Dundee Utd 2-1 Inverness CT

United celebrate Daly's impressive first half header

Dundee United continued their climb up the Premier League table thanks to goals from Jon Daly and Lee Wilkie.

Inverness keeper Michael Fraser clawed away a Daly header and United were outraged when a Richard Hastings handball went unpunished.

Darren Dods saw two efforts cleared off the line before Daly powerfully nodded home a Sean Dillon cross on 40 minutes.

Wilkie crashed a header in off the crossbar before his own goal gave Inverness a late consolation.

United have now won four games on the trot and should have been further ahead before Inverness staged a minor rally.

The visitors, who had won their previous two matches, started brightly and the recalled Don Cowie volleyed wide from a tight angle, while United twice threatened from Craig Conway set-pieces.

Wilkie volleyed over the stand after Scott Robertson had headed on a free-kick before Fraser clawed Daly's header off his line following a corner.

Referee Iain Brines turned away strong appeals for a penalty as Flood's cross was handled by Hastings and that appeared to spur the home side on.

However, Inverness spurned a great opportunity on the half-hour when Cowie rolled the ball inside from the left and the unmarked Roy McBain dragged his shot wide from 12 yards.

United almost made them pay moments later but Jamie Duff headed off the line after Dods had met Conway's corner 10 yards out.

The home side broke the deadlock following a good spell of possession when Daly powerfully headed Dillon's right-wing cross into the bottom corner of the net from 12 yards.

Sandaza headed Conway's cross inches past the far post just minutes into the second half and Fraser parried Flood's 25-yard drive after a good break from left-back Paul Dixon

Daly then headed just wide from Conway's brilliant cross as United continued to push Caley Thistle back.

Their lead was extended when Wilkie headed in off the bar after fellow centre-back Dods had nodded Dixon's centre back across the six-yard box.

Substitute Roy O'Donovan was inches away from a third two minutes later when he stabbed Morgaro Gomis' cross just past the far post.

United celebrate Daly's impressive first half header

Inverness boss Craig Brewster brought on striker Adam Rooney for midfielder McBain and suddenly the hosts found themselves under pressure.

Lukasz Zaluska pushed away Barry Wilson's excellent curling effort towards the far corner before the veteran crossed for Andrew Barrowman to head off the post.

Rooney nodded home seconds later after Ross Tokely mis-hit a shot but the Irishman was offside.

Zaluska then got down well to hold Dougie Imrie's powerful long-range drive but United were still a threat and substitute Danny Swanson's 30-yard strike was parried over by Fraser.

Wilson's last-minute corner found the net via a scramble and Wilkie's thigh but Inverness had no time to go in search of an equaliser.

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Dundee United manager Craig Levein:

"We missed a hatful of chances, sometimes because of poor finishing and sometimes because of some great defending and a touch of bad luck.

"We had three cleared off the line in the first half, so on chances I think we might have won 10-4!

"Jon Daly hasn't had a run in the team yet - he had a serious knee injury and then he had a serious ankle injury. He's not yet what you'd call prolific but he's getting there and it was a typical Jon Daly goal today.

"It was a great finish and I'm delighted for him. Like Craig Conway, when he gets a run of games he's a real asset to the team.

"Inverness didn't give us time to play. It was really tight in midfield. But if we hadn't won it would have been an injustice."

Inverness CT manager Craig Brewster:

"I thought it could probably have been 4-4 at half-time. I was pretty happy with my players, the way they shaped up.

"Dundee United are big guys and were a handful with balls played into the box.

"They were giving us problems with that. If you don't stop the crosses then they do have presence in the box.

"They dominated the first 20 minutes of the second half but we slowly came back into it and had a strong finish.

"Maybe if there was another five minutes added on we might have had a chance."

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Dundee Utd: Zaluska, Dillon, Wilkie, Dods, Dixon, Flood, Scott Robertson, Gomis, Conway (Swanson 76), Daly, Sandaza (O'Donovan 59). Subs Not Used: McGovern, Grainger, Kenneth, Buaben, Goodwillie.

Booked: Flood.

Goals: Daly 40, Wilkie 65.

Inverness CT: Fraser, Tokely, Duff, Munro, Hastings, Cowie, Black (Wilson 46), Vigurs, McBain (Rooney 71), Imrie, Barrowman (Wood 84). Subs Not Used: Esson, Djebi-Zadi, McGuire, Gillespie. Booked: Wilson, Munro.

Goal: Wilkie 90 og.

Att: 6,279

Ref: I Brines

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BBC Sport Player Rater man of the match: Dundee United's Lee Wilkie 8.50 (on 90 minutes).

Please note that you can still give the players marks out of 10 on BBC Sport's Player Rater after the match has finished.

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