Scottish Premiership: Dundee 2-1 Inverness Caledonian Thistle

Kostadin Gadzhalov (left) scored Dundee's second goal

Dundee leaped off the bottom of the Scottish Premiership and leapfrogged visitors Inverness Caledonian Thistle with a dogged display at Dens Park.

Craig Wighton curled a precise low drive past goalkeeper Owain Fon Williams to put the home side ahead against the run of play.

Kostadin Gadzhalov headed the second after the break as confidence grew.

Carl Tremarco's back-post header meant a nervous last nine minutes before team-mate Lewis Horner was sent off.

Dundee's first win in 17 meetings since 2009 lifts Paul Hartley's side up to seventh place.

Caley Thistle drop to 10th, one point above bottom side Partick Thistle, as their run of games without a win extended to four.

Dee lighten Hartley load

It is just four wins in 15 games now for Dundee this season, but the most significant statistic is that three of them have now come in their last four league matches and they were also only seconds away from a point at Ibrox during that run.

Manager Paul Hartley has not had his problems to seek this season - losing his prolific goalscorers, Greg Stewart and Kane Hemmings, as well as injuries to key defenders - but things are looking a lot brighter now.

For a start, they have a much better shape at the back, with Darren O'Dea playing between fellow central defenders Kosta Gadzhalov and Kevin Gomis, who has settled in well and is comfortable on the ball in tight situations.

Wighton on the button

Cammy Kerr is a threat pushing forward on the right, while fellow youngster Wighton showed why he was so highly rated when making his debut as a 16-year-old in 2013 with a well taken goal.

He glided into space in the penalty area and showed real composure to bend the ball round Fon-Williams to edge the home side in front in 25 minutes.

That was his first goal since getting the last-minute winner to confirm Dundee United's relegation in May and if the Dee can continue to play this well then all thoughts of dropping into the lower league themselves should be wiped out.

Caley Thistle started the game brightly in an attacking sense, but the home side always threatened to extend their lead playing down the Dens Park slope in the second half and Gadzhalov also scored his first since May to as good as confirm the win.

That came in 63 minutes, when Tom Hateley delivered the sort of inviting set-piece he used to do so regularly for Motherwell and the Bulgarian powered home a header from 12 yards.

It was enough to give Dundee their first league win against the Highlanders in 11 years and at the 20th time of asking.

Defence Foren for Caley Thistle

By contrast, Caley Thistle manager Richie Foran needs to follow Hartley's example and find a way to make them harder to beat.

They certainly carry a threat going forward, with target man Losana Doumbouya a constant threat, Paul McGowan clearing one header off the line and another heading just wide.

Left back Tremarco got one back when he headed in Horner's cross from the right and that sparked a spirited last few minutes as they poured forward in a vain attempt to rescue a point.

However, the problem for the Highlanders is that they have conceded more goals than any other team in the top flight.

They will have to do without Horner next weekend as well as the right-back was red-carded in stoppage time for pulling down Wighton as the youngster was denied a clear goalscoring chance after racing clear from his own half.

Match reaction

Dundee manager Paul Hartley: "We were pleased with how we played at Ibrox even though we lost late on, but the players have shown real character and determination to get three wins in the last four games.

"We have got some good players here and the change of shape at the back and having Marcus Haber up front for young Craig Wighton has made a real difference as Craig's talent is there and he is now producing it.

"That win takes us off the bottom of the table and it just shows what a few wins can do for you, but we know that Inverness played better than us at times, so we have to be happy with the result, but we can play better."

Inverness Caledonian Thistle manager Richie Foran: "We were the far better team, We played them off the park at times and that was our best performance of the season but lacked a cutting edge and we were a little bit too open at the back.

"I told the boys that was a great performance, but don't get me wrong, we have to start taking our chances when we are on top in games and stop conceding as many as we have been.

"That aspect of our game is not good enough and I have told them that we have to get better at the back to stop that happening and stick the ball in the net more ourselves.

"Dundee have gone up to sixth, which shows how the league is at the moment and if we go and score the goals from the chances that we are creating then we will be alright."