Billy Mckay believes three successive away treks – starting with a 480-mile round trip to Annan – can further boost Caley Thistle’s team spirit.
The mainly young group of players charged with getting the club safe in League One have been in impressive form since administration cost the side 15 points in October.
That was when Scott Kellacher replaced Duncan Ferguson as head coach and Mckay became ICT’s player-assistant boss.
Promotion-level form, including five wins from nine league games, has kept alive their survival hopes.
Last weekend’s 2-0 home victory over fellow administration rivals Dumbarton opened a six-point gap over the Sons.
This Saturday, they are seeking to beat eighth-placed Annan at Galabank to slice the gap between the two teams to four points. The game is subject to a 1pm pitch inspection on Friday.
If it goes ahead, ICT’s rearranged fixture at Queen of the South on January 21 would give them a chance to make further in-roads before going to Alloa Athletic four days later.
Quizzes and card games on the road
When asked about the positive nature of spending hours together on the road, striker and assistant gaffer Mckay said: “It was massive to our success in my first spell here (from 2011-2015) with what (manager) Terry Butcher created here.
“There were probably more families here at the time, so players wouldn’t stay down after games.
“I always think the bus trips (help) create team spirit, and this season we’ve had quizzes and you’ve seen players playing cards.
“It creates a good atmosphere, and especially for a club like us who travel a lot.
“You see players’ personalities that you might not see on a day-to-day basis, so it’s really good.”
Fingers crossed for Galabank game
The snow scattered across much of Scotland right now means ICT will wait to discover if the game gets the green light.
In November, the team were actually in Dumfries when the game was called off a few hours before the scheduled kick-off against Queen of the South.
Mckay hopes they get the chance to build on last week’s win by going for the points at Galabank.
He said: “Even at a higher level you see teams trying to plan in advance, and we just want games to go ahead.
“For Queen of the South we were already down there when we were told it was off, but we won last week, so we want to continue that form.”
Bavidge provides ‘different dynamic’
The Caley Jags have added young Aberdeen loanees, striker Alfie Bavidge and midfielder Alfie Stewart, to their ranks but players aged 22 and over are not permitted due to administration embargoes.
Bavidge scored on his debut against Dumbarton and Mckay, who says they want to add one more new player this month, explained how it has already bolstered their attacking threat.
He said: “I think everyone can see that we needed another striker, and bring some more competition.
“He played close to me last week, so it gives us a different dynamic.
“He likes to run in behind, so he has come in and added something.
“That’s why he was identified to come in, and that’s great for the team.
“That’s what we bring these players in for, so it’s great to have them adding competition to the squad and making an impact.
“It was great for Alfie Bavidge to get his first goal, and hopefully he can get another one this weekend.”
‘Hoping to go on a run now’ – Mckay
Earlier this season, ICT lost 1-0 twice at Annan, once in the League Cup group stages and once in the league.
But that was before this administration and big changes on and off the park.
Now the Highlanders are confident they can get a win in any given game.
Mckay was delighted the players hit back from a shock 4-1 loss to Cove to get back on track as they aim to make it two wins from two.
He said: “First and foremost, it was important to respond after the Cove game, and we did that.
“We knew it was a big game (against Dumbarton), and we obviously tried to downplay it to the players, but they were three points behind us at the time, so it was a massive game.
“The boys dealt with that really well. We looked comfortable, and we firmly believe we could have had a few more goals.
“It was an important win, and we’re hoping to go on a run now.
“Boys are taking everything in their stride and loving it, and that’s the positive mindset we have at the minute.
“Every time we have had to bounce back, the boys have done it, so now it’s important that we go on a run of results to chip away at the teams above us.”
Despite losing those first two fixtures against Wullie Gibson’s Annan, ICT did score a 1-0 win over their relegation rivals at home in October. It was Ferguson’s final match in charge of the club.
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