Inverness Caley Thistle keeper urges team to keep the faith after first Duncan Ferguson defeat – and strange case of 'goal that never was'
It was the ‘goal that never was’ – a strange moment where the net seemed to ripple for Raith Rovers only for play to continue.
In the end, it mattered little as the Kirkcaldy men stormed back to win late in the game.
Even the man at the heart of the bizarre moment admits he has no clue what happened, although Raith’s players were incensed.
Supporters in the stand behind Mark Ridgers’ goal were also convinced their team had gone behind when the close-range Lewis Vaughan effort seemed to bobble past the home keeper.
It may have been an optical illusion, though, as Ridgers swears it was his foot, not the ball, that bulged the inside netting.
“I don’t really know what happened with the ball, but it’s my foot that hits the net as I try to block it,” he insisted.
“The ball spins along the outside of the goal and then I just put my hand on it.
“I think a lot of people thought the ball was in the net. The boy Jack Hamilton tries to flick it and puts me off a little bit, which delays my reaction. The ball kind of sinks in the frosty bit and it spun and hit the post.
“We’ve got away with it, if it was in, but I honestly don’t know if it was.”
More pressingly, Ridgers feels Caley Jags must quickly put Saturday’s disappointment to bed and focus on three huge games looming in the space of a week.
The points haul could be transformative if three wins are secured in the matches against Queen’s Park away on Saturday, Morton away the following Tuesday and then Arbroath back in Inverness the next weekend.
“I’ll be honest, Raith were better than us in the first half, but they had no big chances,” Ridgers said.
“We defended really well and were on the front foot in the second half. They would have happily take the draw.
“It is disappointing we couldn’t see it out, but we have to take it on the chin and get ourselves going again for three huge games coming up.
“We have two massive away games we have to focus on getting points from. It’s a big haul of points if we can produce our best.”