Billy Dodds says Kilmarnock are still favourites to win league despite Inverness Caledonian Thistle going five points clear after win over Greenock Morton
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Head coach Billy Dodds says Kilmarnock are still the team to beat in the Championship despite Inverness Caledonian Thistle moving five points clear at the top of the table.
Inverness have won seven of their first nine games as they responded well after their first defeat of the campaign to Hamilton last week.
Dodds says he will not get carried away with any title challenge talk, but says if they can finish above Kilmarnock, they will give themselves a great chance of promotion.
“I want to make sure we keep winning and picking up points and let them chase,” said Dodds.
“I still think Kilmarnock are the favourites because they have the biggest budget, but if we can stay in front of Kilmarnock I will be delighted as we will be there or thereabouts.
“Kilmarnock are favourites, even though we’re leading, but it has been a brilliant quarter for us.”
Dodds says it was vital Inverness showed they could bounce back after defeat at Hamilton Academical last week, and despite not being a perfect performance, was pleased they got the job done.
“We had to show we could bounce back and get the result today and that is what we did.
“I didn’t enjoy the game at times, but the players were professional. I would like for them to have kept the ball better but they know that. But they have a good mentality and could see the game out.
“I am more delighted than I have been for a while, not because we are five points clear, but because we grinded the game out.”
Greenock Morton almost took the lead in spectacular fashion after eight minutes when Tom Allan spotted goalkeeper Mark Ridgers off his line and unleashed a powerful shot from the left wing 30 yards out which went inches over the bar.
Ridgers then nearly gifted Morton the lead when a poor clearance from his box was pounced on by Jimmy Knowles 25 yards from goal.
He charged into the box where his shot was blocked and the ball fell to Gavin Reilly whose shot was only denied finding the net by a sliding challenge from Danny Devine.
Inverness broke the deadlock in the 19th minute with goalkeeper Ridgers launching a route one punt up the field which caught the Morton defence unaware.
Mckay beat the offside trap and collected the ball 25 yards from goal and charged into the box, keeping his composure to fire a low drive past the advancing Jack Hamilton into the bottom right corner of the net.
It was the veteran striker’s first league goal of the season and added to the five he has scored in the Trust Trophy against Buckie Thistle and Elgin City.
Mckay went close to getting his second minutes later when he connected with a cross from former Ross County teammate Gardyne at the edge of the box and fired a low drive inches past the left post.
The restart was delayed for 10 minutes after Michael Gardyne and Cameron Blues suffered a head collision on the stroke of half time but both players were able to return for the second half after they were assessed by medical staff.
Four minutes after the break Inverness doubled their advantage as Roddy MacGregor did the hard work charging into the box and passed to Mckay whose shot was blocked and the ball ricocheted kindly to Gardyne who fired into the net from eight yards out.
Greenock have failed to win since August and manager Gus Macpherson said his team have been guilty of not taking their chances this season which has resulted them being in the relegation play-off zone.
“We keep making silly mistakes and that is what hurts us. It is bizarre you can lose a goal from your own corner kick. It is individual mistakes that are killing us.
“We need to deal with the situation better or we are going to have to start making changes. We are going to have to start making changes after the decision making that cost us today.
“I thought we gave a good account of ourselves in the first half but we lose a poor goal early in the second half and that is what made it so difficult for us.”
“We need to be big enough and brave enough to deal with the situation.”
