A solitary goal from Kevin Kyle earned victory for Kilmarnock at Rugby Park which seals their Scottish Premier League status for another season.

The conspiracy theorists had this one marked down as a draw before kick-off, but the visitors came here to win and will feel unlucky not to have collected at least a point.

The result leaves Inverness very much still in the relegation dogfight.

After 11 minutes the Highlanders came close when Richie Foran lunged into the six-yard box but failed to connect with a dangerous ball across the face of the goal by Roy McBain. It was the closest the game had come to the opening goal.

Fifteen minutes before the break Mehdi Taouil won a free-kick in a dangerous position but Inverness won the ball back and broke. Filipe Morais caught the home defence napping but fired just wide.

Kyle had the chance of a trademark header 12 minutes before the break, but he could not connect with the floated ball into the box, and with less than a minute left of the first half, the striker saw his header cleared off the line.

A foul by Ian Black on the edge of the area allowed Killie a rare chance but Frazer Wright blasted the effort two yards wide.

As Inverness tired and chances dried up the home side searched for the goal with Kyle the main target, but Ross Tokely and Grant Munro marshalled the Killie striker well for the first 75 minutes.

However, the hosts then got the goal they barely deserved. With 10 minutes remaining Taouil beat his man and supplied Garry Hay, who crossed for Kyle to knock the ball home at the back post.

Taouil nearly made in 2-0 in the last minute but his effort hit the post.