Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
Disappointed Dodds insists fatigue wasn’t factor
INVERNESS boss Billy Dodds insisted fatigue was not a factor after his side failed to create history in the cinch Premiership play-offs.
Caley Thistle were out to become the first team to successfully navigate six games since top-flight play-offs were introduced ahead of the 2013-14 season, but they fell short against St Johnstone after slumping to a 6-2 aggregate defeat.
Saints are the fifth team to escape relegation via the playoffs, following in the footsteps of Motherwell, Kilmarnock, Hamilton and St Mirren. Three teams have been promoted to the Premiership via the play-offs – Hamilton, Livingston and Dundee – but all were Championship runners-up and only had four games to play.
Inverness join Rangers and Dundee United in falling at the final hurdle after finishing outside the Championship top two.
Dodds felt fitness was not an issue after his side got more time to prepare for the final than St Johnstone, who played their final Premiership game two days after Caley Thistle reached the final on penalties at Arbroath.
Stevie May’s close-range finish seconds into the second half, followed by Cammy MacPherson’s deflected strike, put Saints in the driving seat. Aaron Doran missed a chance to get Inverness back in it before Callum Hendry and Shaun Rooney netted late counter-attack goals for Saints.
On the six-game schedule, Dodds said: “We didn’t find it that hard. I think the first two are the toughest because you play FridayTuesday, Friday-Tuesday.
“But there’s no excuses for these two as we got ourselves back in the tie at Inverness and I thought we had them after 45 minutes (in Perth) – but credit to St Johnstone.”