Ayr hung on to claim their first victory at Inverness in nine attempts, with Stewart Kean's third-minute strike enough to Caley Thistle's championship hopes.

The only goal of the game came after Marc Smyth gathered the ball on the edge of the box and his mis-hit effort fell perfectly for Kean, who fired a curling shot past goalkeeper Mark Brown and into the net.

Ayr almost doubled their lead a minute later when some sloppy defending allowed Scott Chaplain to break forward from midfield, but Brown eventually blocked his effort.

Brown kept his side in the game after 12 minutes when Bobby Mann's poor clearance fell to Kean and he fired in a powerful volley from 16 yards.

However, Brown was well positioned in the middle of his goal and was able to stretch and knock the ball over the crossbar.

Ayr continued to press and Inverness took until the 25th minute to seriously test their defence.

Allan McManus and Mark Campbell got mixed up 20 yards out, allowing Dennis Wyness to break between them and force Craig Nelson into a save but referee John Rowbotham blew for a foul against Wyness in any case.

Ayr forced another chance in the 40th minute, again borne out of sloppy play from Caley Thistle.

James Grady raced to the edge of the box, turned past his marker Stuart Golabek and broke inside, but his curling shot went well wide.

Caley Thistle started the second half more sprightly and almost equalised when Barry Robson's corner was met at the near post by Paul Ritchie.

His effort looked to be heading into the net, but Paul Lovering managed to scramble across the line and clear.

The home side had a fantastic chance after 68 minutes when Ritchie went one-on-one with Nelson, rounded the goalkeeper, but overhit the ball and was forced too wide to get a decent shooting angle, allowing Ayr to regroup and clear.

Caley Thistle kept pushing for the equaliser and Nelson almost handed them a lifeline with five minutes remaining when he dropped a Robson cross only for McManus to scramble the ball clear.

With two minutes remaining Lovering was given two yellow cards in quick succession for time-wasting at a throw-in and then hurlling abuse at the official, but Caley Thistle still could not find an equaliser.

Inverness CT: Brown, Tokely, Golabek, Mann, McCaffray, McBain, Stewart, Wyness, Ritchie, Christie, Robson.

Subs: Duncan, Hart, Bagan, Keogh, Fraser.

Ayr United: Nelson, Lyle, Lovering, McManus, Campbell, Craig, Chaplain, Smyth, Kean, Grady, Murray.

Subs: Dunlop, Black, Whalen, Annand, Dodds.

Referee: John Rowbotham