Caley Thistle well beaten by Dundee United
Dundee United 1 (Clark)
Inverness Caledonian Thistle 0
Dundee United prevailed at Tannadice despite being reduced to 10 men in a match that Inverness Caledonian Thistle will soon want to forget.
United came running out of the blocks as they tried to get an early advantage.
First Peter Pawlett and then Charlie Seaman had efforts at goal in the first six minutes, but neither man could convert.
From there the game dissipated into a long spell of back and forth action where neither team looked likely to break the deadlock.
Dundee United would only take the lead from the penalty spot, after Coll Donaldson slid in through the back of Pawlett inside the box.
Nicky Clark stepped up to take the spot kick and sent Mark Ridgers the wrong way.
Based on the passage of play, it would have been easy to think that the solitary goal would be enough to decide the destination of the three points.
But a spanner was thrown in the works when Pawlett - booked early in the second half for a cynical foul on a counter attacking Jordan White - wiped out Kevin McHattie and was given his marching orders.
In the end though, even after making attacking substitutions, Inverness could not find a way through and ended up losing 1-0.