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Scottish Football: Inverness boss John Hughes welcomes awards clean sweep

Inverness Caley trio Ross Draper, John Hughes and Ryan Christe with their awards
Image: Inverness Caley trio Ross Draper, John Hughes and Ryan Christie with their awards

Inverness boss John Hughes believes the club’s clean sweep of August awards is down to the application of everyone at the Tulloch Caledonian Stadium.

Hughes was named Scottish Premiership manager of the month, midfielder Ross Draper picked up the player of the month award and forward Ryan Christie was voted young player of the month.

Caley are top of the table having dropped just two points from their opening five league games, a goalless draw at home to Dundee.

Champions Celtic are among the four teams they have beaten this season, while winning over neutrals with some entertaining football.

Asked what has been the ingredients for the team’s success so far this season, Hughes said: “Just keeping them humble.

“We’ve got a lot of players who have been here, come up from the lower leagues down in England and this has been their chance to really go and try get success.

“So we’ve jumped on that. They work very hard, there is a great spirit amongst them, but I have to say in terms of coaching them and educating them, we’re playing some great football, we’re really nice on the eye and if you’re a purist come and watch Inverness.

“I have to say to the supporters as well, because we’re winning football matches, they’ve given us that opportunity to play that style of football and if you’re getting results then everyone sits back and just applauds. So hopefully, long may that continue.

“First and foremost I think the awards are deserved. I thinks it’s only the second time there has been a clean sweep.

“And the players, if I’m talking for the players, they are real hard-working people up in Inverness from the chairman right through to the kit man, they all muck in together. And as I say, the players make it easy for me because they really go and work very hard.

“Right from day one in the pre-season, even in the pre-season we played some wonderful, wonderful football. The boys really believed in it. The secret is you take them on the training pitch and you capture their imagination with good coaching sessions, really work them hard.”

Caley travel to Glasgow this weekend to play Partick Thistle and Hughes is expecting a tough encounter at Firhill.

“The last time we were down there they should have beat us but we escaped with a goalless draw," he said. "But if we take the form down there hopefully we can pick up the three points.”

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