Cup provides confidence booster for Caley Thistle for next term
MacGregor believes ICT's run to the final points to better things in the Championship
Last updated 29th Jan 2024
Roddy MacGregor believes Inverness' performance in the 3-1 Scottish Cup final defeat to Celtic can boost their promotion confidence for season 2023-24.
Inverness finished sixth in the league, but managed to defeat Premiership outfits Livingston and Kilmarnock on their way to the Hampden showpiece.
MacGregor - a late second-half substitute for Scott Allardice - insists positives can be taken from their 3-1 defeat to Celtic going into next term.
The 21-year-old midfielder said: "We went toe-to-toe with the best team in the country at the moment and in previous rounds we had beaten Premiership teams.
"It just shows that when we are on our game we can give any team a game and that definitely gives us confidence going into next season.
"We were disappointed obviously, it is never nice to lose in such a big game. It is not a nice feeling.
"Up against a team like Celtic it is always going to be tricky but I think we did reasonably well and limited their chances.
"We genuinely thought we could win the game and that's the sign of a good dressing room and we are looking to go again next season and hopefully we have a fully-fit squad."
Likewise, Dan MacKay, on loan from Hibs, was pleased that Inverness proved the doom-mongers wrong with their spirited performance.
The 22-year-old winger who headed in ICT's response on 84 minutes said: "The boys can be proud of themselves. We put up a really good battle.
"Everyone doubted us and said it would be six or seven nil but we proved them wrong and showed that a Championship team that was mid-table was more than a match at times for Celtic, but they were clinical at the end of the day.
"If you get a goal you never know what can happen in these games. Pressure happens and chances come and go in games.
"We took our chance, but unfortunately we never got another chance and Celtic were clinical.
"But we need to be proud, it was an achievement getting there."
Asked about his future with Hibs, he said: "I don't know yet. I wait to see what happens."
MacKay started at Inverness and was the youngest player and goalscorer for Caley Thistle. A promising spell on loan followed at Elgin City, unhindered by injury.
He then returned to ICT and became a regular in the side that narrowly missed out on the Championship play-offs.
Jack Ross while at Hibs won the race for Mackay, but the winger was unable to tie down a place, with a period on loan at Kilmarnock preceding a spell back at Inverness.
However now, having made 40 appearances this season for Inverness, could Mackay return to the resurgent Hibs, or start a fresh elsewhere?