Dundee played out a 0-0 draw against Morton in Greenock this afternoon. Both sides hit the woodwork, but neither could find the composure or finishing quality to claim all three points. The Dark Blues exerted plenty of pressure on the home defence, but too little of it ended with the home goalkeeper being called into action and a draw was a fair outcome for both teams.
The Dark Blues were unchanged following last week’s win over Arbroath. Ben Williamson returned from injury to the substitutes bench along with Jordan McGhee, available for the first time this season.
Dundee started on the attack but as soon as Morton won the ball they took the game to the Dee, who were pinned back in their own half for the first five minutes.
Harrison Sharp saved well from Robbie Crawford’s low drive after Joe Grayson was dispossessed in midfield. Fortunately the rebound flashed past Jaze Kabia in front of the open goal.
When the Dee did get the chance to attack they immediately threatened. Josh Mulligan turned a cross from Luke McCowan into the path of Paul McMullan who crashed a drive from 18 yards against the underside of the crossbar.
Dundee continued to attack but Morton always looked dangerous on the break. The Dee defence was often stretched as Morton broke quickly through an open midfield. However, despite too many worrying moments they were able to stop the home side setting up clear chances till the end of the half.
Morton keeper Brian Schwake pulled off a terrific reaction save to prevent an own goal by Grant Gillespie after Zak Rudden had battled his way to the byline and hit a low cross into the danger area.
The Dark Blues dominated the attacking in the later stages of the first half. They often looked capable of playing their way round or through Morton’s defence, but in spite of numerous shots, mostly blocked, they couldn’t break through.
At the end of the half it was Morton who passed up a great chance. Kabia was allowed to run free onto a long ball from Gillespie. With Sharp advancing from his goal, and the ball bouncing nicely, Kabia lifted a poor attempted lob well wide.
The Dark Blues spent most of the second half attacking, but without finding the right finish. When Morton did come forward there were regular worrying moments in defence. Fortunately Morton repeatedly wasted dangerous opportunities with poor passes or decisions in the final third – much like the Dee.
Early in the half Morton defender Alex King’s shot was blocked at a nervously defended corner. After a scramble the ball broke back to King at the edge of the penalty area but he fired wildly over.
The Dee did put together some neat moves that fell apart at the last moment, or which couldn’t find a Dee in a shooting position. McCowan had a decent chance, but fired weakly wide when he was sent in by McMullan.
After 69 minutes Niall McGinn and Zach Robinson came on for Rudden and McCowan. McGinn was soon involved in the action and shot over from a promising position after some good approach play.
Although Dundee were doing most of the attacking Morton were always a threat on the break. However, like the Dee they could never turn promising opportunities into good chances.
Morton could have grabbed a late winner when Jack Baird sent a back header from a long throw against the inside of the far post. It was a heart-stopping moments for the Dees behind the goal as the ball drifted past Sharp and back off the post for Dundee to be awarded a free kick in the resulting scramble.
Jordan McGhee replaced Paul McGowan for the last quarter of an hour, but the Dee still could not find their way through to goal.
A draw was a fair result at the end of a game that could easily have swung either way. Both defences will be happy with their clean sheets, but the lack of goals was down to attacking failings by both teams as much as defensive competence.
This was a far more interesting game than most goalless draws. A goal at any stage, for either side, would have been no great surprise. There was always something happening, but frustratingly not enough of it was of the quality we have seen from the Dee already this season.
Morton 4-1-4-1
Schwake
Pignatiello (Hynes 73), Baird, O’Connor, King (Strapp 79)
Gillespie (c)
Muirhead, Crawford, Blues, Kabia (Garrity 73)
Quitongo (McGrattan 87)
Unused subs: Green (gk), Lithgow.
Booked: Quitongo (confrontation with Sweeney), Kabia (foul on Kerr).
Dundee FC 4-3-3
Sharp
Kerr, Sweeney (c), French, Marshall
Mulligan, Grayson (Ashcroft 89), McGowan (McGhee 77)
McMullan (Cameron 89), Rudden (Robinson 69), McCowan (McGinn 69)
Unused subs: Legzdins (gk), Byrne, Williamson, Anderson.
Booked: Sharp (challenge on O’Connor), Sweeney (confrontation with Sweeney).
Attendance: 2,091.
Referee: Don Robertson. Assistants: Chris Rae, Calum Doyle.
Report: James Christie.
