Aberdeen all but settled the question of who is best of the rest in Scottish football last night as they overcame a gritty but ultimately toothless Caley Thistle to move 11 points clear of their third placed rivals.
The third meeting of the sides this season followed a familiar pattern with the Dons winning by the odd goal but this was a fully deserved victory.
With fourth placed Dundee United losing at Dundee the Dons will go on and clinch a European place again and following this result there will be no last day drama this time around.
The Dons manager was hoping his selection would bring some freshness to the side but it was the visitors who made a bright start, albeit without testing Brown.
Graeme Shinnie, Aaron Doran and Nick Ross were given time and space to express themselves and they needed no second invitation, spraying passes across the pitch at will, but once the home side settled into the game they soon pushed Inverness back into their own half.
Aberdeen pressed high and the visitors struggled to contain them as they were harried into losing the ball on several occasions, and McGinn was unfortunate not to take advantage on one occasion, collecting the ball and advancing on goal only to see his audacious lob attempt over Caley Jags goalkeeper Ryan Esson bounce just wide of the former Dons goalkeeper’s left post.
Aberdeen’s unwillingness to let their opponents play at their own pace was clearly uncomfortable for some members of the Inverness team including Gary Warren who let Adam Rooney get goalside and he had his central defensive partner Josh Meekings to thank for sparing his blushes by clearing Rooney’s lob over Esson off the line.
For Willo Flood, this sort of game was manna from heaven. Harrying, pressing, upsetting your opponent. All the qualities he possesses. But for all Aberdeen’s play they could not make the breakthrough before the break.
But it took all of 90 seconds of the second half to materialise, although midfielder Ross Draper was more than a little aggrieved by it.
The Caley Jags player argued he had been bundled over on the halfway line by Pawlett but referee Calum Murray waved play on with the passage of play ending with Meekings heading the ball out from a corner.
Robson’s set-piece delivery was perfect and Ashton Taylor flicked the ball past Esson at the front post to put the Dons ahead. Aberdeen celebrated, Draper argued and he was still making his point to the official when play resumed.
Taylor almost went from hero to villain when his clearance ricocheted off Aaron Doran, who ran clear of goal but fired straight at Brown.
The chance was a warning shot for the Dons and it was one they heeded well by quickly regaining their grip on proceedings and forcing Inverness back into their own half once more.
Opposing manager John Hughes responded by sending Edward Ofere but it was the home side who should have scored again when Rooney’s shot was blocked by Esson before Shay Logan struck the rebound against Rooney and the second rebound off the crossbar before Inverness somehow scrambled the ball away.
Rooney did have the ball in the back of the net, only for the offside flag to go up before Esson denied McLean from opening his account for the club with a superb fingertip save.