First division

Published on Friday 21 August 2009 22:45

THE two promotion favourites face each other at Dens Park this afternoon as Inverness Caley Thistle travel south to play Dundee. Jocky Scott's expensively assembled squad sit top of the league but had to work hard in a 2-2 draw against Raith Rovers last week.

They returned to winning ways with a 3-0 midweek thrashing of Cowdenbeath in the Alba Challenge Cup, however, and will be looking to set down an early marker in the promotion race today.

It is more than four years since the two sides met on league business, and Dundee have won only one of the four previous meetings.

The last time Inverness beat Dundee in the league, the two sides were in the Premier League but this season, of course, only one can make it back to Scotland's top tier.

Having scored just one goal in their opening two league matches, Terry Butcher's side found the net three times in midweek as they brushed Stranraer aside to reach the quarter- finals of the Alba Cup.

Despite being relegated last season, Caley Thistle had a decent record on their travels and they will be looking to maintain that this afternoon, but they have not won in the City of Discovery since they beat Dundee United in December 2007.