Caley Thistle still have a long way to go to secure Premiership survival, however Saturday’s 1-1 draw against Hearts at Tynecastle was clearly a step in the right direction.
Inverness were given little chance of taking any points from a tough run of fixtures that started with the trip to the capital, and is now followed by home fixtures against Rangers and Celtic.
That they are off the mark already though, despite facing the Jambos with a side that was missing several regular starters, will do a great deal to lift the mood of Richie Foran’s squad.
It will be interesting what changes, if any, Foran makes to his team for the visit of Rangers. Skipper Gary Warren, Brad McKay and Iain Vigurs are back from suspension, while on-loan Billy King is also available again after missing out against his parent club. Foran spoke of his delight at the defensive display from his side, which the hastily-assembled centre half partnership of Louis Laing and Jamie McCart were at the heart of, so he will have a selection dilemma of sorts this weekend.
They now have the opportunity to overtake Hamilton Accies with a victory against the Gers on Friday, and given the uncertainty currently surrounding the Ibrox side, allied with their disjointed performance in their 2-1 loss against Dundee on Sunday, there could barely be a better time to take them on.
Caley Jags have lost 1-0 on both occasions they have faced Rangers this season, with their defeat in Glasgow on Christmas Eve a particularly strong performance deserving of at least a point.
There is pressure on the Gers to revive their hopes of catching second-placed Aberdeen and Inverness must once again try and ruffle their feathers as they did the last time they faced them. Key to putting some of those chances away will be Billy Mckay, who showed signs of being back to his best with a tireless shift as a lone attacker in Edinburgh, with Caley Thistle supporters hoping he can soon add to the solitary goal he has netted since his return to the club last month.
Inverness need to rack up victories though, and having not triumphed since October, with only 13 games left, it is vital they rediscover the winning habit quickly. The incentive is there, as 11th-placed Hamilton Accies are now just two points ahead, and face the league’s top-five in their next five fixtures. Nothing is assured, but there is a decent opportunity for Caley Jags to make up ground.
It will be the Highlanders’ own form that determines whether they can stave off the threat of relegation, most crucially in the games against teams in the lower half of the table. Even if they don’t get the results to match in their next two games, spirited showings against Rangers and Celtic can go a long way towards boosting morale ahead of the run-in that will ultimately make or break Inverness’ season.
