WITH seconds remaining, Inverness couldn’t quite hold out for their long-awaited first win.
At the sixth attempt, John Hughes’ side seemed on course to finally taste victory, only for Kane Hemmings to deny them with a stoppage-time equaliser which cancelled out David Raven’s splendid 60th-minute opener for the winless Highlanders.
It was harsh on the visitors who’d watched Owain Fon-Williams, their Welsh keeper, save Greg Stewart’s 83rd minute penalty before Hemmings struck in the dying seconds.
To add insult to injury, there was still time for their strikerAndrea Mutombo to get himself sent off for violent conduct.
“It would have been great for the boys to hold out but that’s what football does to you, “ sighed Hughes afterwards, while also confirming Celtic had tabled an official bid for their 20-year-old forward, Ryan Christie.
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“I feel for the boys having put so much into the game. It’s bitterly disappointing.
“As for Ryan, all credit to him or getting on with it.
“There’s a lot going on just now but we just have to keep him away from it all.
“There’s certainly been a bid put in by Celtic and you can see why a club like that are interested in signing him.”
Much of the pre-match talk surrounded Christie, who helped the visitors make such a bright start, which included Mutombo’s free header from Raven’s cross early on which flashed past Dundee keeper Scott Bain’s right-hand post.
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Soon after, Caley Thistle created a clear-cut chance to take the lead. Iain Vigurs worked a neat one-two with Raven and finished wih a right-foot shot which went just inches wide of the target.
Inverness were on the attack again in 43 minutes when Ross Draper tried his luck with a shot from 25 yards which Bain did well to keep out at the expense of a corner.
But, in 60 minutes, justice was done as they took the lead.
A slick move down the left set up Mutombo, whose cross eluded the entire Dundee defence and Raven, known more for his defensive qualities, was on hand to curl a fine left-foot shot into Bain’s far corner.
It was no more than they merited although they had keeper Fon-Williams to thank for keeping them ahead two minutes later as he parried away Paul McGowan’s fierce 23-yard shot.
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Then, with seven minutes left, Stewart’s standard cross was handled inside the box by Daniel Devine who was under no real pressure.
Up stepped Stewart to hit the spot-kick but Fon-Williams dived low to his left to save and keep the visitors in front. Only until stoppage time, though, when Hemmings levelled, running onto Paul McGinn’s long through ball to calmly finish past Fon-Williams.
Then came Mutombo’s moment of madness, which saw him earn a straight red for a lunge on Nick Ross.
“We hung in there,” reflected Hartley at the end.
“Greg missed the penalty but he’s won us games before.
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“We kept going right to the end which is the most pleasing thing.
“Their player could have been sent-off at the penalty but we’re not here to criticise referees.
Star man: David Raven (Inverness)
Dundee: Bain 6, Irvine 6 (Carreiro 75min 4, Konrad 6 (Meggatt 68min 5), McPake 5, Stewart 6, Low 5, Thomson 5, Hemmings 6, Ross 5, McGowan 6, McGinn 6
Inverness: Fon-Williams 6, Raven 7, Tremarco 6, Lopez 5, Draper 6, Devine 6, Tansey 6, Williams 5, Vigurs 7 (Wedderburn 82min 4), Christie 6, Mutombo 6