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Brown denied McKay to help County take a point in the Highland derby

Honours even in season's first Highland derby

Caley Thistle move up to third in Premiership

Ross County three behind Motherwell at bottom

Caley Thistle fail to make it four home wins in row

Ross County keeper Mark Brown produced a superb second-half performance to deny former club Inverness Caledonian Thistle in the Highland derby.

Yoann Arquin put the visitors ahead to boost new manager Jim McIntyre and his Scottish Premiership strugglers.

But Caley Thistle responded after the break when Marley Watkins side-footed a deflected cross home from 10 yards.

County had to defend to protect a point, with Brown making impressive saves from Aaron Doran and Watkins.

The point lifts John Hughes' Inverness side into third in the table on 17 points, three behind leaders Hamilton, while the Staggies remain rooted to the foot of the league but within touching distance of Motherwell and St Mirren.

County had been pressing the home side in the lead-up to the goal but it was Inverness who had started more brightly, testing County keeper Brown in the first minute, when Billy McKay jinked past his marker and fired in a low shot, but it was easily saved.

Then Graham Carey cracked a free-kick over Brill's bar in the 12th minute as County went close.

County should have scored five minutes later when Filip Kiss nipped in to take advantage of Draper's short back pass, but he could only stab the ball into the body of keeper Dean Brill.

The home defence was finally exposed, though, in the 21st minute when Quinn lobbed the ball into the box from the left side and Arquin picked his spot before calmly heading home from the six-yard line.

Arquin nodded in to give the visitors the lead

Quinn should have made it two in the 32nd minute but his shot from six yards was straight at Brill who blocked with his feet and who then pulled of another save from an Arquin drive only seconds later.

Inverness had their best chance of the half five minutes from the break when Ryan Christie lunged at a Greg Tansey cross from the right which county keeper Brown touched over the bar.

Carey hit a terrific free-kick just as half time approached but Brill threw himself to the left to push the ball to safety.

Caley Thistle were level within five minutes of the restart, Watkins netting after Christie's cross deflected off Scott Boyd's head into his path to score.

Watkins scored the leveller for Inverness four minutes after the restart

Doran then rifled a shot in from 20 yards but Brown dived left to hold them ball.

County keeper Brown again came to the rescue in the 62nd minute, cutting out a low Watkins ball across goal.

And Brown made another terrific stop just minutes later when Watkins seemed certain to score after a lung-bursting run and pass from Doran set him up, but the keeper spread himself to make a superb stop.

Billy McKay then raced through with Ben Frempah chasing and that attention forced the Inverness striker to push his shot wide of the goal.

Brown saved County again with an instinctive save from a McKay point-blank shot and then threw himself at shots from Draper and Christie in succession to thwart the home side.

The home side maintained the pressure right to the death but County defended desperately to ensure that the points and local bragging rights were shared.