Caley’s fate sealed early as their 7-year top-flight stay comes to agonising end
trade in the Championship next term. As that notion slowly sunk in minds were cast back to just two years ago.
On May 30, 2015, the club lifted their first Scottish Cup at Hampden having just finished third in the Premiership and qualified for the Europa League.
Caley supporters will long remember their jaunt to Romania to face Astra and at that point gaffer John Hughes could do no wrong.
A year later – exactly 12 months ago yesterday – he was gone. And they’ve been on the slide since.
After their fate was sealed skipper Gary Warren said: “We’re all gutted. It’s not a nice feeling to be relegated but we’ve left it too late.
“We’ve only won seven games al l season and you deserve to go down if you can’t win more than that. This is the lowest I’ve felt in my career, my biggest setback as a pro.
“I’ve worked so hard in the time I’ve been here. But it’s not been good enough from everyone at the club this year.
“Two years ago we were lifting the cup and playing in Europe. The fall from that has been massive. It’s gutting as a captain.
“There was a period when had a good run of games, including the draw against Celtic, when I thought we’d kick on.
“But we didn’t do it. We seemed to be in freefall and it’s really disappointing.
“We set ourselves high standards and we’ve let them drop.
“I want to help get us back up. I came here to play in the top f light not the Championship.
“We have to get back to this level but we’ll have to be a lot better collectively. We have to pull in the same direction.
“Those standards have to come back,
otherwise we’ll be fighting and scrapping at the bottom of the Championship. I hope Richie is the man to take us back up.” The match quickly turned into a non-event with Accies 2- 0 up early on.
Caley’s Louis Laing almost scored against his old club with a long-range shot that was parried away by Russell Griffiths.
But Well had their fair share of the first half and Lionel Ainsworth was unlucky with a shot that he dragged inches wide.
Towards the end of the half Chris Cadden should also have scored after a brilliant run but blazed over.
When Foran’s team emerged for their second hal f they looked l ike condemned men.
Of course the Irishman will take the brunt of criticism for taking them
down. Some of his signings haven’t worked out and conceding 70 goals in the campaign points to where they’ve toiled most.
But the punters’ chants of “Sack the board” when ex- Caley man Dougie Imr ie made it 3 - 0 to Hami lton told you who they blame for an extraordinary two-year demise.
Credit to the players though – they rallied to a three- goal victory in the second half.
Just after the hour, Aberdeen-bound Greg Tansey hit a trademark strike from the edge of the box that nestled in the bottom corner.
Within four minutes they’d notched another two and put the result to bed.
Ross Draper’s mis-hit shot fell kindly for Alex Fisher who tapped home an easy finish.
Then the big striker got another from the same source – this time Draper headed Brad McKay’s cross into his path and he buried it.
Motherwell pulled one back when veteran sub McFadden scored what looks like being be his last for the club.
Elliot Frear’s shot was touched on to the bar by Griff iths and the former Scotland frontman nodded home the rebound.
He enjoyed his moment with the travell ing punters before Ryan Bowman’s late penalty – after David Raven had tripped Craig Clay – made it 3-2. But the result was always irrelevant for Wel l who were safe in the knowledge they’ ll be a Premiership outfit next season.
For Foran and Caley, they could do little other than accept their fate.
Ultimately, it might have been decided 170 miles away in Lanarkshire with Accies doing enough to seal a play-off spot.
But when the Inverness board and fans ref lect on relegation in the cold light of day the answers will be a lot closer to home.