Caley Thistle required a penalty shoot-out to advance through to the last-16 of the SPFL Trust Trophy following a 3-3 draw with Brechin City.
Inverness took the lead through George Oakley after just five minutes, however it was cancelled out by a stunning strike from former Caley Jag Kevin McHattie.
Nathan Shaw restored the hosts’ lead before half-time before Oakley’s second appeared to put them in command.
Brechin staged a superb response with goals from Grady McGrath and Euan Spark pulling them level to force a shoot-out.
It was the hosts who triumphed, with Robbie Deas blasting home the decisive spot-kick in a 4-3 shoot-out victory, after Brechin substitute Ryan McInnes had seen the previous penalty saved by Cammy Mackay.
Billy Dodds rang the changes from the side which came from behind to defeat Dundee 3-2 the previous weekend. There were eight changes in total, with two-goal hero Cameron Harper, Danny Devine and Zak Delaney the only players to keep their place.
Of the players drafted in there was a first start for teenager Calum MacKay, while Max Ram made his first outing since picking up an injury in the opening Premier Sports Cup tie at Kelty Hearts.
Cameron Mackay, Wallace Duffy, Aaron Doran, Lewis Hyde, Shaw and Oakley were also handed starts.
Brechin had plenty reason to make the trip north in fine spirits, having won their opening seven league matches to top the Highland League. They were fresh from a comfortable victory over Jeanfield Swifts the previous weekend to advance to the second round of the Scottish Cup.
Andy Kirk made two changes, with Michael McArthur and Aaron Arnott replacing Euan Loudon and former Caley Jag Anthony McDonald.
Inverness made the perfect start after just five minutes however. Doran’s outswinging corner picked out the head of Ram whose effort was initially saved by Lenny Wilson but Devine was on hand to squeeze the ball across goal for Oakley to tap home from point-blank range.
The home side looked to build on their early breakthrough, with Shaw nearly presented with an opening when he latched on to a long ball by Harper, but he could not take the ball in his stride to get a shot at goal.
A bizarre moment came midway through the first half when, prior to his first senior appearance, Inverness substitute Matthew Strachan was booked for flicking the ball away from an opponent who was keen to take a quick throw-in when goalkeeper Mackay was out of position.
Brechin began to threaten, with Aaron Arnott twice off target with efforts from the edge of the box, however the visitors were not to be denied on 27 minutes. The ball broke to McHattie on the edge of the box, and he swivelled into a shooting position before launching a delightful curling strike high past Mackay to haunt his former club.
Relinquishing the lead came as a disappointment to Inverness, who had struggled to maintain their early spark. They came close to regaining their advantage on 35 minutes though, when Duffy found himself in an advanced position before sliding the ball through to Oakley, whose shot was diverted on to the side-netting by Wilson.
Caley Jags got themselves back in front just three minutes later. They were helped along their way by Nathan Cooney’s slip which allowed Oakley to run through, before he squared for Shaw to roll low past Wilson and restore his side’s lead.
The home side continued to push towards the interval, with Harper seeing a low effort from the edge of the box thwarted by Wilson.
Dodds shuffled his side at half-time, with Scott Allardice and Robbie Deas coming on to replace Harper and Devine.
That did not disrupt Inverness’ momentum from the end of the first period, with Duffy’s run halted by Cooney inside the box to result in a penalty. Oakley stepped up to the duty, and powerfully dispatched his effort down the middle to net his second of the afternoon.
Inverness initially appeared to be comfortable, with a further double substitution seeing teenager MacKay replaced by older brother Daniel MacKay, and Steven Boyd coming on for Ram.
Shaw looked the most likely to add to the scoresheet for the home side, with a low strike held by Wilson following a fine passing move, while the winger also had an effort headed behind off the goal line by Euan Spark. Doran’s resulting corner set up an opportunity for Deas, who nodded his effort wide.
Out of nowhere Brechin secured a lifeline on 73 minutes. Marc Scott got himself in behind Caley Jags’ backline before squaring to McGrath, who was on hand to tap home at the far post.
City continued to mount pressure and they levelled six minutes later, when Cooney knocked the ball down for fellow defender Spark to cushion a low strike into the bottom corner.
That forced the game to penalties, with Inverness coming out on top.
CALEY THISTLE (4-2-3-1) – Cameron Mackay 6; Duffy 6, Ram 6 (Boyd 64), Devine 5 (Deas 46), Delaney 6; Hyde 6, Harper 5 (Allardice 46); Shaw 7, Callum MacKay 6 (D MacKay 64), Doran 6 (B Mckay 84); Oakley 7. Subs not used – Ridgers, Carson, D MacKay, Boyd, Strachan, Bray.
BRECHIN CITY (3-4-1-2) – Wilson 6; Spark 6 (McInnes 90), Cooney 6, McHattie 7; Northcott 6, MacLeod 6, McArthur 4 (Loudon 24), Cruickshank 6; Arnott 7 (Bain 68); Scott 7 (Inglis 90), McGrath 7. Subs not used – Easton, Thomson, McDonald, Naglik.
Referee – Barry Cook 6
Attendance – 832
Man of the match: Kevin McHattie
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