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Harry Lewis saved Roarie Deacon's penalty to secure a bonus point for United

Dundee United beat Dundee on penalties to win Group C in the Scottish League Cup first round.

And they will meet again after being paired together in the second round.

Billy King hit the post for the visitors and, just before half-time, Paul McMullan finished a neat move involving Scott Fraser and Sam Stanton.

Mark O'Hara drew Dundee level when Scott Allan's low cross picked him out, and Jack Hendry almost won it at the death with a header off the post.

The game was settled by spot-kicks to determine who got the bonus point to secure top spot.

Dundee's Faissal El Bakhtaoui and United's Logan Chalmers saw their efforts saved, before Roarie Deacon missed the crucial last kick to hand the visitors victory.

But Dundee reached the last 16 as one of the four best group runners-up and will host their city rivals again on 8 or 9 August.

It was a derby that took its time to get going, not helped by some torrential rain that made it a mistake-fest for periods. Dundee had their new striker, Sofien Moussa, up front and with five goals in his first three games there was much expected of the big Tunisian.

Dundee had the majority of possession in the opening half but could do precious little with it. Out on the right they had Deacon, a livewire who had the beating of Tam Scobbie all day. What Deacon did not have was a modicum of composure and accuracy when delivering the ball into the box. That was a recurring theme of the day.

Time and time again he failed to beat the first United defender. Moussa's tongue was practically hanging out of his head in anticipation of a ball he could attack.

Hendry almost won the match for Dundee in regulation time

It was United, against the run of play and operating without a recognised striker, who unlocked the game. They came painfully close when King's shot thumped back off Scott Bain's post, but on the stroke of half-time they opened the scoring.

It owed much to Stanton's run in behind the Dundee defence, the midfielder then squaring to McMullan who trundled it across the scrambling Bain.

McMullan was the de facto striker for United. It was his third goal of this League Cup campaign.

The intensity levels upped considerably after the break. United had a chance to make it two when forceful running from McMullan set up a chance for King, who pulled it across Bain's goal and wide.

Dundee stirred at that point and they ought to have gone on and won the game fairly comfortably.

Moussa nodded in, but was offside. Then, Allan picked out O'Hara whose shot found turf and then net for the equaliser.

Scott McDonald came on for his United debut later on but a winner never came for either side. Deacon had a chance when scurrying through on goal, but he could not finish. Dundee had another big moment when Hendry headed on to the post with time nearly up.

To penalties it went to discover who would advance to the last 16 as group winners. El Bakhtaoui had his penalty saved by Harry Lewis and, later, Chalmers had his effort stopped by Bain.

McDonald's rifled finish meant that Deacon had to score to extend the shoot-out but Lewis denied him.