The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
Tremarco: All or nothing against Fifers in key game
Play-off quest: Defender says Caley Jags are gearing up for visit of Dunfermline
Caley Thistle defender Carl Tremarco knows it is make or break for his side’s promotion play-off hopes when they host Dunfermline today.
Inverness trail today’s opponents, who sit fourth in the Championship, by five points with a game in hand, giving John Robertson’s men the chance to overhaul the Pars if they can triumph at Caledonian Stadium.
While the dream of winning promotion back to the Premiership at the first time of asking lives on after a run of five straight wins, Tremarco knows a slip-up today will spell the end of their hopes.
Tremarco netted the winner in the IRN-BRU Cup final win against Dumbarton last month but the Englishman claims today’s game is Caley Jags’ biggest in three years and he said: “If you look at the bigger picture and what it could do for this club, not just this game but the potential outcome of it with the play-offs and going up, it’s probably the biggest game since the Scottish Cup final if I’m being honest.
“We will embrace that and enjoy it. We’ve had another big game this season in the IRN-BRU Cup so we will be used to the importance and the hype of this big game.
“We can’t look anything past Dunfermline, just like we couldn’t look past Dumbarton.
“It’s one game at a time, there’s no point in thinking about Livingston and Morton. It’s all riding on this one game because we know if we slip up it’s all done, it’s over more or less. We will put everything we’ve got into it, and hopefully we can come out winners.”
Tremarco knows the stakes are also high for Allan Johnston’s Pars side, with the 32-year-old adding: “This is just as big a game for them as it is for us. It’s their cup final – they know if they beat us it puts us to bed.
“We know what we expect from them, they will come out of the traps flying, but so will we. If we can calm them down and take them on to the back foot early on it’s more than winnable.
“It’s going to be enjoyable.” Caley Jags will finish the campaign with 12 games in 36 days, with a further six play-off matches to negotiate if they are to gain promotion.
Former Tranmere Rovers and Macclesfield Town defender Tremarco is relishing the packed schedule, however, adding: “It’s something I haven’t experienced in a few years, being here.
“There’s the rare occasion you play Saturday-Tuesday, or Saturday-Wednesday in Scotland. But I miss the Easter and Christmas periods in England when you’re playing all the time, it’s great.
“I’m enjoying it. I have only played about 20 games this season – normally I’m used to playing 40-odd games. There’s a lot left in my tank.
“Especially when you’re winning, it just becomes the norm. It’s what winners thrive on, just playing games knowing you’re not getting beaten today. It’s a good thing to have, especially coming into the end of April and early May.”