Caley Thistle manager Duncan Ferguson felt two key decisions hampered his side as they went down to a 1-0 defeat to Partick Thistle.
Inverness could not be faulted for effort at Firhill, and at times showed some neat flashes of play, but they did not carry enough threat to the Jags’ goal throughout the 90 minutes.
Caley Jags fell behind to Scott Robinson’s goal shortly before half-time – moments after a penalty claim on Alex Samuel was waved away by referee John Beaton.
Their task was made more difficult when Cammy Kerr was sent off midway through the second half.
Kerr’s first booking for simulation was heavily disputed by Ferguson, who has confirmed Caley Jags intend to appeal the yellow card.
With 10 men Ferguson’s side continued to display no shortage of fight in their efforts to claw back into the game, but Thistle held on to leave Inverness four points adrift in the relegation play-off spot.
That margin remained the same as it was prior to kick-off, due to Queen’s Park’s 2-0 defeat to Morton.
With Caley Jags’ next two fixtures at home to bottom side Arbroath, before they travel to face the Spiders at Hampden Park, the Highlanders are fast approaching must-win territory.
Ferguson was heartened by the way his side approached the task in Glasgow, but was left highly frustrated with the two decisions.
Ferguson, who confirmed assistant Gary Bollan was shown a red card after the game, said: “We had more possession than them, and more shots than them. I think when we went down to 10 men we looked a bit better to be honest.
“There were a couple of decisions that went against us. It was not simulation for Cammy Kerr’s first yellow card, it’s a tackle. We all saw what happened, and we are going to appeal it.
“With Alex Samuel, I’m not sure if it was inside or outside the box but it was absolutely a free-kick. He turns him, and it’s an easy decision. They went up the park and scored.
“Last week against Dundee United we didn’t get a free-kick in the middle of the park, and the boy scored a wonder goal.
“We are fighting for our lives, and two poor decisions went against us. There is no question we are not getting the rub of the green.”
Inverness were without midfielder Nathan Shaw, who has been ruled out for the remainder of the campaign due to a recurrence of a hamstring injury. Aribim Pepple also dropped to the bench from the side which drew 1-1 against league leaders Dundee United the previous weekend, with skipper Billy Mckay and Samson Lawal returning.
Inverness showed some neat play in the opening stages, with Wallace Duffy feeding Cammy Kerr who saw a low effort from just inside the box deflected past the post on 10 minutes. Kerr’s resulting corner fell to the feet of Cameron Harper, but he could not keep his effort down from the edge of the box.
There was precious little goalmouth action but Mckay was next to threaten on 24 minutes, when he tried his luck with an effort from the edge of the box which drifted wide.
The Highlanders were succeeding in keeping Thistle’s attacking threat quiet, with Brian Graham’s glancing header proving no trouble for Mark Ridgers.
Duffy came close to finding the net on 34 minutes when his header from Kerr’s corner came back off the crossbar but referee John Beaton blew for a foul.
Mckay had another attempt from similar range on 38 minutes which he got on target, however it was comfortably held by David Mitchell.
At the other end, Graham lashed a strike over the bar after the ball fell to him following a corner, before the former Ross County striker’s backheel found Scott Robinson who struck the near post.
Robinson was not to be denied four minutes before the break, however the Jags’ breakthrough goal was a controversial one. Inverness had initially been on the attack, with Alex Samuel adamant he should have had a penalty when he went to ground as he attempted to take the ball past Luke McBeth.
Play quickly progressed to the other end where Ben Stanway’s piledriver from distance was well parried by Ridgers, but Robinson reacted sharpest to tuck home the rebound.
Caley Jags looked to find a way back into the game before the interval, with Harper’s effort sailing narrowly past the post, while Kerr was booked for simulation as he attempted to break into the box.
Inverness looked to make a strong start to the second period, with Max Anderson teeing up Mckay who was crowded out as he looked to guide the ball towards goal.
At the other end, the Jags were inches from doubling their lead when Aidan Fitzpatrick struck a low effort just wide, after Samson Lawal had been caught out in possession.
Ferguson brought on Aaron Doran in place of Duffy as Caley Jags pushed for a way back into the game, with Kerr seeing an effort hit off Lawal before trundling wide.
Caley Jags’ task was made harder when Kerr was shown a second yellow card for bringing down Fitzpatrick as he threatened to break across the halfway line.
Inverness continued to push, with Samuel and Lawal both testing Mitchell with low efforts.
Player Ratings
PARTICK THISTLE (4-2-3-1): Mitchell 6; McMillan 6, Neilson 6, Muirhead 6, Milne 7; McBeth 6, Stanway 6 (Alston 75); Lawless 6, Robinson 7 (MacKenzie 90), Fitzpatrick 6 (Ngwenya 79); Graham 7.
Subs not used: Stewart, Campbell, Horn, Loney.
CALEY THISTLE (3-5-2): Ridgers 6; Carragher 7 (MacGregor 90), Savage 6, Boyes 6 (Brooks 90); Duffy 6 (Doran 57), Anderson 7, Kerr 6, Lawal 7, Harper 6; Samuel 6, Mckay 6 (Pepple 78)
Subs not used: Mackay, Devine, Ujdur.
Referee: John Beaton
Attendance: 3,371
Man of the match: Samson Lawal
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