Out but not down: loss is put firmly in perspective by Inverness

Richard Winton

Assistant Sports Editor

Monday 28 January 2013

RICHIE FORAN is sprawled on a chair, bereft and beaten.

The usually clinical Billy McKay misses the first of a number of chances

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Richard Winton

"We'll never have a better chance," mutters the Irishman, shaking his head. The Inverness Caledonian Thistle captain was referring to the chance to reach a national cup final for the first time in the club's history, but his words could equally be attributed to any number of incidents amid this raucous semi-final.

Football is a game of moments; of ifs, buts and maybes; decisions or acts upon which entire seasons, never mind single contests, can turn. And, in the course of little more than an hour on Saturday, the narrative of Inverness's campaign was hastily rewritten. Garrulous giant Terry Butcher had suddenly become a morose husk; the combative Foran an enervated wreck; and the unerringly clinical Billy McKay frustrated and wasteful.They were not the only ones who were unrecognisable. Inverness delivered one of their most disappointing displays in weeks, with only Andrew Shinnie coming close to showcasing the best of himself in the harsh spotlight of a semi-final. The attacker scored the Highlanders' only goal, his composed touch and adroit finish establishing an advantage just a few minutes into the second half, but spurned a glorious extra-time opportunity when he prodded over the crossbar from close range after ghosting on to Josh Meekings' flick.It was just one of six clear openings afforded to Inverness on an angst-ridden afternoon. That the most profligate of their number was McKay, the scorer of 18 goals in his previous 16 games, was indicative of how out of character the performance was. The chances were varied in nature but were all reminiscent of those that the Northern Irishman has been ruthlessly taking of late: sent clear by a clever pass from deep, a near-post header from a free-kick, an instinctive lash after an exchange of passes and, most glaring of all, a ball squared to him across the six-yard line with the goalkeeper isolated. The latter was the most remarkable: Shane Sutherland's fierce cutback forcing McKay to take a touch before being crowded out. "We can't rely on Billy in every game; we've all got to chip in and do better," said Foran. "He'll still get 30+ goals this season."In that moment, perspective returned. Second in the Clydesdale Bank Premier League, a woeful Philip Roberts penalty away from a place in the Scottish Communities League Cup final, and still involved in the William Hill Scottish Cup, Inverness' astonishing opening half of the term seemed to have become almost insignificant as Foran and his colleagues trudged into a crowded room inside Easter Road to face those tasked with capturing their despair. Yet it is anything but, the final few months of the campaign remaining rich in promise. Earning a place in the league's top six, thereby bettering their highest ever finish, appears a near certainty while the prospect of a European debut remains within their grasp. And who is to say that victory at Kilmarnock on Saturday will not propel them towards another cup semi-final or better?The one note of caution must be the legacy that a defeat as traumatic as this might leave, but the deportment and words of the Inverness players suggest that Wednesday's trip to face St Mirren will act as a catharsis. "It's hurting at the moment, but once we get this game out of our heads we'll realise how well we've done this season," said Foran, sentiments echoed by Owain Tudur Jones."In the grand scheme of things it's still another game we haven't lost," said the Welsh midfielder, rejecting suggestions that the shoot-out defeat could besmirch a record of just one loss in 20 before the weekend. "It's still only three games we've lost in all competitions this season. We take huge pride in that fact," he added. "Early on, when we lost heavily to Celtic and Motherwell in back-to-back games, people thought we would be down there at the very bottom all season but we've shown unbelievable character. We feel within the dressing room that people are always writing us off, that they believe the run we are on is always about to come to an end. But we will keep fighting and stay resilient because we've still got so much to play for."

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Out but not down: loss is put firmly in perspective by Inverness

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