Managers' Comments at Inverness

07/01/12: JM - ""It is important to remember that we are not out the cup. They grafted and showed a great spirit and togetherness.

MATCH PICTURES
Jim McIntyre felt that his side worked hard for each other but was obviously sickened to be pegged level in the cup tie in the fifth minute of added time:-

"They grafted and showed a great spirit and togetherness. If we can keep that at the same level we can climb the table, I have no doubt in my mind about that. We put in a good performance today and we will take the positives from the performance, if not the result."

Where all the added time came from was a bit of a mystery to Macca but that still should not have mattered:-

"I didn't see where six minutes came from. I know Hardie had an injury, there were obviously six substitutions but six minutes is a helluva long time. The bottom line is that is not the reason; we have made a mistake and we have been punished for that.

"It is important to remember that we are not out the cup. It is not a goal that has put us out the cup, we have another chance to rectify it."

The Manager agreed that Paul Burns stood out in the cup tie:-

"He was everywhere. His energy in the middle of the park was excellent, alongside Martin Hardie he combined well today and the two wide players really worked back to try and give the full backs a helping hand so there was a lot of pleasing stuff but obviously losing a goal that late is a sickener."

Chris Smith has to feel low after making the mistake that means a replay will be necessary but the Manager acknowledged that as an occupational hazard for a player who dons the gloves:-

"Goalkeeping can be a lonely place at times but we just have to lick our wounds and get ready for the replay a week on Tuesday.

"I think we deserved to win it, the game plan was good and we never looked like getting cut open. There were a couple of shots from distance and a couple of crosses that we had to deal with but our keeper had a fairly quiet afternoon."

Inverness Caley Thistle manager Terry Butcher felt that the cup tie produced the first real luck that he and his team have experienced this season:-

"I hope that is a real turning point for the players now. If we hadn't got something from the game it would have been the biggest travesty ever in football. Even with ten against eleven the boys gave it everything that they possibly could.

"Decisions again have gone against us and it is a game where you look at the pitch and the conditions and there are going to be mistakes. There certainly were today and we didn't have anything go for us until the last minute of added on time but it has gone for us.

"We feel fortunate still to be in the cup because we didn't score until late, but I feel that we should be in the draw because of the amount of effort they put in with ten men."

The Inverness Caley players were adamant that Andy Barrowman had been offside when he scored but Terry said:-

"The goal was given so we just had to get on with it. It was a double whammy really with Kenny (Gillet) being sent off and the goal going in. We had to re-group and we played three or four different systems in the second half pushing men forward.

"Thankfully it was Jonny Hayes that was able to capitalise upon the mistake. His pace definitely got him through there to put it in the net. Even then I thought the ball was going to bobble and he'd put it over the bar. It did bobble but he said that he did manage to keep it down for it to go in."