With just seven Championship games remaining, Inverness is in serious peril following their most recent home defeat.
Duncan Ferguson, the manager of Caley Thistle, feels that his team has to win three of their next seven games in order to avoid going to the Championship play-offs for relegation.
ICT is now four points behind Dunfermline and Ayr and two points behind Queen’s Park after their 2-1 home loss to Ayr United on Saturday.
United took the lead early on thanks to a goal from George Stanger, but Billy Mckay equalised right before the interval.ICT’s home league winless streak was extended to nine games as Fraser Bryden earned all three points for the Honest Men. Their most recent triumph occurred on November 11 versus Ayr.
Inverness head to pace-setters Dundee United this Saturday and Ferguson hopes his men can land a blow against the Tangerines, who slipped to a 3-1 defeat against Dunfermline on Friday.
He said: “There will be more twists and turns to come. Teams will lose games. We have been on a bit of a run. We have got to keep going and we need to find three wins from somewhere.
“We will do our best at Tannadice. We need to play much better than we did today.
“Dundee United have pressures to go up and we have the pressures of trying to stay in the division.
“We seem to be slipping up at home. We lost here to Arbroath and Queen’s Park and now Ayr. Our home form has put us on the back foot and in this position.
“If we’d taken a couple of draws in those games, or even one win, we’d be around mid-table. But our home form has been poor all season.”
Ferguson admits his team were off the pace against Ayr and the manner of the goals conceded was of real concern.
He added: “We gave a lot of effort. The goals came from two set-plays. We started the game well, created a couple of chances. We were the better team but not at our best.
“We didn’t defend the set-plays, the short corner and the throw-in, well enough (leading to the goals).
“In the second half, that was the first time they went up the pitch and they scored from the throw-in.
“We were a wee bit nervous in possession and we never really had the quality in the final third.
“I put all the strikers on and kept Alex Samuel on to try and create that chance. We never had the killer instinct.”
From a well-worked throw-in, Anton Dowds got the the byeline, cut the ball back and Bryden tapped the ball into the net.
It was almost three with 10 minutes to go when substitute Jamie Murphy burst into the box, but his shot was superbly touched on to the post by keeper Mark Ridgers.
Inverness now face back-to-back away fixtures, against Dundee United on Saturday then Partick Thistle on March 30.
CALEY THISTLE (3-5-2): Ridgers 6, Carragher 6 (Doran 69), Devine 6, Savage 6, Duffy 6, Lawal 6 (Pepple 69), Kerr 6, Anderson 6, Harper 6, Billy Mckay 7, Samuel 6.
Subs not used: Cammy Mackay (GK), Samuels, Boyes, Brooks.
AYR UNITED (4-4-1-1): Clarke 6, McAllister 6, Sanders 7, Stanger 6, Musonda 6, McKenzie 6, Syla 6, McHugh 7, Bryden 6 (Amartey 70), Willoughby 6 (Murphy 62), Dowds 7.
Subs not used: Albinson (GK), McGinty, Dempsey, McGeady, Chalmers, Tomlinson, McGinley.
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