Dundee are through to the fifth round of the William Hill Scottish Cup and a meeting with Motherwell following this narrow but deserved win over Inverness.
The two sides could not be separated when they first met at Dens a week and half ago but this replay was settled by a second-half Scott Allan goal, his first for the Dark Blues since joining on loan from Celtic in the summer.
The win also ended a long Highland hoodoo for Dundee as prior to the game they had never tasted victory at the Tulloch Caledonian Stadium.
Dark Blues boss Neil McCann made two changes from the side that beat Hamilton 2-1 at the SuperSeal Stadium in the league on Saturday.
Injured duo Josh Meekings and Paul McGowan missed out with Kerr Waddell and Allan taking their places in defence and midfield respectively.
There was a welcome return to the Dark Blues’ bench for Roarie Deacon and Lewis Spence after long lay-offs through injury.
Caley boss John Robertson made three changes from the side that was beaten by Falkirk on Saturday with Iain Vigurs, Liam Polworth and Aaron Doran returning to the starting line-up.
The home side had the first opportunity of the game in just the second minute when George Oakley, who scored when the two sides first met at Dens, found time and space in the Dundee box but he dragged his shot well wide of Elliott Parish’s goal.
With a strong wind howling around the stadium it was no surprise to see players trying their luck from long-range with first Allan and then Oakley sending efforts wide.
Dundee then put together a fine sweeping move in the 11th minute which ended with Sofien Moussa teeing up A-Jay Leitch-Smith but the striker’s shot was saved by Caley keeper Mark Ridgers.
It was then Moussa’s turn to have a pop with the big Tunisian twisting and turning down the left before hitting an angled effort which was again stopped by the home keeper.
The game had only gone ahead following a noon inspection and both sets of players struggled to find sustained fluency on the heavy surface.
Allan did though produce a moment of magic on the half-hour mark, threading a pinpoint pass through to Moussa on the left of the Inverness box. He looked certain to shoot but instead produced a cross that took Leitch-Smith by surprise and the chance was lost.
Right on the stroke of half-time, Caley’s Aaron Doran went down in the Dundee box looking for a penalty but instead all he saw was a yellow card with referee Stephen Finnie deciding he had dived.
McCann made a change at half-time bringing Spence on for Faissal El Bakhtaoui.
And the Dark Blues finally made the breakthrough in the 47th minute when Leitch-Smith played in Allan and he calmly sent a measured shot curling into the bottom left corner of Ridgers’ net.
McCann’s men then came agonisingly close to extending their lead in the 57th minute when a close-range effort by Mark O’Hara was cleared off the line with Leitch-Smith then hitting the bar.
Shortly after, Allan stepped up to take a 30-yard free-kick which Ridgers was just glad to tip over his bar.
Leitch-Smith again almost doubled the Dark Blues’ advantage when the ball broke kindly to him with the front man hitting a low drive from just inside the Caley box which looked certain to nestle in the bottom corner of the net but Ridgers dived full length to make a stunning stop.
The keeper came to the rescue again as Dundee piled on the pressure, making another vital save from an Allan shot.
The game should have been well and truly been put to bed in the 82nd minute when Allan sent a superb cross in from the left towards Moussa but the striker sent his point-blank header wide when he really should have hit the back of the net.
Dundee had a big scare in the 88th minute when sub Daniel Mackay fired a rasping shot which Parish did well to keep out.
However, the Dark Blues saw out what remained of the game to secure their place in the next round of the cup.
Attendance – 1,746.
Inverness – Ridgers, Chalmers, Warren, Polworth, Doran (Mulraney, 67), Vigurs, Oakley, Calder (Mackay, 83), Bell (Baird, 67), Mackay, Donaldson.
Subs not used – Esson, Seedorf, Trafford, Brown.
Dundee – Parish, Kerr, Holt, Leitch-Smith, Kamara, Moussa (Deacon, 84), Allan, O’Hara, El Bakhtaoui (Spence, 45), Hendry, Waddell.
Subs not used – Malherbe, O’Dea, Aurtenetxe, Wolters, Lambert.
Referee – Stephen Finnie.
