Caley Thistle slid to ninth spot in League One with a 1-0 loss at Arbroath as the Highland team continue to search for a scoring spark.
ICT, who will stare administration in the face should £200,000 not be raised this month, have big challenges on and off the park right now.
A Save ICT Fund has been launched by the club, while manager Duncan Ferguson has voluntarily sacrificed his wage for the time being in a bid to save jobs.
This trip to Arbroath brought the first quarter of the League One season to an end for ICT, who were relegated from the Championship along with their Angus rivals in May.
They were the better side for much of this contest but now possess a record of one win, six draws and two defeats.
They have not won a league game since edging past Queen of the South 1-0 on August 31.
Inverness are one point behind eighth-placed Annan and six points adrift of leaders Kelty in a tight division, so they have time to recover from this situation.
The result lifted Arbroath to mid-table and just three points off the summit.
Winning goal was bolt from the blue
New loan signing from Dundee, striker Charlie Reilly, gave the team an extra spring in attack as he partnered Billy Mckay up top.
He felt he’d won ICT a penalty in the opening minute when he seemed to be taken down in the box by Keith Watson, but referee Craig Napier waved play on.
Home goalkeeper Aidan McAdams kept it scoreless when he pushed away a Paul Allan header moments before he blocked a Billy Mckay effort.
Midfielder Fraser Taylor, on loan from St Mirren, was a menace for the hosts and he went close with a deflected shot and then had an effort held by keeper Musa Dibaga.
McAdams was called into action again when he got enough of a touch on to a Luis Longstaff shot to divert it on to the post as ICT pressed again before half-time.
However, the key moment came on 67 minutes when Gavin Reilly collected the ball in midfield, attacked the Inverness box and rifled a curling shot out of Dibaga’s reach.
It was a bolt from the blue, because the Caley Jags looked the more likely to score, but it was a punishing blow for a club craving any kind of lift.
Charlie Reilly almost instantly responded for the visitors from the restart, but his effort came back off the post.
In stoppage-time, Arbroath’s Watson was shown a red card for a second bookable offence. It caused uproar around Gayfield, but moments later, their cheers sounded louder.
Lively approach from Inverness
How Caley Thistle’s mindset would be in this game against improving opponents was always going to be interesting.
To their credit, it was clear from the start the players wanted to change the narrative back on to what they could do within this division.
If administration hits, Inverness will land a 15-point punishment, so anything they can add to their tally will help.
For the players, this was a sign of them getting down to business and they seemed on course to at least take another point before one flash of magic from Arbroath made the difference.
Defensive solidity serving ICT well
While lack of goals is holding Inverness back, they are giving up very few chances and goals to opponents.
With vice-captain Danny Devine and Remi Savage at the heart of the back-line, they marshal the troops well and the midfield men never shirk from protecting that middle space, while knowing they must attack too.
In last season’s Championship, only Dundee United had a better defensive record, yet ICT were relegated.
It seemed like they were set for a second successive clean sheet here until Reilly lashed home the winner.
Meeting can spark survival fight
Before the next ball is kicked for Inverness, Monday’s fans’ meeting at the Caledonian Stadium is crucial.
Interim chairman Scott Young will answer questions and take on board views and ideas as the club regroup and plan for the battle for survival which will require every pound possible to keep this 30-year-old club ticking.
The fund, boosted by an anonymous £20,000 donation, surged beyond £60,o00 over the weekend as fans from near and fan chipped in.
Penalty frustration riles Ferguson
Speaking at full-time, boss Ferguson praised his players for giving their all – but was reeling that another penalty decision didn’t fall in their favour.
He said: “The players really stuck to their tasks. We don’t seem to be getting a break and referees don’t seem to give us decisions.
“But everyone here could see what happened in the first minute of the game. It is a penalty and the referee didn’t give it.
“That has happened to us all season. We have not had one penalty all season.
“People will say I am just moaning, but we will just not get a penalty. We were 30 seconds into the game and it should have been a penalty and there was another one at the back post when an Arbroath player barges into Adam Mackinnon. We just don’t get penalties.”
‘I want to look after my players’ – boss
And Ferguson insists giving up his monthly wage for the time being is down to the fact he cares about the plight the club is in and what is means to his players and staff.
He added: “I will keep leading (in terms of a full wage sacrifice) and doing what I am doing. I believe in my staff and I want to look after them.
“I also want to look after my players and that’s why I do what I do. Everyone who knows me will tell you that. I will continue to make sacrifices.
“We were by far the better team today and hopefully we can start sticking the ball in the net – that would be nice.”
Next up for ICT is Saturday’s SPFL Trust Trophy fourth round tie away to Championship side Livingston.
ARBROATH (3-5-1-1):Â McAdams, Watson, Smith, Bisland, Wilkie, Sinclair (Coulson 46), Flynn, Taylor, Gold (Slater 62), Dow (Callaghan 87), Reilly (Murray 81). Sub not used: McConnell (GK)
CALEY THISTLE (4-4-2): Dibaga, Allan (Macleod 64), Savage, Devine, Davidson, Mackinnon, Gilmour, Nolan, Longstaff, Reilly (Brooks 75), Mckay (Ferguson 81).
Subs not used: Newman (GK), Duffy, Thompson, Bray, Ewan.
Referee: Craig Napier.
Attendance: 1,381.
Man of the match: Aidan McAdams.
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