It was no different here on Rangers’ first visit to Caledonian Stadium, with only a second-half goal from Barry Ferguson splitting the sides.
It left Caley nursing grievances after taking nothing from a match in which they greatly contributed while Rangers will have heaved a huge sigh of relief as they collected their second SPL win of the season in the most testing of circumstances.
McLeish had resisted the temptation to tinker with his starting line-up meaning his latest recruit, Julien Rodriguez, started on the substitutes bench.
It gave the Frenchman the ideal viewpoint from which to watch his new team-mates in a match that – based on reports of the previous week’s 3-0 demolition job on Livingston – he would have expected them to win comfortably.
Instead it proved to be a distinctly uneasy afternoon for McLeish’s men to endure as Caley proved more obdurate opponents than Paul Lambert’s men had been just six days earlier.
The Caledonian Stadium may still enjoy the quaint touches not often seen in the top flight of Scottish football -fans lined the grass verges overlooking the ground for a free glimpse of the action – but on the pitch there is a professional sheen to Caley’s performances these days.
Both on and off the field Craig Brewster – who played under McLeish at Easter Road – continues to be the driving force behind Inverness’ rise and rise.
His two goals earned the Highlanders a deserved victory over Falkirk on the opening day of the season and here again, partnered by the ever-willing Craig Dargo, he proved to be a prickly thorn in Rangers’ side.
He worked his way into several promising scoring positions in an evenly-balanced first half with only some wayward finishing and last-gap defending denying him his third goal of the season.
A surprisingly-cagey looking Rangers defence allowed him the space to shoot after just 14 minutes – he ballooned his attempt well wide – and then saw another effort later in the half well blocked by Ian Murray.
The ball broke to Barry Wilson and from his cross Darren Dods looked certain to score until Ronald Waterreus – again preferred to Stefan Klos in goal – thrust up a palm to somehow divert the ball over his crossbar.
“Klos would have held that,” one wag in the press box joked having witnessed what can only be described as a world-class save.
Whether Waterreus would have saved the penalty that Caley probably should have had when Jose-Karl Pierre-Fanfan seemed to bring down Ross Tokely in the box minutes before the break we will never know.
Rangers, while looking frail in defence, were faring little better in attack with Nacho Novo asked to perform out wide to allow Thomas Buffel to partner Dado Prso in a traditional 4-4-2 formation.
The pair, however, were well shackled by central defensive duo Dods and Grant Munro who between them managed to squeeze the life out of nearly every Rangers attack, forcing first Peter Lovenkrands and then Ferguson to try pot shots from long distance causing little concern to goalkeeper Mark Brown.
When Brown was eventually beaten by an acrobatic attempt on goal by Pierre-Fanfan, Brewster – who else? – was on the spot to clear the danger.
It was Rangers’ only real chance in the opening period and Inverness didn’t make it any easier for them after the break.
A Novo claim for a penalty was waved away by referee Calum Murray before Ferguson was presented with a chance to break the deadlock when Dods chopped Lovenkrands to the ground after trying to dribble his way out of trouble.
His free kick, however, arced just wide of Brown’s right-hand post as the huge Rangers support behind the goal heaved a huge sigh of disappointment.
Brown, a former Rangers prodigy, could have not expected such an easy afternoon although he was called upon to make his first real save shortly afterwards, standing up well to block Novo’s drive on goal from a tight angle.
The Spaniard threw up his arms in exasperation as another chance went begging but he would have a part to play as Rangers eventually went in front just short of the 70th minute mark.
Novo started the move threading the ball through to Prso who jinked along the goalline before sliding a cross along to Ferguson who thumped the ball emphatically past Brown.
It was a goal that hadn’t ever looked like arriving and the Scotland skipper celebrated by jumping headlong into the throng of Rangers fans like a rock star diving into the mosh pit at a rock concert.
When the stewards finally extracted him from the heaving mass, Ferguson’s reward was a yellow card from ref Murray.
The goal seemed to settle Rangers and they should have doubled their advantage soon after had Novo showed more composure in front of goal rather than taking a fresh-air shot like a nervous golfer, completely missing the ball.
A late flurry of Inverness attacks – including Ritchie Hart’s injury-time drive that Waterreus did well to parry – could have made that miss more costly but instead Rangers crept back down the A9 with all points on board. They will be glad they don’t have to come back to Inverness for a while.
INVERNESS: 1 Brown; 2 Tokely, 4 Dodds, 14 Munro, 16 Hastings; 7 Wilson (Fox 86), 24 Black, 6 McBain (Hart 82), 3 Golabek; 17 Dargo (Hislop 76), 25 Brewster.
Subs not used: Fraser, Duncan, Proctor, Parratt
Bookings: Tokely, Dods
RANGERS: 25 Waterreus; 2 Ricksen, 5 Andrews, 18 Pierre-Fanfan, 24 Murray; 10 Novo, 8 Rae (Malcolm 85), 6 Ferguson, 26 Lovenkrands; 4 Buffel, 9 Prso (Thompson 72)
Subs not used: Klos, Rodriguez, Smith, Adam, McCormack.
Bookings: Ferguson, Novo, Pierre-Fanfan, Malcolm
Ref: Calum Murray
Man of the Match: Barry Ferguson