Ridgers desperate to get the upper hand

Goalkeeper Mark Ridgers knows Inverness will have to do it the hard way if they are to get through their William Hill Scottish Cup last-16 tie against Ross County at Dingwall tonight.

The Staggies are top of the Ladbrokes Championship, 12 points ahead of their Highland rivals, and have a win and two draws in their three league meetings this season.

Caley have not come out on top in the fixture since 2016 and Ridgers, 28, who began his career as a youth player with County before joining Hearts in 2007, said: “We hope to go as far as we can in the competition and there is probably no better way than beating County.

“But it will be a very difficult game. They are doing well in the league and, for all we have played well in the games against them, we haven’t really got anything from them apart from two draws, which isn’t good enough in my eyes.

“They have that bit about them that they can get through games. You just have to look at the league, a couple of games when it looks like they are not getting anything and they nick a win.”

County will be without comanager Stuart Kettlewell, who begins a three-match touchline ban after a misconduct charge at the match against Morton last month, with another three games suspended until 31 December.