Stuart McCaffrey's goal 16 minutes from time gave Inverness a well deserved victory over St Mirren in their Bank of Scotland Premier League clash at Love Street.

Craig Dargo missed two decent chances in the first half to give the visitors the lead before Saints goalkeeper Chris Smith pulled off a terrific save from Ian Black's deflected shot after the break.

But Caley got the win their pressure deserved when McCaffrey outjumped Smith at the near post to back-head Richard Hart's harmless looking lob into the net.

It was a sore one for Smith to take, the Saints goalkeeper having a fine game until a moment of slackness at the goal.

The tepid start to proceedings suggested this would be typical end-of-season fare and the first half was especially poor.

A rain-sodden Love Street pitch tested the players' ball control and there was no discernible pattern to the game although the Highlanders looked more solid in defence.

In the 10th minute Billy Mehmet's header from a Mark Corcoran cross which went well wide of the target was the first effort on goal, uninspiring as it turned out.

At the other end, Caley midfielder Zander Sutherland's low left-footed drive from distance was easily saved by Smith.

Then Sutherland worked himself a yard of space at the edge of the St Mirren penalty area but fired his powerful drive just past the post.

In the 26th minute Hart's arrowed shot from distance buried itself in Smith's arms but the signs indicated that the visitors were getting on top.

And moments later Craig Dargo took a Rory McAllister pass to go through on the left side of the Saints penalty area but skewed his shot wide.

Then the former Kilmarnock striker had a better chance in the 28th minute after the ball broke to him just eight yards out but, with undue haste, he scooped it past the post.

Just before the break Saints striker John Sutton drove an angled shot wide of the far post to remind the home fans that their side possessed a threat.

The players trooped off looking as bored as the supporters although it was probably the head knock which Eddie Malone took in the first half that kept him in at the interval, the Saints defender replaced by Ryan McCay.

The rain cascaded down mercilessly on the bedraggled players but there was still no hint of the opener, Richard Hastings' free-kick from 30 yards which travelled straight to Smith drawing groans from the small band of Caley fans behind the goal.

Another Hastings free-kick from a similar position forced a better save from Smith before Hart's shot from the edge of the box called the Saints goalkeeper into action once again.

In the 58th minute, as Caley continued to dominate, Ross Tokely skimmed a header from a Black cross inches past the far post.

Three minutes later the busy Smith made his best save of the game when he tipped Black's deflected shot from distance over the bar when the ball seemed destined to dip under.

But in the 74th minute the visitors took a deserved lead through McCaffrey and, ironically, the Love Street goalkeeper looked at fault.

Hart lobbed an innocuous-looking ball to the front post and the Caley defender headed the ball over the advancing Smith who had mistimed his jump.

Saints came to life for the first time in the game with substitute Alex Burke, on for Andy Millen, and Ian Maxwell forcing saves from Caley keeper Michael Fraser.

However, it was all in vain as the Highlanders held on to avenge their opening-day defeat by the Saints.

Teams

St Mirren Smith, van Zanten, Broadfoot, Millen (Burke 77),Reid, Maxwell, Murray, Mehmet, Malone (Mackay 46),Sutton (Kean 80), Corcoran.

Subs Not Used: Hinchcliffe, Brady, Barron, Lawson.

Booked: Mehmet, Murray.

Inverness CT Fraser, Tokely, McCaffrey, Munro, Hastings,Sutherland, Duncan, Black, Hart (Wilson 84), Dargo (Bayne 72),McAllister (Wyness 73).

Subs Not Used: Ridgers, Dods, Paatelainen, Rankin.

Booked: Munro, Sutherland.

Goals: McCaffrey 74.

Att: 4,834

Ref: D McDonald (Scotland).