Point in Dumfries was valuable for Inverness Caledonian Thistle in chase for promotion
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Inverness Caledonian Thistle keep inching closer to a play-off spot.
With every Championship match last Saturday ending in a draw, there was every chance that the Caley Jags might look at their own point away at Queen of the South as a missed opportunity to put one foot in the end-of-season promotion mix.
As it is, their fate is still in their own hands.
Dunfermline and Queens are breathing down Inverness necks with games in hand, but with those matches coming against Dundee and Raith Rovers respectively – two sides sitting above ICT – Neil McCann’s men could benefit no matter the results.
They remain the form side in the division and are now eight unbeaten in all competitions, but with Queens in particular a long way off Caley Thistle’s pace in terms of goal difference, the most important thing was not to lose last Saturday.
Indeed, defender Danny Devine insists it was a good point, despite not playing at their highest level.
“We always want to win games, and we always go out to win games,” he reasoned.
“We know how big three points are, especially at the business end of the season, but it is one of those where if we’re not going to win, we have to make sure we don’t lose.
“I think it’s a good point. It’s always a tough place to go to, and then you put on top of that the form that Queens have been in – we’ve been in very good form ourselves, but they have been in good form and that’s why they’re sitting where they are in the table.
“We were nowhere near it in the first half, so we’re happy to come away with a point.”
Once again Inverness showed resilience to bounce back quickly after going behind in the match – a hallmark of their Scottish Cup derby win over Ross County.
Aidan Fitzpatrick had given the Dumfries outfit the lead on Saturday, only for Nikolay Todorov to equalise two minutes later.
For Devine, that was a crucial juncture of the match – and one Inverness came through well.
“It was massive,” the defender insisted.
“A couple of weeks ago we had the same thing against Ross County in the cup, and we went on to win the game.
“Unfortunately we didn’t on Saturday. It’s a blow to concede, but when we go up the other end and score so quickly it gives us a lift again. It did that, we had a couple of good chances after that that we were unlucky with.
“We showed a good reaction after they got their goal, so we are disappointed but going off our first half performance we’ll take the point. Now we’ll move on to next Saturday.”
