Dundee took a hard won point back up the road after drawing 1-1 at Kilmarnock. Lyall Cameron put the Dee ahead midway through the second half only for substitute Bobby Wales to equalise nine minutes later. The Dark Blues were the better side in the first half but Kilmarnock improved after half time and a point was a good outcome for the Dee.
There were two changes to the Dee’s starting eleven. However, it was the same side that took Hibs apart after Clark Robertson’s early injury with the exception of goalkeeper Jon McCracken taking the place of Trevor Carson who had taken a knock and was not risked on Killie’s artificial pitch.
The Dark Blues kicked off and were comfortably on top for the first 10 minutes, which provided all the excitement in the first half.
After a few minutes of pleasing passing from the Dee in the Killie half, helped by a stream of mistakes from the home side, Dundee stepped up a gear.
Josh Mulligan burst past Robbie Deas on the left and his cut back was battered goalwards by Jordan McGhee. It took a fine save by Robbie McCrorie to deny Dundee an early lead. McGhee headed over from the resulting corner. A minute later Lyall Cameron rifled a low 20 yard narrowly past the post.
Killie were still snoozing when Mulligan worked a quick passing move with Cameron and raced into the penalty area. His low pass across goal was straight to Simon Murray who took a fresh air shot in front of the gaping goal. He quickly recovered the ball and put in a fierce shot that McCrorie did well to parry.
Only 10 minutes had gone and the Dark Blues should have had at least one goal. That was all the thrills that the crowd was treated to in a first half which grew increasingly turgid. Neither side could mount convincing attacks, or even hold possession in a controlled manner in the opposition half. The two keepers had little to trouble them and the half drifted to a goalless conclusion.
Neither manager would have been entirely happy with the first half, but at least the Dark Blues had looked dangerous and made the opposing keeper work hard. It wasn’t surprising that one of the managers made a change at half time but few would have predicted that Tony Docherty would send on Ethan Ingram in the place of Mo Sylla. Josh Mulligan moved into central midfield and Ingram took up the right wing back role.
The change didn’t have any real impact and the Dark Blues had an uncomfortable 25 minutes after the restart. Killie were quickly on the attack. Marley Watkins guided a shot across goal and wide. Fraser Murray then got away from Antonio Portales and sent a dangerous low cross through the goalmmouth and wide.
Kilmarnock repeatedly got into promising positions and sent some good balls into the box but they struggled to get shots away and force Jon McCracken into real action. Finally Gary Mackay-Steven got a decent shot in from 22 yards and McCracken pulled off the sort of save he would expect to make.
Meanwile the Dark Blues offered little in attack and were happy to get the break of the ball on more than a few occasions in their own penalty area. Dundee were riding their luck for a while and should have been caught out when Mackay-Steven slashed at Murray’s cutback, sending his shot yards over the bar.
That was easily the best chance Killie had up to that point and they were duly punished for failing to take the lead when they were on top. Seun Adewumi came on for Josh Mulligan and quickly gave Kilmarnock problems.
Lyall Cameron did well to stop Kilmarnock breaking from a Dee free kick. He found Adewumi who skipped gracefully past Wright to the byline and pulled a pass back into the goalmouth. Billy Koumetio challenged, forcing a hurried half clearance only as far as CAMERON who smashed a rising shot into the roof of the net from 16 yards.
Kilmarnock made three substitutions and the crucial one was 19 year old Bobby Wales who got the equaliser that the home side deserved after 80 minutes.
Kyle Vassell shielded the ball on the byline and pulled a pass back for WALES to crash an unstoppable shot into the top corner from 12 yards.
The remaining 16 minutes of play lacked the sensational excitement we’ve become used to in games between these two clubs but there were still a couple of scary moments for the Dark Blue support to endure.
Kilmarnock could have won the game when Portales didn’t clear and allowed Watkins to test McCracken with a fierce angled shot. The keeper saved well and everyone in Dark Blue was mightily relieved when Brad Lyons screwed the loose ball weakly wide.
In added time at the end of injury time Wales got space for another shot but McCracken saved well again. That was that and the Dee were happy to take a point home.
Dundee should have been ahead in their early storm at Killie’s goal, but were second best in the second half. The two goals came from the two outstanding moments of high quality in a game that mostly offered a disappointing level of entertainment.
The Dark Blues were not creative enough in midfield or attack after the 11th minute. The defence had to work hard in the second half to earn the Dee a point. The artificial pitch was awkward with players often struggling to keep their feet. That pitch and the quality that Killie possess mean a point at Rugby Park is always welcome. The draw was as much as Dundee deserved, but it was definitely a good point.
Kilmarnock 3-4-3
McCrorie
Wright, Mayo, Deas
Mackay-Steven (Armstrong 74), Lyons, Ndaba, Murray (Wales 77)
Watkins, Anderson (Polworth 77), Vassell (Cameron 86)
Unused subs: O’Hara (gk), Watson, Burroughs, Bainbridge, McKenzie.
Goal: Wales (80).
Booked: Murray (foul on Ingram), Deas (foul on Adewumi).
Dundee FC 3-5-2
McCracken
Astley, Portales, Koumetio
Mulligan (Adewumi 66), Cameron, McGhee, Sylla (Ingram at half time), Fin Robertson
Palmer-Houlden, Murray (c)
Unused substitutes: Sharp (gk), Tiffoney, Kelly, Braybrooke, Vetro.
Goal: Cameron (71).
Booked: McGhee (foul on Ndaba), Koumetio (foul on Murray).
Referee: Ross Hardie. Assistants: Daniel McFarlane, Brian Christie. VAR: Don Robertson. Assistant VAR: David McGeachie.
Attendance: 5,454.
Report: James Christie.
