Tension, drama and controversy peppered this riveting game, made all the more newsworthy because of the late, late intervention by referee Willie Collum and his decision to award Aberdeen a penalty kick as the match entered a period of six additional minutes.

Collum’s verdict that Danny Devine, the battling Inverness Caledonian Thistle centre-back, had handled David Goodwillie’s strike, sparked fury among the visitors, not to say with the player himself, who was booked for protesting his innocence.

But it offered the Dons salvation of sorts after they had conceded two goals before embarking on the comeback trail with Adam Rooney’s penalty conversion presenting them with a draw to take them level with Celtic on 42 points at the summit of the Ladbrokes Premiership.

The reigning champions have two games in hand, though, the first of which is against Hearts at Tynecastle today.

Derek McInnes, the Dons manager, disappointed that victory was not sealed, later insisted that his side should have been awarded a second penalty kick seconds before the final whistle as he claimed that Tremarco, the Caley Thistle full-back, had handled a cross into the area.

Collum was among many who simply did not see the alleged infringement in an Inverness penalty area packed with players as the hosts refused the settle for a point.

“We didn’t bring enough thought to our play in the first half,” McInnes said. “There was plenty of endeavour and you’ve got to credit Inverness.

“They sat in, were nice and compact and looked to hit us on the counter and managed to get in a couple of times.

“We were terrific in the last half hour; good possession, good thought, good intensity and we created umpteen chances and we had them on the ropes.

“We needed to get our first goal five minutes earlier than we did but had the game gone five more minutes we would have won it”

“I think, however, we should have had a penalty with the very last kick of the ball, and nobody saw it.

“Tremarco clearly handled the ball with his right hand to stop the ball going to Rooney. I’ve watched it on the play-back and that, for me, is the clearest penalty of them all.”

The conditions – swirling rain and a difficult playing surface - did not dampen the enthusiasm of either side and when Shay Logan’s clever ball into the Inverness six-yard box had Owain Fon Williams and his defenders dithering, Rooney’s effort was blocked on the line by Devine.

It was, however, the cue for Caley Thistle to race up-field with Danny Ward, Williams’s goalkeeping colleague in the Wales squad, blocking Miles Storey’s one-on-one shot with his feet and al little later, the Dons youngster managed the slightest of touches to divert another Storey strike past the post as the Highlanders broke once more.

But it was Draper’s tenacity in fighting off at attention of a hesitant Paul Quinn on the Reds’ by-line that brought Inverness the opener four minutes before the interval, his low ball across the area snaffled-up by Liam Polworth who found the net without a sign of him being impeded.

Quinn’s frailties were underlined once more, immediately after the break, when his clumsy challenge on Draper – McInnes claimed the Inverness player was the culprit - prompted a penalty award from the referee and Greg Tansey’s stinging strike from the spot increased the visitor’s lead in the 47th minute.

Quinn’s day’s work was to last two further minutes as McInnes removed him and offered David Goodwillie the opportunity to find the goals required to haul the Dons back into contention and what the strike did contribute was a shot that led to his side’s equaliser.

Before that, it was the creativity of Niall McGinn, allied with poor Caley Thistle defending, that delivered hope to the Reds.

The Northern Ireland international put the cat among the pigeons as he cut-in from the left and fired his shot low past Fon Williams in the 73rd minute. It was his fourth strike in four games and his 50th for his club.

It marked extra effort from the Pittodrie side in search of an equaliser, underlined by Kenny McLean’s astonishing 30-yard strike which crashed off the crossbar with four minutes remaining.

But there was still more drama ahead and when Goodwillie’s shot hit the hand of Devine, Rooney converted from the spot, his 14th goal of the season.

“Danny is adamant the ball hit him in the midriff,” said John Hughes, the Inverness manager.

“I will reserve judgement because I think Willie [Collum] is up there with the best of them and I’m not just patronising him saying that.

“So I hope he got the call right because it would be a hard one to take if it wasn’t.

“But I’m quite sure he has, so I’ll wait until I’ve seen it before making a judgement.

“We sat too deep in the second half and that’s what happens.

“It’s disappointing to lose a two-goal lead but credit to Aberdeen because they came back into the game well.

“They were much better in the second half and probably deserved it on the basis of that.”