Cup run can give Caley Thistle taste for promotion success
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Inverness Caledonian Thistle coach Barry Wilson says it is vital that his team concentrate on league business to ensure they are playing teams like Hearts every week next season.
ICT went 3-0 down to Hearts in the Scottish Cup semi final as goals from Uche Ikpeazu, John Souttar and a Sean Clare penalty sent the Edinburgh club into the final.
Wilson said while they were disappointed to be knocked out, he hopes the Scottish Cup run will give them the confidence to achieve success in the play-offs and reach the top flight next season.
“It has been a good journey,” he said.
“We have had six games to get there and three away ties but they have produced big performances and deserved their day in the sun.
“Now we have four games to cement that play-off place and that is now paramount importance we can play those teams every week.”
Wilson felt Inverness weren’t allowed to play their attacking style of football but also felt they gave a good account of themselves against Hearts.
“We never got our game going, we didn’t get our passing game going and Hearts pressed us really well.
“We got to half time relatively unscathed and they didn’t cause us problems apart form set pieces.
"Ridgers made a brilliant save but we couldn’t get a goal and we switch off from a corner.
“We stressed about the importance of set pieces and Hearts came up with a set-piece routine which they scored from.
"But then we had a good spell, had a good 10 to 15 minutes where we played in their half.
"Zdenek Zlamal then made a world class save from Joe Chalmers.
"Then that goal from Jamie McCart was ruled off-side which should have been potentially a goal then we lose another goal from a corner.
“It was one of those games where you think we could have done more.
“I have been there myself and I know what that feels like, things feel a bit flat just now.
“The boys worked their socks off, they did everything they could but we could have passed better and caused them some problems.”
