Stuart McCaffrey was the unlikely hero for Inverness, firing in an equaliser with two minutes remaining to earn Caley only their fourth point of the season.
It was Motherwell who started the brighter. The first chance of the game fell to the SPL's player of the month for September, Scott McDonald, but his drive across goal was pushed away by Mark Brown.
After conceding two sloppy goals at Livingston in their last outing away from home, the Motherwell rearguard were determined to impose themselves on the Inverness forwards.
However, this determination resulted in Scott Leitch being booked after only 12 minutes for a foul on Juanjo. From the resulting free-kick, the Caley striker could only lift a disappointing effort over the bar from 20 yards.
Caley continued to press for the opener and Gordon Marshall had to be on his toes to block a Graham Bayne effort, after a headed pass back by David Partridge fell short.
However Motherwell just shaded proceedings in the first half and took a deserved lead after 38 minutes. Juanjo did well to get back and block a Kevin McBride shot. However, from the resulting corner Richie Foran hooked the ball back in and McDonald nodded home from six yards.
With striker Steve Hislop out due to a knee injury, Caley lacked a strong physical presence up front. Shortly after half-time manager John Robertson replaced Juanjo with Bryan Prunty and the substitution nearly paid immediate dividends.
Bayne flicked the ball through to Prunty and Marshall just got to it ahead of the striker. However, in blocking the ball Marshall looked to have handled it outside his box.
Caley were slowly winning the midfield battle and after 73 minutes Russell Duncan picked out Richard Hart with a cross, but he headed straight at Marshall. Unfortunately for Hart, he took a knock in the process and was replaced by Liam Fox.
Shortly afterwards, Barry Wilson cut inside and tested Marshall with a shot, but the keeper held on well. Not to be outdone by his opposite number Brown dived to catch a Foran effort from 18 yards after McBride had set him up.
With only two minutes remaining Caley drove forward and forced two corners in quick succession.
From the seconds the ball fell to Grant Munro at the back post after a scramble in the area.
He did well to keep his composure and pick out McCaffrey in a crowded six-yard box and he blasted the ball into the roof of the net to send the Caley faithful wild.