Five point gap opens between Caley Thistle and second place as Jags are beaten 1-0 by Arbroath
While efforts continue to raise vital funds in a bid to stave off administration, Caley Thistle’s fortunes on the field continue to leave fans with cause for despair, after the Jags fell to 1-0 defeat at Arbroath this afternoon.
The sides had drawn a blank for over an hour at the Greenversity Stadium, before the deadlock was broken on 67 minutes when Ryan Dow’s inviting reverse pass set Gavin Reilly up for a clinical finish into the bottom corner from the edge of the box.
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The result will serve as further concern for the Inverness side and its supporters as they face their toughest fortnight.
The club stated last week that it must raise at least £200,000 by Wednesday, October 16 to avoid going into administration and between £1.4 million to £1.6 million to keep going to the end of the season.
Adding further pressure, the target for the season is contingent on a second place finish in League One this year - a target that will be beginning to seem distant for Duncan Ferguson’s side as they drop to ninth in the table.
A five-point gap now exists between Caley Thistle and second placed Stenhousemuir.
There was a debut for loan signing Charlie Reilly following his temporary switch from Dundee in midweek, replacing Wallace Duffy, while Paul Allan also came into the starting eleven in place of Calum MacLeod.
It looked as though some positive news may be on the cards for the Jags’ 176 travelling fans when Arbroath goalkeeper Aidan McAdams was called into action twice in the opening quarter hour, thwarting both Allan and Billy Mckay.
At the other end Musa Dibaga had to be alert to a Fraser Taylor chance on 27 minutes, preventing the on-loan St Mirren man from notching with a powerful effort.
Caley Thistle were then denied by the woodwork when clever play from Longstaff down the right hand side allowed him to cut inside and shoot at goal, only for the ball to be deflected on to the post.
But the second half was accompanied by a flurry of substitutions, mostly for the Lichties, and it paid dividends midway through the half when Reilly scored.
The Jags coming off the back of three consecutive draws made a late grasp for parity at Gayfield, with chances for substitute Cameron Ferguson headed wide and shot wide of the post.
But time ran out on Ferguson’s side, as they fell to their second league defeat of the season.
Team: Musa Dibaga, James Nolan, Remi Savage, Danny Devine, Jake Davidson, Charlie Reilly (Adam Brooks 75), Charlie Gilmour, Adam Mackinnon, Paul Allan (Calum MacLeod 64), Luis Longstaff, Billy Mckay (Cameron Ferguson 80).
Not used: Keith Bray, Wallace Duffy, Connall Ewan, Robbie Thompson, Jack Newman