Ross County2–1Inverness CT

A blow for the Inverness side as they went down 2-1 and saw Bobby Mann sent off for two yellow cards. There was little created in the first half but Jim Calder denied Alex Bone from close range after he was set up by a clever flick from Karim Boukraa . At the other end in 20 minutes Paul Ritchie took a deep cross from Barry Robson but headed into the side netting. In 39 minutes Robson sent an angled drive past the post. County�s goals came in a four minute second half spell but not before County �keeper Tony Bullock tipped away a curling shot from Charlie Christie in 59 minutes. The opener came in 63 minutes when a Richard Hastings cross from the left was headed past Calder by Steve Ferguson. Four minutes later Mark McCormick threaded a pass through the defence leaving Bone facing Calder � he sidestepped the �keeper, almost overran it but scored from an acute angle. It was uphill for Caley Thistle after that � especially when Mann was sent off in 69 minutes � but they did hit back through Robson in 78 minutes. A Mike Teasdale header fell for Charlie Christie on the edge of the box � his shot was blocked but Robson took the rebound and drove the ball first time into the corner of the net for 2-1. The visitors pressed for an equaliser and in 83 minutes Bullock blocked a shot from substitute Mike Teasdale. With just four minutes left a Christie through ball reached Teasdale but he was foiled by a last-ditch Sean Webb tackle. A disappointing afternoon for the Caley Thistle fans.