Caley Thistle needed a penalty shoot-out to advance to the semi-finals of the Tunnock’s Caramel Wafer Challenge Cup against League 1 side Clyde.
Following a dire 0-0 draw between the sides at Caledonian Stadium, Inverness recorded a 4-2 shoot-out victory, with goalkeeper Mark Ridgers saving from both Tony Wallace and Chris McStay.
Inverness manager John Robertson and assistant Scott Kellacher were both absent after failing to shake off a sickness bug which has swept the club in recent days, meaning coaches Barry Wilson, Ryan Esson and academy director Charlie Christie took charge of the side.
It was also a much-changed starting 11 from the side which went down 3-0 against Arbroath the previous weekend, with Nikolay Todorov, Tom Walsh, James Keatings and David Carson dropping out to be replaced by Aaron Doran, James Vincent, Mitch Curry and Jordan White.
Forward White was first to threaten with a free-kick which drifted over the bar, before his header from a Miles Storey delivery drifted inches over the bar on 17 minutes.
Inverness continued to threaten, with Curry twice shooting wide after picking up fine positions. Clyde’s first glimpse arrived on 34 minutes when Jamie McCart’s misplaced pass was intercepted by Ross Lyon who set up Darren Smith, but his powerful shot was well blocked by Mark Ridgers.
Doran finished the half with two attempts, firstly seeing a strike palmed away by goalkeeper David Mitchell, while the Irishman floated an effort over the bar on the stroke of half-time.
Inverness had the first attempt of the second half when Charlie Trafford’s flick from just inside the box drifted over, however, Clyde began to pose problems for the hosts the longer the game wore on, with Tony Wallace seeing a shot held by Ridgers, before striking another effort just wide.
Ridgers had to be alert to keep the Bully Wee out on 81 minutes, when he tipped a Chris McStay strike from the edge of the box wide.
Ridgers proved to be the key man in the shoot-out, with Inverness triumphing thanks to penalties from Todorov, Carl Tremarco, Coll Donaldson and Keatings.
