Knockout football almost certainly awaits Caley Thistle in the Premier Sports Cup after they made it three wins from three by beating Albion Rovers 4-0.
They had already won 1-0 at League 1 hosts Kelty Hearts and 2-1 at Premiership Livingston, so had the chance to all but secure their spot in the second round for the first time since 2016.
The result keeps ICT top of the group, with Livingston three points behind.
Cove Rangers, who visit Inverness on Saturday, lost 3-2 at home to against Kelty Hearts, which looks to have ended their hopes of progressing.
Billy Mckay netted his first competitive goal of the season with an instinctive finish in under two minutes and Cammy Harper crashed home a free-kick on the stroke of half-time to make it two.
Wallace Duffy celebrated his return from injury with a third early in the second half and Duffy soon added a fourth.
The Championship season starts a week on Saturday, with Inverness hosting Owen Coyle’s play-off winners Queen’s Park.
So, while qualification to the next stage of the League Cup is crucial for the club, the push to take momentum into the start of the league campaign is also important.
Although Albion Rovers could not progress into the knockouts, a 2-0 victory at Kelty Hearts and narrow losses against Livi and Cove suggested they could be tricky customers.
Home head coach Billy Dodds made four changes from their game at Livi seven nights ago.
Goalkeeper Cammy Mackay, defender Duffy, midfielder Aaron Doran and Billy Mckay were all given starting jerseys.
Rovers manager Brian Reid brought James McGowan and Jamie Reilly into his starting 11.
It was the perfect start for ICT as they got their noses in front in under two minutes.
A corner was not cleared and Doran swept the ball into the box and Mckay, after keeper Jack Leighfield blocked the first attempt, headed home from close range.
Rovers’ heads didn’t drop and they soon found their way into the tie, with Michael Paton forcing Cammy Mackay into his first save.
Austin Samuels, who scored the opener at Livingston last week, was not far off the mark with a searing shot which zoomed beyond the far post.
Captain Sean Fagan threatened for Rovers on 23 minutes as he poked a shot just past the right post when he connected with a cross from the left.
Mckay almost doubled ICT’s advantage, but slashed a shot wide after Robbie Deas nodded on a Doran corner.
Samuels won a set-piece four minutes before the break and, from that, it was 2-0.
Left-back Harper stepped up and swept a terrific 25-yard free-kick past Leighfield into the net.
Less than a minute after the restart, it was 3-0 as a Doran corner was met by a fine left-foot strike from Duffy.
The rain poured down amid the heat, but ICT were on easy street.
The one-way pressure continued as Rovers sought to close the gaps, but were being moved around smartly by the hosts.
Harper netted his second and ICT’s fourth when, from a deep Duffy ball, his header flew past Leighfield, who could do nothing about it.
On 73 minutes, Rovers almost snatched one back, but substitute Devan McColl hit the post just before fellow sub Kieran Dolan rattled an effort off the crossbar.
Inverness sub Lewis Hyde came close to adding number five, but his low deflected drive spun off the post before Albion cleared the danger.
There was still time for sub Nathan Shaw to have a pop from distance, but it finished off target.
The Caley Jags will be looking to round off Group G with the perfect record when Cove visit on Saturday.
Albion, with three points on board, dropped to the bottom of the section, with their focus now on their League 2 opener against Stenhousemuir on July 30.
CALEY THISTLE (4-4-2) – Mackay 6, Duffy 6 (Delaney 55), Harper 6 (Nicolson 70), Deas 6, Carson 6, Mckay 7, Doran 6, MacGregor 6, Daniel MacKay 6 (Cairns 70), Allardice 6 (Hyde 63), Samuels 6 (Shaw 55). Subs not used – Ridgers (GK), Oakley, Boyd, Cairns.
ALBION ROVERS (4-1-4-1) – Leighfield 6, Fernie 6, McGowan 6, Sonkar 6, Fagan 6, Fleming 6, Wilson 6 (McColl 70), Leslie 6, Roberts 6 (Duncan 70), Paton 6 (Dolan 66), Reilly 6 (Testa 75). Subs not used – Smith (GK).
Referee – Gavin Duncan.
Attendance – 871.
Man of the match – Cammy Harper.
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