Athletic in the final, also over two legs.
ICT were the joint-third best away side in their division, the only team below the top three of Dundee United, Raith Rovers and Partick Thistle to have a positive goal difference, but the third-worst performers on home soil.
Confidence high for Links Park visit
Ferguson accepts not doing the business at the Caledonian Stadium, where they netted just four wins in 18, has plunged them into their fight for survival.
He said: “We have one of the best away records in the league, one of the best defences in the league, but overall our home results have not been good enough and that’s what has put us in this position.
“Against Raith Rovers recently, we were outstanding and never got the points (in a 1-0 defeat).
“On Friday, we were not as good as that night and Morton played well and pushed us hard for a team only looking to cement fifth place.
“We will pick ourselves up, take confidence from our performance where we put another three points on the board and go into these games ready to face Montrose.”
Morgan Boyes’ smashing volley put ICT ahead against Morton, but ex-Inverness centre-half Kirk Broadfoot levelled before half-time.
Cammy Harper’s penalty made it 2-1 for the hosts before the visitors were reduced to 10 men when Robbie Muirhead saw red.
A low finish from man-of-the-match Sean McAllister capped a fine display, but news from Hampden kept Queen’s Park above them.
Samuel tipped to recover from knock
On-loan Ross County forward Alex Samuel “got a smack on the mouth” against Ton but should be available for Tuesday, said Ferguson, who is a “bit worried” about winger Luis Longstaff, who had a pull on the same knee which has been operated on.
Wide midfielder Aaron Doran is out for six months due to a nasty knee injury and fellow midfielder Charlie Gilmour, winger Nathan Shaw and striker Harry Lodovica won’t be ready until at least pre-season.
Imrie ‘flabbergasted’ by spot-kick call
Morton manager Dougie Imrie, meanwhile, praised his side as they finished fifth, despite the defeat, just three points ahead of ICT.
And he had a real issue with the penalty for a foul on McAllister came ahead of Robbie Muirhead’s two cautions, one for a foul and one for dissent.
He said: “The boys were excellent – I thought, 11 against 11, we were the better team. I thought at times 10 against 11, we were even better.
“That’s testament to them. Again, decisions never went our way – it was never a penalty.
“The referee, when the question was asked, didn’t know why he gave it. If he doesn’t know why he has given a penalty, I’m flabbergasted.
“Then the red card comes from the frustration drawn from the penalty.
“It is frustration and it boils over with my player getting booked and then sent off within 10 seconds.
“That all comes from (referee Craig Napier) not managing the game properly. Just take a breath at times and diffuse the situation. We’ve got other players running through on goal, taken down, and there was no yellow card.
“And I’m getting questioned as to why we have a lot of yellow cards. We’re getting them for certain incidents and it is not being reciprocated.
“It’s difficult. The season’s done and there’s no point bringing it all up because I’ll end up in bother, but it needs to be better.”
‘Freak season’ for injuries in league
Injuries limited Morton to just three outfield substitutes on Friday and Imrie explained the problem has been widespread in this year’s Championship.
He added: “I don’t know what it is – it isn’t just my club.
“We’ve seen Arbroath, Dunfermline, Partick Thistle, Caley Thistle all crippled with injuries.
“I don’t know if it is just a one-off season with mad injuries. All of ours have come on the pitch, we’ve not had an injury in training.
“It has just been a freak season for a lot of teams.”
