GLASGOW, Scotland (Interstat) — Inverness Caledonian Thistle delivered a commanding away performance Sunday, routing Partick Thistle 4-1 at Firhill Stadium in a Scottish Play-off 1/2 match. The visitors’ attack proved relentless, overwhelming the home side with goals from four different players to seize control of the two-legged tie.

The match, played March 8, 2026, saw Inverness take a firm grip early. Substitute Javi Hernández opened the scoring in the 37th minute, breaking a stalemate that had seen both sides receive first-half yellow cards for Sebastián Palacios and Sotiris Kontouris of Inverness. The lead doubled just before halftime when Kontouris found the net in the 50th minute.

Any hope of a Partick Thistle comeback was quickly extinguished after the break. Fabricio Pedrozo made it 3-0 for the visitors in the 61st minute, and another substitute, Giorgos Kyriakopoulos, added a fourth just nine minutes later in the 70th minute, showcasing Inverness’s depth.

Partick Thistle managed a brief consolation goal in the 54th minute, as midfielder Robert Crawford of Irvine scored. However, the home side’s momentum was immediately undercut. Just one minute after Crawford’s goal, Inverness was awarded a penalty kick. Veteran attacker Shane Sutherland of Wick stepped up and converted it in the 71st minute, restoring the four-goal margin at 5-1.

Inverness capped the scoring in the 82nd minute through substitute Austin Samuels of Wolverhampton, England, who had entered the match just minutes earlier. The final whistle confirmed a comprehensive 6-1 victory for the Highlanders, a result that far exceeded the 1-1 draw projected by Interstat’s game simulator. The system had given Inverness a 54.7 percent probability to win.

The match was a physical affair, with eight yellow cards issued by the officiating crew. Partick Thistle’s Steven Hendrie and Brian Graham were booked, along with Inverness’s Logan Chalmers and Karol Świderski.

The victory improves Inverness Caledonian Thistle’s record in the play-off competition to 2 wins and 0 losses, while Partick Thistle falls to 0 wins and 2 losses. The teams are scheduled to meet again immediately in the second leg of the tie, with Inverness now holding a massive five-goal aggregate advantage as the scene shifts to their home ground.