SINCE being formed just 21 years ago, Inverness Caledonian Thistle's rise has been inexorable.

But topping their heady achievements of this season and maintaining that startling progression will now take some doing. In all probability, it will be impossible.

The Highlanders lifted the first major trophy of their short existence when they edged out a redoubtable Falkirk side in an excellent William Hill Scottish Cup final at Hampden on Saturday.

John Hughes's side had already secured a place in Europe for the first time by virtue of their highest-ever third-placed finish in the SPFL Premiership. The 2-1 victory at the weekend, though, means they will enter the Europa League in the second, not the first, qualifying round next month.

Throw into the mix the Manager of the Year awards which Hughes accumulated and the Young Player of the Year honour that Ryan Christie collected and it has, all in all, been quite a campaign for Caley Thistle. How they now surpass their annus mirabilis is anybody's guess.

Indeed, it will take all their efforts to stop going backwards. Graeme Shinnie, the full-back who lead his victorious team up to receive the Scottish Cup, has now departed Inverness. He has signed for their top flight rivals Aberdeen on a free transfer. The 23-year-old defender's contribution will sorely missed.

Hughes has admitted he also fears that Marley Watkins, the English striker who opened the scoring against Falkirk before being named Man of the Match, and his strike partner Ed Ofere, the Nigerian forward who has more than compensated for the loss of top scorer Billy McKay since signing in February, will depart in the summer. "They are available under freedom of contract," he said. "After seeing Marley on Saturday, any suitors who are after him will take a chance."

Yet, the former Berwick, Swansea, Hibs, Celtic, Falkirk and Ayr United defender and Falkirk, Hibs and Hartlepool manager has been involved in football as a player and a coach for a lifetime and has dealt with similar setbacks. He rightly savoured the open top bus parade through Inverness with the rest of his jubilant squad yesterday unconcerned by the considerable challenges which lie ahead.

The 50-year-old readily accepts that a club with such limited finances and a small fan base will struggle to replicate their heroics of the past nine months in the future. But that will not stop him and his indomitable group of players from at least endeavouring to do so.

"Can we go any better than this?" he said. "No, I don't think we can if we are being realists. To be honest, I don't think we will go and achieve what we have done this year again. It has been a remarkable season. But it doesn't stop you setting standards, trying to maintain those and driving the club on.

"We still have the backbone of the team. If we can keep everyone injury free we are not a bad team. What we have to do is dampen down expectation and just keep going. That is a test of our character. Can we keep going, keep together and dig it out? That what we do in Inverness. We have a siege mentality. We just get on with it."

Having taken the club into Europe and brought the Scottish Cup to Inverness, Hughes would be more than justified in asking his board to increase his budget and aid his attempts to rebuild his depleted squad during the close season. But the manager is not expecting their existing recruitment policy to change.

"We don't work that way," he said. "It's quite a club up here. We need to find the next Shinie and the next Watkins by ducking and diving. I just hope that playing in Europe might encourage one or two players to come up to Inverness. That in itself is quite a difficult task ."

Despite their impressive showings in the league and cup competitions in the last few seasons, under first Terry Butcher and then his successor Hughes, the crowds Inverness attract are woeful. They have the third lowest average attendance in their division. Only Ross County and Hamilton Academical have fewer supporters at their home matches.

But an estimated 14,000 people turned up at Hampden to cheer on Caley Thistle. The chances are a fair few of them will be back after the joyous scenes they witnessed. That will aid their club's cause. "To see all the young kids in Inverness strips was fantastic," said Hughes. "We are certainly inspiring people to support the home city club."

It was a painful defeat for his Falkirk counterpart Peter Houston to stomach. His Championship side, outclassed, outpassed and outfought in the first half, were easily the better of the two teams in the second half. When they drew level through a Peter Grant header with 10 minutes remaining there looked to be only one possible winner.

Yet, opponents who had been reduced to 10 men by the ordering off of Carl Tremarco by referee Willie Collum for a foul on Blair Alston, were gifted an improbable winner with four minutes remaining. Jamie MacDonald, the Falkirk keeper, palmed a weak Watkins shot straight into the path of substitute James Vincent who made no mistake.

Houston, though, is hopeful that when the pain of the reverse subsides the experience will prove hugely beneficial to players. "We didn't get battered by a team who've beaten a lot of good Premiership teams, including Celtic, convincingly this season," he said. "We've progressed from the star of the season until now."