The Press and Journal (Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire)
Ca ley Jags: Donald son ready for pitch perfect home form.
Donaldson pitching in to maintain Caledonian streak
Caley Thistle defender Coll Donaldson has credited the newly-laid surface at Caledonian Stadium with making his side a greater force to be reckoned with at home this season.
Although Inverness finished third and secured a play-off finish last term, a tally of just five wins from 18 home league matches prevented John Robertson’s side from running eventual Championship winners Ross County closer.
The Highlanders have already won three of their four league matches at Caledonian Stadium so far this term, with a further four victories coming in cup encounters they have hosted.
They have been handed another home tie – against Clyde on the weekend of November 16-17 – following yesterday’s Tunnock’s Caramel Wafer Challenge Cup quarter-finals draw.
Inverness undertook major pitch improvements during the summer, which involved the laying of a new surface as well as work to help the draining system.
Donaldson feels Robertson’s men are already showing they can use the slicker surface to their advantage, and he said: “I have to mention our groundsmen Dale Stephen and Tommy Cumming – the pitch is outstanding.
“It is definitely the best pitch you’ll play on this year in the Championship, by a distance.
“It does suit us, although obviously other teams will look forward to it too. I have mates in other teams saying it is outstanding.
“That’s the style the manager is looking to play.
“He wants us to pass it more than hit long balls. You have to be able to do both, but when it breaks out into a football game I think that does normally give us the advantage. But there are other good football teams in this league as well as us.”
Inverness face Alloa Athletic for the second time in seven days on Saturday, having defeated Peter Grant’s men 3-0 in the Challenge Cup.
Caley Jags’ solitary defeat on their own patch this term came in their last home outing against Partick Thistle, when they went down 3-1, and Donaldson is intent on building momentum.
The 24-year-old added: “The easiest thing to build confidence is winning games. We’re trying to win games and win them with a bit of style as well.
“The Arbroath game earlier on in the season was really important as we’d just come off that defeat at Tannadice.
“Then again, Morton on the Friday night on the television, to win that so convincingly was pleasing.”
Caley Thistle’s league match against Dundee originally scheduled for Saturday November 16 has been rearranged for Saturday November 23.