Inverness Caley Thistle are held by ten men in opening game of League One
Scottish League One
Inverness Caledonian Thistle 1
Dumbarton 1
Scorers - Inverness: Devine (44) Dumbarton: Pignatiello (59)
Inverness Caledonian Thistle had to settle for a point in their opening match in League One as Dumbarton came from behind to earn a draw at the Caledonian Stadium.
Danny Devine gave Inverness Caledonian Thistle the lead on the stroke of half time with a header after a confident first 45 minutes from the hosts.
But Carlo Pigniatiello scored a fantastic volley to on the hour mark to salvage a point for Dumbarton.
New signings Flynn Duffy and Adam Mackinnon were thrown straight into Caley Thistle’s starting line-up who replaced Matthew Strachan and Calum Macleod.
Inverness controlled the game for the majority of the first quarter with the first real chance coming in the 18th minute. A corner kick into the box found Charlie Gilmour whose snapshot from six-yards out forced a good save from Brett Long.
Mackinnon came close to breaking the deadlock on the half-hour mark when he connected with a Jake Davidson cross into the box but fired wide of the right post.
The deadlock was broken just before half time when Luis Longstaff’s corner was met at the left post by Danny Devine who nodded home from close range.
Brooks almost doubled their advantage just before half time when he fired a low drive straight into the hands Long.
Dumbarton equalised just before the hour mark when Finlay Gray’s cross from the left wing was unchallenged by the Inverness defence.
Substitute Pignatiello, who came on at half time was free to volley home from six yards out, leaving Inverness goalkeeper Jack Newman no chance.
Calum Macleod came on midway through the second half and came close to regaining the lead for Inverness. He saw his shot from the edge of the box go inches wide of the right post.
Billy Mckay came close to restoring Inverness’s advantage with 15 minutes remaining when he saw his shot smack against the crossbar.
Dumbarton were reduced to 10 men with 10 minutes remaining when Mouhamed Moustapha Niang received his second yellow card after a challenge on Charlie Gilmour.
Dumbarton almost found the winner with minutes remaining when Joel Ngebany Mumbongo managed to break clear of the Inverness defence with only the goalkeeper to beat.
But Newman pulled off a great save to keep the game at 1-1.
Gilmour almost won the game for Inverness in injury time with a fantastic strike from 20 yards out, which forced a great save from Long, as the points were shared.
Inverness: Newman, Bray (Thompson 84), Duffy, Davidson, Savage, Devine, Gilmour, MacKinnon (Macleod 67), McKay, Brooks (Ferguson 84), Longstaff.
Substitutes: Trialist, MacKay, Strachan, Keogh, Corner, Walker.
Dumbarton: Long, Lynas, Durnan, Orsi (Mumbongo 74), Gray, Wallace (Pignatiello 45), Hilton (Blair 84), Niang, Shiels, Ruth (Clark 84), Miller.
Substitutes: O’Neil, Young, Grivas, McGuffie.
Referee: Dan McFarlane
Attendance 1439
