Inverness Caledonian Thistle leapfrogged 10-man Motherwell into seventh place in the Bank of Scotland Premierleague courtesy of a cool first-half winner from Craig Dargo at Fir Park.

Dargo, who scored a match-winning double on the same ground in December, ruthlessly slotted home his 17th goal of the campaign to swap positions with Terry Butcher's youngsters in the SPL table.

Alan McCormack compounded Motherwell's misery by getting himself dismissed early in the second half for two yellow cards in a minute.

There might have been very little riding on the result apart from the near £40,000 difference in prize money but both managers were hell bent on finishing seventh after missing out on the top six.

Terry Butcher made three changes from the team which lost at Rangers last week with Jim Hamilton, Brian McLean and Steven Hammell coming in for William Kinniburgh, Kevin McBride and Stephen McGarry.

Inverness manager Charlie Christie, whose side lost at Falkirk, also made three changes with Stuart Golabek, Graham Bayne and Liam Keogh replacing Richard Hart, Dennis Wyness and Richard Hastings.

Inverness goalkeeper Mark Brown has been linked with a move to Dundee United and he proved his worth to the visitors in the fourth minute with a great save to keep the scores level.

Scott McDonald put Phil O'Donnell clean through on goal but his right-foot shot was turned around the post from eight yards.

But Inverness, who had only lost two SPL games away this season, at champions Celtic, came to life in the 16th minute.

Alan Morgan powered a 22-yard free-kick towards goal which Stephen Craigan needed to deflect behind on the edge of his six-yard box.

Inverness ruthlessly snatched the lead against the run of play in the 27th minute through striker Dargo.

The Scotland Future player was played clean through on goal by Golabek and he coolly slipped the ball past Smith from eight yards.

Motherwell battled to get back on level terms but McDonald shot weakly at Brown having been found by Hamilton outside the box.

Caley then should have extended their lead after Barry Wilson saw his shot saved by Smith before seeing his rebound deflected wide.

From the resulting corner Grant Munro had his head in his hands having leapt above the Motherwell defence but then proceeded to send his header, from Morgan's cross, over from six yards.

Referee McDonald was doing his level best to hold up proceedings by needlessly lecturing and booking McCormack and Russell Duncan after clashing off the ball in the 51st minute.

But McCormack quickly and stupidly saw red, a minute later, after going in late on Ross Tokely.

The home side then wasted a glorious chance to go level. McDonald pulled the ball back from the byline into the path of McLean but he somehow directed the ball wide from six yards.

Bayne was also shown the yellow card for a foul on McLean before Brown saved O'Donnell's header at the back post.

Craigan kept Motherwell in the game with a brave block on Keogh before substitute Rory McAllister fired the rebound over.

Kinniburgh further swelled the referee's notebook for a foul as Motherwell pushed for an equaliser which never arrived.

Teams:

Motherwell Graeme Smith, Corrigan, Craigan, McLean, Hammell,Paterson (Kinniburgh 64), McCormack, O'Donnell,Foran (Clarkson 70), Hamilton (Kerr 59), McDonald.

Subs Not Used: Meldrum, Leitch, McGarry, McBride.

Sent Off: McCormack (52).

Booked: McCormack, Kinniburgh.

Inverness CT Brown, Tokely, Dods, Munro, Golabek,Wilson (Hart 79), Duncan, Morgan (McBain 71), Keogh, Dargo,Bayne (McAllister 82).

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

Booked: Duncan, Keogh, Bayne.

Goals: Dargo 27.

Att: 3,438

Ref: D McDonald (Scotland).