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Good on you robbo someone had to berate the officials have to feel for him and players terrible decisions in both games the boys must have been gutted at half time lets get behind them next season and win the league come on Inverness people let's support your team

Great effort by the team and fantastic backing from the away fans. Unfortunately effort alone will not win us anything. It's the age olde saying: You can only p15h with the cork you've got. We know our shortcomings and I'm sure we all know who we should be keeping, but I can't fault the effort of the players, they gave all they had. Today/last night is not really the time for us to be slagging off the squad, but it should be a time to savour the microscopic shreds of success in a challenging season. I'll come back to this in a few days as we learn to cope with another season in the Championship. I don't think we should be getting ahead of ourselves and expecting success next season either. Unless a miracle happens, we will still be in the Championship, still have no money and still have sh1te referees. Plenty of passion shown on the matchday thread, but try and keep it civil. No one died and we are all different with the same aim. ps Thank Christ the season has ended. No more match reports for a couple of months

These players have sweated blood this season. You could see some of them weren’t fit last night, Walsh for one, and Coll and Doran probably. Everybody knows the squad was down to the bare bones. But if anything they were the better side in the first half and could have been a couple of goals up with better finishing. They deserved to take a bow for their efforts. And yet at the 3rd goal we have people streaming out of the ground?‍♂️

The poor home fans might want to try getting behind the team.

I agree with a lot of the sentiments on here. We gave it our all, but diabolical refereeing decisions coupled with poor finishing will not win us games. On the whole, in my opinion, it's been a good season, it could have been a better one, but if you had told me at the beginning of the season that we would make the semi finals of the playoffs and the Scottish Cup, I would have scoffed at you. To finish third, behind the leagues two best funded teams, says a lot for Robbo's recruitment and drive, and if we can keep the majority of the squad together for next season and add a few quality new faces, I think we can do some damage next term. It looks like Robbo will be missing for the start of next season after his comments about the standard of refereeing in this country, but I wholeheartedly agree with him. No collective of officials should be immune to criticism, they have been over protected for far too long. If players or managers step out of line they get hammered by the Association, where as referees can make blunder after blunder and they just get another game to officiate at. Kevin Clancy being a good example, he doesn't send off the sevco player for elbowing Scott Brown during the sevco v Celtic game, but gives a penalty and booking against Brad Mckay in our match, absolutely atrocious. So, that's the season done and dusted, my new season ticket bought, and I'm looking forward to next term already, a glutton for punishment or diehard supporter?

The tie turned on two poor refereeing decisions. In the first leg, we were in control and certainly not heading for defeat until a very harsh straight red left us with ten players for virtually half of that match and without one of our most influential players for tonight. Tonight we were again more than holding our own until the harshest hand ball penalty I've seen in years. I do not generally believe in conspiracies but the football authorities have got the play off finalist from the Championship they wanted. Neither of those decisions would have gone our way had the boot been on the other foot. That said, it was never a level playing field and it's no coincidence that the two teams who have bettered us in the division both have wealthy backers which enabled them to make wholesale improvements to their squads in January. Our position off the field is not good from a financial perspective but there is scope for optimism on it. We improved on last season with a smaller budget and, assuming Robbo gets a budget that is not further trimmed too much next season I believe we have a very good chance of going one better. We finished best of the teams in the Championship playing on a financially level playing field and should be proud of the manager, coaches and players. Our under eighteens have had a great season and hopefully two or three can step up. Great disappointment tonight but tempered with pride in the team and our loyal fans and genuine optimism for the future.

Just read Robbo's post match comments. I am surprised that he was so measured and restrained. The pomposity of those officiating in Scottish football is almost a match for the blazers that (mis)manage it. Well said John Robertson.

It would probably take signing Messi and Ronaldo for us to get more Invernesians through the turnstiles. If winning the Scottish Cup didn't do it, having Fraser Fyvie in the squad certainly won't.

Well done on all the reports and previews I for one appreciate the effort and enjoy reading them

I would rather they went up. If they stay in the Championship they will be by far the best resources club in the division and hard to beat to the title. I would far prefer either Hamilton or St Mirren both closer to us in terms of resources.

Well done everyone............you tried your best. Man of the match was the very impressive Utd keeper. With the rub of the green it could have been different but after that game I doubt we could have mustered an 11 for the next game. Have a rest boys.......you deserve it. Robbo........well you are in trouble but I think you spoke well. Great support for both sides ( over 8500) and a special mention to those who go to extraordinary lengths and travel huge distances to support their team.....you know who you are.

Refs are over protected their needs to be some form of transparent assessment of match officials in their performance. It doesn't help that no one gets to criticise them when they have so much influence over such important games. Robbo is bang on calling them out.

I think its been a decent season given our small squad. 3rd and the semi final of a national cup. Still kinda feel that it is a case of what could have been though. Too many draws earlier in season the reason.

If that is your attitude maybe it's just as well that you do go.

You won the lotto then?

What do folks on here expect of ICT We have come third in the league with probably the sixth top budget in the league We have reached the semi finals of the Scottish Cup We reached the semi finals of the playoffs and decisions from the officials have cost us. I think we have massively overachieved and the management and players deserve a lot of thanks for this. Also the away fans deserve a lot of credit. The neagative posters on here need to have a reality check and if they are not happy with what we have achieved this season, have a look at where Falkirk who are a bigger club and have a far bigger fan base than ourselves are this evening . We certainly have a lot of moaners in our support. Have a good summer folks hopefully the sun will lighten some perspectives on here?

Cant see how we have over performed this season, other than a penalty shootout win over County and a late winner at Tannadice things have been pretty average. TBH the home form has been pretty underwhelming and unfortunately cost us in our quest as title challengers.

They might try coming along to the stadium in the first place. That said, we definitely need to improve our home form next season if we are going to stand a realistic chance of promotion.

Worrying trend this season has been abysmal home form, 2nd worse in league. Poor home fans not getting value for money.

We've overperformed this season. Robbo has squeezed every sinew out of a small and limited squad. Think Joe Chalmers playing on the right when Walsh got injured, Charlie Trafford changing his game and stepping up in the absence of Sean Welsh, and Jordan White's development into an effective battering ram once Oakley's departure made it clear that he was our only option up front. Most of us had written these players off, but they were all Robbo had to work with and he turned them into promotion contenders and cup semi-finalists. Some effort. On the flipside, it looks like we'll continue to suffer from unrealistic expectations. If United go up then then next season's league might look weak at first glance, but at least 3 clubs will have a significantly higher budget than us. We'll lose players now - Polworth gone and rumours around Donaldson, Chalmers, White and Doran. Robbo's building for another push, but most likely it will be another scrappy play-off push at best. A bit of patience from our support might help with that.

Not surprised with the outcome of the play-off. Usually the better quality team will win over two legs and United are a better team with better resources. I think everyone knows that we are building and next season the aim should be automatic promotion, but it won't be easy. I think it was an OK season. We got to Hampden, and finished 3rd in the league behind two teams who are better than us. Looking at it objectively, we're a small club, with a small following and limited funds, so we've probably finished where most predicted we would. As such, I don't agree with the doom and gloom, as at times we've played some excellent football this season. With some promising recent signings, next season should be interesting!

Sounds like we were rather hard done by, but also a match too far for a slim squad...I think the players can hold their heads up high, and us fans can be rightly proud of a season where we got to the Cup Semi final and came third to the two best financed teams in the league....many pluses I think, McCart, Welsh, Walsh, Jordan (unfancied but plenty of goals) Doran, Donaldson, Trafford (coming good in the end) ...I have hopes for McCauley annd Daniel Mackay will be stronger next season. Would be great to get McDonald back (I think he's done well), and we've signed two already. I have high hopes for next season.

I'm with Kingsmills on this one. I think Neilson is a great manager so they'd be favourites next year. If it's Hamilton plus Dundee, who are a shambles at the moment, we've got a decent chance of coming first or second. I think Robbo has steadily improved the squad over the two years he's been here, even if he is working with buttons.

Officiating aside, our depth of squad has ultimately done us in over the season. Too many games for key players - rushing some back from injury too quick, it just all added up. Losing Welsh probably the biggest as he had come on to a great game before his injury, and our midfield never looked as strong without him. The recent run of games has been incredible due to the patched up squad of guys we have relied on, time and time again - losing Carl a few weeks ago again hurt us and finally losing Liam not only cost us Tuesday but had a knock on effect last night. Monumental effort first half then the ref did his thing ... Tough one for next year, but the rebuild must continue - now we know 3rd or 4th is no use lets go for the title.

Fair play to you lot tonight. All though I think we were comfortably better over two legs you give it a good go like you did all 7 times we played this season. Would laugh at Robbo’s interview but he hit the nail on the head with a lot of what he said. Good luck next season, but hopefully we won’t be playing you so often.

Wasn't our night for a variety of reasons. I think the team can hold their heads high for their efforts. Utd had a bit more in depth but it was made easier for them due to poor officials. There keeper man of the match. Hard for robbo to take decisions like the penalty tonight and not react. He would need to be a robot not to.

Well I sat in a motorway queue for four feckin hours, made me hit the Forth Road Bridge at rush hour and got to Dungdee 45 minutes before the kick off. Feckin stone cold sober !! Up until that ridiculous penalty decision we were the better team, playing some nice football and looking the team to score by a country mile. But our lack of power and flair up front and the age old inability to take chances let us down again. We really should have been 2 or 3 up and there were scoreable chances for Walsh, White and Doran. The penalty, it's conversion and the timing appeared to simply break our hearts. But we put so much into that first half that it would have been a miracle if we had maintained that level after the second. Only a sniff of a comeback would have possibly riled us up. But the Arabs went for the throat from the start of the second half, pressed higher up the pitch and the second was the beginning of the end. It could well have been 5 or 6 in the end and we never looked like scoring. You would have to say that everybody gave their all but I thiught that some showed their flaws. There weren't many who didn't look absolutely flecked 10-15 minutes before the end. Again that is the cruelty of our play off system. i will leave the Smileymometer alone but Ridgers did nothing wrong, Rooney ran and ran and did well before being flecked. McCart was superb and my MOM. Should Coll have been playing when clearly 50 to 60% fit - I would say not. McHattie was caught out for the second goal and struggled defensively. Our midfield ran their socks off but we went for the long, high ball [often diagonal] too often and did not utilise the width and especially Walsh snuffed. Doran played like he did against Hearts and did not come up with the goods. White had littl support but did not hold things up enuff and lost too much in the air. Not sure either where Brad McKay was playing but it did look like he was employed to provide cover for the ailing Coll which was a waste of a player. May sound critical but we played well until half time and missing chances killed us again. Some of the officials decisions, other than the penalty, were shocking and there were some ridiculous offsides called. BUT what an away support and not a bad home one either. Glad I was there to the seasons death. Bring on the anguish of 2019-20. Caleytillidie

I will be very interested to see how the refereeing decisions pan out in the play off final because I am in no doubt the PTB want Utd back in the premiership. more money, sorry, I'm being a conspiracy theorist again but that penalty against us tonight proves it in my mind, absolute joke. I played competitive football for 17yrs and I've never seen the like. Robbo has every right to be fuming.

Robbo will be in trouble for his radio interview. Called the 4th official a liar and said he was no longer going to stand for the the attitude and incompetence of officials. Earlier on the commentators were saying he was a class act by the way that despite the disappointment, he took the time to congratulate all the Utd players and applauded their supporters. Well done Robbo! Needs to be said.

4-0 over two legs tells its own story! Nothing to do with refereeing decisions or bad luck.......it's the story of our season, missed chances have cost us big time. Until we change that we will be stuck in this division. Good luck in the playoff final, Arabs. Expecting a bit of an exodus of players over the next few days now. ?

Tell you what Alan, as I don't think you have ever had anything positive to say about the team, why don't you find another team to bitch and moan about as you bring nothing positive or constructive to this debate.

I'm now used to watching ice hockey players at the top level of the game and watching how they perform as associated with how fit they are. The top, highly motivated, players are in the gym daily and work out with their individual coaches on engaging in very strenuous routines which embrace top physical equipment that does cost thousands of dollars. No doubt Caley Thistle can't afford this type of equipment but how strenuous are the work-outs that the individual players do since they are also full professionals with, presumably, no other outside jobs so should they not be in top condition? On the ice, the pace can be torrid and the positioning of each player carries expectations and skilful instructions and demands from the trainers and their assistants. There is huge money involved , of course, and it's at that point that comparing the two types of game slows to an agonising crawl.However, IMHO, top fitness for our team, perhaps beyond their normal expectations, can pay high dividends by the end of the season. And unless we can entice the crowds back to more than a mere few then where do we really go from here? The coffers won't be filled and the wages will remain low and the players will wonder about their futures. And what about the dodgy officiating and decisions that seem to enrage the average , but fair , punter? Unless some form of instant review (i.e. by TV or by access to a large computer) is introduced then it may take a long time for the beaks at the top of Scottish Football to stop yawning and really get a grip of this very poor situation. Whether these beaks are biased or corrupt is not the point. The point is … when are they going to change the system? So, compare ice hockey :- There are cameras everywhere following every move of the action (even including close-ups of these moves ) and if the senior referee is undecided, even after consulting the other two refs (total of 3 refs on the ice), then he can phone the Head Office of the National Hockey League in Toronto thousands of miles away and request an immediate review on the screens of the bosses. Within a minute or two the decision is handed down from Toronto to the senior referee on the ice and that's that. Often the decision is not what the refs may state or want but it's "Over and out'." Generally it's a very fair route to go. A few within the home crowd may mumble but accept it because it is as good an outcome as can presently be devised because, also, the film can be played back by Toronto in slow motion! And the risk of inflaming the tempers of the average over 20,000 fans in the rink is far too high to not have top experienced officials sitting in the judges' seats. Here , in Scotland, no matter how bad the refereeing, who does a review instantly at a senior level ? No one!!! Is this not unfair and pathetic in a time period where the computerisation of sport is now well-advanced? Anyone agree with me? Crucial decisions HAVE to be made on all this as I see it.

have you not heard we have no effin money !!!!!!!

We've been in many ways our own worst enemy this season not seeing games out when we've been ahead and not taking our chances in front of goal when we're in the ascendancy. Yesterday was a prime example of this. Our small squad has no doubt had a big impact over the season too. Officiating has cost us in individual circumstances and we seem to rarely get the 50/50 decisions. Don't subscribe to conspiracies I just think they're woeful, though sometimes you do wonder. Due to family and finances I rarely get to away games anymore and our home performances have hardly been stellar which doesn't help to bring in more fans. It's a bit of a vicious circle, less fans, less support leading to possibly worse results, leading to less (casual attending) fans etc. Anyway we need to brush ourselves off look to strengthen where we can. Season tickets bought for me and the girls, and let's get automatic promotion next year!

Given our budget, resources and player turnover recently and most people's expectations at the start of the season, had you given us 3rd place and Scottish Cup semi final at the start of the season, I reckon most would have said fair enough. Yes we always want more but you reap what you sow. Sluggish start to the season, too many draws, toothless at times and a smaller squad have ultimately cost us. I really can't fault the players effort and endeavour all season, we were just beaten by superior players and clubs with bigger budgets. Hopefully Utd go up as I can't do with another season of them in the Championship, they can take their big budget with them and level the playing field. When Utd got their penalty and scored it's the most disappointed I've felt at a game for as long as I can remember. All hope drained as it did the players from what was a very good first half display. That's the positives we need to take forward into next season. Onwards and upwards and promotion next season

As long as Utd fail to get up, I'll be happy. Need to be far sharper in the final third. Far too much long ball stuff instead of moving it on the ground. No goals in 180 minutes is the main reason we failed.

Bring on next season and we will win....the title.

In the end, yes, but both matches were very even at 0-0 until controversial and game-changing refereeing decisions. Who knows how it might otherwise have panned out.

Fair point. Whilst a few youngsters have regularly made it to the bench, with such a small squad and various injuries, it’s disappointing that none of them are deemed good enough (yet) to have broken through to be seriously in contention for first team places.

A season with only a few highs the cup run that is ! The football on display was at times hard to watch big improvements needed nxt year ! Walsh and Doran had good spells Polly be a big miss hopefully some of the young guns make the breakthrough rather see them than these unknown players we seem to sign like seeing local boys coming thro

2nd goal was offside too.

Very decent first half for us, but the game turned on one incident and it ceased to be much of a contest, the stuffing had been knocked out of us and we had little left to offer. Fair play to Utd who played very well in the 2nd and went for the jugular rather than just keeping it tight. Best moment of the night for me was getting home to a very, very large whisky waiting for me. It’s been a long season but I couldn’t have realistically hoped for much more with the resources we have. Cheers!

Agreed. I certainly don't think there is any conspiracy nor is Robbo suggesting that. But there is a real lack of consistency. I appreciate that referees have a very difficult job and need to be given a bit of slack from time to time, but I would have to agree that the standard of refereeing we have had this season is the worst I can remember.

Scottish officials are rank. Clancy misses a clear red card in the old firm game, and instead of any kind of sanction, he gets sent to our game. It’s the same garbage, regardless of the officials. I don’t think there’s a conspiracy, I just don’t think they’re very good.

We're ******... Part time football beckons... Goodbye all u happy clappy fucky wankers I've had it..... The clubs ****** and u all are too.... Bye bye

Quite simply over the years he became the token scapegoat. His "stupidity" was not, by it appears everyones account, a sending off. Yet after 180 mins of football, we didn't score, how about some of the blame going to the other 11 players? Have you decided who to scapegoat for next season yet or are you holding off?

Yeah, we need to convert more of our chances next season.

Think that 'penalty' just sucked the life out of them - all that effort undone yet again by a crap ref decision. Put it down to experience, we'll be in a far better position at the start of next season than we were at the last. We have made progress and next season we'll make more.

I wondered how long until he got the blame!

Just telling it the way it is my Man U obvs don't go to many games if your saying it was a great season ! Don't see the point in empty praise lying everything's rosy pal wer playing gash got major problems on and of the park obvs I don't no the rules your only allowed to say nice things bout the team is it?