Aaron Doran’s double helped Caley Thistle to victory in the New Year’s Day Highland derby at Ross County.
Inverness ended their three game losing streak in impressive fashion in a one-sided encounter and were unlucky not to win by a greater margin against their hosts, who competed gamely but lacked a cutting edge in the final third.
Graham Carey returned for Ross County after suffering a back spasm before Saturday’s 0-0 draw against Celtic. He replaced Michael Gardyne, who suffered a broken rib in the draw at Parkhead.
Caley Thistle manager John Hughes named an unchanged team from the side which lost 1-0 at home to Aberdeen on Sunday with Ross Draper serving the final game of his two-match suspension.
Inverness arrived in Dingwall on the back of a three game losing run but they swarmed all over their hosts in a dominant opening.
A strong penalty appeal was waved away after County defender Scott Boyd appeared to hold Billy Mckay in the box before Inverness captain Graeme Shinnie saw his shot cleared off the line.
But the visitors’ pressure eventually paid off in the 27th minute when Mckay laid the ball off to Aaron Doran and the Irishman fired the ball low past Antonio Reguero in the County goal from the edge of the box.
Doran returned the compliment when he played in Mckay following a swift counter attack from Caley Jags but the Inverness forward’s fiercely struck drive was palmed away by Reguero as the Highlanders looked for a second goal advantage before the interval.
They had to wait until the hour mark for it to come and it was Doran who provided it, beating Reguero from the edge of the box again, albeit with the aid of a deflection through a crowded penalty area.
The Staggies responded immediately through substitute Jackson Irvine after the on-loan Celtic midfielder headed a corner past Dean Brill but Inverness were not to be denied their win and they made the points secure when Tansey’s free kick was headed across goal by Marley Watkins and Billy Mckay slid in to make it 3-1.