Steven Boyd’s first-half goal made it five league wins on the bounce for Caley Thistle as they beat Cove Rangers 1-0.
The former Peterhead and Alloa man turned home from close range inside 20 minutes to decide a fairly uneventful contest.
Victory ensures the Highland club keep pace with Partick Thistle at the top of the Championship, while Cove remain in eighth.
Caley Thistle were unchanged from the 1-0 win over Partick, while Cove brought in Mark Reynolds for Scott Ross at the back.
Inverness had got the better of the two previous encounters this season but Cove had the ball in the net after nine minutes. Shay Logan’s free-kick from the left was flicked into the corner by Mitch Megginson but the goal was chalked off for offside.
The visitors were the ones to go in front, however, after Billy Mckay was played in behind the Cove defence and he squared for Boyd to tap in.
The rest of the first half was low on quality and punctuated by niggly fouls on both sides.
Cove struggled to test Mark Ridgers in the Caley Thistle goal and the closest either side came to a shot on target was Aaron Doran cutting inside and firing over the crossbar.
Both sides played with a better tempo at the start of the second half and threatened early. Half-time substitute Lewis Hyde pulled the ball back to the edge of box for Boyd, who drew a smart stop out of Kyle Gourlay.
At the opposite end Luis Longstaff found Mitch Megginson just inside the penalty and after working space for himself, forced Ridgers to stick out a hand to keep the shot at bay.
Connor Scully had a header saved by Ridgers from a Logan free-kick and full-back Max Johnston ought to have got a connection on another Logan delivery.
Inverness broke late on and could have added a second, with Nathan Shaw’s effort parried away by Gourlay, before Cove were reduced to 10 men in stoppage-time after Leighton McIntosh was given a straight red card for lashing out at Zak Delaney.
COVE RANGERS (4-1-2-3) – Gourlay 6; Johnston 6, Sanders 5, Reynolds 5, Logan 6, Gilmour 6 (McDonagh 79), Yule 6, Scully 6, Longstaff 5 (Leitch 79), Megginson 6, Dunne 5 (McIntosh 46). Subs not used – McKenzie, Towler, Ross, Neill, Vigurs.
CALEY THISTLE (4-4-1-1) – Ridgers 6; Carson 6, Duffy 6, Deas 7, Delaney 6, Boyd 6 (Shaw 79), Allardice 6 (Hyde 46), Harper 6, MacKay 7, MacGregor 5 (Doran 22), Mckay 7 (Oakley 76). Subs not used – Mackay, Ram.
Referee – Graham Grainger 5.
Attendance – 1,071.
Player of the match – Daniel MacKay.