Imrie had only been on the park for two minutes, after replacing Iain Vigurs, when he added to team-mate Don Cowie's earlier strike which had cancelled out a Mark Stewart opener.

And while all eyes were on McCurry's return to the fold, following a spell on the sidelines after revelations of his private life hit the tabloids, the Falkirk fans' focus at the end were clearly on their under-achieving side.

"I can't ask the players to give me any more," insisted Falkirk manager John Hughes. "It's disappointing to lose but the results will come."

Four SPL games, albeit including two against the Old Firm, have ended in defeat and left Falkirk at the bottom of the leg with yesterday's latest fare a bridge too far for some of the fans.

Had luck been on his side former Stoke City star Adam Rooney could have netted a first-half hat-trick for Caley.

A slip from Darren Barr allowed Rooney space inside the penalty box but Robert Olejnik rushed off his line to parry, then got straight back up to block Garry Wood's effort off the rebound.

Wood would surely have netted on 13 minutes had he been able to get a touch on Ross Tokely's teasing cross but again Falkirk survived.

Then at the other end, Inverness keeper Michael Fraser was a relieved man as John Stewart met a Scott Arfield cross to head inches wide on 20 minutes. Fraser then misfired a clearance straight off the back of Mark Stewart, only to see the ball skid out for a throw-in.

Barr again slipped on the ball in 26 minutes to allow Rooney to home in on goal but again Olejnik was the hero with a close-range block.

The Austrian keeper was on the top of his game and a superb fingertip save from Don Cowie denied Inverness from taking a half-time lead.

Inverness took the game to their hosts in the second period and the impressive runs of Vigurs on the left caused the home side all sorts of problems. One such run, on 50 minutes, saw him find space to get on the end of a Roy McBain pass only to shoot wide from 15 yards.

Falkirk then took a 61st minute lead, Graham Barrett chasing a seemingly lost cause on the right flank to cut the ball back for Mark Stewart to side-foot in off the post from close range.

The lead lasted just eight minutes, though, as their defence left keeper Olejnik's goal cruelly exposed at a Vigurs' corner on 69 minutes. Jamie Duff miscued but team-mate Don Cowie provided the back-up to drive low through a ruck of bodies and past Olejnik to make it 1-1.

Things then got worse for the home side as substitute Imrie took advantage of poor defending to fire the ball high into the net and consign Falkirk to another defeat.