New head coach Scott Kellacher believes Caley Thistle’s fans can help roar the troubled League One club to third-tier safety against all odds this season.
Saturday’s 3-1 defeat at second-bottom Dumbarton left Inverness further adrift at the foot of the league.
The financially-embattled Highlanders are now 15 points below their victorious hosts, remaining on -3 points after the 15-point SPFL punishment handed down to the club for going into administration.
Long-serving first-team coach Kellacher replaced Duncan Ferguson as manager on Thursday after the Everton legend and his coaches were axed by administrators BDO.Â
Players Wallace Duffy, Flynn Duffy, Adam Brooks and Cameron Ferguson were also let go by BDO, with Dundee United keeper Jack Newman returning to his parent club.
The Dumbarton clash was the start of a new vital spell for Inverness on the pitch, with trying to battle back from the points and personnel blows and stay in League One their main goal.
ICT’s Jake Davidson cancelled out a great James Hilton strike for the Sons, with the visitors seeming the better team for much of the afternoon at the Rock.
However, Ryan Blair’s goal and another from Hilton wrapped up a sore scoreline for Caley Thistle.
‘The fans were brilliant from start to finish’
The Caley Jags fans, however, mostly stayed on to cheer and support their beaten team and defiant Kellacher as they headed off the park.
Kellacher said: “The fans were brilliant from start to finish on Saturday.
“They kept right behind the boys and stayed at the end to applaud them.
“If the fans are behind us every week like that, we can hopefully get to where we need to.
“While we’re disappointed that we lost, we need to build upon the hour where I thought we were very good.
“We don’t play football for an hour, and we need to play it for the full 90 minutes.
“We’ll have a few boys back this week, which will help us, so that’s encouraging.”
‘Every game is a cup final’ – Kellacher
Kellacher insists, with a full week’s training, Inverness will be ready for facing league visitors Kelty this weekend as they seek to protect their unbeaten home form.
With a five-win gap ICT and ninth-placed Dumbarton, he stressed they need to start banking victories without delay.
Kellacher said: “We only had two real days of training last week, so it was hard.
“But, even within those two days, you can see the way we’re wanting to go.
“It was a sore one to take. We wanted it so much on Saturday for our fans, for the players, for the staff – but we’re looking forward to Kelty this weekend. Hopefully we can get three points.
“Every game is a cup final for us now. We have 25 games to go, so we’ve a lot of points to play for.
“But we need to start winning games and we need to start winning them fast. We’re more than capable.”
‘We will win more than we lose’
Kellacher says no one at the club will be down for long when he’s in charge and he believes the players are already showing they can implement an attacking style.
He added: “For the first hour, that was the way I want to play football. I want to get the ball wide, I want crosses in the box and have shots at goal.
“We showed a great response to going a goal down, but it was pretty frustrating, having played so well for an hour, that we lost our way for a bit.
“We’ll pick ourselves up. We had a good chat after the game on Saturday. The heads are already up and we go again for Saturday.
“We will lose games – but we will win more than we lose. We’ll be positive every single week.”
Kellacher ably supported by coaches
Kellacher made captain and record club scorer Billy Mckay the new assistant manager last week.
They are supported by head of youth Ross Jack and senior academy coach Gordon Nicolson – and the head coach is delighted to have them all on board.
A Uefa Pro-Licence-holder, Jack has managed at Elgin City, Turriff United and Rothes.
Ex-ICT youth coach Nicolson is a former boss of Strathspey Thistle, who has also worked as a video analyst at Elgin City.
He said: “They have been a great help and I can’t thank them enough.
“Billy sees the game the same way as I do – that’s why I wanted him beside me.
“He can take the lead on the park and hopefully I can do it off the pitch.
“Ross and Gordy have been great as well. They’ve been by my side, helping me, and encouraging the boys in the dressing room.
“It’s about all of us together.”
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