Caley Thistle aces playing through pain to keep leading sides within sight in Championship

By Paul Chalk

November 20 2022, 6:00 am

Caley Thistle's two-goal star Nathan Shaw celebrates with team-mates after scoring his late equaliser against Ayr United. Images: Craig Brown/SNS Group

Caley Thistle head coach Billy Dodds admits players are putting their bodies on the line to keep their heads above water.

Centre-half Danny Devine made a shock return to the line-up for Saturday’s 2-2 home draw against leaders Ayr United after being out for six weeks with a knee injury.

That still leaves eight players sidelined, with the club’s appeal to the SPFL to be allowed to bring back players on loan at Highland League sides turned down.

Captain Sean Welsh, who is not long back from knee surgery recovery, is another feeling the impact of playing ahead of schedule.

Defender Danny Devine played his first ICT game since facing Ayr United on October 1.

Nathan Shaw was ICT’s two-goal star. He opened the scoring early on, but second half strikes from substitute Mark McKenzie and now 14-goal hitman Dipo Akinyemi threatened to earn The Honest Men three points.

Winger Shaw had the final say as his leveller kept ICT within six points of Ayr, albeit it’s now six straight games without a victory.

Ayr are still top by one point from Morton and Dundee, with Queen’s Park two points off first place.

Partick Thistle occupy fifth position and lead Inverness on goal difference in an incredibly congested division.

Pitching players in amid injury crisis

Dodds explained how captain Welsh and returning defender Devine, who was subbed off after 76 minutes, should not even be starters right now.

He said: “Sean shouldn’t have played. He got a dead leg. You could see the bruising, I don’t know how he got through it.

Caley Thistle captain Sean Welsh and Ayr’s Josh Mullin in action.

“He shouldn’t have played, but he took painkillers and went out there for me because I asked him on Saturday morning. It is a circulation problem, which is a bit worrying.

“Danny shouldn’t have played either. He’s probably 10 days away from fitness. He trained on Friday and you know what a Friday session is like – it’s hardly anything.

“He put his body on the line. These players shouldn’t be out there, but it’s where we are.”

‘Worst ever’ scale of sidelined stars

With the likes of Robbie Deas, Scott Allardice, Roddy MacGregor and Shane Sutherland still nowhere near ready for returns, Dodds says the current scale of the injuries are like he’s never experienced before.

He added: “There are not too many (players) coming back soon.

“This is the worst I have seen in 37 years, since I was a schoolboy going to Chelsea.

“I have never seen it so bad. You can talk about Rangers and an injury crisis, whatever, I will take two or three but we have eight, nine, 10. Every one of them would be pushing for a start, if not starting.”

Shaw kept his cool to open scoring

It was a spirited display from ICT, perhaps keen to prove a point after some fans’ unease following the 2-1 loss at Queen’s Park the week before.

After home keeper Cammy MacKay saved superbly from Sam Ashford, ICT got in front on six minutes.

Cammy Harper clipped the ball into Shaw’s path and he coolly rounded goalkeeper Charlie Albinson before slotting the ball home.

Inverness were in control and playing with plenty of confidence. David Carson, who switched back to midfield, was a class act, a real driving force in the thick of it all.

Aaron Doran looked like he was set to make it 2-0 on 28 minutes but a full-on challenge from Albinson halted him as he won the header just before running into him in the box.

Ayr’s Mark McKenzie celebrates after pulling the visitors level at 1-1.

Dundee United’s Logan Chalmers, who impressed on loan last season with Caley Thistle, is now on loan at Ayr.

He carved open the first chance of the second half when his effort was saved by Cammy MacKay then Akinyemi was not far away with a shot which flew wide.

Great ICT reply after Ayr earned lead

However, their pressure paid off on 66 minutes when, from a Chalmers cut-back, McKenzie tucked the ball into the net after Wallace Duffy blocked Akinyemi’s effort on the line.

With eight minutes left, Ayr seemed to have won it as Akinyemi netted his 14th goal in 16 league outings when he shot home after an Alex Kirk header put him in the clear.

Nathan Shaw leaves Ayr trailing as he strikes home the equaliser, his fifth goal of the season.

However, the ICT heads never dropped and, assisted by sub George Oakley, Shaw danced past opponents before guiding the leveller into the net with three minutes to go.

It was a big response from ICT, who keep the five clubs above them, within sight.

This coming Saturday, in the Scottish Cup third round, they host League Two promotion-chasers Stirling Albion, who beat East Fife 3-1 at the weekend.

CALEY THISTLE (4-4-1-1) – Cammy MacKay 6, Duffy 6, Harper 7, Welsh 6, Devine 6 (Hyde 76), Carson 7, Billy Mckay 6, Doran 6, Ram 6, Shaw 7 (Oakley 83), Boyd 6. Subs not used – Ridgers (GK), Strachan, Calum MacKay, Nicolson.

AYR UNITED (4-3-3) – Albinson 6, Reading 6, McGinty 6, Kirk 6 (Ecrepont 90), McAllister 6, O’Connor 5 (Chalmers 44), Murdoch 6, Dempsey 6, Mullin 6 (Young 60), Ashford 6 (McKenzie 60), Akinyemi 6. Subs not used – McAdams (GK), Bilham, Bangala, Bryden, Smith.

Referee – Grant Irvine.

Attendance – 2066.

Man of the match – David Carson.