Match ends, St. Mirren 1, Inverness CT 2.
St MirrenSt Mirren1Inverness CTInverness Caledonian Thistle2
Inverness Caledonian Thistle beat struggling St Mirren to move level on points with second-place Aberdeen in the Scottish Premiership.
Greg Tansey put Inverness ahead early on when he converted Graeme Shinnie's cut-back.
Ryan Christie struck low to double the visitors lead on the hour mark.
Jim Goodwin replied with a header from Stephen Mallan's corner but the home side could not draw level, leaving them three points off bottom.
Inverness trail Aberdeen only on goal difference, although the Dons have a game in hand against fifth-place Hamilton Academical on Sunday.
St Mirren remain tenth with a better goal difference than Motherwell but both sides have had their advantage over basement side Ross County cut due to the Staggies' win over Well.
An inventive move on the left created the opening goal. Shinnie and Christie exchanged passes before the former teed up Tansey, who was waiting near the edge of the box to place firmly past Mark Ridgers.
Inverness went on to dominate the first half and the pace of Marley Watkins was a persistent threat to the hosts.
The forward got beyond the St Mirren back-line on several occasions, firing wide twice, netting from an offside position and then drawing a save from goalkeeper Mark Ridgers.
Ridgers also blocked efforts from Shinnie, Christie and Ross Draper, while Gary Warren often proved a nuisance to the Buddies at corners.
The big defender headed over from one set piece and later nodded against the crossbar after Josh Meekings had headed Tansey's delivery back into the six-yard box.
All the Buddies could muster in the first half was a header from captain Steven Thompson, which was deflected into the arms of keeper Ryan Esson.
The hosts did show more attacking intent at the start of the second half by forcing a couple of corners but Esson remained relatively untroubled.
And before too long John Hughes' side had a firmer grip on the three points through Christie's goal.
Right-back David Raven joined the attack and picked out the midfielder, whose left-foot shot on the run nestled in the bottom right corner.
However, St Mirren rallied and Goodwin stooped to connect with Mallan's corner and beat Esson.
The game became stretched in the final quarter and, after Draper was booked for conceding a free-kick in a dangerous area, Goodwin's well struck shot sailed just past the right-hand post.
And that was as close as the Buddies came to an equaliser and their long wait for a first home league win this season continues.
Line-ups
St Mirren
Formation 4-4-1-1
- 12Ridgers
- 2Naismith
- 4McAusland
- 6Goodwin
- 3Kelly
- 17DaytonSubstituted forWyldeat 72'minutes
- 7McGinnSubstituted forSonupeat 61'minutes
- 13Osbourne
- 31Mallan
- 15ArquinSubstituted forMclearat 45'minutes
- 9Thompson
Substitutes
- 11Wylde
- 14Reilly
- 22Tesselaar
- 25Sonupe
- 28Kello
- 30Baird
- 32Mclear
Inverness CT
Formation 4-3-3
- 1Esson
- 2Raven
- 6Meekings
- 5Warren
- 3Shinnie
- 8DraperBooked at 83mins
- 19WilliamsSubstituted forPolworthat 90+2'minutes
- 16Tansey
- 22Christie
- 15WatkinsBooked at 86mins
- 11Ross
Substitutes
- 14Devine
- 17Horner
- 18Tremarco
- 20Polworth
- 31Mackay
- 37Sutherland
- 39Ferguson
- Referee:
- Bobby Madden
- Attendance:
- 3,154
Match Stats
Home TeamSt MirrenAway TeamInverness CT
- Possession
- Home39%
- Away61%
- Shots
- Home7
- Away14
- Shots on Target
- Home3
- Away6
- Corners
- Home5
- Away5
- Fouls
- Home12
- Away17
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, St. Mirren 1, Inverness CT 2.
Post update
Corner, Inverness CT. Conceded by Mark Ridgers.
Post update
Attempt saved. Nick Ross (Inverness CT) right footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the bottom left corner.
Substitution
Substitution, Inverness CT. Liam Polworth replaces Danny Williams.
Post update
Foul by Emmanuel Sonupe (St. Mirren).
Post update
Ross Draper (Inverness CT) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Post update
Attempt missed. Marc McAusland (St. Mirren) header from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the right following a set piece situation.
Post update
Isaac Osbourne (St. Mirren) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Foul by Ross Draper (Inverness CT).
Post update
Corner, St. Mirren. Conceded by Graeme Shinnie.
Post update
Foul by Steven Thompson (St. Mirren).
Post update
Gary Warren (Inverness CT) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Post update
Foul by Steven Thompson (St. Mirren).
Post update
Gary Warren (Inverness CT) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Booking
Marley Watkins (Inverness CT) is shown the yellow card.
Post update
Attempt missed. Jim Goodwin (St. Mirren) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right from a direct free kick.
Booking
Ross Draper (Inverness CT) is shown the yellow card.
Post update
Lewis Mclear (St. Mirren) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Foul by Ross Draper (Inverness CT).
