Keith Bray is confident Caley Thistle can defy a likely 15-point deduction and stay in League One – if they can retain the bulk of the current squad.
Saturday’s victory over Annan Athletic, their first league win since August, and secured via Danny Devine’s winning header, brought delight at the end of a dark week for the imperilled League One club.
Administration papers will be filed on Monday through the courts, barring a highly unlikely late intervention from a buyer or investor.
This will see the former Premiership club, who graced the heights of the Scottish game before the slide began in 2017, suffer probable job losses and the SPFL points punishment.
The current unknown is who, if anyone, will be chopped from an already young and fairly threadbare Caley Thistle squad.
Bray, making his first start since a return from illness, epitomises the youthful talent and promise in the Inverness ranks – and is full of belief survival can be achieved.
The Lewis-born 18-year-old said: “It was brilliant to get back to winning ways.
“It’s not as bad as maybe people have been seeing it as. Once this 15 points deduction comes – if it does come – it is another mountain to climb, but I’m sure us players, if we can stick together, can overcome that.
“As players it is out of our control. We have no say in who goes – whether that be staff, players or coaches.
“I was just focused on getting the three points and maybe lifting the fans’ heads a wee bit, giving them a wee bit more belief now.
“We’re definitely confident we can still remain in the league.
“If we keep the team we’ve got, or very close to it, I think wins like today show we should be able to stay up.”
Caley Thistle players cope with stress of ‘unique week’
Caley Thistle’s players met with PFA Scotland chief Fraser Wishart to discuss the implications of administration on Thursday.
But Bray felt the squad coped superbly with the blow of what they heard when it came to facing Annan.
He added: “It was a very unique week. Not many players experience that.
“The mood was fine, just like normal. We were just so determined to get that win we’ve been craving for a wee while now.
“I’m buzzing we were able to get it – and a bit relieved.
“All the off the field stuff is out of our control. All we can do is go out on the pitch and get the three points.
“We play lovely football – although we maybe didn’t show that in the second half – and our defence has been brilliant all season.
“We got our goal and the defence helped us out with the clean sheet.”
Bray: Annan defender should have seen red
Before Devine struck after 21 minutes with a superb head flick, Bray had been hauled to the deck by an Annan defender right on the edge of the box.
He showed nimble footwork to wriggle behind the defence and, had the award been given, it would almost certainly have brought a red card.
Bray said: “We started the first half very well. We petered out a wee bit in the second half, but did well to hold on to get three points.
“It was nice to get back in the team. I had a wee injury and then some illnesses, before a couple of appearances off the bench.
“The incident involving me wasn’t a penalty – it was just outside the box.
“I just took the ball inside the man, the other wing-back and just felt a tug. I tried to stay up – I’m not going to go down when clean through on goal – but the referee had other ideas. We can’t do much about that.
“It was outside the box, so I was thinking free-kick and red card.
“We’ve been unlucky in the box with a few claims this season – but thankfully Danny Devine won it for us.”
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