Inverness Caley Thistle fightback against Montrose showed the character and togetherness in Highland capital, says head coach Scott Kellacher
Scott Kellacher hailed the character and togetherness of his Inverness Caledonian Thistle side as they produced a stunning late comeback to beat Montrose 3-2.
The hosts had taken the lead at Links Park through Graham Webster, who headed in Michael Gardyne’s free kick in the 27th minute.
Blair Lyons then picked out the top corner with a shot from the centre of the box to make it 2-0 before half time, and it looked like being a bleak afternoon for the Caley Jags.
However, Luis Longstaff would give Inverness hope just after the hour mark by cutting the deficit in half.
That glimmer would turn into a full beam with just over 15 minutes left on the clock when Montrose were reduced to 10 men thanks to Andrew Steeves’ red card.
Paul Allan would get them back on level terms in the 88th minute, converting from James Nolan’s set-piece.
A similar situation deep into five minutes of added time would then win it for Caley Thistle, as Allan’s corner kick flew straight into the net to seal all three points for Inverness.
The former Dunfermline Athletic man clearly played a key role in the turnaround, but Kellacher believes the fightback – and the ensuing celebrations – show the team spirit that is being cultivated in the Highland capital.
Kellacher told the club’s media channel: “Paul Allan has been terrific. He’s a good footballer, and he sees the game and understands the game.
“I knew when he came in that he would do a really good job for us, He kept the pressure on with the corners, and one ends up in the back of the net – and then there’s no better time to score a winner.
“It shows our togetherness. That’s what every single one of us needs, to be in it together.
“That’s all we can do at this football club, and if you’re going to win a game of football that was the best way to win it.
“We showed unbelievable character, and we got what we deserved.”
Kellacher also thought ICT were unfortunate to be two goals behind in the first place, as he was generally quite happy with how his team were playing in the first half.
“I thought the boys were absolutely terrific,” he added.
“I actually thought the first half was bizarre. I thought we controlled the game, and they only had five minutes where they had a wee spell.
“We had chance after chance, and their goalkeeper has pulled off some unbelievable saves.
“We lost two soft goals. We spoke about trying not to let crosses come in, because they have good deliveries, and the second one was a bit bizarre. The boy might be offside, but we need to react better to it.
“We calmed the boys down at half time, and I was confident that we would still win the game if I’m being honest – I said that to the boys – but we just had to believe in ourselves.
“In the second half it was relentless. We had to stand up and be counted, and work harder, and we did that.
“I’m over the moon for everybody associated with the club – the fans who travelled down today were absolutely brilliant, even when we were 2-0 down. They kept getting behind the boys, and I know they will be going back up the road with a smile on their face.
“It’s a small stepping stone, but I’m absolutely delighted. The boys were absolutely phenomenal today.”
