Inverness Caledonian Thistle knocked out of League Cup
Betfred League Cup
Dundee 1
Inverness 0
Johnson (33)
Inverness Caledonian Thistle are out of the Betfred Cup after failing to pick up the point they required at Dens Park.
They were unable to find an equaliser to Danny Johnson's first half goal as their campaign ended at the group stage for the third year running.
Inverness made one change to the team that beat Cove Rangers as David Carson was dropped in favour of Charlie Trafford.
John Robertson’s men only required one point to qualify for the last 16 of the competition with it being the first season where eight points was good enough to make it to the knockout stages.
Dundee threatened in the open stages of the game with Mark Ridgers having to be at full stretch to tip Johnson’s powerful shot over the bar.
But Inverness responded when James Keatings saw a powerful low drive from the edge of the box saved by Jack Hamilton as both teams showed their teeth.
Dundee should have taken the lead midway through the first half after a lack of communication in the Inverness defence allowed Andy Nelson to take a shot which was deflected straight into the path of Johnson.
Despite being unchallenged eight yards from goal he blasted wide of the target.
Keatings was proving the main goal threat for Inverness and almost gave them the lead when his shot took a deflection off Jordan McGhee and would have found the bottom left corner if not for the alert reactions of the Dundee goalkeeper who parried the ball out for a corner.
Dundee took the lead in the 33rd minute when Johnson ran on to Shaun Byrne’s ball on the left wing and cut into the box to fire underneath Ridgers at the near post.
The hosts had the first chance of the second half when Ridgers read Jordan Marshall's low drive right to save comfortably.
Caley Thistle were fortunate not to fall two behind when Carl Tremarco slipped and allowed Cameron Kerr the chance to run straight at goal but he fired his shot well over the bar.
Inverness were forced to play the final minutes of the match with 10 men when substitute Mitch Curry had to be helped off the pitch while challenging for the ball in the Dundee box.
But the visitors were unable to find the required equaliser as they missed out on one of the four best runner-up spots to stay in the competition.
Dundee: Hamilton, Kerr, McGhee, Foster, Meekings, Byrne, Nelson (Mulligan 90), McGowan (McDaid 79), Johnson (Todd 66), Robertson, Marshall.
Subs (Unused) Ferrie, Moore, Cameron, Cunningham
Inverness: Ridgers, Tremarco, Donaldson, McCart, Keatings, White (Todorov 77), Doran (Currie 77), Walsh, Vincent, McKay, Trafford (Carson 56).
Subs (Unused) Mackay, McHattie, Harper, MacGregor.
Attendance 2066
