All set to return to Hampden Park for the first time in 11 years, but Caley Jags made hard work of overcoming Raith Rovers.
Inverness were the dominant side throughout, with their goal seldom put under pressure by the Championship side. However, just when thoughts of a replay at Stark’s Park next week were starting to creep in, defender Danny Devine’s first goal of the season settled the nerves.
Had Caley Thistle’s finishing been better they could have had the game wrapped up much earlier, but they held out to book an April semi-final date with either Celtic or Dundee United, and the Highlanders will discover their opponents when the two sides meet at Parkhead next Wednesday.
Caley Thistle were in action for the first time since last weekend’s 2-1 Premiership defeat against Motherwell, with manager John Hughes making just one change from that side, midfielder Marley Watkins returning in place of Nick Ross. That meant Nigerian attacker Edward Ofere continued up front having began his Caley Jags career with a goal against the Steelmen, while defender Danny Devine made just his second start of the season in the continued absence of Gary Warren through suspension.
Rovers approached the tie buoyed by their 2-1 win against Rangers at Ibrox in the previous round, with a return to the Highlands for former Inverness assistant manager Maurice Malpas who recently assumed the director of football role at Stark’s Park.
Ofere proved lively again for his new side in the early stages, with two early close-range headers deflected behind target.
Inverness survived a scare on 15 minutes, when David Raven got a crucial touch on Mark Stewart’s delivery to take the ball away from Rory McKeown. From the resulting counter attack, Marley Watkins had the beating of McKeown, but pulled his low shot inches wide of the far post.
The Caley Jags were showing the greater attacking intent, but just failed to find the elusive killer pass to break in behind the Rovers defence. At the other end, the Kirkcaldy side were posing precious little threat.
Inverness’ increasing frustration was evident from Danny Williams’ long-range shot from long-range that drifted harmlessly over on 34 minutes.
The hosts almost took the lead when midfielder Ryan Christie floated in a delicious ball from the left channel, with Ofere rising to nod marginally past David McGurn’s left-hand post from eight yards.
However, Inverness saved their best chances of the first-half until the dying minutes of the opening period. Following a Raith free-kick, Williams released the advancing Graeme Shinnie through the middle with a long diagonal ball, with his right-footed shot blocked by the legs of McGurn before being inadvertently turned just behind his own post by Rovers defender Paul Watson.
From the corner that followed, Williams was undeterred by the outcome of his previous effort as he tried his luck from long-range once again, with his shot this time smacking off the top side of the bar.
Having enjoyed a fine flurry of attacking danger towards the end of the first-half, one of the most glaring misses of the season came just three minutes into the second-half, as Josh Meekings’ low cross from the left was somehow scooped over just four yards from goal.
The midfielder made sure he got his next effort on target just two minutes later, angling a fine header towards the far corner, only for McGurn to reach it to tip over, before the Rovers stopper palmed a Meekings header over the top from the resulting corner.
The Kirkcaldy side offered a much-needed reminder of their threat on 59 minutes, when Grant Anderson’s flick was blocked behind for a corner, before Christie blazed two efforts well over the bar from promising positions.
Inverness finally made the breakthrough from their 12th corner of the match on 63 minutes, with Greg Tansey floating the ball to the far post to find Devine, whose header went in off McGurn’s left-hand post. It was a deserved lead, but the hosts had made hard work of establishing it.
Watkins blazed a snapshot over the bar, before Hughes handed a debut to Estonian midfielder Tarmo Kink in place of Danny Williams, with Aaron Doran also replacing Ofere, who again impressed up front.