Billy Dodds says fitness not an issue as Inverness fail to make play-off history

Inverness manager Billy Dodds insisted fatigue was not a factor after his side failed to create history in the cinch Premiership play-offs.

Caley Thistle were looking to become the first team to successfully navigate six games since the current format of top-flight play-offs were introduced ahead of the 2013-14 season.

But they fell short against St Johnstone after slumping to a 6-2 aggregate defeat.

Saints are the fifth team to escape relegation via the play-offs, following in the footsteps of Motherwell, Kilmarnock, Hamilton and St Mirren.

Three teams have been promoted to the Premiership via the play-offs – Hamilton, Livingston and Dundee – but all were Championship runners-up and only had four games to play.

Inverness join Rangers and Dundee United in falling at the final hurdle after finishing outside the Championship top two.

But Dodds felt fitness was not an issue after his side got more time to prepare for the final than St Johnstone, who played their final Premiership game two days after Caley Thistle reached the final on penalties at Arbroath.

The scores were level with 45 minutes of the two legs left but Stevie May’s close-range finish seconds after the restart, followed by Cammy MacPherson’s deflected strike, put Saints firmly in the driving seat.

Aaron Doran missed a good chance to get Inverness back in it and both Callum Hendry and Shaun Rooney netted late counter-attack goals as Inverness threw men forward.

On the six-game schedule, Dodds said: “We didn’t find it that hard. I think the first two are the toughest because you play Friday-Tuesday, Friday-Tuesday.

“When we got our break of a week, you see when we go 2-0 down we are the team that are still going. They sat back, I know that, but we are the team