Bold Caley left to rue lack of bite

INVERNESS Caley Thistle’s great Europa League adventure withered and died in the fearsome heat of Romania’s border country, but the team’s refusal to wilt in spirit and desire through the closest of 90 minutes will surely be the enduring memory.

John Hughes expressed his pride at his side’s performance but then highlighted the need for reinforcements, claiming last season’s league and Cup trailblazers would have beaten Astra Giurgiu.

Hughes lost prolific scorer Billy Mckay last season, while talents like Marley Watkins and Graeme Shinnie left in the aftermath of the Scottish Cup Final victory.

In last night’s drawn second leg, there was an empty space on the away bench given injury absences, so tight are current resources.

But the overwhelming feeling after a performance that stirred some 500 of the club’s faithful present was pleasure at how far the squad has come.

‘I’m proud of them,’ said Hughes, with the 1-0 defeat in the home leg coming back to haunt Inverness. ‘They acquitted themselves very well. The Astra coach will be a little bit surprised at our style of football.

‘Tactically, we were spot on. Just in that final part, we have to be more clinical.

‘We just couldn’t get the ball over the line, but in terms of team shape, endeavour, style of football, we couldn’t fault the boys.

‘It’s evident we’re just lacking that final bit, that blistering pace that Watkins gave us, Mckay’s finishing.

‘If we had these guys at our disposal, I think we would have beaten Astra.

‘To lose the tie over one free-kick ( f rom the f i rst l eg) i s bitterly disappointing.’

The Romanian side possessed bags of attacking talent, but not enough to trouble the Highlanders more than a small handful of occasions.

Temperatures 40 miles away in Bucharest, where Inverness were based, had soared to 39°C earlier in the day and remained sultry in Giurgiu city as darkness descended. It was always a great home advantage.

There, the neat, modern Stadionul Marin Anastasovici stood in stark contrast to the grimy, dilapidated Soviet- era estates scarring a host city that straddles the mighty Danube and Bulgarian border.

The historic nature of Caley Thistle’s f i rst competitive match on the continent drew an impressively vocal 500-strong Scots’ travelling party.

Placing it in context, the Highlanders were backed by somewhere near double the number who habitually make the short trip down the A9 to watch them play St Johnstone.

The Romanians had survived an exuberant Inverness start a week previous, before striking a classic sucker- punch through talisman Constantin Budescu.

As the first half took shape, that outcome looked increasingly fortuitous. A tame effort from Budescu seven minutes after the break would be their first of the night on target.

Caley Thistle, though, were weakened by injuries to Carl Tremarco, James Vincent and summer signing Jordan Roberts, leaving them one short on the bench.

Astra dominated early possession, but Inverness certainly believed they could salvage this tie. There was the usual willingness to close down play, but also a fierce confidence on the ball.

Twenty minutes in, Caley were keeping the ball better but looked vulnerable on the counter, as witnessed when Gabriel Enache broke at blinding pace after Dani Lopez carelessly skewed a pass.

Astra’s confidence, though, had been dented by a 5-1 league defeat to rivals Targu Mures between Europa League legs. Inverness, perhaps, sensed it.

Seven minutes before the break, they had the hosts on the rack. Initiated by a clever David Raven pass down the right, the determined Aaron Doran tested keeper Silviu Lung with a rising strike.

Josh Meekings’ throw was flicked on by Ryan Christie and thudded goalward by Doran for Lung to make the diving save.

Then came the best of the lot as Greg Tansey slipped in Christie to let rip from the edge of the area, only for Lung to tip it over spectacularly.

Astra surely had to react after the break — and did so. Budescu, again, blasted a shot from 20 yards which Welsh international keeper Owain Fon Williams did well to parry.

Junior Morais served a further reminder of Astra’s lingering threat with a powerful shot, which was touched over by keeper Williams.

As Inverness tired in the last 15 minutes, the Brazilian William made an increasing impression, curling one delightful shot just wide of target.

But visitors decided to turn to their own influential figure, Richie Foran, to lift matters.

It certainly roused the travelling fans and filled the jaded Caley players with a fresh gulp of oxygen for the final, desperate exchanges.

The character of Inverness was epitomised as Danny Devine made a lung-busting and defiant run to nick the ball away from the constant irritant Budescu late on.

Budescu had been the only thorn in the flesh over 180 minutes of football. For that alone, Inverness can be proud.