Caley count on County
THE fate of Inverness Caledonian Thistle as a top-flight club now ironically lies in the hands of their Highland rivals Ross County as yet another punitive defeat has put them on the brink of relegation.
They need County to take at least a point against Hamilton on Tuesday night or else their seven years in the top tier will end, two years after lifting the Scottish Cup.
Manager Richie Foran believes the neighbours will be helpful, but even then his side would need to beat Dundee on Wednesday to take the relegation issue to the final day.
Three wins since October 29 is not compelling evidence that they will succeed.
Foran said: “We need a bit of luck, we need a couple of results to go our way, but then we need to take care of our business.
“We’ve still got a small chance, we’ll still keep believing and tell the lads to get their heads up and be proud of their performance.
“If Ross County do us that favour I believe we can get out of this.”
Killie were slicker on the ball as the rain swirled around Rugby Park and they went ahead in 17 minutes as a result of calamitous goalkeeping by Ryan Esson.
His defenders failed to properly clear Kiltie’s corner, but when the ball was played back into the box by Luke Hendrie, Esson pawed at it unconvincingly then let it squirm from his grasp.
Sean Longstaff was onto the loose ball quickly and drove a low shot which Brad McKay could not prevent from hitting the net.
It was a hammer blow for a team fighting for survival, but they showed little reaction in a positive sense as Killie dominated.
Jones sliced them open in 24 minutes with a powerful run from deep but elected to shoot – missing the target – when he should have played in Connor Sammon.
Longstaff might have done better when Jones’ 27th-minute corner dropped for him on the left side of the box, but he shot weakly wide as he fell to his left.
Then in 32 minutes Frizell failed to apply the finishing touch to a fabulous move which was instigated by Gary Dicker in his own half.
The Irishman slalomed his way through two Inverness challenges then worked the ball wide for Jones who raced into the box and rolled a pass for Frizzell, but he pulled a left-foot shot wide.
It was relentless from Lee McCulloch’s side and they came close again two minutes later. Hendrie’s ball in was half-cleared and Longstaff tried to capitalise but his shot was a foot too high.
Foran had to do something and brought on Iain Vigurs at half-time for the ineffective Jake Mulraney and it nearly had the desired effect as Vigurs teed up Billy Mckay on the edge of the box but MacDonald was equal to his effort.
Kilmarnock, however, quickly regained control and extended their lead on 57 minutes with a wonderful goal from man-of-thematch Jones.
Released by Longstaff on the halfway line, he bolted toward Caley Thistle’s goal, teased Gary Warren one way then the other and drilled a left-footed shot into the right corner,
Out of nowhere, the Highlanders were given a lifeline in 71 minutes when Vigurs played in Fisher on the right side of the box and he finished superbly with a low right-foot shot into the left corner.
It sparked a mini revival and MacDonald had to make an excellent save to prevent David Raven’s curling strike from reaching the right corner after 74 minutes.
With Killie now officially safe and in line to finish seventh, Lee McCulloch is set to meet with the board to discuss his own future having been in interim charge since February 15.
He said: “I’d imagine a meeting or conversation will happen, but I don’t know when it will be, whether it will be this week or we get the games out the way.
“The win gives me lots of satisfaction. We were a wee bit nervy last 10 or 15, but it shows how together the dressing room is.
“Now we want to finish seventh to be best of the rest.”