The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
On-loan Staggie to the rescue for ICT
On-loan Ross County striker Alex Samuel is happy to be helping Highland neighbours Caley Thistle keep alive their survival chances at the foot of the Championship.
The classy 28-year-old popped up with the winner to sink Arbroath 2-1 on Saturday, which all but sent the Angus side down and hauled ninthplaced ICT to within one point of Queen’s Park above them.
The Spiders, who were thumped 5-0 by league leaders Dundee United at the weekend, host Inverness at Hampden this Saturday and Duncan Ferguson’s side will go above them – and out of the relegation play-off spot – with a win at the national stadium in Glasgow.
Samuel was brought in on loan from County during the January transfer window. A debut goal against Broomhill in a 4-0 Scottish Cup win was followed by a stunning nineminute hat-trick in a 3-2 victory at Championship title-chasing Raith Rovers.
He had gone eight games without a goal, but his winner against Arbroath could be priceless.
His future with the Premiership club in Dingwall is on ice as he is focused on helping Inverness avoid relegation.
Samuel said: “It would be huge for me to help this club stay up. I live in Inverness, and I know how much it means to the fans, the club, the people who work here. Going down is not an option for us.
“It would mean a lot to me personally to help keep this club up and that’s what I have been brought in to do. That’s why I was glad to get the winner on Saturday.”
Wallace Duffy put Caley Thistle ahead just before halftime but a long-range Leighton McIntosh goal on the hour made it 1-1 before Samuel sealed the points with 10 minutes left.
The determined forward was thrilled to see the Highlanders refuse to fold after it went to 1-1.
He said: “It was a must-win game. Even when Arbroath equalised, we knew what we needed to do to get three points.
“With the conditions and the wind, it was not the prettiest of games, but we needed that fight and we showed that. And that’s what’s going to get us out of this relegation battle.”
Duncan Ferguson has challenged his Caley Thistle players to round off this season with more wins to secure Championship safety.
The Inverness boss was speaking after his ninthplaced side won 2-1 at home against now all-butdoomed basement visitors Arbroath.
This was the Highlanders’ first home league win in almost five months, so it was a long time coming for their long-suffering fans.
In gusty conditions, fullback Wallace Duffy gave ICT the lead late in the first half, but Leighton McIntosh fired the visitors level just after the hour.
Arbroath finished with 10 men when Ricky Little was sent off for collecting two bookings, before onloan Ross County striker Alex Samuel smashed home the winner.
The result hauls ICT to within one point of eighthplaced Queen’s Park, who are their hosts next Saturday, and, with just four fixtures left, gives them a huge chance to finally escape the relegation play-off spot. The Spiders crashed 5-0 against Dundee United and are also 11 goals worse off than Inverness.
Arbroath’s defeat means they are all but down.
With a far inferior goal difference and a 12-point gap to Caley Thistle above them, they are returning to League One, their title chase towards the Premiership two years ago under Dick Campbell a distant memory.
Ferguson was delighted his players kept their cool when pegged back.
He said: “It was a muchneeded win. We have been playing well but not picking up three points. At this stage of the season we need to win games and score goals – and we did that today.
“We were worthy winners. We kept at it. We could have been two or three up, but we stuck at it and Wallace Duffy got another important goal for us.
“We were a bit edgy in the second half. After having so many chances in the first half, and we only went in 1-0 up, you always felt Arbroath were in the game. One chance was always going to come and Leighton McIntosh hit a great shot to equalise.
“We showed character and it was a great finish by Alex. He has been playing well, but the goals have not been there for him (since late January).
“There are teams above Queen’s Park we want to close the gap on. We are looking to go undefeated in these (last) four games – that will give us a great chance.
“Of course, we need a couple of wins within that, but it is a massive game on Saturday.
“They (Queen’s Park) took a doing off Dundee United (5-0) which will hurt their goal difference.
“It’s a cup final for us. We played really well last time at Hampden (4-1 win).”
These bottom two teams are in their positions for a reason.
Since Arbroath won in Inverness in December, they had won just once in 16 outings.
Inverness, without a home league win since early November had achieved just one victory in their last 10 games.
Samuel went close twice, with a shot hitting the woodwork before another shot on the turn was tipped around the post by Max Boruc.
The players did well despite the conditions and Boruc produced another stop, this time from Dundee loanee Max Anderson, after he was picked out cleverly by Billy Mckay.
On the stroke of halftime, Remi Savage was forced off with a head blow after team-mate Cammy Kerr’s swipe for the ball accidentally caught him.
Moments later, it was 1-0 for Inverness as a neat pass into the box from Samuel found attacking right-back Duffy and he swept the ball past Boruc into the net.
Four minutes into the second half, Boruc was on hand again for Arbroath as he clutched a drive from Billy Mckay.
Chances were few and far between but, from nothing, Arbroath drew level, as the Angus men won possession just outside the box and McIntosh crashed home a fine strike from 20 yards.
With 14 minutes to go, Arbroath were reduced to 10 men as Little was sent packing for a second bookable offence for bringing down Billy Mckay.
ICT grabbed the win with 10 minutes remaining when Samuel showed power and precision before swerving a right-footed shot into the net beyond the reach of Boruc after Billy Mckay provided the assist.