Ross County manager Derek Adams made a late tactical gamble to claim the point which knocked Dundee off the top of the First Division.
Trailing with just 14 minutes left, Adams took off two midfielders, sent on two attackers and played with four forwards for the final stages of an absorbing game at Victoria Park, Dingwall, on Saturday.
The switch was successful, substitute Steven Craig scoring with four minutes left to cancel out Ben Hutchinson’s 49th-minute opener.
The irony of the draw was County’s greatest rivals Inverness took advantage of the stalemate, overtaking Dundee after defeating Partick Thistle 1-0 at Firhill to claim first place in the table.
Adams felt he had no option but to go for broke late on.
He said: “We were unfortunate not to go ahead early in the first half. Leigh Griffiths caused us a few problems and Ben Hutchinson scored with a good shot into the top corner.
“Then we changed it and we went with four up front with one playing off them and it paid off. We were losing 1-0 and I thought we had to do something and tactically it worked.
“We always know we have the players on the bench to open up a game. Our fitness levels are excellent. We are the fittest team in the league.
“It is why we are able to score so late on in games.
“We deserved a point out of it. It was a good point.
“We just have to keep it going. We have had a difficult run of fixtures, playing Hibs twice, Caley Thistle and Dundee. We will be facing the league leaders again on Tuesday night.”
County could have opened the scoring after just three minutes when Iain Vigurs shot over from Martin Scott’s cross from the right.
Griffiths, who used his pace to devastating effect all afternoon, sped past Scott Boyd on the left and crossed for Hutchinson but County goalkeeper Michael McGovern saved the on-loan Celtic attacker’s effort.
Dundee were marginally on top in the first half and Ryan O’Leary forced McGovern into a great diving stop with a low header from Eric Paton’s free kick, Gary Miller clearing after Hutchinson could only hit the post from the rebound.
Four minutes after the break Hutchinson did break the stalemate, rifling past McGovern from Griffiths’s lay-off.
After failing to force an equaliser, Adams altered his formation by bringing on Garry Wood and Craig to form a four-pronged front line with Paul Di Giacomo and Andy Barrowman.
Griffiths missed a great chance with 10 minutes left, shooting wide from 12 yards when clear through, before County equalised.
Michael Gardyne’s accurate through ball found Di Giacomo in space on the right and from his cross Craig sent a low shot past Bullock from eight yards.
Dundee manager Gordon Chisholm said: “We are disappointed to be off the top of the table but we are still within striking distance.
“There is a lot of football still to be played and I am sure there are a lot of twists and turns still to come.
“If we show the same endeavour and commitment we will not be far away.
“I was delighted with the effort of the players.
“I thought we maybe could have scored a couple of goals in the first half, we had a couple of chances.
“The only disappointment was we did not manage to hold on at the end.
“County went for it and threw balls into the box and we did try to change it a little bit to deal with it. I thought we were solid in defence but sometimes luck comes into it and teams get the break of the ball in the box. Hibs came here and lost. It is a hard place to come to.”