Caley Thistle go into Friday’s Premiership play-off quarter-final against Partick Thistle with the advantage after a superb 2-1 comeback win in Tuesday’s first leg at Firhill.
Midfielder Robbie Crawford’s strike early in the second half put the Glasgow Jags in front, but Shane Sutherland pounced to level it up before teeing up substitute Austin Samuels for a late winner.
ICT rounded off their regular league season in style on Friday with an impressive 4-0 home win over Hamilton.
Billy Dodds’ third-placed finishers ended seven points clear of nearest rivals Partick Thistle, who lost out 3-1 at Ayr United as the Honest Men beat the drop as a result.
The head-to-heads between the two Jags were all square this season, with two draws and a win apiece, and there was no shortage of drama and goals overall.
Home manager Ian McCall, who was missing from the touchlines on Friday due to illness, was back in his usual spot and the line-up was bolstered by the returns of attackers Brian Graham and Scott Tiffoney.
Dodds, meanwhile, returned to type after five changes against the Accies. He handed starts to returning defenders Kirk Broadfoot and Danny Devine, with skipper Sean Welsh and Reece McAlear back in midfield and Logan Chalmers supporting the front-line. Tom Walsh was rewarded for his double on Friday by retaining his place in the team.
An added boost was midfielder Scott Allardice making the bench following his knee injury keeping him out since January.
No side which has finished third or fourth in the Championship has ever made it to the Premiership via the play-offs since they were brought in by the SPFL almost a decade ago.
Partick or Inverness want to, therefore, be the history-makers by kicking off as a top-flight club in July.
Lively start as rivals seek an opening
The visitors started well and Shane Sutherland flashed an early drive beyond the left post after neat link-up play from Chalmers and Walsh.
Thistle soon settled though and forced a couple of corners, getting the Firhill faithful on their feet.
Graham almost won possession from ICT keeper Mark Ridgers after a strong back pass from Broadfoot caught him out, but he did enough to clear the danger in 14 minutes.
Five minutes later, Walsh had to go off after picking up a knock. He was replaced by young Lewis Hyde.
Ridgers had to be alert on 22 minutes as he cleanly caught a volley from Tunji Akinola as he met a Stephen Hendrie cross into the box. Tiffoney was next to threaten, but he blazed over from a Hendrie throw-in.
A counter-attack from an Inverness corner on 38 minutes had the visitors back-pedalling. Appeals for a free-kick award when Tiffoney went down were waved clear by referee Steven McLean.
On the stroke of half-time, ICT almost grabbed the opener when Welsh picked out Robbie Deas and the full-back’s drive flew wide of the right post.
Thistle grasp control after break
Ridgers came to rescue early in the second half when he thwarted an attempt from Graham as the ex-Ross County man met a Tiffoney delivery and was set to pull the trigger.
However, the opening came on 54 minutes when a swift attack down the right ended with Crawford steering the ball past Ridgers after a deft assist from Graham.
The volume was cranked up and Partick sensed a chance to really go for the jugular. Inverness needed to withstand the pressure.
Caley Thistle showed they still had menace too though as Chalmers tested Jamie Sneddon with a low drive, but it was a fairly easy collection for the home number one.
And with 20 minutes to go, Sutherland pounced to lash home the leveller after Mckay’s low 20-yarder was pushed by Sneddon into the path of the ICT forward.
Partick almost nicked it with 12 minutes to go when substitute Juan Alegria cashed in on a slip by Carson, but Ridgers raced out to deny the on-loan Ranger.
It was Inverness who had the final say though as sub Samuels slid in to convert a wonderful whipped cross from Sutherland.
The overall winner emerging from the second leg in Inverness this Friday will face league runners-up Arbroath over two ties next week, starting at home next Tuesday.
How they lined up
PARTICK THISTLE (4-3-3) – Sneddon 6, Holt 6, Tiffoney 6, Bannigan 6, Graham 6 (Smith 86), Jakubiak 6, McKenna 6, Akinola 6 (Alegria 75), Crawford 6, Docherty 6, Hendrie 7. Subs not used: Firth (GK), Foster, Bell. Murray, Stanway.
CALEY THISTLE (4-2-3-1) – Ridgers 7, Welsh 6, Deas 6, Devine 6, Carson 6, Mckay 6 (Hardy 75), Sutherland 7, Walsh 4 (Hyde 19 replaced by Samuels 60), Broadfoot 6, Chalmers 6 (Harper 75), McAlear 6. Subs not used: Mackay (GK), Allardice.
Referee – Steven McLean.
Attendance – 2919.
Man of the match – Shane Sutherland.
