The Dark Blues undefeated run came to an end with a 4-2 defeat at home to Arbroath. Defensive failings cost the Dee dearly, especially at set pieces. The Lichties took an early 2-0 lead through Michael McKenna and Colin Hamilton. Despite a red card for Ben Williamson Dundee levelled with goals from Paul McMullan and a Zak Rudden penalty either side of half time. After the equaliser Thomas O’Brien immediately put Arbroath back in front and Dale Hilson added the final goal. Defensive failings, especially at set pieces, cost Dundee dearly and both teams got exactly what they deserved from the game.
The only change to the Dark Blues’ line-up after the fine win at Ayr was Fin Robertson coming in as a straight replacement for the suspended Josh Mulligan. Arbroath gave starts to three signings announced this morning; João Baldé, Yasin Ben Al-Mhanni and Sean Adarkwa.
Dundee made a fast start and Paul McMullan’s low shot found the net in the first minute, but the winger was flagged for offside. The Dark Blues continued to threaten, but the match swung dramatically following the Lichtie’s first serious attack after nine minutes.
A free kick from wide on the left was met by Michael McKENNA’s glancing near post header and the ball flew across Adam Legzins and inside the far post.
The goal might have been against the run of the early play but Arbroath got a massive lift from and added a second four minutes later. Again Dundee’s defending at a set piece was poor. From a corner McKenna’s header flicked the ball on for Colin HAMILTON to head home from close range at the back post.
The Dark Blues were shaken and struggled to build dangerous moves. Nevertheless they still managed to create a couple of chances. Fin Robertson pulled a shot wide from Zak Rudden’s knock down and from a free kick Jordan McGhee’s close range shot was cleared off the line.
The tough challenge for the Dee became very much harder when Ben Williamson picked up two yellow cards in quick succession. First he roughly bundled Scott Stewart over, then fouled João Baldé near the corner flag in a Dee attack.
Dundee coped impressively after being reduced to 10 men at Ayr, but against the Lichties they lacked the same level of composure and control. The Dee gave the ball away cheaply too often and were largely reliant on Paul McMullan to create any danger.
McMullan set up a chance with a run to the byline and Jordan McGhee turned his pass into the path of Luke McCowan only for the shot to be blocked.
Arbroath passed up a decent chance late in the half when the Dee defence failed to deal with a free kick and Stewart shot over the bar.
There was no shortage of effort from Dundee but it was largely ineffective. They finally managed to get it right when Paul McMULLAN dribbled into the penalty area and scored with a low shot across keeper Derek Gaston after 41 minutes.
The Dark Blues badly needed that goal to give them hope for the second half, but the Lichties made the better start after half time. Stewart’s dipping shot dropped just over the bar, and Arbroath kept the Dee pinned back for the first five minutes.
Dundee soon snapped into action and at last they started to attack with conviction. Cammy Kerr swapped passes with McMullan and Gaston saved at the expense of a corner. Ryan Sweeney met McMullan’s corner with a powerful header that was blocked by Tam O’Brien’s raised hand. Zak RUDDEN sent the keeper the wrong way from the spot.
The equaliser after 56 minutes had the fans roaring. The Dee had not been anywhere near their best, but they had dug themselves back into the game and should have built on the goal to assert control and go for a winner, even with 10 men. Instead the Dundee shipped yet another goal straight from a corner only two minutes later. O’BRIEN scored with a powerful header from six yards.
The Dark Blues almost came up with a quick response, but were again denied by an offside flag when Ryan Sweeney netted following a free kick – an extremely tight decision. That was the decisive moment in the game. Losing a goal so soon after the equaliser and then having a goal disallowed combined to flatten Dundee.
That was pretty much the end for Dundee. In the remaining half hour they were poor and the confident Lichties were much the better side.
The Dark Blues made three changes after 72 minutes. Tyler French, Alex Jakubiak and Cillian Sheridan replaced Cammy Kerr, Luke McCowan and Zak Rudden, but it made little difference.
Arbroath completed the scoring with the best worked goal of the game. A Dundee attack broke down and McKenna took advantage of the vacant midfield to run through and set up Marcel Oakley to send over a fiercely driven cross. Substitute Dale HILSON had only to make a clean connection to send his header bulleting past Legzdins from 12 yards.
After that there was the odd half chance and scramble in the Arbroath penalty area, but there was no doubt where the points were going. Today’s defeat was particularly disappointing because the players fell so far short of the performance levels they showed recently, and especially in the last game at Ayr. Everything that Dundee did well that night they did poorly today. The defending in open play might have been acceptable, but that counts for little if cheap goals are conceded at set pieces. The midfield always struggled to cope with a man missing, and Zak Rudden was isolated too often with the front players unable to link up effectively.
Over the last couple of months these Dundee players have shown what they can do, but today they fell a long way short of the standards they have set themselves.
Dundee FC 4-4-1-1
Legzdins
Kerr (French 72), Sweeney (c), Ashcroft, Marshall
McMullan, McGhee (Byrne 83), Williamson, McCowan (Jakubiak 72)
Robertson (Anderson 83)
Rudden (Sheridan 72)
Unused subs: Lawlor (gk), Cameron, Osei, Grayson.
Goals: McMullan (41), Rudden (56 pen).
Booked: Williamson (fouls on Stewart and Baldé), McGhee (foul on Stewart).
Sent off: Williamson (two yellows).
Arbroath FC 4-2-3-1
Gaston
Oakley, Bitsindou, O’Brien (c), Hamilton
Baldé, Gold
Stewart, McKenna (Hoti 90+1), El-Mhanni (Linn 75)
Adarkwa (Hilson 70)
Unused subs: Gill (gk), Shanks.
Goals: McKenna (9), Hamilton (13), O’Brien (58), Hilson (77).
Booked: Baldé (foul on Ashcroft).
Referee: Scott Lambie. Assistants: Stuart Stevenson, Elliott Husband Powton.
Attendance: 5,930 (520 Arbroath supporters).
Report: James Christie.
