INVERNESS CT 2

John Robertson hailed his Caley players for maintaining their hopes of a play-off place as they dumped Queen of the South out of the running.

“We are still well behind but have games in hand and we have to keep gathering in the points,” he said. And the manager praised the way his squad took hold of the game with two well-taken goals and brushed off a second-half rally by the Dumfries men.

“That’s six unbeaten and we have games in hand but a lot of points to catch up,” he said.

“But if we keep going like this we are in with a shout.”

Both teams had started off cautiously well aware of the significance of the points for any remaining hopes of landing a play off place and the Highlanders aiming to extend that unbeaten run.

And it was from the first real attack in nine minutes that the Highlanders forged ahead as Nathan Austin fastened on to a cross in front of goal and warded off a challenge to hit the ball home from close range. Queens responded with Stephen Dobbie getting in the mix in front of the Caley Thistle goal before the ball was scrambled to safety.

Then Joe Thomson brought out a fine save from Caley keeper Mark Ridgers with a 25-yard angular drive.

Caley came close to increasing their lead when a free kick from Gary Warren was just tipped over by keeper Jack Leighfield.

But they did find the net on the half-hour, when George Oakley got his head to a Liam Polworth cross.

It left Queens looking ragged and unsure with the Highlanders well in command at this stage.

Queens did look livelier after the break and had a chance of pulling one back after forcing a corner, but the ball just slipped outside the post and then keeper Ridgers defied Dobbie as he dived across his line to pull down a drive from just 15 yards.

And then the striker did come close with a drive which just shaved the outside of the post. Queens certainly made a game of it in the second period but the Caley defenders showed a determination to hold onto their advantage.

Substitute Derek Lyle was unlucky not to pull one back for Queens in the dying minutes with an overhead kick which hit the woodwork.