Caley Thistle will need two wins from their last two Viaplay Cup group ties to have any chance of reaching the knock-out stages after slipping to a shock 2-1 defeat at League Two Dumbarton.
A goal in each half. from Ryan Wallace, thenTony Wallace, sunk ICT – who were left reeling by a disallowed Billy Mckay goal when the score was locked at 0-0.
Mckay did pull one back late on, his 101st goal for Inverness – which matches the club-record tally of legendary scorer Dennis Wyness – but they could not force spot-kicks.
This result, allied with top-flight Dundee’s 1-0 victory at Bonnyrigg Rose, means Inverness are fourth in their group on goal difference, with Airdrie and the Taysiders having played just once so far.
Billy Dodds’ Championship visitors, who were knocked out in round two of the League Cup competition by Motherwell last term, began their season on Saturday with a 2-1 win against Bonnyrigg.
They will now have to defeat Championship foes Airdrieonians and Premiership returners Dundee to have any chance of edging through on nine points, although that depends what happens in other sections.
Hosts Dumbarton were unlucky to fall to a late 2-0 defeat at Championship newcomers Airdrie at the weekend and were looking to bounce back at home against last month’s Scottish Cup runners-up to Celtic.
Inverness made six changes from the weekend, as Dodds strongly hinted he would, to keep the squad’s minutes all at a similar level after just four games in total, including two warm-up wins over Elgin City and Nairn County.
Ross MacLean fired an early warning shot for Dumbarton, but it had too much height to trouble goalkeeper Mark Ridgers.
Inverness winger Nathan Shaw, on the left, was lively early on, supplying a teasing cross for Mckay just moments before the forward headed over from an Austin Samuels centre from the right.
Twenty minutes in, Mckay was denied a goal as he tucked the ball into the Dumbarton net, as referee Chris Fordyce whistled for an infringement on keeper Harry Broun.
The opener came at the other end on 27 minutes when Ryan Wallace was picked out by Ryan Blair and he lashed a high shot beyond Ridgers. It was a sweet strike, but it came out of the blue.
The tie had become problematic for the Championship side.
Samuels almost restored parity, but his effort from Davidson’s pass was swiped off the line by Aron Lynas.
On the cusp of half-time, a run and cross from Shaw almost found the in-rushing Samuels, but the striker just failed to meet it.
Dodds had words with the officials as he went off the park, seemingly about the Mckay goal which was chopped off.
Inverness were a whisker away from making it 1-1 early in the second half when, from a Shaw cross, David Carson’s 12-yard drive came back off the crossbar and was cleared by the Sons.
However, two minutes later, Dumbarton doubled their lead when Tony Wallace pounced to bury a header beyond Ridgers when he met a fine cross from David Wilson.
Wallace Duffy guided a header off the bar as the Caley Jags sought a way back and they eventually got their lifeline with 14 minutes to go.
Mckay crashed home a volley from close-range to spark fresh hope into the match, matching Wyness’ 101-goal club mark in the process.
However, for all their late efforts, Inverness could not find a leveller and had to take this defeat on the chin. Next up, it’s Airdrie at home next Tuesday night.
DUMBARTON (4-3-2-1): Broun 6, Lynas 6, Durnan 6, Blair 6, Wilson 6, Maclean 6, Pignatiello 5 (Hilton 40 replaced by Young 72), Wylde 6, Ryan Wallace 7 (Vata 78), Crighton 6, Tony Wallace (Ruth 72).
Sub not used – Long (GK).
CALEY THISTLE (4-4-2): Ridgers 6, Duffy 6, Harper 6, Welsh 6 (MacGregor 67), Devine 6, Gilmour 6 (Brooks 62), Carson 6, Billy Mckay 6, Samuels 6 (Bray 72), Davidson 7 (Nicolson 72) , Shaw 6 (Doran 72).
Subs not used – Cammy Mackay (GK), Delaney, Hyde, Nicolson, Bray, Thompson.
Referee: Chris Fordyce.
Man of the match: Ryan Wallace.
Attendance: 505.
