Last updated on .From the section Football

Steven Lawless drilled in a late winner to ease any relegation worries Partick Thistle may have.

Lyle Taylor knocked a high ball into the midfielder's path on 84 minutes and Lawless steered it into the bottom corner from 18 yards.

Thistle were the marginally more threatening side in a drab contest.

James Craigen and Ryan Stevenson had shots saved, while a first-half diving header from Inverness CT's Ryan Christie was comfortably stopped.

Thistle are now nine points clear of Motherwell in the relegation play-off spot after making it back-to-back victories in the top flight for the first time since May 2004.

With Aberdeen slipping up at Dens Park, the sluggish approach from the visitors was puzzling and Caley Thistle fall eight points behind the second-placed side.

Manager John Hughes switched to a back three but Marley Watkins was an isolated figure in attack, with the Jags defence giving him no room to exploit his pace.

In what was the only effort on goal of note from the Highlanders, Christie threw himself at a Josh Meekings cross but his header was gathered easily by Scott Fox.

Craigen found space on the left behind the visitors' defence, with his low strike pushed round the near post by Esson.

After the interval, Esson needed to push away a thumping free kick from Stevenson, while the same player was not too far away with a curling effort.

Lawless set up team-mate Kris Doolan with a shooting opportunity but the striker was too slow to react and a defender in blue was able to deflect his shot wide.

However, the hosts were rewarded with maximum points when substitute Taylor used his strength to get to a high ball first and Lawless latched on to the lay-off to find the net.