Head coach Billy Dodds says Inverness Caley Thistle must take a leaf out of under-18's book after performance at Hamilton Academical
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Billy Dodds believes Inverness Caledonian Thistle’s under-18s set the template for the senior squad to pick up three points away at Hamilton this weekend.
Last time out, Caley Thistle fielded a starting 11 with an average age of 17 in the SPFL Trust Trophy, and although the youngsters lost out 2–0 they had multiple chances to find the back of the net and get back into the game.
There was certainly nothing on show from a mix-and-match Accies side to strike fear into the first team players who were rested, so Dodds hopes that if his side can repeat the application of last week’s youngsters and add a bit more experience and quality, that will be a recipe worthy of a win.
“The decision was one I felt we had to make,” Dodds reflected.
“I think it was the right decision, and we should compliment the young boys.
“Going in it would have been easy to fear the worst, but seeing them they nearly got a couple of goals.
“I was sitting up there willing them to do well, and if we can put in the same sort of performance, I’ll be happy, because we’ll be capable of winning the game.
“We’ll need a huge effort, and it’s a game we need three points in.
“I know we’ve got hardened pros, but we need to have the same work ethic as our under-18s did, because they were magnificent.
“They could have scored a couple of goals, so that shows you what hard work can do, and that’s our starting point this week.”
Including last weekend, the Caley Jags have only beaten Hamilton once since the Accies returned to the Championship last season.
That single victory was comprehensive, a 4–0 triumph at home in April, but for the most part matches between the two have been very close.
In six meetings since the start of last season, Hamilton have won four, but with the Accies at the bottom of the league Dodds expects a war of attrition tomorrow afternoon.
“Even when they were comprehensively beaten in their last league game, the one thing that Hamilton always have – especially against us – is real desire and work ethic,” Dodds said.
“It has got them success against us, and we have to make sure we match that. Hamilton have a good record against us, and we want to put that right.
“We’ve had the beating of Hamilton, but we’ve found it hard too. I’ve got high hopes in that when we get it all right – putting in the effort, quality in the final third, defending properly and winning battles in the midfield area – we ‘re capable of winning most games.”
