Chisholm relief after win

The visitors went into the game needing a point but Dundee's failure to win rendered the result irrelevant.

Inverness keeper Mark Brown made good saves from Mark Kerr and Barry Robson in the first half.

United were the stronger team and were rewarded when Robson converted a 82nd minute penalty but the same player's day went sour with a late red card.

The action was delayed by 13 minutes due to traffic problems on the road to Inverness.

And the visitors were the first to threaten with the lively Robson causing his former team problems with his direct running.

With eight minutes gone, the winger left Ross Tokely behind and found Stevie Crawford, who laid the ball back for Mark Kerr.

The midfielder timed his run to perfection and met the ball with a firm boot, but Brown pushed it wide.

Caley Thistle's Liam Fox tried his luck with a long-range effort which zipped over the crossbar.

A Robson free kick was headed goalwards by Gary Kenneth only for Brown to dash along the goal-line and tip over.

And, a minute before the interval, Robson connected sweetly with a volley but the ball flew straight at Brown from 16 yards.

The standard of play deteriorated further in the second half as the home team sat back and United huffed and puffed with little invention.

The deadlock was broken when Robson was dumped over by Ross Tokely inside the penalty box and stepped up to take the kick himself.

He blasted his effort straight down the middle and immediately ran to the fans behind the goal, sparking wild celebrations and a pitch invasion.

The winger had already been booked and was on the verge of a red card for his moment of madness, until Inverness player-boss Craig Brewster intervened and pleaded his case.

But no-one could help Robson in the dying minutes when referee Alan Freeland saw fit to finally flash the red card for a dive.

That took some fo the sheen off United's afternoon but nothing could hold back their supporters' celebrations as they again broke the police cordon and took to the pitch.

Inverness CT: Brown, Tokely, Dods, Munro, Hastings, Hart (McAllister 73), Black, Fox, Golabek, Prunty (Wilson 60), Bayne (Brewster 33). Subs Not Used: Fraser, McBain, Duncan, Proctor.

Booked: Black.

Dundee Utd: Bullock, Kenneth, McCracken, Archibald, Wilson, McInnes, Kerr, Brebner (Duff 63), Robson, McIntyre (Grady 86), Crawford (Scotland 57). Subs Not Used: Colgan, Samuel, Dodds, Cameron.

Sent Off: Robson (90). Booked: Brebner, Robson. Goal: Robson 82 pen.

Att: 5,479

Ref: A Freeland