Caley Thistle striker Shane Sutherland insists Saturday’s stirring 3-0 Championship win over Arbroath was the perfect lift for frustrated supporters.
The experienced forward scored his eighth of the season and set up Billy Mckay for the third goal in a pulsating game where Reece McAlear also hit the net as ICT raced 2-0 ahead inside 12 minutes.
🙌 Three points and three goals!
The goals from yesterday's 3-0 win against Arbroath at the Caledonian Stadium pic.twitter.com/QHPYLGZuga
— Inverness Caledonian Thistle FC (@ICTFC) March 13, 2022
The result not only kept Inverness fourth, one point ahead of Raith Rovers, who they play this weekend, but vitally it ended a horror 11-match winless run.
Some fans have been calling for head coach Billy Dodds to go during this spell, but recent improved performances suggested the corner was about to be turned.
Arbroath had only lost three times all season and had the chance to return to first place after Kilmarnock moved top on Friday with a 3-1 win in the Ayrshire derby.
Win was ‘giving back’ to ICT fans
Sutherland understands why supporters have been voicing their concerns and was thrilled to have played a key part in getting the team back on the winning trail, but also added a note of caution.
He said: “It’s good to give a bit back, because there has been quite a lot of frustration for the fans in those 11 games, especially at home.
“Hopefully they go away home happy, but also we do realise it’s only one game.
“We’re not getting carried away with ourselves, and I’m sure the fans aren’t either.
“We’ve just got to build on it, take each game as it comes and see where it takes us.
“We’ll have away fans next week, hopefully we’ll send them away happy and then the same happens the next time we’re at home.”
Split-second moments so costly
When asked whether the criticism had affected the players, the 31-year-old said: “It’s difficult to say no, because we were losing games and that’s why the fans were on our back, but it’s not the fans being on our back that has caused this run.
“You try to be upbeat – it’s hard when you haven’t won in 11 games, but that’s not down to the fans.
“At times it has maybe been one person switching off – against Ayr I switched off and my man scored at a set piece, so you’ve just got to hold your hands up when that split second costs you.
“With the run we were on, that’s the kind of things that were happening, but today one of their defenders switched off for a split-second and the ball goes over the line, it happens.
“You can hear the fans’ frustration, I’m not going to lie, but we understand it.
“It was 11 games without a win, so they’re going to be frustrated. They pay their money to come and see us win, but we’re every bit as frustrated, because we set out to win every game.”
Sutherland thrilled to return to side
Sutherland, who returned to the starting 11, wasted little time in reminding Dodds what he offers with a close-range finish after just five minutes.
And he was chuffed to have knuckled down and made a telling impact in such an important game, even if his opener carried a little luck.
He added: “I had been out of the team for the last couple of weeks, which has been frustrating, but that’s football.
“Only 11 players can start the game, but I’ve got my head down in training and tried to do my bit to help the team out when I’ve come on.
“It’s not just the goal and the assist, I thought I worked hard and did my bit for the team.
“To get the goal in the first five minutes – it kind of hit off me and went over the line, then the boy hits it off me again and makes sure it’s over the line. It’s been a while since I had one of them, so I’m delighted.”
Raith trip crucial with ICT fourth
He said: “Obviously Arbroath were top of the league until Kilmarnock won on Friday night, so you could argue a 3–0 win against what was the league leaders was a great win.
“We’ve had a lot of good wins, maybe not playing really well with the ball for 90 minutes but being dogged and fighting for each other.
“It kind of goes back to what we were doing at the start of the season, winning without maybe playing the classic football or flashy football that some fans would like to see.
“We got a clean sheet and beat Arbroath 3-0, that’s what we need to do with the place we’re in fighting for the play-offs.
“If we didn’t win on Saturday, because Raith won at Queen of the South, we would have dropped out of the play-offs, so it’s a realisation of where we are and making sure we’re getting results.”
