Caley Thistle’s hopes of making the play-offs look all but over after a 2-0 home defeat to Morton.
Scott Tiffoney and Gary Harkins were on the scoresheet from the visitors, who showed a clinical touch in front of goal that John Robertson’s side failed to find.
The defeat leaves them 10 points off the play-off places with 12 games to play, including a re-arranged game against fourth-placed Dundee United next month.
Inverness made three changes from the team that beat Crusaders 3-2 the previous weekend. Jake Mulraney was suspended, Coll Donaldson injured and Connor Bell on the bench, with starts for Collin Seedorf, Charlie Trafford and Aaron Doran. There were places on the bench for Carl Tremarco and Nathan Austin on their return from injury.
Conor Brennan, Luca Gasporotto and Bob McHugh dropped out for Morton, with Derek Gaston, Scott Tiffoney and Gary Harkins coming in.
The home side started on the front foot and looked more likely to break the deadlock, with Trafford’s half-volley inside the first minute an early sighter.
Gary Warren saw a header disallowed for offside and Seedorf flashed a cross-shot in front of Gaston as the Caley Jags took the initiative.
But their defensive frailties proved their undoing on 29 minutes as a hopeful clearance from Gaston was misjudged by Mckay, allowing Tiffoney a free run in behind. Mckay recovered enough to block the initial shot but Tiffoney jabbed home the rebound.
A golden chance to level before the break was spurned by Polworth as Doran’s cut-back picked him out eight yards from goal, however his first-time effort sailed wide.
The second half was desperately short of entertainment, with a solitary effort from Joe Chalmers rebounding off the post all the Caley Jags had to shout about.
Half-time substitute Austin lasted just 20 minutes with Daniel MacKay roused off the bench to take his place. It seemed to spark the home side into life as Gaston fluffed claiming a corner under MacKay’s challenge, with Iain Vigurs smashing the loose ball off the cross-bar and Doran drilling the rebound straight at the recovering goalkeeper.
Harkins buried the game with 19 minutes to go when Seedorf felled Tiffoney in the box and the veteran midfielder slid home the penalty in off the post.
MacKay saw a goal disallowed for a foul on Gaston but the final touch was missing from the home side, as reaching the play-offs now looks like too tall an order.
