Last updated on .From the section Football

Dundee United lurched closer to the drop as a toothless display ensured they fell to defeat by an improved Inverness Caledonian Thistle side.

Miles Storey tapped in Ross Draper's cut-back as the United defence was opened up.

Then Iain Vigurs made it two after the break with a long drive past goalkeeper Eiji Kawashima.

The result leaves Mixu Paatelainen's side eight points adrift of second-bottom Kilmarnock.

It means they have to win a minimum of three of their remaining five games, having won just six from 33 so far, to avoid automatic relegation.

On the evidence of this match, that is an entirely improbable sequence of results, with United on a run of only one win in their last six matches.

Same old Storey as United falter

A Scottish Cup semi-final against Hibernian next weekend may be a welcome distraction in a season that, otherwise, threatens to be utterly grim.

Caley Thistle may not have been able to hit the heights of last season - they will finish in the bottom six despite this victory - but they were markedly superior to United.

Storey's opening goal came seconds after he was allowed a clear run on goal by a fragile United defence and though Kawashima denied him then, United failed to learn a lesson and allowed Draper in behind them to set up Storey for a tap-in.

Dundee United fans booed their team off at the end

Kawashima kept the deficit down, saving from Greg Tansey and Gary Warren before the break, but he was beaten again early in the second half.

A corner kick was cleared as far as Vigurs who, 25 yards from goal, powered the ball past the Japanese keeper, who pushed over a similar effort from the midfielder later in the match.

United only seriously threatened Owain Fon Williams' goal on a couple of occasions and both times the visiting keeper saved well, firstly from Guy Demel and then Kyle Knoyle.

The full-time whistle was greeted by boos from the bulk of the United fans who had remained to the bitter end, but it appears there is an even more bitter end to follow.

For Inverness it was just the Highlanders' second win in eight Premiership matches, but not enough to make the top six.