Pre-season relegation-favourites Inverness kept their incredible bid to qualify for the Bank of Scotland Premier League's top-six alive with a well-deserved victory over Motherwell.

Craig Brewster's men were widely tipped to drop straight back to Division One, but have confounded the critics with a series of spirited displays that have rocked the established SPL sides.

On this occasion they were aided by a dreadful performance from visiting goalkeeper Gordon Marshall, whose poor decision-making gifted Graham Bayne the game's only goal, before he was eventually ordered off for a last-man challenge on Bryan Prunty.

It was a thoroughly depressing evening for the Steelmen as they failed to gain the single point they needed to pip the Jags to sixth position, but Terry Butcher's young team can still clinch their place in the top half by winning against Kilmarnock this weekend.

Inverness player-boss Brewster decided that, after playing on Saturday at Rugby Park, two games in three days was too much for his 38-year-old frame and consigned himself to the dug-out for the evening.

The game survived a mild scare because of the amount of rainwater resting on the surface, but when play got underway it took the home side only three minutes to create a good opportunity.

Barry Wilson broke from midfield and, with the defence backtracking, tried to bend a shot over Marshall but took too much from under the ball and sent it skywards.

Motherwell should have taken the lead in the 12th minute when David Partridge was given a free header at the back post, but the Welsh international headed tamely into Mark Brown's grateful hands.

The former Dundee United defender made amends for his poor finishing with a timely clearance to thwart Bayne, who was busy trying to capitalise on an error from Marshall.

The veteran goalkeeper, whose career has been blighted by high-profile mistakes, came to gather an innocuous trundling through ball but fumbled it off his chest and almost into the path of the Caley striker.

Marshall was culpable for the first goal, which came in the 21st minute through Bayne. Motherwell's defence were caught square by Stuart Golabek's ball in behind to Prunty and, with the keeper coming too far off his line, were left wide open as he slipped a pass to Bayne to tap in from six yards.

Marshall's miserable evening came to an end three minutes later. Once again he tried to face down Prunty and was far too slow, halting the former Celtic youth with a slicing challenge on the edge of the area.

Referee Brian Cassidy wasted no time in showing a straight red card for the last-man foul, much to Butcher's annoyance. Barry John Corr replaced Shaun Fagan and went in goal to face Wilson's free-kick, but was untroubled as it sailed over the bar.

The Lanarkshire side had lost Scott McDonald to injury in the 18th minute and must have thought their night could not get any worse, until the 36th minute that is when Kevin McBride was stretchered off with a serious looking injury.

He was hit by a hard, but fair, challenge by Golabek and immediately fell to ground signalling to the bench that he had a problem with his knee. The medical staff took him off the field on a stretcher, so Butcher brought on Brian Kerr - his third substitute - in his place.

Butcher's heart must have been in his mouth in the 63rd minute when Clarkson, who replaced McDonald in the first half, went down in agony on the edge of the box. Thankfully he was able to continue after some attention from the physio.

Caley used the stoppage to make their first change and brought on Russell Duncan for Roy McBain.

Motherwell's frustration at their miserable evening boiled over in the 70th minute. Partridge was furious with the stand side linesman when he gave a throw in Caley's favour and was promptly booked for his mouthing at the official.

Clarkson should have stolen a point for his team in the dying seconds, but scooped a shot over from point-blank range. That moment, sadly, summed up the evening for Motherwell, whose journey back south will have seemed all the longer because of this missed opportunity.

Teams:

Inverness CT Brown, Tokely, Dods, Munro, Golabek, Hart, Black, McBain (Duncan 62), Wilson (Proctor 88), Bayne (Fatai 79), Prunty.

Subs Not Used: Fraser, McCaffrey, Hastings, Fox.

Booked: Black.

Goals: Bayne 20.

Motherwell Marshall, Paul Quinn, Craigan, Partridge, Hammell, McBride (Kerr 36), Leitch, Fagan (Corr 24), Paterson, Scott McDonald (Clarkson 16), Hamilton.

Subs Not Used: Britton, Foran, Kinniburgh, Fitzpatrick.

Sent Off: Marshall (23).

Booked: Partridge, Hamilton, Craigan.

Att: 3,746

Ref: B Cassidy (Scotland).