Foran tells Caley Thistle to go for jugular after they tumble back to bottom of the table
Richie Foran admits Caley Thistle must rediscover their killer instinct after a fifth draw in seven games sent them back to the bottom of the table.
Billy Mckay cancelled out Kris Boyd’s 19th-minute penalty inside six minutes as Inverness moved within three points of Ross County.
However, a sixth stalemate of the year left them with only one league win in five months as they returned to the foot of the Premiership after Hamilton’s 1-0 win over St Johnstone.
Inverness have the fewest wins – four – and the most draws – 13 – of any side in the top f light as they prepare for a trip to second-placed Aberdeen in midweek.
Foran said: “I’m disappointed. We were the better team for most of the game and shaded it.
“Credit to Killie because the last 10 to 15 minutes they pushed for a winner, which we probably didn’t expect with them being away from home. I’m delighted with the lads’ passion, desire and hunger.
“We just lacked that bit of quality
and composure in the final third. Their keeper pul led off a few great saves and so did ours but we just shaded the game.
“We’re a point closer to Ross County and a win on Tuesday night gets us right back up there. But we need those wins, we need that composure, we need that quality.
“We need the assists to Billy Mckay. He showed he can finish if you give him a half-chance and he scored a goal out of nothing. It was a good performance. We’re on a good run – take Celtic out of it – but we need those wins.”
Inverness, now 11 games unbeaten at home to Ki lmarnock, were appealing for a penalty 10 minutes in when Brad McKay seemed to be wrestled down by Conor Sammon.
But McKay was the guilty party nine minutes later, horrendously mistiming a challenge on Killie’s Jordan Jones just inside the box.
Referee Bobby Madden pointed to the spot and Boyd calmly sent Owain Fon Williams the wrong way. However, Inverness were level six minutes later when David Raven’s cross from the left rebounded off a
Killie body and Mckay – with his back to goal 12 yards out – swivelled to fire a shot in off the post.
Jones continued to cause trouble on the left, prompting Foran to switch Raven and McKay.
And Inverness would have been in front had Freddie Woodman not pulled off a spectacular diving save to deny Greg Tansey from 25 yards.
Kevin McNaughton replaced a toiling McKay at half-time for his first appearance since rupturing his Achilles tendon last August.
And the ex-Aberdeen defender wasted no time in making an impression with a lung-bursting run down the left. His cross found Larnell Cole who supplied Mckay 15 yards out and the striker’s angled attempt whistled wide.
Greg Kiltie – out since October after surgery on his knee – replaced Rory McKenzie seven minutes into the second half but it was McNaughton who remained the impact substitute, setting up Cole for a strike Woodman pushed wide.
I nverness’ defence were creaking in 71 minutes as a burst of pressure ended with Jamie McCart making a vital block as the ball broke to Sean Longstaff in front of goal. The rebound veered into the path of Jones but Fon Williams parried. Woodman kept the game level when he stopped M ckay’ s snapshot while Fon Williams was just as sharp to deny Kiltie then Cal lum Roberts. A third game unbeaten leaves Killie four points behind sixth- placed Partick and six above the relegation play-off spot.
And caretaker boss Lee McCulloch said: “We could have nicked it in the end but overall a draw is a fair result.
“We finished the game with seven teenagers playing so that just goes to show how young our squad is. But it is definitely getting better.
“It was another terrible goal to lose – we switched off. We have all the set-play stuff up on the wall, we speak about it but it was just blatant day- dreaming. They scored but again we showed character to come back into the game.”