Richard Offiong and Simon Mensing celebrate the Hamilton goal
Hamilton Accies scored with the last kick of the first half to win their Scottish Premier League clash away to Inverness Caledonian Thistle.
Richard Offiong's 45th-minute strike lit up a disappointing affair in which both sides failed to spark.
Dougie Imrie forced a fine save from Accies' Tomas Cerny and Offiong missed another chance before scoring.
Chances were missed at both ends. But, with two 4-5-1 formations, the teams seemed to cancel each other out.
Caley Thistle new boy Adam Rooney was impressive after he came on at half-time, but he could not find an equaliser.
Ross Tokely started as skipper for Inverness and Grant Munro missed out with a knee injury, while Hamilton named the same starting team that defeated Dundee United.
In a first half where goal-scoring chances were few and far between, it was the home side who had the first chance of the game when Dougie Imrie's cross eventually fell to Roy McBain, whose volley was well saved by Tomas Cerny.
Hamilton started to ask questions of the Inverness defence when a searching ball from Anthony Stevenson found Offiong, but his effort was blocked by Philip McGuire.
Andrew Barrowman was released by Ian Black after 12 minutes, but Cerny rushed out to clear the danger, with referee Stevie O'Reilly waving away the forward's appeals that the goalkeeper had handled outside the box.
Hamilton started to take the initiative and Mark McLaughlin was unlucky to see his header go over Michael Fraser's bar when he was first to a Stevenson corner.
Inverness were still struggling to break down a stubborn visiting defence. McBain had a chance when he headed a Richard Hastings cross towards goal, but his effort went over the bar.
James McArthur found time and space beyond the Inverness defence, but his tantalising ball found no takers.
Hamilton had the best chance of the game thus far when a Stevenson header was won in the air by Simon Mensing, who knocked the ball onto Offiong, but the striker failed to keep his header under the bar.
It was the away side who eventually made the breakthrough when Offiong got the better of debutant Jamie Duff and kept his composure to pass the ball beyond the helpless Fraser.
Adam Rooney came on at half-time for Russell Duncan, while Imrie and Cowie switched flanks, as home boss Craig Brewster looked to get Inverness back on level terms.
Rooney almost made an immediate impact when he found a way past the Hamilton defence to fire across the six-yard box, but his pass found no takers.
Inverness should have got back level when Don Cowie found himself with time and space in the box, but his woeful effort was easily cleared..
Inverness' Andy Barrowman is challenged by Hamilton pair
Hamilton did begin to dominate again, with Stevenson producing several fine deliveries into the Inverness box, but Atkins and Corcoran could not get on the end of them.
The writing was on the wall for Inverness when Tokely could only head a Wilson corner into the stand.
Corcoran had a chance wrap up the points, but he pulled his effort wide. The substitute was denied minutes later when he was quickest to react to Fraser's stop from a Mensing shot, but his effort was saved, although he was adjudged to be offside in any case.
McAllister sneaked in behind Stevenson but headed his effort harmlessly wide with only three minutes remaining.
Cerny was booked for time wasting late on, but Hamilton's dogged defence managed to hang on for all three points.
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