Perhaps it all just mattered too much but a match that began in explosive fashion remained bad tempered and messy throughout as Inverness maintained their unbeaten run, United avoided a third successive defeat, but no-one was overly happy with the outcome at Tannadice last night.

"I felt we should have won the game," was the opening post-match comment of both managers and they also both raised concerns while coming to very different conclusions about referee Calum Murray's contribution to an evening which ended with a red card being shown to a player on both sides while eight yellow cards were also handed out.

"We played some marvellous stuff in the first half, but it was a tough game for the referee. You could see that coming off the back of two defeats Dundee United were very aggressive," said John Hughes, the Inverness boss.

"Obviously the sending off for Dundee United spoiled it. I feel for the young goal-keeper who is just trying to make his way in the game that that happened to him but the rules are the rules and not much goes for us so it was nice and we controlled the game in the first half.

"In the second half we never got on it, we never passed it, we never took the sting out of the game and we got caught up in it a little bit.

"All credit to Dundee United, down to 10 men they showed great spirit coming down the hill, but I felt we could have stood up to it.

"I'm a wee bit disappointed with the referee second half. He's one of the best and he's very approachable and he's different class but I felt he just lost it a wee bit and I felt he just bought every con that was going out there and most of them went Dundee United's way."

For his part Jackie McNamara, was more concerned by one of the relatively rare occasions that the man in charge did not show a card for a poor challenge.

"I think Yogi (Hughes) was disappointed at their lad being sent off at the end but I thought they should have been down to 10 men just after half-time for the foul on Dixon by the full-back who had already been booked."

Seven points having separated the teams it seemed obvious that this match that could go a long way towards indicating which of these sides was likelier to finish in the top three of the Premiership but that extraordinary opening set the tone for an uncharacteristic encounter which saw these teams accrue a combined total of eight bookings and a sending off apiece.

Just 13 seconds had elapsed before referee Calum Murray reached into his pocket for the first time when David Raven was yellow carded for a mistimed lunge into a challenge on Ryan Dow but that was nothing to the drama which unfolded less than six minutes later when Graeme Shinnie's through ball picked out Marley Watkins run in behind the United defence and he was adjudged onside.

Criticised on debut for failing to prevent the first goal against St Johnstone three days earlier Michal Szromnik was even more culpable as they fell behind early again, the 21-year-old goal-keeper charging out to meet Watkins and, after the striker slipped the ball past him, bringing him down, leaving Mr Murray little option but to award the penalty and dismiss him.

After the inevitable lengthy delay as Chris Erskine also withdrew to allow Radoslaw Cierzniak to face the penalty, Greg Tansey duly slotted it to his left as the replacement went the wrong way.

Seven minutes on and a one-two with Nicholas Ross allowed Watkins to ask a similar question of Cierzniak but the more experienced man, who had been United's regular goal-keeper until the weekend, managed to do enough to put him off without fully committing himself.

By the interval there had been little more of note other than further yellow cards for Gary Warren and Graeme Shinnie of Inverness as well as United's Paul Paton and whatever took place at half-time it did not seem that the managerial input had a calming effect as Raven put in that rash challenge on Dixon.

United were the livelier side for much of the second half, but with the card count climbing, Dow, Christie and Watkins all seeing yellow, it was beginning to look like Inverness would see it out when United registered the equaliser that they deserved for their perseverance against the odds.

Ryan McGowan was initially beaten to the ball as he challenged for a cross put in from the right by Sean Dillon, but for all that he was losing his balance as he landed and the ball bounced, he managed to swing a right boot at it and the ball looped beyond the reach of Esson's right hand with 14 minutes later.

Almost immediately Nadir Ciftci had the chance to put his side ahead as he got in behind the defensive line and shot firmly but too close to Esson, while Inverness responded, creating a couple of chances before a fine strike by Tansey from a free kick, some 30 yards out, drew a decent save from Cierzniak.

The game then ended pretty much as it began, the teams finishing with 10 men apiece after Gary Warren was shown a red card, while Ciftci brought the yellow card tally to a combined total of eight following an off the ball clash.