For 40 minutes it was a finely balanced and evenly-matched encounter – more a series of skirmishes, really, with United pressing forward, Caley Thistle hitting them on the break, and both teams carving out opportunities.

The first goal, when it came, altered the pattern, and in the second half United appeared in charge and largely in control, but there were nervous moments for the home side until Jon Daly's fine header, which broke the deadlock five minutes before half-time, and then at the death when a Lee Wilkie own goal offered the visitors a late lifeline.

Virtually all of United's opportunities had come from the excellent Craig Conway's corners and free kicks, so the opening goal was unusual, since it came from a cross, but not one delivered by the boot of Conway. Instead it was Sean Dillon, bursting down the right, who sent it in. Daly rose and flashed a glancing header into the bottom corner of Michael Fraser's goal.

Caley Thistle could have sneaked an early lead when, after four minutes, Don Cowie picked up a loose ball after Andy Barrowman tangled with Sean Dillon in the box, but he could only blast it over when he might have taken a little more time.

This was nothing, though, to the miss at the other end, nine minutes later, by Wilkie. A Conway free kick from wide on the left was touched on by Scott Robertson to Wilkie, lurking unmarked at the back post, but he swiped it and rocketed it miles over the bar when it looked easier to hit the target.

United began to ratchet up the pressure. A minute later Darren Dods spotted Willo Flood running into space on the right and headed the ball into his path. Flood picked it up and cut inside at speed, before his cross ricocheted off Richard Hastings – off Hastings' arm, by the looks of things, and certainly as far as the home supporters were concerned. Their cries of 'penalty' seemed justified, but Iain Brines dismissed them, pointing instead for a corner. And there was another let-off for Caley Thistle from that: Conway popped it into the box, Daly rose to head it goalwards, and Fraser saved it on the line.

Caley Thistle looked as dangerous on the break as Levein had feared. After 18 minutes Cowie hit a powerful cross from the left that flashed across the goal and past Barrowman, who only needed to get a touch but didn't seem able to react quickly enough. Three minutes later the striker did well, though, to shake off Wilkie – who mistakenly thought he was playing him offside – and pick up a long pass to bear down on goal. Wilkie recovered to do enough to put Barrowman off, but United at this stage were living dangerously.

The visitors kept breaking forward, with Ross Tokely whipping in a swirling, out-swinging cross from the right, causing pandemonium in the United box and winning his side a corner. From that the ball fell to the feet of the giant defender but he wasn't able to prod it towards goal, which is all it would have taken.

Then came a second Caley Thistle goal-line clearance, after 32 minutes, this time from Dods, who rose well in the box to fire a powerful header towards Fraser's goal, only for Jamie Duff to pop up and head it off the line.

Into the second half and United were in command, the first of many opportunities to double their lead coming just two minutes after the break. Yet another quality Conway cross was met by the leaping Francesco Sandaza, though his header flew just wide.

As they created – and squandered – chance after chance, Levein's fears must have been playing on his mind. With United just a goal up, Caley Thistle remained a danger, especially with the home side camped in their half.

Finally the second goal came, though, and it allowed Wilkie to atone for his earlier effort. This time a Paul Dixon cross was headed by Dods, though it was going nowhere until Wilkie headed it in off the underside of the crossbar.

Still, it wasn't over yet, and Caley Thistle came back into it after the second goal, perhaps as United relaxed a little. After 72 minutes Barry Wilson, on as a substitute for the injured Ian Black, did what he does best, sending a great curling shot towards goal from wide on the left, on the edge of the box.

Lukasz Zaluska produced an equally skilful save, diving to his left to palm it out.

A minute later the visitors had a goal ruled out for offside, after a Wilson cross was knocked on by Tokely and headed in by Adam Rooney, who'd been on for only a minute.

And then, virtually at the death, Caley Thistle got the goal they'd been threatening, when a powerful Cowie shot produced a great save from Zaluska. Wilson's subsequent corner somehow bounced off Wilkie's thigh for an own goal that ensured a nervous final two minutes.

MAN OF THE MATCH

A few contenders, all in United shirts, with first goal scorer and new dad Jon Daly among them. But Craig Conway, for the quality of his crosses and corners, deserves the vote.

QUICK FACT

Neither team has yet scored in the opening 15 minutes of an SPL game this season.

TALKING POINT

As Darren Dods reflected in the match programme on his recent near-move back to Inverness Caley Thistle, it was his central defensive partner, Lee Wilkie, who had the most interesting afternoon. The sometime utility striker popped up with a headed goal before netting an 88th minute own goal. What you might call a mixed afternoon.