Caley crew well versed in the battle to beat drop – Butcher

Published on Saturday 9 May 2009 11:05

TERRY BUTCHER believes his Inverness players can handle the pressure of a relegation dogfight – because they have been doing it for the past five months.

The Highlanders take on bogey team Hamilton in the Clydesdale Bank Premier League tomorrow knowing three points will edge them one step closer to survival.

Caley boss Butcher said: "There's been pressure on the players since January when I came in but the guys are used to that by now.

"Playing on the Sunday could provide us with us with an advantage knowing if we can get all three points, it could us one step closer to survival."

Butcher revealed spirits are high at the club following last weekend's 2-1 win at St Mirren. "The guys were euphoric and bubbly as soon as they came off the park on Saturday," he said..

"Then when we got in to the changing room and heard the news Falkirk had won, it brought us back down to earth.

"But we still won the game and the players have every right to be confident and buoyant from the way we played down in Paisley.

"They're a hardy bunch and we've maybe not had a lot of consistency in my time here, but in our last four games, we've only lost once at Aberdeen, who are a top-six side.

"Seven points from 12 isn't bad and is the kind of form we'd like to take into the last four games of the season."