Inverness Caledonian Thistle 2-0 St Johnstone

Goals from Billy McKay and Marley Watkins helped Inverness coast to a 2-0 win over a lifeless St Johnstone.John Hughes' side delivered an utterly dominant display which helped take them three points off leaders Aberdeen in front of a crowd helped by Inverness' pay-what-you-can initiative.Caley Thistle made two changes from the side that beat Kilmarnock 2-1 10 days ago with David Raven and Greg Tansey both missing through suspension. Danny Williams and Watkins came in while teenage striker Alasdair Sutherland earned a place on the bench.St Johnstone made three changes to the starting 11 that defeated Partick Thistle 2-0 on Saturday.Chris Millar, Steven Maclean and Brian Easton dropped out of the team, to be replaced by Tam Scobbie, Brian Graham and Scott Brown.Graeme Shinnie, moved to right-back to compensate for Raven's absence, skewed an early Liam Caddis effort over his own crossbar that had Dean Brill scrambling.Inverness' first opportunity came via a Williams break as the English midfielder drove at the Saints defence and let fly. Alan Mannus spilled the effort but Steven Anderson was on hand to put the ball behind.A sharp passing move instigated by Williams resulted in Caley Thistle's next chance as he found McKay in the area. McKay exchanged balls across the goal with Watkins and the ball broke to Aaron Doran, whose effort shaved the post.The hosts were controlling possession and fashioning space around the St Johnstone back four. McKay found himself free in the penalty area on 20 minutes and met Nick Ross' cross with a downward header, with Mannus springing to his left to save.Dominance from Caley Thistle was finally rewarded on 34 minutes through McKay, as he latched on to Shinnie's cut-back to drive beyond Mannus.A searching ball by Josh Meekings prised open the visitors' defence again five minutes before the break, and only a last-ditch intervention from Frazer Wright prevented Watkins from pulling the trigger.Watkins got sweet revenge moments later, however, sliding in Carl Tremarco's cross at the back post.Tremarco came close himself before half-time as he smashed a curling effort wide. Caley Thistle had the game under total control and the question was how many they would score, rather than when.Inverness started the second half in a similar manner and Doran saw a curling effort palmed out by Mannus. Saints failed to clear their lines and the ball broke to Ross, who sliced his effort over the top.The home fans, who could set their own ticket prices as part of a pay-what-you-can initiative from the club, were treated to some superb one-touch play. Ross, Shinnie, Mckay and Watkins were the main instigators, with Ross in particular shining.Saints were lucky to get away with a couple of nasty challenges, including one from Gary McDonald on Ross Draper from behind that only earned the substitute a yellow card.For all their control of the game, the third and ultimately killer goal did not arrive.ends