Inverness sign off top-flight stay with win but damage was already done

ON a sodden excuse for a springtime Saturday, it took just 23 minutes and the arrival of the first bad news bulletin from 170 miles down the road to dampen the enthusiasm. Two minutes later, it was extinguished.

All hope gone. All efforts from then on became an exercise in futility. Inverness scored a thoroughly deserved final-day victory thanks to three goals in five second-half minutes.

But it was a pointless piece of work and a subdued, defeated Caledonian Stadium knew it from a long way out yesterday.

Just in case any player was in doubt about the uselessness of their endeavours, ‘Sack The Board’ chants accompanied news of a third Hamilton Accies goal just before the hour while the action here was scoreless.

The cold, hard reality that deep mid-winter would be spent in the Ladbrokes Championship next season was confirmed not as a result of any shortcomings from Richie Foran’s men on the day.

The damage was done from December through February and a run of 14 Premiership outings without victory under their rookie manager, including a 3-0 loss at Accies.

The team with the worst defence — goals conceded topped 71 thanks to substitute James McFadden’s first touch of the ball and a Ryan Bowman penalty — sunk to the second tier. There can be few pleas in mitigation.

No recrimination was aimed at the squad, just resigned applause back and forth from pitch to stands at the end. Foran then led his men back out to greet the few hundred that had lingered a little longer in driving rain.

There were ‘One Richie Foran’ chants and a spillage of young supporters on for consolation hugs with their players. All anger was directed towards the board.

Inverness bounced back in 2010 under Terry Butcher at the first time of asking and Foran stated his intention to do just that eight years on.

He will need to do so without Greg Tansey, who said farewell with a goal. Foran claimed he wants the other ten starters to remain part of the promotion push — after purging the place of ‘bad apples’.

His selections yesterday did not let him down, however ultimately worthless a third win in four games turned out to be.

There was nothing cagey about the contest at any stage despite how much was at stake for a home side that came out unchanged from the heroics over Dundee and, as expected, attacked from the off.

Iain Vigurs provided the veteran calm and prompting from deep midfield, releasing Inverness runners for early raids at goal.

Russell Griffiths pushed away a raking 25-yard dig from former Motherwell defender Louis Laing. More wasteful in a better position from a Vigurs set-up, Liam Polworth scooped his shot tamely high.

While all this hard graft was going on, Hamilton were rendering it meaningless by finding the net twice. Foran had

insisted he did not wish to learn of updates, but the lack of any roar of encouragement during the entire half told a story. Things were not going anywhere near their favour in Lanarkshire.

Motherwell threatened on a couple of breaks. In for only a second start in three months, Lionel Ainsworth dragged a left-foot drive inches wide and Chris Cadden grazed the top of the crossbar after a marauding run from right-back.

The visitors’ minds must have drifted to the bus beers after that because they pitifully collapsed to allow Inverness to strike at will after the hour.

Tansey was afforded far too much time and space to penetrate the penalty area and guide his finish into the corner of the net, despite the best attempts of Carl McHugh on the line.

Alex Fisher then struck twice, making it six goals since midApril. He fired first-time into the roof of the net from a Ross Draper assist.

Brad McKay then produced the delivery of the day, deep to the back post for Draper to head down. Fisher found a touch on the deck to scramble the ball home.

Stephen Robinson was raging at the slack response. But the Motherwell manager was to receive some consolation.

Elliot Frear’s long-range hit was tipped on to the crossbar and McFadden, in his first appearance since October, pounced from six yards.

In injury time, David Raven bundled Craig Clay over and Craig Thomson awarded Bowman the spot-kick chance to have the season’s last word. He did so with his first goal since February.