Inverness Caledonian Thistle's stay at Pittodrie ended on a sour note after Danny Invincibile's two goals gave Kilmarnock three valuable points in the battle against relegation from the Bank of Scotland Premier League.

Caley, who were unbeaten in five 'home' games, are still hovering above Dundee, Livingston and Dundee United, but are now seven points adrift of the men from Ayrshire.

Neither team could claim they played well in this tense encounter, but Jim Jefferies' side threw everything forward to get the goals they so badly wanted to keep them out of relegation trouble.

The Pittodrie surface, which is showing worrying signs of wear and tear after so many games even this early in the season, may be blamed for much of the lack of action.

But it did not stop Graham Bayne and Richie Hart slicing Killie open in the 10th minute.

They combined with a neat one-two and Hart, seeing space for Juanjo in the right channel, threaded a pass through.

The Spaniard was too elaborate and was easily dealt with by Simon Ford.

Killie offered little until the 20th minute but should have taken the lead against the run of play.

Invincibile picked out Colin Nish with a cross from the right, but the former Dunfermline player headed wide from only four yards out.

Caley broke up to the other end and were unlucky not to grab the opener.

Juanjo sprinted ahead of Gordon Greer and Ford, but was muscled out on the edge of the area.

Referee John Rowbotham waved play on because Grant Munro picked up the loose ball, but his shot trundled wide of the far post.

Killie had another opportunity to score in the closing stages of the first half, but Boyd could not keep a half-volley under the crossbar.

Canadian international Richard Hastings, who has struggled to get a regular place in the team since returning from MVV Maastricht in the summer, replaced Munro.

His partner, former St Johnstone defender Darren Dods, made a vital interception in the 53rd minute to send Steven Naismith's 18-yard shot spinning wide of Mark Brown's right-hand post.

Brown scrambled to get Invincibile's header in the 55th minute, but the ball went well wide anyway.

Brown's concentration levels were spot on and he did well to smother Boyd's long-range shot just after the hour.

Inverness put on former Livingston winger Barry Wilson for the increasingly ineffectual Hart.

Caley passed up a great opportunity to hand his side the advantage but Bayne, in his eagerness to meet Ross Tokely's cross, rose far too early and bounced his effort wide.

Killie gambled by swapping striker Gary Wales for defender Naismith as the game approached the final quarter hour and it paid off.

Caley struggled to defend against the extra striker and left space for Invincibile to exploit.

The Australian picked a loose ball on the right-hand side of the penalty area and simply put all his power behind an angled drive which left Brown well beaten at his far post.

Invincibile struck again with the final kick, sending Gary Locke's pass beyond the exposed Brown.

Teams

Inverness CT Brown, Tokely, Dods, Munro (Hastings 45), Golabek, Hart (Wilson 60), Duncan, Keogh, McBain (Prunty 87), Bayne, Juanjo.

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

Kilmarnock Smith, Naismith (Wales 73), Ford, Greer, Hay, McDonald, Locke, Leven, Invincibile, Nish (Johnston 66), Boyd (Fowler 86).

Subs Not Used: Combe, Murray, Dodds, Wolski.

Booked: Locke, Hay.

Goals: Invincibile 79, 90.

Att: 1,346

Ref: J Rowbotham (Scotland).