THEY say the more things change, the more they stay the same. Certainly, when it comes to Highland derby day hostilities, history tends to repeat itself.

Here we were anticipating an affirmation of Ross County's rising status, perhaps even an emphatic result symbolic of a power-shift between the two northerly rivals. There is no question something special is brewing at the Dingwall club, where Jim McIntyre has carefully and thoughtfully assembled a talented, balanced squad under chairman Roy MacGregor's enthusiastic backing.

But Inverness Caley Thistle, as they have done so many times down the years, came west and punctured expectations.

For now at least, they retain the edge in this fixture. There was a certain savvy in the way the Scottish Cup holders absorbed County's early exuberant intent, then hit clinically when it counted, twice just before the break.

The opener came from Miles Storey, the 21-year-old on-loan Swindon Town striker who, it seems, is shaping up as the missing part of the jigsaw for manager John Hughes. James Vincent headed the second goal in first half stoppage time and Liam Boyce's late reply for County was never going to turn the match.

In terminating County's seven-game unbeaten run, Caley Thistle took their own to six matches, a far cry from the run of eight without victory they endured at the outset this season. It was also a fourth successive Inverness win in Dingwall in a fixture where they have traditionally tormented County with 24 wins to just 11 defeats in two decades of national league confrontation. In truth, there was little in the game but the lasting impression was that the more streetwise team hade prevailed.

Scorer Vincent was quick to credit his manager for edging the tactical battle and taking his team just two points behind the neighbours in the table. Vincent also hopes the Inverness resurgence will help persuade John Hughes to ignore reported interest from Dundee United and stay in the Highlands. "I have to say the manager has been fantastic," Vincent, the 26-year-old former Kidderminster Harriers midfielder, said. "He's perfect for players like myself who want to play football in the right way.

"He's a clever manager. It's not a surprise he's been linked elsewhere, but we're on a good roll at the moment and, hopefully, the manager will stick with us. We won the Scottish Cup last year and had a strong finish in the league. We did not start the best this season, but we've picked up a lot of momentum now.

"It's feeling like last season. All of a sudden, we're back to the way we were."

There is no question the arrival of Storey has been transformational. Finally, Inverness seem to have a striker capable of filling the considerable goalscoring boots of Billy Mckay although his loan expires at Christmas.

"We've got a fantastic squad. We don't necessarily rely on particular individual players," Vincent stressed. "Don't get me wrong, the lads that left last year, Graeme Shinnie and Marley, were fantastic, but the gaffer has replaced them. Miles has been stretching teams. He's probably what we were missing from the games at the beginning of the season."

County were the team on the front foot through much of the first half but hit a formidable wall in the rock-solid Inverness defence. It was no classic but the game exploded three minutes before the break when Liam Polworth's fine supply from the right found Storey nipping in at the far post to score. Crucially, Caley Thistle grabbed a second in first half stoppage time with Greg Tansey's corner headed across goal by Devine for Vincent to nod home.

When the visitors' did finally concede, in stoppage time at the close, it came just too late for County to capitalise fully. Boyce, now on 11 goals from nine games, is now hoping the agony of derby defeat will make way to an altogether happier sensation this week with Northern Ireland. With Kyle Lafferty suspended, international manager Michael O'Neill might well turn to the 24-year-old as replacement for Thursday's all-important clash with Greece.

"I meet up with the Northern Ireland squad tomorrow. Hopefully, we can get the point we need on Thursday and not have to wait until the second game," Boyce said. "There's a couple of players doing well - Billy Mckay has scored a couple for Dundee United and big Josh Magennis has, too, for Kilmarnock. "Obviously, I've been scoring as well so it's a big decision for the manager to make. I've done everything I can to put myself in the best situation to start.

"I'm pleased with 11 goals so far. I've equalled what I managed in the whole of last season, so it's brilliant for me." Boyce has a clear grasp of just what qualification would mean for the province he grew up in.

"Everyone is talking about Wales being so close to reaching France 2016, but I think it would be an even bigger achievement for Northern Ireland," he said. "It is such a small country. We just want to get ourselves over the line and hopefully we can do that. It would be an unbelievable achievement."