BILLY McKay has predicted the dramatic late win over Rangers on Friday night will give Inverness Caledonian Thistle the confidence they need to secure their Ladbrokes Premiership survival this season.
McKay scored with a spectacular overhead kick with just over a minute remaining to clinch a morale-boosting 2-1 victory for Richie Foran’s side and lift them off bottom spot in the table.
It was the first league win for the Highlanders since they defeated Motherwell 3-0 at Fir Park way back on October 26.
Inverness, who jumped above Hamilton with the triumph, will have a difficult task building on the result when they host runaway leaders Celtic on Wednesday night.
However, McKay, on loan from English League One club Oldham until the end of the season, feels the tide has finally turned for Caledonian Thistle.
“We needed the win on Friday night and we got it,” said the Northern Ireland internationalist. “We'll push on from here.
“I think the last few weeks we've shown a bit of change. Last week we nearly sneaked a win against Hearts and to get the win against Rangers took us off the bottom of the league.
“We don't know for how long for, but we're only looking up now. We're going to be positive and going to try and get us out of where we are and get as high up the table as we can.
“The squad is good enough. I think you can see that in recent years with where they've finished. I think we've got too much to be in the position we're in.
“But we're in it and it's only ourselves who can get us out of it. Hopefully, the result on Friday was the start of it.”
Foran believes that McKay, who enjoyed four hugely successful seasons at Inverness before leaving for Wigan in 2015, could be the difference between his side staying up and getting relegated this season.
The 28-year-old forward revealed he is happy to shoulder the burden of scoring the goals that keep Inverness in the top flight – but he is confident that others in the side will contribute.
“That's why the gaffer has brought me here – to score goals,” he said. “That's why I've came up here myself – to score as many goals as I can and help the team.
“Obviously, there's a lot of pressure on me but I know what the lads are like and they'll help me out.
“Just look at Greg Tansey on Friday. He scored a great goal. I'll just keep doing what I can do to help the team. Even if I'm not scoring, I'd like to think I can help them in other ways as well.”
McKay added: “I know the majority of lads that are still here. I know they create chances and I know where I should be in the box when we've got the ball.
“Obviously there's a few new lads like Liam Polworth and Jake Mulraney and they've been superb since I've been here.
“I've just got to keep myself in the box, keep myself on the move and hopefully I can keep scoring goals.
“The goal on Friday night is right up there with any I’ve scored in the past. I've scored some good goals against Celtic and I scored one against Liverpool early in my career.
“But that ranks up there with them. I'm delighted but most importantly I'm just delighted to help the lads get three points.”
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