Caley Thistle were held to a 1-1 draw against Montrose at the Caledonian Stadium despite a dominant second-half display at the Caledonian Stadium.
Kane Hester gave the visitors the lead after 20 minutes on the clock with a good finish from a tight angle. Adam MacKinnon found an equaliser for Caley Thistle with 63 minutes on the clock. Montrose played the second-half with ten men after Sean Dillion was sent off on the stroke of half-time.
Manager Duncan Ferguson made two changes to the side which lost to Annan Athletic last weekend, Goalkeeper Musa Dibaga replaced the injured Jack Newman while Keith Bray came into the side for Adam Brooks. Captain Billy Mckay was making his 300th appearance for the club.
Caley Thistle started well and Keith Bray saw an effort deflected behind for a corner after 7 minutes.
The visitors then took the lead after 20 minutes, Blair Lyon’s ball found Kane Hester in the box and he took the ball past Danny Devine and fired in from a tight angle to open the scoring.
Caley Thistle searched for an equaliser and went close after 32 minutes as Flynn Duffy’s low cross found Billy Mckay in the box and the striker’s effort on the turn was touched onto the post by Cammy Gill as he was inches away from hit the back of the net on his 300th appearance for the club.
Montrose went down to ten men in adding time in the first-half. Sean Dillion was shown a second yellow card for a late challenge on Billy Mckay in the middle of the pitch.
Duncan Ferguson replaced Flynn Duffy at half-time with the left-back on a yellow card for Matthew Strachan in a straight swap.
Caley Thistle started the second-half well as Luis Longstaff found space through the middle and saw his effort from outside the box tipped over by Cammy Gill.
The home side kept the pressure up as Luis Longstaff saw another effort go just past the post from distance while Charlie Gilmour forced a save from Cammy Gill from a long range strike.
Caley Thistle finally got level after 63 minutes, a bit of brilliance from Adam MacKinnon as met Keith Bray’s lay-off, turned just outside the box and fired into the bottom corner past Cammy Gill.
MacKinnon went looking for a second just two minutes after scoring, he picked up the ball from distance and drove onto the edge of the box and pulled his effort just wide of the mark.
Caley Thistle had a big chance to take the lead through Jake Davidson after 76 minutes, Matthew Strachan’s cross was flicked on by Billy Mckay in the box and met by Davidson in the box but he couldn’t turn his effort towards goal.
Adam MacKinnon went close again to giving Caley Thistle the lead. He met Adam Brooks cross and saw his first effort blocked and he put the rebound just wide after 78 minutes.
Despite more late pressure, Caley Thistle were held to a point as the ten men of Montrose defended well.