Craig Tanner’s first half goal consigned Dundee to defeat against Motherwell. The winger converted Curtis Main’s cross just after the half hour mark, and despite creating countless chances, the Dee couldn’t force a way back into the game.
Neil McCann made one change to the side that beat Partick the previous week. Genseric Kusunga replaced Jon Aurtenetxe in a reshuffled defensive set up for the Dark Blues that saw Cammy Kerr deployed at left back.
Dundee started brightly, but a series of Roarie Deacon set pieces all failed to trouble the Motherwell defence.
Clear cut chances were at a premium as both sides tried to craft an opening. Curtis Main looped a header across the face of goal after 26 minutes, but Elliott Parish managed to grab the bouncing ball.
Sofien Moussa was inches away from opening the scoring when he flicked a Deacon corner towards goal, but the ball flashed past the post.
Less than a minute later, Craig Tanner opened the scoring. The winger has netted in every meeting of the sides this season, and kept his run going with a simple tap in from Main’s cut back.
Dundee looked for a route back into the game, and nearly had it when Moussa steered a loose ball into Paul McGowan, but he saw his low shot easily saved by Carson.
The first chance of the second half went Dundee’s way. Glen Kamara’s cross was knocked down by Steven Caulker, but Genseric Kusunga sliced the ball over from 10 yards.
Josh Meekings went close with a downwards header from a Deacon free kick not long after. Glen Kamara picked out Deacon with a cut back, and his shot deflected into Caulker’s path, but he could only shoot wide just after the hour mark.
Simon Murray showed good feet to get to the by line, but Carson blocked his shot from a tight angle. Moments later Deacon smashed a cross-cum-shot across the face of goal, but neither Murray or substitute A-Jay Leitch-Smith could turn the ball in.
Dundee continued to press for an equaliser, but a lack of quality in the final third was costing them dearly. Paul McGowan and Carl McHugh both saw yellow after an altercation in the middle of the park.
The Dee felt they should have had a penalty in injury time when Kipre appeared to handle a Leitch-Smith cross, but the referee was unmoved, and Motherwell held on to secure the points.
Dundee (3-5-2): Parish, Kerr (Aurtenetxe 67), Caulker, Kusunga, Kamara, Moussa (Leitch-Smith 56), O’Hara, Murray, McGowan (El Bakhtaoui 87), Deacon, Meekings
Unused Subs: Malherbe, O’Dea, Spence, Curran
Booked: McGowan
Motherwell (4-3-1-2): Carson, Tait, Cadden, McHugh, Main (Newell 82), Dunne, Aldred, Kipre, Campbell, Ciftci (Bowman 52), Tanner (Rose 63)
Goal: Tanner 32′
Booked: Ciftci, Tanner, McHugh
Unused Subs: Griffiths, Frear, McGuire, Bigirimana
Report: Andrew Creegan
