A ruthless Motherwell performance swept aside Championship opponents Caley Thistle 4-0 in the second round of the League Cup.
Kevin van Veen bagged a hat-trick, two coming from the spot, and Danny Devine turned into his own to underline a miserable night for the Highlanders.
After calling for a heroic performance in the build-up to the game, head coach Billy Dodds saw his shell-shocked team put to the sword in a desperate first-half.
Dutch striker van Veen was irrepressible, adding to his tally of four in five in the league to ensure the Steelmen’s safe progress to the last eight.
Inverness made three changes from the 1-0 defeat to Morton, with George Oakley, Austin Samuels and Steven Boyd replaced by Nathan Shaw, Devine and Daniel MacKay.
The Caley Jags had not made the quarter-finals of the League Cup since reaching the final in 2014 in their hopes of a repeat were dealt a blow just nine minutes in.
Winger Joe Efford was able to cut inside Cameron Harper too easily and his ball across goal picked out van Veen, who finished simply from six yards.
Motherwell were getting plenty of joy down the flanks, with Efford and Blair Spittal exploiting space at will to get dangerous balls into the box. Only a late intervention from Robbie Deas denied van Veen the chance of a second from Sean Goss’ cross.
But the lead was doubled on 26 minutes and it again came down the wings, with full-back Matt Penney delivering a ball from the left and Devine turning it past Mark Ridgers in his efforts to block.
Head coach Billy Dodds had seen enough and replaced Shaw after just 29 minutes, with Boyd on in his place.
It was to get worse for them before the break, with Daniel MacKay clipping the heels of Goss just inside the area and Kevin Clancy awarded the spot-kick. Van Veen was clinical, crashing the ball into the top corner and putting Motherwell out of sight.
The small pocket of Caley Thistle fans behind Ridgers’ goal, boisterous for much of the first half, were now silent after watching their side’s hopes decimated in the first 45 minutes.
Caley Thistle finally had their first sight of goal just after half-time, with Boyd shifting the ball into space and testing Liam Kelly from the edge of the box.
The visitors were moving the ball better but still had vulnerabilities at the back, with Deas required to sweep in behind Ridgers to prevent van Veen tapping in Blair Spittal’s cross.
Motherwell were awarded a second penalty on 67 minutes and there were even greater protests from the Inverness players than after the first one, with van Veen appearing to kick the ball at David Carson’s arm from close range and Clancy pointing to the spot again.
Carson argued his case with Clancy who was unmoved, with van Veen doing the business again from 12 yards.
Billy Mckay did manage to test Kelly again but Motherwell were not done, with a van Veen ball across the face of goal inches away from finding substitute Rolando Aarons.
It could and should have been five with 10 minutes to go when replacement Connor Shields showed a great burst of pace to keep the ball in down the left and crossed for Ross Tierney, whose header from six yards was somehow kept out by the feet of Ridgers.
There were shouts for a third Motherwell penalty late on against Scott Allardice, which were waved away, and teenager Calum MacKay was handed his senior debut as he came on for older brother Daniel with three minutes remaining.
Ultimately Inverness were left counting the cost of a lacklustre first 45 minutes as their attentions now switch to Saturday’s league game at Raith Rovers.
MOTHERWELL (4-2-3-1) – Kelly 6; McGinn 6, Solholm 6, Lamie 6, Penney 7, Slattery 6 (Maguire 79), Goss 7 (Miller 79), Efford 7 (Aarons 72), Tierney 6, Spittal 6 (McKinstry 72), van Veen 8 (Shields 76). Subs not used – Oxborough, O’Donnell, Mugabi, Cornelius.
CALEY THISTLE (4-2-3-1) – Ridgers 5; Duffy 5, Devine 5 (Hyde 71), Deas 6, Harper 5, Carson 5, Allardice 5, Shaw 4 (Boyd 29), MacGregor 5 (Delaney 46), D MacKay 5 (C MacKay 87), Mckay 6. Subs not used – Mackay.
Referee – Kevin Clancy 5.
Attendance – 3,982.
Player of the match – Kevin van Veen.
Conversation