Goals from Roy McBain, Bryan Prunty and Craig Brewster gave Inverness a 3-2 win over Dundee in their Bank of Scotland Premier League match at Caledonian stadium but it still was not enough to see Caley grab sixth place before the split.

The Highlanders easily raced into a 3-0 lead and even a missed penalty by midfielder Barry Wilson, incredibly, his second spot-kick miss of the game, before Dundee fought back with goals from Tom McManus and John Sutton.

The home side should have won the game more comfortably but ran out of steam and despite a valiant effort, they have to settle for a disappointing but credible place in the bottom half of the league for the last five games.

It was a fine game once it had warmed up. The early stages were tentative and scrappy as both side battled for dominance but in the sixth minute the visitors almost stole into the lead with their first effort on goal of the game.

McManus' free-kick from the right fell to Callum McDonald and the Dens defender was unlucky to see his right-footed shot from 16 yards hit the post before Caley keeper Mark Brown gratefully gathered.

In the 10th minute the Highlanders came close when Barry Wilson worked a clever one-two with Brewster at the edge of the Dundee penalty area and was unlucky to see his shot go over the bar.

But in the 16th minute the visitors took the lead with a well-worked goal. Midfielder Ian Black fed defender Ross Tokely who skilfully beat Steven Robb inside the box before squaring the ball to McBain who wasted no time in despatching his right-footed shot past Derek Soutar.

Moments later, as Dundee struggled to compose themselves, Brewster's effort from 14 yards just went wide before a 14-yard drive from Tokely was punched clear by the Dens keeper.

In the 34th minute, as the Highlanders pressed almost continuously, Dundee defender Bobby Mann did well to cut out a Wilson cross at the back post with Prunty ready to pounce.

Moments later, in a rare moment of respite for Dundee, McManus tried a snap-shot from 30 yards which whistled past Brown's left hand post.

However, in the 37th minute the home side doubled their lead via the penalty spot after Dundee midfielder Neil Barrett clumsily hauled down Wilson who was looking to shoot after taking a fine Black pass.

Wilson picked himself up and took the kick but Soutar made two great saves before Prunty spared his blushes by heading the second rebound in from close range.

After the interval Inverness resumed their high-tempo game and within seconds Black had fired in a 30-yarder which Soutar gathered comfortably.

But there was drama in the 47th minute when the home side were awarded a second penalty when Bent Sancho was judged by referee Dougie McDonald to have fouled Prunty.

It looked a soft award but incredibly, Soutar again saved Wilson's spot-kick diving to his left to beat the ball away.

The missed opportunity failed to deter the home side who had a stranglehold on the game

In the 54th minute Dundee substitute Ian Anderson, on for Steve Lovell in the 35th minute, drew a good save from Brown with a 30-yard drive which the Caley keeper did well to tip over for a corner.

The home side defended the set-piece comfortably and continued pushing hard for more goals but Dundee seemed to take some heart from the spot-kick save and gradually made inroads towards the Inverness goal.

But in the 62nd minute Brewster fired wide from 12 yards, showing that Inverness were still carrying a threat.

In the 65th minute, however, the Highlanders eventually and deservedly got the third goal after some poor defending by Dundee.

Wilson's whipped-in free-kick from the left found Brewster unmarked and the veteran striker bulleted his header past Soutar from 12 yards out.

In the closing stages Dundee made a concentrated effort to grab a consolation goal and were rewarded in the 74th minute when McManus tapped into an empty net after Anderson's curling free-kick had crashed off the post.

And in the 80th minute the Taysiders scored their second when Anderson's cross from the right was flicked in at the near post by substitute Sutton, who just came on for Neil Barrett four minutes earlier.

Teams

Inverness CT Brown, Tokely, Dods, Munro, Hastings, Black (Duncan 66), Wilson, Hart (Proctor 45), McBain, Prunty, Brewster (Bayne 73).

Subs Not Used: Fraser, Fox, Fatai, McAllister.

Booked: Munro, Dods, Duncan.

Goals: McBain 17, Prunty 38, Brewster 65.

Dundee Soutar, Kitamirike, Mann, Sancho, McDonald, Fotheringham (Robertson 63), Barrett (Sutton 76), Caballero, Robb, Lovell (Anderson 36), McManus.

Subs Not Used: Dubourdeau, Larsen, Conway.

Booked: Barrett.

Goals: McManus 74, Sutton 80.

Att: 4,786

Ref: D McDonald (Scotland).