On-loan Ross County striker Alex Samuel is happy to be helping Highland neighbours Caley Thistle keep alive their survival chances at the foot of the Championship.
The classy 28-year-old popped up with the winner to sink Arbroath 2-1 on Saturday, which all but sent the Angus side down and hauled ninth-placed ICT to within one point of Queen’s Park above them.
The Spiders, who were thumped 5-0 by league leaders Dundee United at the weekend, host Inverness at Hampden this Saturday, and Duncan Ferguson’s side will go above them – and out of the relegation play-off spot – with a win at the national stadium in Glasgow.
Basement team Arbroath are 12 points behind ICT with four fixtures remaining – but 37 goals worse off than the Caley Jags, so are League One-bound.
‘Going down is not an option for us’
Samuel was brought in on loan from County during the January transfer window. A debut goal against Broomhill in a 4-0 Scottish Cup win was followed by a stunning nine-minute hat-trick in a 3-2 victory at Championship title-chasing Raith Rovers.
He had gone eight games without a goal, but his winner against Arbroath could be priceless as he continues to impress.
His future with the Premiership club in Dingwall is on ice as he is focused on helping ICT avoid relegation.
Last year, he was a key player as he helped the Staggies stay in the top-flight.
Samuel said: “It would be huge for me to help this club stay up. I live in Inverness, and I know how much it means to the fans, the club, the people who work here. Going down is not an option for us.
“It would mean a lot to me personally to help keep this club up and that’s what I have been brought in to do. That’s why I was glad to get the winner on Saturday.”
ICT stayed mentally strong to win
Attacking right-back Wallace Duffy put ICT ahead just before half-time, but a long-range Leighton McIntosh goal on the hour made it 1-1 before Samuel sealed the points with 10 minutes left.
The determined forward was thrilled to see the Highlanders refuse to fold and target the win after it went to 1-1.
He said: “It was a must-win game. Even when Arbroath equalised, we knew what we needed to do to get three points.
“With the conditions and the wind, it was not the prettiest of games, but we needed that fight and we showed that. And that’s what’s going to get us out of this relegation battle.
“That was the most impressive thing.
“We conceded and it was hard because we felt quite comfortable in the game. All of a sudden, Arbroath nicked a goal.
“Mentally, that’s when you really have to show up. You must roll your sleeves up and keep fighting.
“I scored in the 80th minute, and it seemed much earlier than that. When the final whistle came, I thought we still had another 15 minutes to play.
“Overall, it was a great win and a resilient performance. We now have a huge game on Saturday.”
Wing-back Duffy impressed Samuel
Samuel was also delighted to see Duffy score his second goal in three weeks, having also netted in the recent 1-1 draw at Dundee United.
He added: “It was a really composed finish.
“As a team, we were all really grateful to Wallace. I was really happy for him to get another goal.
“That’s where wing-backs need to be. They need to cause a threat in the box, which he did.
“It adds to our game. It’s not just myself or Billy (Mckay) trying to create chances or score. It’s a collective effort from the team.”
80' | 2-1
GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL! ALEX SAMUEL PUTS US BACK AHEAD! pic.twitter.com/lR95gr2D40
— Inverness Caledonian Thistle FC (@ICTFC) April 6, 2024
Goals add to Samuel’s 100% effort
And Samuel knows finding the net again can only add to the value to his impressive graft on the park.
He said: “Goals change and win games.
“If the goals come, great, but what I always give is 100%, so when the goals are added to that, it’s brilliant. That’s what the team needs, so I am delighted to have got the goal on Saturday.”
⚽ The goals from today's 2-1 win against Arbroath at the Caledonian Stadium pic.twitter.com/RBdqasJGZc
— Inverness Caledonian Thistle FC (@ICTFC) April 6, 2024
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