Well-timed victory delights Foran
AS LEGEND has it, Richie Foran was anything but a calm presence in adversity within the inner sanctum of the dressing room during his playing days. They say the fires that burn within him tended to flare particularly brightly when Terry Butcher, his past manager, was on his case.
Management, though, seems to have tapped into his more measured, thoughtful traits of an Irishman who some said was under intense scrutiny just a few games into his new career. He was an oasis of calm, on the surface at least, throughout a frenetic 90 minutes yesterday.
This was undoubtedly a timely win for the Highlanders and, despite the drama of the ending – with Josh Meekings bundling the ball over the line in the last minute – it felt in many ways like business as usual for the hosts.
The old, trademark physicality and sharpness of thought were back in motion as Foran broke his league duck after three earlier defeats. It was a deserved win and one all the more crucial after three losses, given looming matches against Celtic and Aberdeen after the international break.
“We deserved the win. We were excellent from start to finish,” Foran reflected. “I’m just drained. We got our break, our ricochet. It was pure team spirit that won that. The fans were great as they could have easily got a bit negative. The players we have are brave boys and they always want the ball. I’m delighted for them because we really needed those three points and it sets us up nicely for Aberdeen.
“There’s a little bit of relief but you can’t get too high. We never got too downhearted over the last few weeks and never got too high after we put five and seven past Dunfermline and Arbroath.”
Foran’s tactical switch of Ross Draper into a more advanced midfield role proved a masterstroke.
St Johnstone’s Alan Mannus deserved credit for a string of important saves, with the first coming after nine minutes, a strong diving block from Draper’s header from a Greg Tansey free-kick. Liam Polworth’s rasping strike from 25 yards whistled wide after 17 minutes, with Inverness firmly on the front foot. Adeft chip into the danger area from Draper was met by Alex Fisher’s head, but Mannus tipped it over the bar.
Immediately, Chris Kane found himself in space 12 yards out but lifted his shot wildly over Owain Fon Williams’ bar. Iain Vigurs’ lovely chipped pass into the Saints penalty area created another superb opportunity after 27 minutes but Fisher fluffed a poor shot into Mannus’ arms.
The pattern continued into the second half and the deadlock was broken just before the hour.
David Wotherspoon took a booking for tripping Billy King on the extreme left of the box. Tansey swirled a lovely free-kick across the six-yard box and Draper outjumped everyone with a towering close-range header.
Saints levelled when Richard Foster fired high past Fon Williams from 20 yards out.
It seemed the hosts’ luck was out when man of the match Draper’s header was saved on the line by Mannus, but another Tansey corner just into stoppage time sparked a scramble in Saints’ six-yard box before Meekings squeezed the ball in at the back post.
It was pure team spirit that won that. They are brave boys we have and they always want the ball