McKay double dumps Dons
Billy McKay bagged a double and Gary Warren also found the net to help Inverness Caledonian Thistle draw level on points with Celtic at the top of the Clydesdale Bank Premier League with a 3-2 win at Aberdeen.
McKay's second, in the 82nd minute, earned Caley victory at the expense of the Dons, for whom Josh Magennis also scored twice.
McKay had earlier given his side the lead but they had to come from behind at Pittodrie after Magennis struck twice in five minutes.
Fresh from their weekend victory over the Hoops, Inverness Caledonian Thistle boss Terry Butcher unsurprisingly stuck by the same side. The one change came on the bench where Ross Draper replaced Shane Sutherland.
Injury-hit Aberdeen were forced to play striker Scott Vernon in midfield and made two changes from the side which had beaten Hibs, Rory Fallon and youngster Joe Shaughnessy coming in for Cammy Smith and the injured Isaac Osbourne.
The home side were first to threaten just five minutes in. Magennis exchanged passes with Johnny Hayes before bursting into the area, only to see his shot blocked by legs of Antonio Reguero in the visitors' goal.
It had been a relatively quiet opening period at a cold and wet Pittodrie but the home support was cheered when Hayes and Niall McGinn sparked into life. The latter was first up with a shot easily saved before Hayes saw an effort turned away for a corner.
Jamie Langfield was making his 250th SPL appearance but his well-marshalled defence was doing a good job of blunting the Inverness attack before they could test the keeper, though Chris Clark picked up a booking for ending one such attack with a tackle in midfield.
That was the last involvement for the ex-Plymouth man, who picked up an injury in making the challenge and was soon replaced by teenager Jamie Masson.
The visitors took the lead after 36 minutes when captain Richie Foran won the ball from Masson in the midfield and allowed Andrew Shinnie to burst forward, spreading the ball to Aaron Doran on the right. He crossed low and McKay, who had also found the net at Celtic Park at the weekend, steered home from close range.
The home crowd was incensed by referee Alan Muir's refusal to give a free-kick for what they saw as a foul by Foran and made their feelings known to the match official but the decision was made and the visitors led.
The Dons fans were even more incensed when Fallon went down with a head knock on the edge of the area, though there looked no intent in a three-way collision between him, Vernon and Inverness defender Josh Meekings.
Their mood was cheered in injury time, however, when Magennis turned home the equaliser from close range after a low Hayes shot had deflected into his path.
The yellow card he picked up for his celebration was met with further jeers towards the referee - who did not re-emerge for the second half, leading to a delay of 10 minutes while an extra official was found from the crowd.
A change of tactics for the hosts saw Magennis moved up front and it proved a masterstroke as he put his side in front just five minutes after the restart.
He rolled Meekings with his first touch from a McGinn pass and, left with just Reguero to beat, he prodded the ball beyond the Spaniard and into the corner of the net.
But the lead was short-lived as the Caley Jags drew level eight minutes later. The Dons switched off from a Doran corner and Warren rose to head beyond Langfield from six yards.
Boosted by their goal, the visitors became a real threat and threw caution to the wind, with four men up front at times.
Langfield was left in real discomfort though, midway through the second half, when he picked up a shoulder knock after colliding with Mark Reynolds as the Dons pair combined to turn away Shinnie's low cross.
Inverness keeper Reguero was also left in need of treatment after racing off his line to clear from Magennis, the pair colliding on the edge of the area.
But Inverness deservedly went back in front with eight minutes left when the predatory McKay found the net for a second time, easing the ball past Langfield after a rare error from Dons skipper Russell Anderson.
Source: PA
Source: PA