Butcher praised his side despite the defeat to Kilmarnock

Inverness manager Terry Butcher was not pressing the panic button despite his side suffering their first back-to-back defeats in more than a year.

"We just have to lick our wounds and reassess things and probably freshen things up if we can," he said after the 3-1 defeat by Kilmarnock.

Asked if it would mean new signings, Butcher said: "Hopefully we can do something like that.

"But fresh faces could be a couple of injured players coming back."

Craig Bryson's first-half goal for the visitors separated the teams at the interval before Liam Kelly doubled their lead after 68 minutes.

Richie Foran halved the deficit two minutes later to give Inverness hope, but Jamie Hamill's close-range effort after Ryan Esson had saved his penalty kick sealed the win for Killie.

I think Kilmarnock will be a cert to be in the top six if they continue to play like that Inverness manager Terry Butcher

"We had a go and I think it was a great game of football to watch for any neutral as it was end to end, lots of chances, good passing, good movement," said Butcher.

"I can't fault my players' effort. I thought they were terrific considering they had played on Sunday and Kilmarnock hadn't.

"I thought we had a good grip on the game in the second half when we were 1-0 down.

"We had a great opportunity to score. Adam had a chance right on the line and Cammy Bell, the keeper, has made a fantastic save.

"And then Kilmarnock went down the other end and scored the second goal, but even then we came back strongly and got a goal from Richie.

"I thought we had a right good go after that but conceded the penalty."

Kilmarnock climb above Caledonian Thistle on goal difference in fourth place - and have a game in hand - and Butcher was full of praise for Mixu Paatelainen's team.

"Kilmarnock are a very good side," said the Inverness boss. "I think they will be a cert to be in the top six if they continue to play like that.

"They have been a revelation under Mixu this year and they've got some fantastic players and, if you allow them to play, as we did at times, then they can certainly pass it and move and create chances."

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