Foran: Keep me on and I’ll bring us right back up

RICHIE FORAN wants to stay in charge and help Inverness Caley Thistle back to the top flight at the first time of asking — just as he did as a player in a second-tier title success in 2009/10.

Foran, who scored 16 times for Terry Butcher’s team in his first full season with the club that year, led his side to a 3-2 home win over Motherwell. But it was in vain because Hamilton routed Dundee 4-0.

Inverness are down and, while there was applause and sympathy for club favourite Foran and his players, a mob of mainly young fans turned on the board following a mini pitch invasion. And chairman Kenny Cameron’s car was chased away from the stadium by the protesting group.

It remains to be seen if chairman and manager will be in place to oversee a promotion bid — but Foran expressed a desire to remain at the helm next season.

Foran said: ‘Hopefully I’ll be here, I want to be here. I will speak to the board Monday or Tuesday. I was a big part of the problem with us getting relegated and I want to be part of the solution to get back up.

‘I feel a huge sense of responsibility. I take it personally. I love the club, I

love the city, it’s given me the best time of my life. It’s given me a wife and two kids.

‘It’s positive for next season the way we finished. Over the past three or four games I’ve played players I really trust.

‘I didn’t do that enough through the season. But the ones who were here today, I was proud of them.

‘You need brave people around you.

‘There were people who jumped ship, couldn’t handle it.

‘They were weak, we stayed strong. We gave our everything but it wasn’t enough.

‘I could have jumped ship when we went down in 2009 but I stayed. Two teams in the Premiership wanted me but I was a big part of the problem and I’m a big part of the problem today. I was part of the solution then and I want to be again.

‘The fans sang about the board but it’s not the board, it’s about me and the players. We got the club relegated, we’ll get the club promoted next season.’

Captain Gary Warren is one of the 10 players the manager wants to keep from yesterday’s starting line-up. But Greg Tansey, who netted the first goal, will go to Aberdeen.

Warren said: ‘Two years ago we won the Scottish Cup and played in Europe. It’s a massive fall.’

Motherwell boss Stephen Robinson, who saw his side concede three times in five minutes, was stunned a player celebrated at 3-2 down. Ryan Bowman netted an injury-time penalty and Robinson said: ‘It’s embarrassing.That mentality can’t stay. I’ve got to create a mentality where it hurts to lose.’