Inverness took on newly-promoted opposition for the second time in five days, but by contrast with Saturday’s comfortable win against Hamilton they were given a stiff test by a confident Dundee side.
Both sides looked to spread the ball across an impeccable Caledonian Stadium surface hosting Premiership football for the first time this season, but neither side could make a breakthrough with defences on top.
Inverness were celebrating the 20th anniversary of their first ever match against Albion Rovers, however both a point was no mean feat from a match in which both sides could lay claim to deserving all three.
Both sides named unchanged starting line-ups from the weekend, aiming to build upon positive starts to the Premiership season on Saturday.
Caley Thistle were buoyed by their victory at New Douglas Park, while the Dark Blues drew 1-1 with Kilmarnock on their return to the top-flight.
The visitors were dealt an early blow on eight minutes when captain Kevin Thomson – who has a history of injury problems – limped off to be replaced by Jim McAlister.
Both sides began the game looking comfortable in possession of the ball, both enjoying good flurries of play. However first effort defied the early tone of the game, when Ross Draper won the ball in midfield before launching a speculative 40 yard effort which dipped narrowly over Kyle Letheren’s crossbar.
Dundee showed their threat on the counter attack on 16 minutes, when Gary Harkins released Paul McGinn down the right, before his cross was met by the head of Greg Stewart whose powerful effort was held comfortably by Dean Brill.
Four minutes later, Ryan Christie’s low corner found James Vincent on the edge of the box, but his shot went harmlessly over, before at the other end McAlister’s header was saved low by Brill.
On 28 minutes Dundee defender Thomas Konrad was fortunate to avoid a yellow card when he abruptly halted the run of Christie, but referee Stephen Finnie let the German off with a warning.
Inverness forward Billy Mckay had been quiet in the opening half-hour, but the attacker – subject of reported interest from German side FSV Frankfurt – burst into life on 34 minutes with a shot from the edge of the box that Letheren dealt with comfortably.
Caley Thistle’s best opening of the first-half came on 39 minutes when captain Graeme Shinnie released Mckay who crossed for Christie, but the teenager could not force the ball past a rack of Dundee defenders and he was eventually snuffed out.
The Caley Jags began to dictate the tempo towards the end of the first-half with Shinnie and Raven making an impact coming forward from full-back, while Draper took command of the midfield following a similarly strong performance on Saturday.
However they were unable to test Letheren again before the interval, with long-range strikes from Danny Williams and Greg Tansey drifting wide.
Inverness brought Marley Watkins on for James Vincent four minutes into the second-half, and he looked lively from the offset with some good running down the right-hand side.
However Dundee reminded the hosts of their threat on 55 minutes when Paul McGowan’s cross was inches ahead of the run of forward Luka Tankulic.
The hosts carved out a great opportunity to open the scoring on 59 minutes, with Watkins playing a great ball in to Danny Williams who crossed low towards Mckay, however an excellent defensive intervention by James McPake halted the danger.
The Dark Blues rotated their frontline on the hour mark by replacing Luka Tankulic and Greg Stewart with Peter MacDonald and Martin Boyle, however Inverness continued to set the second-half tempo.
The hosts created the best chance of the match thus far when Christie slipped the ball into Graeme Shinnie at the left angle of the penalty box, with his initial shot superbly saved by Brill, before the rebound broke to the Caley Jags skipper who scooped just over.
However, Dundee grew in belief and should have opened the scoring with fifteen minutes remaining. Harkins’ corner came all the way through to attacker Peter MacDonald unmarked at the far post, but he rifled a shot high and wide.
Moments later it took a fantastic saving challenge by David Raven to deny Harkins breaking the deadlock, after the midfielder was put clean through on goal by Boyle’s excellent pass.