Mark Ridgers: Inverness Caledonian Thistle must end as we mean to start next season
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GOALKEEPER Mark Ridgers says it is vital Inverness Caledonian Thistle finish this season the way they intend to start their next campaign in a bid to get promoted to the Premiership.
Caley Thistle’s ambition of reaching the play-offs ended after a 3-0 defeat to Heart of Midlothian last weekend.
It means, unless Queen of the South can make up a 16-goal deficit tomorrow against Dundee, Inverness will finish the season in fifth place.
Tomorrow night’s (April 30) match against Ayr United may be a dead rubber for Inverness, but their opponents are still battling against relegation from the Championship.
However, Ridgers wants Inverness to make a statement at the Caledonian Stadium tomorrow, and produce a result which they can take confidence from going into next season.
“We have this mentality and it is something that has to stick with us,” says Ridgers.
“Next season, we have to continue working really hard and winning games.
“If we’re not winning games, make sure we’re not losing games, as that is where we got our success at the end of the season from, and that has to stick with us.
“Friday night will be no different, we are going to try and win the game, and we need to build on that and take the belief from the way we finished this season and bring it on to next season.
“Fingers crossed we start next season better than the way we started previous seasons.”
Ridgers says Inverness failed to live up to expectations of making the play-offs, but is determined to put that right next season.
“We’re not hiding the fact not making the play-offs is the biggest disappointment.
“At the beginning of the season that is what we set out to do, and we’ve not quite done it.
“Overall on Saturday, the team wasn’t good enough in the first half, and when you slack off for a moment you get punished by Hearts.”
