The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
Coach Wilson eyes chance of more silverware
Caley Thistle coach Barry Wilson knows the weight of expectation is on the Highlanders as they approach the latter stages of the Tunnock’s Caramel Wafer Challenge Cup.
Inverness take on League 1 side Clyde in the quarterfinals of the competition at Caledonian Stadium, with Partick Thistle the only other Championship side remaining in the last eight.
Wilson was part of a Caley Jags side which won the tournament in 2003 courtesy of a 2-0 win over Aidrie at McDiarmid Park, while manager John Robertson led Inverness to a second triumph against Dumbarton in 2018.
Wilson said: “The Challenge Cup is a slowburner for most teams. In the early rounds, you want to win but you’re not overly concerned giving the travelling you might have to do against clubs from outside Scotland. It could have a detrimental effect on the club financially, but now we’re obviously on our third home game and won the first two convincingly.
“We hope to do the same this weekend and get ourselves into the semifinal of a competition the club has done well in over the years, winning it twice before.
“We’ll try to make it a third. We won it two years ago, Ross County won it last year, so we’re trying to do the same again. It’s the only cup competition where it is expected that one of the bigger teams in the Championship lifts the trophy.
“You can’t really be expected to win the Scottish or League Cup. It is the cup final we all look to.”
Wilson is on standby to take charge of the Caley Jags side today, with Robertson and assistant Scott Kellacher still recovering from a sickness bug which has swept through the squad in recent days.
Wilson is wary of the threat posed by Danny Lennon’s Bully Wee side, who are seventh in League 1, and he added: “Danny’s teams always play good football. We had them watched on Saturday and watched the video, and they pass the ball about well.
“They obviously have a good striker in David Goodwillie, who is banging in the goals. They will be a tough nut to crack.”