The Dundee Derby rarely ends without any controversy and it was no different at the weekend.
Four goals, a penalty, a sending off and a manager spending more time retaliating to the taunts of the opposition supporters than watching the game were the focal points of this encounter. That is what they derby day is all about!
Kane Hemmings had us in dream land with two goals in the first half but in the first fifteen minutes of the game, it was United that put the most pressure on us but they could not create any real clear cut chances. We punished them for not making it count with two easy goals.
With one of the young United defenders playing everybody on the pitch onside, Kane reacted with a true strikers instinct to slot the ball under the keeper to give us the lead. In another masterclass display on how not to defend, the ball was expertly put over the top of their defence right into the path of Greg Stewart and despite their desperate calls for offside, he was able to find Hemmings at the back post. He may have struggled to get it over the line at first but it went into the net and that is all that counts!
The half time whistle went and Dundee were half way to a victory. We had of course lost two centre halves to injuring forcing Hartley into two substitutes but in truth, we had not really played that good but we had dealt with United comfortably. All that would change early into the second half.
Our goalkeeper Scott Bain was sent off after bringing down Billy McKay in the penalty area and even though we cannot have any arguments about the spot kick being giving, I thought the red card was a harsh decision and the wrong one. This would also force us into using our last substitute to bring on reserve keeper David Mitchell and throw the game plan completely out the window.
The penalty was converted and from there on in, it was backs against the wall for us.
United kept pushing forward and even though they made Mitchell produce a few fine stops and a couple nervy moments in the around the goal, their punts into the box were dealt with. We did however have a glorious chance to kill the game off against the run of play when Hemmings found himself in the box unmarked but Nick Ross’ ball to him was poor and the danger was over. This would come back to haunt us.
A minute into injury time and United grabbed the equaliser. Now David Mitchell produced an excellent display since replacing Bain in goal but he should have really stayed on his line. If he did then I believe they would not have scored and we would have seen out the game in our favour. He did pull off another point blank stop after this to deny our neighbours a dramatic win so overall, he made a fine Derby debut.
So that was that, a point a piece. If we ended the game with eleven men on this score line then I would have been fuming but considering the chain of events, I was pleased with it. Down to ten men, two centre halves taken off injured, reshaping the defence three times, our first choice keeper sent off and all three substitutes forced onto us. Honestly, we were there for the taking and if I were a United fan (thank god I am not) then I would be gutted that we could only break down a makeshift defence and untried goalkeeper in the Premiership the once. It only highlights just how bad our neighbours are at the moment and they deservedly acquire the bottom slot in the table.
With three games left to play we now sit three points away from getting into the top six. Our next game is here at Dens Park against Ross County who are the team that sit in the position we want to be in.
They won the League Cup a few weeks back but their league form has slipped a bit and we will be hoping this continues when they play us. A win for us here would see us leapfrog them because of our goal difference and will leave it in our own hands at to whether we finish in the top or the bottom half.
Our other games are against Celtic at home and then away to Hamilton. We currently have a game in hand over the teams above us so six points from three games would all but see us claim a successive top half finish.
On top of that, Paul McGowan and Darren O’Dea have both signed new contracts as we look to build a strong back bone to this team. McGowan re-signing to me is the best news to come out of Dens this week.
On the up and coming internationals this week, we could very well see our very own Scott Bain receiving his first cap for Scotland when the national team take on the Czech Republic. For a player that was playing part-time a few years ago, this would be a massive achievement not just for the club but for the player himself. It is a true rags to riches story for Bain and thoroughly deserved.
Until next time, MON THE DEE!
