Dundee had to be content with a point tonight from a 0-0 draw at the Kilmac Stadium against Hibs. In a game with little penalty box action and few chances the Dark Blues had a slight edge, especially after Hibs’ Rocky Bushiri was sent off early in the second half. Dundee couldn’t make the visitors pay and Hibs dug in to earn a draw that was fair to both sides.
Dundee made no fewer than five changes from Saturday’s defeat. Jordan Marshall, Charlie Adam, Paul McMullen, Paul McGowan and Niall McGinn started. The five players who dropped out were Vontae Daley-Campbell, Zeno Ibsen Rossi, Josh Mulligan and Shaun Byrne who shifted onto the bench and Zak Rudden who was unavailable for Covid related reasons, as were Luke McCowan and Christie Elliot.
The game got off to a sluggish start on a sodden and heavy pitch and that set the pattern for the rest of the first half.
Both sides occasionally started nice moves through the midfield but the final balls never troubled the defences. Neither goalkeeper was faced with anything remotely challenging.
The nearest the Dee came to a first half goal was after eight minutes. The Hibs defence missed Niall McGinn’s corner, allowing the ball to bounce just beyond the far post, but Jordan McGhee couldn’t control his half volley and sent his effort several feet over the crossbar.
Hibs, at least, did force Ian Lawlor into making a couple of saves, but these were on the easy side of routine. Ryan Porteous’s header from a corner lacked power and was straight at the keeper, as was Drey Wright’s shot from 18 yards.
Dundee had a flurry of promising attacking in the last few minutes of the half, but significantly none of it brought Hibs’ keeper Kevin Dabrowski into the game.
The second half threatened to maintain the dreary pattern of the first, but after 10 minutes the game sparked into life. Charlie Adam shaved the goalpost’s paintwork with a low shot from 18 yards after some lovely close control to give himself space. A minute later Chris Cadden had the sniff of a half chance for Hibs when he broke through the middle, but he shot early and dragged his 20 yard effort wide.
The game swung Dundee’s way on 58 minutes when Rocky Bushiri was red carded. The Hibs defender took exception to Paul McGowan holding his arm and gave the Dee midfielder’s face the back of his hand – in full view of referee David Munro.
Unfortunately Dundee lost Charlie Adam almost immediately through injury. Shaun Byrne replaced him.
The Dark Blues did most of the attacking for the remainder of the match, but the final cross or pass was always a disappointment. None of the attacks set up a goalscoring chance.
Hibs did have a half chance from a corner, but Josh Doig’s shot was weak and easy for Lawlor. Substitute Sylvester Jasper tried to beat the Dee keeper with an angled shot from the left, but Lawlor took it comfortably at his near post.
After 80 minutes Dundee withdrew Niall McGinn and Jordan Marshall, sending on Vontae Daley-Campbell and Lee Ashcroft, who was making a very welcome return from injury. Jordan McGhee moved forward into an attacking midfield role. However, Hibs held onto their point without too much trouble.
This was a game in which the defences were always on top. After Saturday’s defeat against Livingston that is something to take comfort from. The Dee defence badly needed their clean sheet and certainly deserved it. The rest of the team worked hard and kept their shape well, but the Dee could not find the spark they needed to break through.
Dundee FC 4-2-3-1
Lawlor
Kerr, Sweeney, McGhee, Marshall (Ashcroft 80)
Adam (c) (Byrne 64), Anderson
McMullan, McGowan, McGinn (Daley-Campbell 80)
Mullen
Unused subs: Sharp (gk), Fontaine, McDaid, Chapman, Mulligan, Ibsen Rossi.
Booked: Anderson (foul on Doig), McGhee (foul on Porteous).
Hibernian 3-4-2-1
Dabrowski
Bushini, Porteous, Doig
Cadden, Doyle-Hayes, Campbell, Stevenson (c)
Wright (Hauge 77), Henderson (Jasper 61)
Doidge (Melkersen 77)
Unused subs: Mitchell (gk), McGregor, Delferriere, Blaney, Allan, MacIntyre.
Booked: Campbell (foul on Kerr), Hauge (foul on McGowan), Doyle-Hayes (foul on McGowan).
Sent off: Bushiri (slapping McGowan).
Attendance: 5,237 (923 Hibees).
Referee: David Munro. Assistants: David Roome, Andy Milne. Fourth Official: Steven Reid.
Report: James Christie.
