It’s a lack of class… In the end, they couldn’t deal with it. We’re in the Scottish Cup semi finals and they’re not
● Mckay hits back at Gardyne as he claims bragging rights for Inverness in Highland rivalry
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Brad Mckay reckons February’s astonishing post-match rant by Ross County foe Michael Gardyne is evidence that Caley Thistle’s derby performances are rattling the neighbours.
The County winger branded the former Hearts man a “coward” after a clattering challenge sparked a mass scuffle involving opposing players in the fiery Scottish Cup replay.
Gardyne also claimed he had “schooled” Mckay in the last two derbies, but the Inverness defender claims the tirade is proof that Caley Thistle have got under their rivals’ skins.
Responding to Gardyne’s comments for the first time yesterday, Mckay lit the fuse on tonight’s televised Highland showdown of the season by suggesting Inverness were the better footballing side.
The 2018-19 record is finely balanced, with one County win, three draws and that penalty shoot-out triumph by Inverness in the Scottish Cup quarter-finals.
John Robertson’s side then built on the win by knocking out Dundee United to set up a Scottish Cup semi-final against Hearts at Hampden Park this month.
Mckay said: “I saw the [Gardyne] comments and could easily have responded online, but it just gets messy. It’s a lack of class, isn’t it? That’s what it comes down to and I’m not going to bite.
“At the end of the game, he comes to me at reception and says ‘all the best’ and then the next day it comes out that he’s saying all that stuff. I see him in
the shops and he wouldn’t say anything to me then, so I just laugh at it. It shows, 100 per cent, we’ve got to them.
“Marcus Fraser was giving it big licks during the penalty shootout, when Coll Donaldson was going to take his penalty, telling him he was going to miss.
“It’s just mind games, isn’t it? In the end, we’ve tucked them away and they couldn’t deal with it. We’re in the Scottish Cup semi-finals and they’re not.
“I enjoy the derbies. It is a big one to look forward to and you do get caught up in emotion. Michael has probably been a bit bitter after the game.
“He had a good game against me the first time when I slipped a few times, but we’re in the semi-finals and they’re not.
“They’re playing for the league and we’re not. Dundee United have probably screwed their chance to fight for the league now.
“If this is the last derby of the season, we’re looking to put them away again.”
Caley Thistle’s failure to win prior to the last one took the overall run without a derby victory to eight meetings dating back three years.
Mckay, though, is convinced his team will prevail if the hosts keep cool heads and the
match is settled on footballing ability alone.
The 26 year-old stressed: “I just think it is important not to get dragged into a battle with them.
“I think we’re a far better footballing team. When we get the ball down and pass it, I don’t think anybody in this league can handle us, which we’ve proved on our day.
“We can beat anybody, but when we get involved in battles with teams it can go either way.
“[But] if we can get the ball down and play the way we play – passing, attacking football – I think we’ll beat them.”
Mckay does admit the penalty-kicks victory in the cup amounted to a huge moralebooster for Inverness after past draws and defeats.
He added: “It was great to get the rewards. To come from behind twice in the game was a bit mental as well. We know we’ve had the better of them in the games we’ve played against them.
“They’ve nicked it a few times. That can happen in derbies. Particularly in one of the games up the road, we hammered them – we had chance after chance and couldn’t take them.
“Other than that, they’ve been tight games.
“Mentally, the last one was good for us. Everyone felt ‘thank God for that’, because we felt we were due them one.
“Hopefully we can take that into tomorrow.”