Caley Thistle secured third place in the Scottish Championship thanks to a 1-0 victory at Morton earned by a cracker of a strike from Roddy MacGregor.
After missing the chance to finish in this position in midweek when they lost 2-1 at Queen of the South, they wanted to get the job done with one match to spare before the end of the regular season.
With one game left, ICT made it five wins from their last seven fixtures, which is top form at this time of the year.
Partick Thistle were all but confirmed in fourth position by winning 1-0 against Dunfermline, while chasers Raith Rovers won 2-0 at Hamilton.
The Glasgow Jags are eight goals better off as well as three points ahead over Rovers going into the final fixtures on Friday.
Saturday’s results mean ICT will almost certainly face Partick Thistle on Tuesday, May 3, with home advantage in the second leg on Friday, May 6.
Seventh-placed Morton, who were not completely clear of being dragged into the relegation equation, are now safe after Dunfermline and Ayr below them failed to win.
This was the sixth meeting between Morton and ICT this season due to the teams going to a Scottish Cup replay in December, which the Greenock side won on penalties.
Just four days later, Caley Thistle went goal crazy at Cappielow to dish out a 6-1 thumping in the league.
Former Inverness midfielder Dougie Imrie has since taken over and guided them away from the bottom two places.
Visiting head coach Billy Dodds made four changes from the Palmerston set-back on Tuesday, with defender Kirk Broadfoot, midfielder MacGregor and forwards Billy Mckay and Austin Samuels returning to the team.
Defender Danny Devine and strikers Shane Sutherland and Logan Chalmers missed out with knocks, with Joe Hardy named as a sub.
Imrie, whose team lost 1-0 against Hamilton last week, brought Lewis Strapp into the starting 11 for the benched Mark Russell.
Early booking for Caley Jags skipper
The match had barely got started when ICT captain Sean Welsh was in referee Alan Muir’s book.
His booking in under a minute came after he was caught in possession by Gavin Reilly and brought him to ground.
From the free-kick, Cameron Blues flashed a shot on target, but goalkeeper Mark Ridgers held it with ease.
Right-back David Carson was in the mood and his cross ended with a deft header by Aaron Doran, which finished wide of goal.
On 10 minutes, ICT had a decent chance when Doran played in striker Samuels, whose poor first touch allowed goalkeeper Jack Hamilton time to race out and deny him.
The hosts showed their attacking intent too as Gavin Reilly flighted in a good delivery, but Gozie Ugwu’s backward header was off target.
Caley Thistle were always a threat and MacGregor cleverly hooked a pass out wide left to Robbie Deas, but the defender’s angled drive failed to trouble Hamilton.
Just before the half hour mark though, the visitors made the breakthrough.
Carson swept a swift corner out to MacGregor and the midfielder steered a swerving 25-yarder beyond Hamilton into the net.
Inverness had to withstand some Ton pressure after that from set-pieces, but the next chance of note fell to Mckay, who scooped the ball over the crossbar as he was put in the clear by Carson.
Walsh close to adding second goal
Substitute Tom Walsh came close to doubling ICT’s lead early in the second half when he burst into the box after Mckay set him up. He rounded Hamilton, but his shot was cleared off the line by Iain Wilson.
Robbie Muirhead were then not far off from hitting the target with a 25-yard free-kick, but his effort dipped just over Ridgers’ crossbar as Ton pushed for a leveller.
27' | 0-1
GOALLLLLLLLLL! RODDY MACGREGOR OPENS THE SCORING! pic.twitter.com/dGkolT4bkB
— Inverness Caledonian Thistle FC (@ICTFC) April 23, 2022
Morton manager Imrie was booked by whistler Muir on the hour mark, apparently for having too much to say on the sidelines.
With 15 minutes to go, Deas almost got his first goal of the season when his header from a Reece McAlear free-kick was superbly saved by Hamilton.
Substitute Lewis McGrattan gave the home fans a scare late on when he crashed the ball over his own net as he moved in to shut down MacGregor.
Kilmarnock wrapped up the title on Friday night by beating second-placed Arbroath 2-1, meaning Dick Campbell’s side await the play-off quarter-final victors next month.
Caley Thistle play mid-table Hamilton on Friday to round off their regular season.
HOW THEY LINED UP –
MORTON (3-4-1-2) – Hamilton 6, Ledger 6 (Hynes 59), Strapp 6, McLean 6, McEntee 6, Blues 6, Muirhead 6 (McGrattan 81), Ugwu 6, Brandon 6 (Lyon 59), Reilly 7 (Oliver 84), Wilson 6 (Easdale 81). Subs not used: Bysouth (GK), Jacobs, Russell, King.
CALEY THISTLE (4-2-3-1) – Ridgers 6, Duffy 6, Welsh 6, Deas 6, Carson 7, Mckay 6, Doran 6 (Walsh 48), MacGregor 7, Broadfoot 6, McAlear 6, Samuels 6 (Harper 66). Subs not used: Mackay (GK), Hardy, Hyde.
Referee – Alan Muir.
Attendance – 1717.
Man of the match – David Carson.
