Caley Thistle missed out on the opportunity to close the gap on fourth-place Dundee United to one point with defeat at Motherwell last night.
Instead it was the Steelmen who set up a Sunday showdown with Aberdeen in the race to finish in second position with the Dons only a point ahead.
Inverness, who have now won only one of their previous eight matches, gifted Motherwell two goals in a poor first-half display. Ross Draper conceded a penalty for a clumsy challenge on John Sutton, who netted the spot kick, before Gary Warren headed into his own net.
But Inverness were much better in the second period, pulling a goal back from Graeme Shinnie’s deflected shot.
John Hughes made two alterations to the Caley Thistle side that drew 1-1 with Dundee United, with Gary Warren and David Raven returning from hamstring and groin injuries respectively.
Danny Williams and Ryan Christie, who scored against the Arabs on Saturday, dropped to the bench where they were joined by James Vincent on his return from injury.
Motherwell, who knew they needed to win to preserve their hopes of finishing second, stuck with the same players who defeated St Johnstone 2-1 at the weekend, with former Caley Thistle and Ross County midfielder Iain Vigurs included.
The match was barely under way when Caley Thistle, seeking a first win at Fir Park since January 2012, gifted the hosts an early lead.
Ross Draper was guilty of dwelling on the ball inside his own penalty area and, when he was dispossessed by John Sutton, Draper bundled the Motherwell attacker to the ground and referee Willie Collum awarded a penalty.
Sutton was quick to assume the spot-kick taking responsibilities and confidently sent Dean Brill the wrong way for his 22nd goal of the season.
The visitors were struggling to contain a Motherwell attack which contained plenty of pace down the flanks through Lionel Ainsworth and Zaine Francis-Angol.
Caley Thistle finally began to gain their composure and enjoyed plenty of possession but too often the final pass let them down, with top scorer Billy Mckay starved of decent service.
Twenty-four minutes had elapsed before Caley Thistle conjured up their first attempt at goal but Aaron Doran’s curling effort drifted just wide of the top corner.
Inverness were architects of their own downfall once again in the 31st minute when Warren, in attempting to defend an in-swinging Vigurs corner, headed the ball into his own net past the helpless Brill to make it 2-0 for the Steelmen.
It could have been worse for Hughes’s men when a Francis-Angol cutback found the unmarked Ainsworth but his effort from 12 yards rattled back off the crossbar.
The Motherwell supporters were appealing for a penalty soon after the restart when a Sutton drive deflected off Danny Devine and on to the arm of Warren but referee Collum was unmoved and Caley Jags escaped.
Slightly against the run of play, Caley Thistle pulled a goal back after 55 minutes when Graeme Shinnie, who had been deployed in a central midfield position, advanced on goal and his shot from 20 yards deflected off a Motherwell defender beyond Lee Hollis.
The visitors sensed an unlikely comeback was on the cards, while home manager Stuart McCall withdrew the ineffective McFadden for Fraser Kerr in an attempt to regain the upper hand. But it was Caley Thistle who almost equalised after 62 minutes when Greg Tansey floated a free kick into the back post for Warren to attack but the Englishman’s header flew inches wide.
FULL TIME Billy McKay fired into the side-netting from an acute angle before Christie was introduced at the expense of Marley Watkins. Apprehension began to filter around Fir Park as the waves of Caley Thistle attacks continued with Motherwell’s hopes of setting up a second place shoot-out against Aberdeen hanging by a thread. But there would be no heroic comeback for Caley Thistlewith McKay hitting the post in the final minute as McCall’s men held on.