Dundee started their Premier Sports Cup campaign with a 0-1 defeat at home to Airdrieonians this afternoon in what was Steven Pressley’s first match at Dens Park. It was a 22nd-minute goal from Chris Mochrie that earned Airdrie the three points in both team’s first match of the Premier Sports Cup. Dundee had three players making their competitive debuts this afternoon with Paul Digby, Emile Acquah and Tony Yogane playing competitively for The Dee for the first time.
Airdrie had the first attacking phase of play of the match winning an early corner which was cleared away by the Dundee defence. Dundee then got up the pitch themselves with Acquah making a run into the box, but a final slide tackle saw the ball go out for a corner. Robertson delivered the corner but nobody could get on the end of it.
In the 11th minute, the away side nearly opened the scoring when Alex King smashed the bar with a shot from outside of the box. 11 minutes later the away side did take the lead when a ball over the top played in Mochrie, Astley couldn’t get goal side of the attacker and he was able to bring the ball down and get the shot away which went past Carson in the goal and into the back of the net.
Dundee looked for a quick reply when Yogane played a pass into Garza but his shot was blocked and Airdrie cleared. For the rest of the first half, Dundee had much of the ball. A ball was played to Murray, who flicked the ball against the defender. Murray claimed for a penalty, but the referee pointed for a corner. The resulting corner couldn’t find a man in dark blue. Shortly after Dundee won another corner but again it didn’t come to anything. Dundee’s best chance of the half came when Ingram drove down the right side and played in Fin Robertson, who had a powerful shot that the keeper pushed away. The ball broke out to Ingram, but his shot found the side net. Just before the break, Dundee had another corner and this time, they came close, Robertson picked out Donnelly but his header was blocked as it headed towards the goal. David Dickinson then blew for half-time.
The teams returned for the second half, with no changes for either side. Dundee started brightly with Luke Graham getting down the left side but his cross was blocked. Yogane then showed a fantastic piece of skill beating his man but was then cleaned out as he headed towards the box. Fin Robertson took the free-kick that was awarded and smashed the ball towards goal but it was headed out for a corner.
The visitors then had their first chance of the second half when McGratten ran down the left wing cut inside and had a shot but it curled past the post. Dundee then went up the park and came extremely close, Ingram played in Garza who ended up one-on-one with the keeper, he poked the ball towards the goal but Melrose produced a good save.
Airdrie then made their first change of the game with Barjonas replacing McStravick. Mochrie then nearly got his second goal of the game when he won the ball against Koumetio and had a shot inside the box but Ingram cleared off the line.
Dundee then made their first changes of the game with Wright and Hay making their competitive debuts for the club replacing Ingram and Acquah in the 63rd minute.
Garza and Fin Robertson continued to link up well. Robertson then won a corner after his cross was blocked. This would prove to be Dundee’s best chances of the match. Robertson took the corner and found Koumetio who headed powerfully towards goal but McCabe Airdrie’s player-manager was on the line to head the ball off the line and the ball went out for a corner. Then remarkably the exact same thing happened again Robertson found Koumetio and McCabe cleared off the line.
It took 74 minutes till Murray had his first real chance of the game, he turned the defender and got a shot away but Melrose pushed the ball wide. From the corner, the ball broke to Garza who had a shot but it went just over the bar. That was the last action for Garza who was replaced by Samuels. Samuels had an instant impact he drove down the right and played the ball deep to the back post, it was met by Yogane but Melrose pushed the ball away.
Airdrie then went on to make a further three substitutions with Mochrie, Gallacher and Henderson all coming off for Cooper, Dylan Williams and Cole Williams.
The match then approached the final few minutes and Murray again came close, he was played in by Wright but his shot hit the side net. Fin Robertson who had been Dundee’s main attacking threat all day came close in injury time when he had a shot outside the box but it was cleared out for a corner. Dundee had one last chance from their 14th corner of the game but Airdrie did what they had done all game and cleared the ball away. The referee then ended the match much to the delight of the travelling support.
It was not the result Dundee and Steven Pressley wanted in his first match in charge. It was a game where they had the majority of possession and most of the ball but Airdrie took their chance early on in the match and then defended well for the rest of the match. Melrose and McCabe deserve special mention from an Airdrie perspective for keeping Dundee out this afternoon. Dundee’s next match in this competition is next Saturday away to Alloa.
Attendance 2,306
DUNDEE LINE-UP
31| TREVOR CARSON
2 | ETHAN INGRAM (REPLACED BY 7| DREY WRIGHT)
4 | RYAN ASTLEY
5 | BILLY KOUMETIO
8 | PAUL DIGBY
9 | EMILE ACQUAH (REPLACED BY 11| ASHLEY HAY)
10| FINLAY ROBERTSON
14| CESAR GARZA (REPLACED BY 12| IMARI SAMUELS)
15| SIMON MURRAY (C)
17| TONY YOGANE
22| LUKE GRAHAM
UNUSED SUBSTITUTES
1 | JON MCCRACKEN
3 | CLARK ROBERTSON
6 | AARON DONNELLY
25| PLAMEN GALABOV
27| VICTOR LOPEZ
58| ETHAN CROMBIE
AIRDRIE LINE-UP
20| CADE MELROSE
4 | SEAN MCGINTY (C)
7 | CHRIS MOCHRIE (REPLACED BY 21| CAMMY COOPER)
8 | GAVIN GALLAGHER (REPLACED BY 31| DYLAN WILLIAMS)
10| LIAM MCSTRAVICK (REPLACED BY 18| JAMIE BARJONAS)
11| EUAN HENDERSON (REPLACED BY 32| COLE WILLIAMS)
15| RHYS MCCABE
16| CRAIG ROSS
17| LEWIS MCGRATTAN
22| ALEX KING
26| RHYS ARMSTRONG
UNUSED-SUBSTITUTES
43| DAVID HUTTON
34| ADAM AIRD
35| JAMIE WHITE
36| MASON CHISHOLM
41| KRISTIAN WEBSTER
