Dundee United sealed their place among the Betfred Cup second-round seeds as a penalty shoot-out victory over Dundee saw them top Group C.

And the sides will meet again in the second round, once more at Dens Park, after they were the last two sides out when the draw was made after the match.

With both teams assured of progress to the second round, city pride was the major factor at stake at Dens Park on Sunday as the teams met for the first time since United were relegated at the same venue last year.

A 10,460 crowd watched Paul McMullan give United the lead in the final minute of the first half but Mark O'Hara's equaliser on the hour denied the Terrors the outright derby victory their fans craved.

The match went straight to a penalty shoot-out after 90 minutes and visiting goalkeeper Harry Lewis pulled off a pair of saves to earn United a 4-3 spot-kicks triumph.

O'Hara and Scott Fraser had efforts saved at either end as the game started in glorious sunshine but a 20-minute downpour appeared to dampen both sides' attacking edge.

O'Hara had another header saved when the rain subsided before United's Billy King hit the post after a one-two with Fraser as the hosts were caught out by a quickly-taken free-kick.

Scott Bain then palmed away King's 25-yard free-kick but the Dundee goalkeeper was beaten after United breached the home side's offside trap.

Kevin Holt played Sam Stanton on as Fraser slipped the ball through and the on-loan Hibernian midfielder squared for McMullan, whose angled shot trickled over the line as Bain went the wrong way.

After the break King shot wide from a difficult angle following good work by McMullan,whose pace and persistence set up the chance.

But Dundee came back into it and Sofien Moussa was ruled offside as he headed Allan's volley over the line.

And the hosts were level in the 59th minute, Roarie Deacon's pass finding Allan in space before O'Hara swept home the former United midfielder's cutback.

Lewis then saved well from Deacon and Holt before Scott McDonald came on for his United debut midway through the half, allowing McMullan to move to his natural wide position.

The game became more stretched in the final stages and United survived two injury-time scares, Lewis saving from Deacon from close range before substitute Jack Hendry headed Holt's free-kick against the post.

Lewis then saved from Faissal El Bakhtaoui when the latter stepped up to take the first penalty of the shoot-out before Bain denied Logan Chalmers to level matters.

But Lewis proved the hero as he stopped Deacon's effort to win it for United, McDonald having just converted to make it 4-3 in the shoot-out.