The former Sydney FC coach's current team were a First Division club when they were last beaten on their travels, a November 2009 loss to Partick Thistle, and had maintained the run since promotion to the Scottish Premier League.

An 85th-minute Collin Samuel goal for St Johnstone changed that in their first fixture of 2011, however, and Butcher was left fuming his players failed to perform in Perth.

Butcher said: "I don't think I can describe how disappointed I am. It's the manner of the defeat that's so disappointing.

"It's cruel to lose a goal so late in the game, but St Johnstone had a number of opportunities before that and only Ryan Esson's saves were keeping us in the match.

"In all departments, we've been poor by our own standards. Compared to the way we've set that unbeaten away run, we've been poor.

"I hope that's the festive period over now because it's been a wretched time for us with two home defeats, as well.

"No excuses, St Johnstone won the game today. Good luck to them and we move on. I didn't think the players were at it today and they've been told that.

"We've got this record by being a hard team to beat and by being a much better team than we showed today."

St Johnstone manager Derek McInnes reckoned the victory was deserved by his team because of the amount of opportunities they created before Samuel's late strike.

Samuel's goal was the 700th scored by a St Johnstone player at McDiarmid Park since the Perth club moved to the ground in 1989, but it meant more than a piece of history.

McInnes said: "It's better late than never. I've got huge respect for what Inverness are doing there and it was a fantastic record they had on the road. We knew they would be a tough nut to crack.

"Every one of my players at some point in the game had an opportunity to score which is testament to how we got bodies forward and weren't settling for drawing the game.

"We never played with any fear of not scoring, we kept trying to do the right thing and their keeper had two or three fantastic saves.

"Our full-backs pushed on, our wingers made endless amount of runs, and on another day we might have made it easier for ourselves, but Inverness have resilience about them.

"I've full admiration for the job Terry has done there, they're a tough nut to crack, but I felt we deserved to win today and were the better side."