Duncan Ferguson expects Inverness Caley Thistle to be labelled favourites to win Championship play-offs ahead of first leg trip to Montrose
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Duncan Ferguson expects Inverness Caledonian Thistle to be considered the favourites in the Championship play-offs – but insists his players cannot take anything for granted against Montrose.
The Caley Jags will need to make it through another four matches to secure their second-tier status for next season despite beating Morton 3-1 last Friday evening, with Queen’s Park’s win over Airdrieonians enough to hold the Highlanders at bay.
Tonight, then, Inverness will travel to Montrose, who finished fourth in League One, for a play-off semi final first leg.
As the highest ranked team of the four, Ferguson admits that ICT will have to deal with the pressure that comes with being labelled favourites, but he is confident his side are ready to go out and perform at Links Park.
“We’re probably the team that’s expected to win the play-offs,” Ferguson explained.
“We’ll be the favourites going into the first match, so we’ll have to handle that.
“I think the boys have played well over the piece, and hopefully we can take that into Tuesday and perform.
“That’s the main thing, we have to perform and stand up to Montrose. They will be strong on set-plays, so we have to make sure we’re fighting for every ball and then play our game, and we’ll be fine.
“I’m confident that we’re going to play well, and I’m confident that we can push Montrose all the way. We want to win, but nothing is 100 per cent.
“It’s going to be a tough match, and we are wary of the plastic pitch which will be an advantage for them, but we are ready and I’m confident we can put in a good performance.”
It has been 15 years since a side amassed as many points as Inverness this season and ended up in the relegation play-off.
In fact, Caley Thistle are only the second side ever to be in this position with a tally as high as 42 points – the same number Airdrie United hit in 2009.
That year, Airdrie United actually lost in the play-off final to Ayr United, but were given a reprieve when Livingston were demoted from the First Division to the Third Division, as the leagues were known then.
Ferguson, then, perhaps rightfully feels his side are unlucky to still be fighting against relegation, as he believes they are a better team than results have suggested.
"Overall, I think we're better than where we've finished,” he stressed.
"We've been a bit unlucky. There were three points between fifth place and ninth place.
"Had we won the Raith Rovers match here, as we should have by hitting the post four times and their goalie Kevin Dabrowski having the game of his life, we'd have finished fifth.
"Unfortunately, it never happened. The league table doesn't lie, and we are where we are, but we're a good team and we're going to go for it.”
Inverness midfielder Sean McAllister is an injury doubt for the play-off first leg, with the on-loan Everton midfielder struggling with a groin strain.
Alex Samuel and Luis Longstaff were both withdrawn in Friday’s win over Morton, but Ferguson expects both players to be fit and ready to face Montrose.
James Carragher is a doubt, though, with concerns over the impact playing on Montrose’s artificial pitch could have.
"Sean will have a fitness test on Tuesday morning,” Ferguson confirmed.
"Alex Samuel suffered a facial knock on Friday. He got a smack in the face that needed attention, but he has trained and is good to go.
“Luis was feeling the knee he had an operation on, that’s why I took him off (against Morton). He was complaining about it at half time, but he seems to have overcome it and he has trained over the last couple of days, so he will be in the squad no problem.
“We’ve also got to be careful with James – he has had a really bad injury in the past, so we’re concerned about him playing on a plastic pitch.”
