Duncan Ferguson is still holding out a sliver of hope that a deal can be struck to take a Premiership striker to Inverness.
Moves to clinch a loan deal with the unnamed player and club hit a snag late last week just as Caley Thistle looked set to beat three Championship clubs to the signature.
Caley Jags can only afford to fund the deal until Christmas, with the parent club wanting a loan deal through to the end of the season.
After Ferguson’s men drew a blank in front of goal for the sixth time in 13 matches, the urgency was clear on Saturday.
That said, there were a dearth of clear cut chances created in an otherwise dominant performance against Stenhousemuir.
Luis Longstaff gave a superb performance, driving his team on, while James Nolan, Adam MacKinnon and Adam Brooks all went close from distance.
A sixth draw from eight league matches felt like a defeat to the home contingent and boos rang out at full-time.
Ferguson, with some justification, can point to the disarray the club was left in this summer, with the squad decimated by departures and the perilous financial position preventing advance recruitment work.
Asked if the loan deal remained live, Ferguson replied: “It looks like it’s not going to happen.
“That’s down to finances, and the length of the contract. They wanted it to last until the end of the season with an option to take him back in January, and we can only finance the deal until January.
“We can’t, at the moment, progress that deal.
“I’ve got to get on with it. I’ve got good enough players in the dressing room and I believe in them.
“We’ll go into the next game confident, and hopefully something will drop for us.
“I’m trying my best. I’ve spoken to the (Premiership club’s) manager, and he’s going to try his best to convince their board that we can get it done until January.
“It’s not totally dead. They might come back and agree to do the deal until January.
“If that was the case, then it can get done tomorrow but we can’t afford to take him any longer than that.
“I’ve not got any other options.
“We took a couple of trialists in this week that we didn’t push.
“I’ve been trying for weeks and weeks, and as everyone knows we’re way behind the curve with recruitment.
“Now we’re obviously just scratching around trying to come up with another name if we can.
“We really wanted this player, because he would make a big difference to us, but at the moment we can only do it until January.”
Dibaga impresses again
Ferguson was left furious at two denied penalty kicks on Saturday after strong claims from Billy Mckay and Wallace Duffy were waved away.
Musa Dibaga, meanwhile, saved one for Inverness to deny Matty Yates after 17 minutes.
Ferguson said: “There were two penalties, clear as day, and we don’t get them. We won’t ever get a penalty this season.
“There was one last week as well, Billy again.
“Our big goalie did great at their penalty, it was a fantastic save, a strong hand down to his right.
“He has been unbelievable, I can’t talk highly enough of him.
“It was another clean sheet, so we’ve only conceded six goals in eight games. The defence has been great.”
As a measure of how the hosts’ star has fallen, this was Stenhousemuir’s first visit to the Highland capital since April 1998.
In Steve Paterson’s side that day were Duncan Shearer, Barry Robson and part-timers such as Brian Thomson, Mike Teasdale and legendary keeper Jimmy Calder.
Stenny won the 17th minute penalty when home defender Danny Devine collided with Matthew Aitken, but keeper Dibaga made that brilliant save.
The hosts failed to capitalise on near total control with those penalty claims snubbed, the most compelling coming when a Stenny defender flattened Billy Mckay in the box.
Again, the element lacking was that final bit of ingenuity and killer touch in the last third, despite plenty of good build-up play – and tireless workrate from the hosts.
Caley Thistle (4-2-3-1): Dibaga 8; Duffy 7, Savage 7, Devine 8, Nolan 7; Davidson 6, Gilmour 6; Longstaff 8, MacLeod 6 (Allan 68, 5), MacKinnon 7; Mckay 7 (Brooks 68, 5). Subs: Newman, Strachan, MacKay, Thompson, Ferguson, Ewan.
Stenhousemuir (3-5-2): Jamieson 7; Banner 7, Buchanan 7, Bilham 7; Meechan 6, Berry 6, Anderson 6, Wedderburn 6 (Alston 54, 5), Ewen 6 (Tomlinson 75, 4); Yates 7 (O’Reilly 90, 2), Aitken 6. Subs: Trialist, Trialist.
Referee: Peter Stuart 5
Man of the match: Luis Longstaff (Caley Thistle)
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