Last updated on .From the section Scottish Championship

Shaun Rooney broke clear to score the second Inverness goal at Somerset Park

Managerless Ayr United missed the chance to move top of the Scottish Championship as Inverness claimed a deserved victory at Somerset Park.

After league leaders Dundee United lost at Alloa Athletic, second-placed Ayr needed only a point to usurp them.

But James Vincent and Shaun Rooney struck to power the visitors within two points of Ayr and Dundee United, and end the former's five-game winning run.

Ayr have yet to appoint a permanent successor to Ian McCall.

This was a second game - and first defeat - at the helm for caretaker duo Sandy Stewart and Mark Kerr, who have been in charge since McCall's departure to Partick Thistle last month.

The match started at tremendous pace with Caley Thistle's Miles Storey coming close inside the first minute, before Luke McCowan and Michael Moffat both brought good saves from Mark Ridgers in the away goal.

It was the visitors who took the lead in controversial circumstances when, with Jordan White down in the six-yard box and the Ayr defence hesitant, Vincent diverted Rooney's cross into the net.

After the break, Sam Roscoe's poor pass-back had sent Roddy MacGregor scampering through on goal, but the United defender redeemed himself with a terrific saving tackle.

Rooney settled the outcome on 64 minutes when Rooney surged on to Coll Donaldson's clearance and finished coolly past Ross Doohan, and Aaron Doran could have made it 3-0 with 12 minutes left, but blasted over from close range.

Ayr United caretaker manager Sandy Stewart: "I can't fault the team's effort. While I don't think we were as good today as we have been in the last five or six weeks, we still had chances to take something from the game.

"People will look at the Dundee United loss to Alloa and be disappointed we did not take advantage today, but it was always going to be a tight race at the top and that has not changed."

Inverness Caledonian Thistle manager John Robertson: "We are only eight games in, but it is important that we are still there at the top of the table. We faced the best team in the Championship today and we asked the players to put on a performance, show their character and that's what they did in some style."