Caley Thistle and Dunfermline Athletic cancelled each other out as a 0-0 draw kept both teams too near the Championship drop-zone.
A saved Billy Mckay penalty in the first half was the golden chance for ICT, but they remain in ninth position, with their opponents slipping to eighth.
Inverness are 10 points away from the top four and five points from fifth position after wins for Airdrie at Dundee United and Ayr United against Partick Thistle.
Home manager Duncan Ferguson, who has an injury-hit pool to select from right now, made two changes from the team which netted a last-gasp 1-1 draw at rock-bottom Arbroath on Saturday.
Main striker Billy Mckay was restored to the team in place of Aribim Pepple, with Charlie Gilmour’s knee injury ruling him out and Wallace Duffy coming into a shuffled pack.
Dunfermline, who shocked Partick Thistle 3-1 on Friday to end a nine-game winless run in all competitions, made three changes, with Miles Welch-Hayes, Ben Summers and Alex Jakubiak coming into the 11.
From their strongest selection, the Pars have nine players unavailable including on-loan St Johnstone striker Chris Kane.
These closely-matched rivals had drawn 1-1 in their meeting so far this season and another tight affair was the widespread prediction.
Two wins from their last six league matches had at least kept Inverness six points above bottom spot, but it has been clear for weeks that any realistic hopes of chasing a top-four spot had been replaced with the need to simply stay in the second-tier.
Inverness had not posted a home league victory since sweeping past Ayr United 3-1 on November 11.
Penalty save denied Mckay opener
The Pars flew out the traps and Jakubiak was inches away from connecting with an inviting cross from Lewis McCann after a swift attack from defence.
On 18 minutes, ICT had a golden chance to take the lead from the spot when Cammy Kerr was felled in the box by Paul Allan, although it seemed a harsh call by referee Gavin Duncan.
Billy Mckay, whose last goal came on January 6, saw his penalty saved by goalkeeper Deniz Mehmet and the ball was cleared.
When the luck is going against you, moments like these matter.
Inverness needed to keep the drive going and Danny Devine was not far off the mark with a header over the top from a Sean McAllister corner on the half hour.
An injury to Duffy seemed like a sore one as he needed treatment on his shoulder after going down under a challenge from Jakubiak. He looked in real pain, but was back on his feet a few minutes later to play on.
Just before the break, a brilliant goal-line clearance from Danny Devine denied Jakubiak as the forward rounded Mark Ridgers after he’d raced on to a Summers pass.
Tension as sides sought the winner
A lively start to the second half almost produced the opener as McAllister went for goal, but his effort from 20 yards was deflected over the bar.
It was a tense tussle, but both sides were looking for that way through, to make all the difference. The play was untidy though as the clock ticked on.
Devine, who had kept his old club out, almost scored for ICT when he nodded just wide from a McAllister corner.
There was no way through and it was a point apiece leaving these clubs ninth and eighth respectively, with the Fifers falling two spots.
Queen’s Park’s stunning 6-0 win over rock-bottom Arbroath keeps the Angus outfit seven points below ICT.
Inverness face a testing trip to promotion-hunting Morton this Saturday, with the Greenock side placed comfortably within the top four.
Player ratings
CALEY THISTLE (4-4-2): Ridgers 6, Duffy 6, Carragher 6, Devine 7, Savage 6, Kerr 7, Shaw 6 (Doran 78), McAllister 6, Harper 6, Samuel 6, Billy Mckay 7 (Pepple 90).
Subs not used: Cammy MacKay (GK), Samuels, Brooks.
DUNFERMLINE ATHLETIC (4-4-2): Mehmet 7, Welch-Hayes 6, Hamilton 7, Fagan-Walcott 6, Edwards 6, Todd 7 (Moffat 74), Otoo 6, Summers 6 (Chalmers 46), Allan 6 (O’Halloran 46), McCann 5 (Holmes 27), Jakubiak 7.
Subs not used: Little (GK), Fenton, Sutherland, Benjamin.
Referee: Gavin Duncan.
Attendance: 1958.
Man of the match: Danny Devine.
