Georgios Samaras proved a decisive figure for Celtic last night, as the champions enjoyed one for the road before embarking on a March schedule that sees them play six games away from the east end of Glasgow.

It was, though, hardly vintage stuff. Celtic were forced to endure an anxious final 20 minutes after Marius Niculae halved the deficit from the lead provided by Scott McDonald and Samaras. The on-loan Manchester City striker’s 61st-minute header is the last goal Celtic’s home support will see until Gordon Strachan’s side return to Celtic Park on April 5 to face Motherwell but it at least keeps the champions still four points behind Rangers in the duel for the Clydesdale Bank Premier League title.

The occasion marked the start of Strachan’s short exile in the stand. The Celtic manager learnt just 24 hours earlier of the SFA’s imposition of a two-match suspension imposed as punishment for an incident involving an Aberdeen steward at Pittodrie last August.

Strachan usually likes to prowl the technical area, notepad in hand. Last night, he was tucked up in the comfort of the Celtic directors’ box, able to gain a better view of the pattern of play, and he will be banished from the touchline on Saturday at Easter Road against Hibernian.

A complex web of fixture changes, as well as domestic and European cup ties, meant that this was the last game Celtic would play in front of their own fans until April. They face six away games in March, going everywhere from the Nou Camp to Ibrox.

Strachan had chosen virtually the same side that started the match at Love Street last Sunday, when they defeated St Mirren 1-0, with just one exception: Shunsuke Nakamura, the matchwinner that day after coming off the bench, replaced Barry Robson.

However, it was Samaras who made the first impact with the crowd on a raw night. The Greece striker knocked the ball beyond Grant Munro, the Inverness defender, in the eighth minute and advanced into the box only to see his shot expertly repelled by the feet of Michael Fraser, the goalkeeper.

Inverness had beaten Celtic when the champions went to the Highlands before Christmas and Craig Brewster, the manager, elected for a system that had Niculae as a lone striker, with the energetic Don Cowie offering support from a deeper role.

As always, the visitors moved the ball around the pitch crisply. However, it was the hosts who had the more incisive moves. Samaras was given a chance to score in the 20th minute when Aiden McGeady picked out Nakamura and the Japan player’s vision found Samaras, but the striker saw his tame shot parried to safety by Fraser.

McGeady was next to try his luck, his drive being deflected wide by the goalkeeper and then, just before the half-hour, Celtic’s most illuminating individual this season, cut in from the left and hit a diagonal effort that Fraser clutched at the second attempt. A moment later, Nakamura came even closer with a raking 30-yard shot that flew narrowly wide.

This flow of traffic was only rarely interrupted, once when Nuiculae wasted a counter-attack by not possessing the pace to get beyond the exposed Gary Caldwell. McGeady swiftly restored the dominance when he latched on to a loose ball cleared to the edge of the box from a Nakamura corner, his shot zipping just wide.

Celtic looked set to carry their frustrations with them into the dressing-room when they finally broke the Inverness resistance with the last touch of the half. Markus Paatelainen had gifted Celtic a free kick on the right touchline with a foolish lunge on Andreas Hinkel and that allowed Nakamura to whip in a free kick that was was met by McDonald who stuck out a leg to stab the ball past Fraser.

Celtic showed no sign of letting the tempo drop in the second half. They created two free kick opportunities in the first five minutes, with Nakamura wide on each occasion. If the accuracy was out, it was still a signal of intent from last season’s Scottish footballer of the year.

As the pressure intensified, Samaras became a more productive contributor. The striker, ona loan from Manchester City, would have scored in the 53rd minute with an unerring shot but McDonald, prowling along the six-yard line, got in the way and did Fraser a favour. Then, moments later, fine work by Massimo Donati set up his Greek colleague, and this time Samaras’s measured shot was denied by the base of the post.

However, Samaras got his reward in the 61st minute when he collected his second goal since moving to Celtic Park last month. The architect was McGeady, who displayed trickery on the left to hold off Ross Tokely before spinning to deliver a cross that was perfect for the tall Samaras to rise and power a header into the roof of the net.

Celtic were far from satisfied. McManus sent a header arcing just over the bar from a Nakamura corner while McGeady and McDonald carved the visitors apart. Yet, it was Inverness who next found the net. Brown was guilty of over-confidence with 20 minutes left and a pass that was intended for Hinkel was given straight to Niculae who then beat Boruc with an angled left-foot finish.

Celtic (4-4-2): A Boruc — A Hinkel, G Caldwell, S McManus, L Naylor — S Nakamura, S Brown, M Donati, A McGeady — G Samaras, S McDonald (sub: C Killen, 84min). Substitutes not used: M Brown, D O’Dea, E Sno, P Hartley, B Robson, D Riordan.

Inverness Caledonian Thistle (4-4-1-1): M Fraser — R Tokely, P McGuire, G Munro, R Hastings — D Imrie, R Duncan, I Black (sub: R McBain, 78), M Paatelainen (sub: D Wyness, 78) — D Cowie — M Niculae. Substitutes not used: Z Malkowski, G Kerr, I Vigurs, D Proctor, D Gillespie. Booked: Imrie, Hastings.

Referee: W Collum.