91Èȱ¬

Ryan Stevenson's double and headed goals from Gary Fraser and Conrad Balatoni helped Partick Thistle shatter Inverness's unbeaten home record.

John Hughes' side had not lost at home all season but Stevenson slid in to open the scoring and added a second with a shot before half-time.

Fraser nodded Thistle further ahead.

And Inverness full-back David Raven had a goal chalked off for offside before Conrad Balatoni headed the visitors' fourth.

The result gives Scottish Premiership leaders Celtic the chance to move six points clear of Inverness when they face St Mirren on Sunday.

Partick Thistle were the first visiting team to win at Inverness in the league last season and travelled north having beaten Hughes' men in Glasgow earlier this term.

And Alan Archibald's side deserved what was only their second away win of the campaign for the way they countered Caley Thistle's passing game while maximising their own chances.

Both teams were intent on playing controlled football on the deck which made for an entertaining game in the early exchanges.

Marley Watkins squandered a chance with an over-precise angled shot across Partick Thistle goalkeeper Paul Gallacher, which squeezed wide of the far post.

It was to prove a costly mistake as within two minutes the visitors hit the front when Christie Elliot was allowed time and space to race clear down the right.

Goalkeeper Dean Brill should have dealt with the midfielder's cross into the six-yard box but he hesitated, allowing Ryan Stevenson to pounce.

High-intensity pressing led to Stevenson's second as Caley Thistle were far too casual just outside their own penalty area.

Thistle gained cheap possession and Kallum Higginbotham squared to Stevenson, who guided a sublime 18-yard effort into the bottom corner of Brill's net.

In fact, it took an outstanding Brill save just to keep the hosts in the game as he somehow clawed clear Dan Seaborne's header two minutes later.

Those comeback hopes only lasted four minutes into the second half when Stevenson turned provider for Fraser to head home off the underside of the bar.

Any notion that it was not going to be Caley Thistle's day ended when Raven lashed a 40-yard shot into the net only for a team-mate to be ruled offside.

Balatoni soon nodded in Stuart Bannigan's corner to compound the hosts' misery before more Brill's saves prevented an even heavier drubbing for Inverness.