Hartley calls for end to Highland hoodoo

Manager wants an end to miserable record against ICT

Dundee boss Paul Hartley feels it is time to end their Highland hoodoo.

Never before have the Dark Blues travelled up the A9 and beaten Inverness at the Tulloch Caledonian Stadium.

Dundee’s record against Ross County was almost as bad, but they went to Dingwall on the opening day of the season and left with a handsome 3-1 victory.

Now the Dens boss wants them to end their miserable ICT sequence by winning tomorrow’s crucial clash against the Premiership’s bottom team.

Hartley said: “Our record at Inverness is something we have to change. “It has to improve. “Any time we have gone up to Inverness we have always had difficult games and our players have been warned that this will be no different.

“I think when we went up to Ross County we hadn’t beaten them for a while but we won that game.

“We are now in the final quarter before the split, with 11 games to go.

“It is in the players’ hands as regards where they want to be, so we have to get as many points as we can.”

Both Dundee and Caley Thistle will go into this game on the back of 3-0 defeats, with the Dark Blues losing to Aberdeen last Friday and Richie Foran’s men suffering the same scoreline at Hamilton on Wednesday.

Hartley, who was at New Douglas Park to see ICT lose, said: “I am sure the Inverness players and managers will be hurting after taking a bit of criticism for their last result, a bit like ourselves.

“They will be wanting a reaction, a bit like ourselves.

“They still have good players and I think the first goal will be vital.

“I think there are six or seven teams in much the same situation, looking over their shoulder but knowing that a couple of results can put you right up the table.

“What we have to do is make sure we play better than we did last time against Aberdeen. “We have had a good chat about it. “I think we were OK for 15 or 20 minutes but we were disappointing after that.

“We have to make sure we do better because we have underperformed in our last two games.

“We must show we are better than we have been of late.”

It looks like there will be changes made to the line-up, with Darren O’Dea back from suspension, Kevin Holt fit again and new signings Henrik Ojamaa and Marc Klok ready for their debuts.

Hartley added: “Both of the new lads are in the squad and have a good chance of playing.

“We are pleased to get the pair of them on board and they have looked sharp in training.

“They both know the league, they know what they’re coming in to.

“The also bring experience even though they are still young.

“I also think having Darren back will help us while Kevin is good to go,” he added.

We must show we are better than we have been of late. PAUL HARTLEY

Picture: SNS. Paul McGowan celebrating his goal in the season opener at Ross County. Now manager Paul Hartley wants an end to his side’s poor results against ICT.