Barry Wilson goal allowed Inverness to leapfrog Kilmarnock into seventh place in the SPL.

The visitors took the lead after 32 minutes when Wilson took a pass from Craig Brewster, before rounding the 'keeper and slotting the ball home.

Inverness 'keeper Mark Brown had earlier touched over a superb curling 25-yard free-kick from Peter Leven.

Killie's Gary Wales just failed to connect with Naismith's inch-perfect cross into the area after 57 minutes.

Despite the longest journey of the league season from Inverness to Kilmarnock, it was the visitors who started with more zest and only a great save by Alan Combe from a close-range Brewster volley prevented Caley taking a second minute lead.

However, Killie shook themselves out of their lethargy and in the ninth minute a tremendous curling 25-yard free-kick from Peter Leven was touched onto the post by Caley `keeper Mark Brown before the ball was eventually cleared to safety.

In the 14th minute of an open game the visitors almost took the lead when defender Stuart Golabek found himself through on goal after a fine pass by playmaker Roy McBain had split the Ayrshire side's defence.

However, Alan Combe made a great stop from point-blank range and was then relieved when Bayne's follow-up shot from 12 yards bounced off the post before Freddy Dindeleux cleared off the line.

However, in the 34th minute, after Dindeleux hesitated in defence, the visitors took the lead with a well-worked goal.

Brewster played in the alert Barry Wilson with a clever pass which split the square Killie defence and the former Livingston player confidently rounded Combe before slotting the ball into the net from an acute angle.

Kilmarnock attacked from the restart and Naismith's angled drive from well outside the box went narrowly past the far post.

Inverness could find no respite from the Rugby Park men's pressure but too often there was a desperation about the home side's attacks when guile and calmness were needed.

The Ayrshire men continued to press but it was Brewster-inspired Inverness who broke occasionally with more purpose.

In the 57th minute Murray sent Naismith down the left and when his inch-perfect cross came into the six-yard box, Wales somehow failed to make a proper connection and the ball went wide.

In the 67th minute a Murray corner from the left was disappointingly headed over by Boyd to the groans of the home support.

Killie continued to knock at the Caley door but as the game entered its latter stages there was more than a hint of desperation about their play.

In the 78th minute Graham Bayne should have secured the points for the under-pressure visitors when he ran clear through on goal but the big striker, under pressure from Hay, could only trundle his shot from the edge of the box into the arms of Combe.

Kilmarnock: Combe, Fowler, Hay, Lilley, Dindeleux, McDonald, Wales (Nish 62 mins), Naismith (Johnston 65 mins) Murray, Leven, Boyd

Subs: Smith, Greer, Dodds, McGregor, Johnstone

Attendance: 4,862