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Celtic will enter 2014 with their unbeaten Scottish Premiership record intact after defeating Inverness in the Highlands.

Kris Commons's low drive gave the visitors an early lead.

Graeme Shinnie twice drew saves from Fraser Forster as Inverness tried to restore parity.

Commons continued to be Celtic's main goal threat and was denied a second by goalkeeper Dean Brill midway through the second half.

Victory means Neil Lennon's side have dropped only six points from their opening 18 matches.

Much like their win at St Johnstone on Boxing Day, Celtic scored early, Commons playing a one-two with Georgios Samaras before drilling the ball through the legs of Brill.

Inverness, still without injured captain Richie Foran, now had a sizeable task on their hands if they were to deliver a first home win for recently appointed manager John Hughes.

Aaron Doran tested Forster from 20 yards, the Celtic keeper smothering the ball in the glare of a low-lying sun.

And the league's top scorer, Billy McKay, should have done better than head tamely into the hands of Forster after being picked out by Nick Ross.

Still, the hosts were growing in confidence and Shinnie's rasping drive from the edge of the box gave Forster a much tougher challenge.

And Shinnie was frustrated by the England cap again at the start of the second half, his bobbling low drive palmed out for a corner.

Commons was looking lively at the other end and, after turning an Anthony Stokes cross wide and then clipping the top of the bar with a cross, the 30-year-old forced Brill into a fine save with a shot from inside the box.

Forster had further work to do with Doran firing in from distance and Gary Warren looping a header on target from a corner.

And, in stoppage time, Ross Draper's downward header across the face of the Celtic goal was nodded wide by substitute Ryan Christie, who was flagged offside.