Rice hopes to leapfrog form team as he eyes move up table

Caley Thistle assistant manager Brian Rice says the Highlanders must defeat the form team in the Championship if they are to leapfrog today’s opponents Dumbarton in the league table.

Stevie Aitken’s team has won four of its last six matches in all competitions and occupies seventh place in the league, a point ahead of Inverness.

Rice is taking nothing for granted against a Sons outfit which won 2-1 when the sides last met at The Rock in September, but says the Caley Thistle players are itching to return to action for the first time since December 2.

Rice said: “It’s a very important game against a team a point above us.

“We’re looking to win the game and go above them. It’s been very frustrating – the kids have done a lot of work clearing the snow off the pitch but unfortunately the games weren’t played.

The boys have worked really hard and you can sense they want to get out there and try get three points, setting us up nicely for the new year.

“Our first target is the team above us – the next one will be the new team above us.

“If you look at their last three results it has surprised a few people. I know Stevie Aitken very well and his team work very hard for him, giving him everything they’ve got.

“They beat us 2-1 at Dumbarton so we know it’ll be difficult.

“Dumbarton are probably the form team in the league at the minute.”

Inverness will be without midfielder Iain Vigurs, who is suspended. side and have plenty of players with top-flight experience but we know that the longer we stay in front of them in the table then we are having a cracking season.”

“We are travelling north with some confidence after a really good run and a win against St Mirren at Paisley in our last game.

“Hopefully last weekend’s postponement of the game with Livingston means that we have not lost any of the momentum that we have been building up.

“I really wanted that game to go on as we were keen to be playing straight away after winning in Paisley.”

Aitken insist the Sons will not be intimidated and added: “As well as beating St Mirren we have won points at Tannadice, Falkirk and Morton so far this season.

“While we know that it will be a tough game we are in a good place and know that we can do something up there.”

Mark Stewart, Grant Gallagher and Danny Handling have been ruled out, however, Dimitrios Froxylias could return following a hamstring problem.

“Very important game against a team a point above us”

Brian Rice