Dundee and Kilmarnock played out a 2-2 draw at the Scot Foam Stadium this afternoon, the third time this season that the clubs have delivered that scoreline. On the previous two occasions Dundee grabbed an equaliser from a corner in added time at the end. Today it was Kilmarnock’s turn to play that trick when Robbie Deas bundled a late goal home to give Killie a point. Scott Tiffoney gave the Dee a deserved early lead only for Marley Watkins to equalise late in the first half. Midway through the second half Kilmarnock’s Lewis Mayo picked up a red card when he conceded a penalty. Luke McCowan restored Dundee’s lead from the spot, but the Dee couldn’t see the game out to take all three points.
Tony Docherty made six changes following a rather disappointing Wednesday night in Glasgow. Jon McCracken and Josh Mulligan came in for the injured Trevor Carson and Jordan McGhee. Aaron Donnelly, Lyall Cameron, Mo Sylla and Scott Tiffoney replaced Ricki Lamie, Malachi Boateng and Amadou Bakayoko, who were all on the bench, and the suspended Fin Robertson. Luke McCowan played at right wing back with Josh Mulligan in central midfield.
Dundee started promisingly with some good attacks from both wings. A fast attack down the left ended with Curtis Main trying a volley from Owen Beck’s cross. Keeper Will Dennis fumbled the save but recovered. He did much better with a fierce, deflected 20 yard shot from Josh Mulligan. The keeper did well to turn the ball round the post.
The Dark Blues were constantly threatening to take the lead and did so in the 11th minute. Main nodded a long ball down the left into the path of Scott Tiffoney. TIFFONEY ran into the penalty area, cut inside two defenders and hit a low shot against Dennis’s right hand post with the rebound striking the keeper and flying into the net. The authorities might class it as an own goal, but Tiffoney did all the heavy lifting, and Will Dennis will hardly want to claim it.
After falling behind Kilmarnock came more into the game but without creating any great danger until late in the half. Dundee always looked capable of building a scoring move, but it never came off,
Dundee should have reached half time with their lead intact, but conceded an avoidable equaliser. Some poor passing at the back ended with Jon McCracken clearing for a throw under pressure. Daniel Armstrong took the ball from the throw and crossed to the far post. Joe Wright headed back and Marley WATKINS scored from close range.
Kilmarnock might have gone ahead from a free kick, harshly awarded against Owen Beck, shortly before half time. Armstrong whipped the ball into the goalmouth and McCracken pushed it over the bar.
The two big moments in the first quarter of an hour of the second half both went Dundee’s way, thanks to poor decisions by Kilmarnock players. Killie should have scored when they broke away from a Dee free kick. Three Kilmarnock players ran clear with only McCracken to beat. Instead of setting up a teammate for an open goal Watkins chose to shoot and McCracken saved with his feet.
As the hour mark approached Kilmarnock central defender Lewis Mayo misjudged a long high ball. Tiffoney ran clear and was hauled down, just inside the penalty area. Referee Colin Steven pointed to the spot and produced the inevitable red card. There was an interminable VAR review to establish whether the offence took place inside the penalty box. Eventually Luke McCOWAN was able to take the penalty. The keeper got a touch but couldn’t keep the ball out.
Owen Dodgson came on for Lyall Cameron early in the second half. He went to right wing back with McCowan moving back into central midfield. After the goal Michael Mellon and Amadou Bakayoko replaced Scott Tiffoney and Curtis Main.
Killie responded well to falling behind and pushed forward hoping for a second equaliser. Dundee, however, came closer to scoring in a game that remained open to the final whistle.
The Dark Blues should have tied the game up in a series of dangerous attacks which stretched Kilmarnock’s defence. After 84 minutes Mellon went agonisingly close to delivering a vital third goal. At the end of a frantic spell of Dee pressure Mellon smashed a 15 yard shot against the crossbar.
Dundee were undone at the start of added time when they conceded a corner after losing possession carelessly as they tried to break out of defence. The defence couldn’t clear the corner, the ball fell to Robbie DEAS a few yards out and he bundled a shot over the line.
Both teams tried to find a winner in the eight minutes of added time and Dundee came closest. Beck’s corner was cleared only as far as the Welsh wing back and he dribbled into the penalty area before pulling his shot narrowly past the near post.
This was a frustrating draw because Dundee, without playing at their best, should have seen the game out. More composure, and better defending at set pieces, would have ensured the Dee would take an important victory. For long spells today the Dark Blues were impressive. However, the level of performance slipped at times and that cost the Dee two points.
Dundee FC 3-5-2
McCracken
Portales, Shaughnessy (c), Donnelly
McCowan, Mulligan, Sylla, Cameron (Dodgson 55), Beck
Main (Bakayoko 74), Tiffoney (74)
Unused subs: Legzdins (gk), Sharp (gk), Astley, Lamie, Boateng, Costelloe.
Booked: Beck (foul on Armstrong).
Goals: Tiffoney (11), McCowan (63 pen).
Kilmarnock 4-4-2
Dennis
Wright, Mayo, Deas, Ndaba
Armstrong (Mackay-Steven 86), Polworth (Watson 74), Donnelly (Balagizi 74), Kennedy
Watkins (Cameron 86), Vassell(Van Veen 68)
Unused subs: O’Hara, McKenzie, Murray, Davies.
Goals: Watkins (35), Deas (90+1).
Booked: Vassell (foul on Beck), Ndaba (foul on Beck), Deas (goal celebration), Van Veen (foul on Portales).
Referee: Colin Steven. Assistants: Dougie Potter, Stuart Stevenson. Fourth Official: Chris Fordyce. VAR: Greg Aitken. Assistant VAR: Gary Hilland.
Attendance: 5,588.
Report: James Christie.
