Caley Thistle suffered a second successive defeat to Hamilton Accies after going down 2-1 at New Douglas Park.
After falling behind to Dan O’Reilly’s early header, Inverness responded strongly and restored parity on the stroke of half-time through Scott Allardice.
A second half penalty from Connor Smith proved decisive however, meaning Caley Jags remain five points adrift of the promotion play-offs.
Inverness finished the game with 10 men, after Billy Mckay was shown two bookings in stoppage time.
The second instalment of the double header with Accies, which was a rearranged fixture, gave the Highlanders the ideal opportunity for redemption following Saturday’s defeat.
It was three second half goals which proved Inverness’ undoing following a promising start to the match, with Billy Dodds keeping faith with the same starting 11 which he fielded at Caledonian Stadium.
Inverness started on the front foot but it was the home side who had the first goal threat on the breakaway just three minutes in, when Connor Smith teed up Reghan Tumilty who sent his effort past Mark Ridgers’ near post.
A loose ball by Jay Henderson to Jean Pierre Tiehi led to another opening for Tumilty shortly afterwards, with Ridgers this time having to get down to thwart his strike.
Hamilton came close to an opener on six minutes when Tiehi’s neat through pass released Steve Lawson who got the merest of flicks on it to guide the ball past Ridgers, however Cameron Harper was on hand to scramble it off the line.
In an end-to-end start, the Highlanders came inches from breaking the deadlock themselves when Nathan Shaw’s cross picked out Sean Welsh, with the Inverness skipper seeing his header clip the top of the crossbar before going over.
Scott Allardice was next to threaten on 11 minutes, curling a shot wide from the edge of the box following Henderson’s lay-off.
A delivery by David Carson led to an opportunity for Harper four minutes later, with his initial effort blocked before he sent his follow-up wide.
It was Accies who took the lead on 19 minutes however. A short corner by Steve Lawson found Smith, whose deep cross picked out O’Reilly who guided a header past Ridgers at the near post.
Inverness looked to muster a quick response, with Tumilty forced to make a saving block after the ball broke to Daniel MacKay inside the box.
The visitors continued to push, with Henderson teeing up Nathan Shaw to drill a low strike just past the post from the edge of the box.
Accies knew a second goal would give Inverness an uphill task, with Smith striking wide from distance after swivelling on the edge of the area.
It was Inverness who finished the first half on top though, with Allardice’s floated ball to the far post leaving just too narrow an angle for Welsh to guide on target.
The Highlanders got their reward two minutes before the break. Carson’s drilled cross from the right was only partially cleared by the Accies defence, teeing up Allardice to thump home a crisp low strike past Fulton from the edge of the box.
It was a timely boost for the visitors going into the second half, with Welsh seeing a header cleared off the line by Tiehi after being picked out by Henderson’s corner.
Inverness should have taken the lead on 55 minutes when another set-piece from the on-loan St Mirren winger picked out Wallace Duffy at the far post, however he was unable to steer his free header on target.
The game was firmly in the balance, with Accies substitute Dylan Stephenson sidefooting an effort over from a promising position on the hour mark.
Inverness were inches away from a bizarre second when Daniel MacKay looked to have miscontrolled the ball after Billy Mckay played him in, however his touch wrongfooted Fulton before coming back off the post.
Caley Jags survived a let-off on 69 minutes when Scott Martin’s cutback was turned goalwards by Tiehi before ricocheting off Duffy and into the arms of Ridgers, with the home side loudly appealing for handball.
Hamilton were awarded a penalty three minutes later however, after MacKay bundled down Tumilty as he bore down on goal following an incisive breakaway. Smith, whose excellent through ball had released Tumilty, made no mistake with the spot-kick as he sent Ridgers the wrong way.
Inverness pushed for another leveller, with Mckay screwing a strike wide after going clean through.
Mckay received two quickfire bookings in stoppage time, having initially been booked for simulation before being shown his marching orders for a challenge on Martin, as the Lanarkshire side held firm which the win which moves them off the bottom of the Championship.
HAMILTON ACCIES (3-5-2): Fulton 6; Owens 5 (McGinn 52), McGowan 6, O’Reilly 6; Tumilty 7, Lawson 6 (L Smith 72), Martin 6, C Smith 8, Shiels 6; Winter 5 (Stephenson 52), Tiehi 6.
Subs not used: J Smith, Easton, Zanatta, Newbury, Latona.
CALEY THISTLE (4-4-1-1): Ridgers 6; Carson 6 (Deas 76), Duffy 6, Devine 6, Harper 6; Henderson 7, Allardice 6, Welsh 6, Shaw 5; MacKay 5 (Samuels 76), Mckay 5.
Subs not used: Mackay, Doran, Hyde, Delaney, Thompson, Boyd, Cairns.
Referee – Colin Steven
Attendance: 752
Star man: Connor Smith
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