The Dees needed to take all three points at Stark's Park to keep the Irn-Bru First Division title race alive until the weekend.

But they went down 1-0, meaning Inverness cannot be overhauled at the top of the table ahead of their final two fixtures.

Terry Butcher's men were relegated from the SPL on the final day of last season and were one of the favourites for promotion this term.

Dundee had threatened to run away with the First Division at the turn of the year but an alarming collapse coupled with Caley Thistle's current 19-game unbeaten turned the title race on its head.

Inverness' longest-serving player and record appearance holder Ross Tokely told BBC Radio Scotland: "I'm absolutely delighted.

"To get back in the SPL after a year is an amazing achievement.

"I've won the First Division before but I have to say, the challenge we had this year, this is the best feeling I've had at the club."

Tokely, who has been at the club for 14 years and has played for them in all four divisions, added: "Everybody wrote us off at the start of the season and it did take a while to get going.

"The team has bonded well and grown every week."