Caley Thistle boss Billy Dodds praised his team for showing all the attributes required to defeat Arbroath 2-0 in the Championship.
This was their fourth straight league victory, which pushes them to within two points of fourth-placed Ayr United and only one further point behind Partick Thistle, who are third.
A second half opener from Nathan Shaw then a penalty from Scott Allardice sealed the Caley Jags’ latest three points in their latest must-win fixture against opponents unbeaten in their last seven matches.
Shaw and Allardice secure vital win
A straight red card for on-loan St Mirren star Jay Henderson for a challenge on Michael McKenna didn’t put Inverness off course and they secured a third shut-out from their last four games.
Dodds said: “I thought we had to show every part of what you have to do to win a game.
“We are going well, so Arbroath made it difficult for us and we had to find a way to win the game.
“They were frustrating us in the first half, slowing the game down and quite rightly so.
“You can see why they are where they are right now, getting a great run of results, and they had a bit of momentum that we had to find a way to break down.
“I was really pleased with us tonight – I was pleased with the win, but also the way we went about it because we had to show that patience.
“We scored a great first goal from the corner of our own box, and then we get the penalty and have to see it out with 10 men.
“We’ve been asked a lot of question about how to win a game, and I thought we showed every ingredient to win it.”
Sympathy for red-carded Henderson
On the red card, Dodds had no complaints, but a measure of sympathy for his player.
He added: “I don’t think it was intentional.
“I’ve seen it, and I think the wee man goes in – he just doesn’t know how to tackle, does he?
“It’s a forward’s tackle, and he has come down on McKenna’s boot. He hasn’t gone in to do him, there’s no malice there, but I can see why the referee has made the decision.
“It’s one we’re going to have to accept, I’ll put it that way, even though there’s no malice, intent or force. His boot just landed on the side of McKenna’s boot.”
Inverness will continue their push for the play-offs on Saturday when they visit basement side Cove Rangers.
Campbell ‘angry’ after Inverness loss
Arbroath manager Dick Campbell, who didn’t feel Henderson deserved to be sent off, was gutted to see his team outdone by two killer moments in the second half.
He said: “I’m very angry at that – for 60 minutes there was only one team on the park and it was Arbroath.
“Our goalie hasn’t had a save to make and we’re well on top. We don’t take our chances and three touches later we’re down. It’s the only chance they’ve had.
“The second goal (the penalty) is typical of a forward playing in a full-back area.
“It wasn’t hard to work out who was the best side tonight.”
The Red Lichties will seek to keep their place above the bottom two positions on Saturday when they go to seventh-placed Raith Rovers.
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