Dundee’s Championship campaign got off to a bad start with a 3-2 defeat at the Kilmac Stadium against Partick Thistle. Poor defending allowed the Jags to take a 2-0 half time lead through Aidan Fitzpatrick and Steven Lawless. Cole McKinnon scored Thistle’s third early in the second following more suspect defending. The Dee fought back with goals at corners from Cammy Kerr and Tyler French, but could not find the quality to save a match that was taken out of their reach by a series of errors.
The Dark Blues’ only change from the win over Forfar was Ben Williamson starting in the place of Paul McGowan, who was injured in training. Lee Ashcroft took another welcome step on his return from injury when he took a place on the bench where he was joined by new loan signing Zach Robinson.
The opening was finely balanced with the Jags eager to get forward and the Dark Blues looking capable of breaking quickly. Dundee were first to create danger when Niall McGinn pounced on a loose pass, exchanged passes with Alex Jakubiak, and shot into the side netting.
The opening goal for Thistle after 16 minutes was a disappointing mixture of carelessness and misfortune. Dundee tried to move quickly upfield and Josh Mulligan’s pass was intercepted. Aidan FITZPATRICK played a one-two with Brian Graham, and that left him with too much space 20 yards from goal. His shot took a big deflection that sent it looping over Harry Sharp and into the net.
The Dark Blues responded strongly and applied relentless pressure on the Jags’ rearguard without ever finding the space for a decisive shot. Mulligan managed a low shot that Mitchell saved well.
If there was an element of bad luck about the first goal the second was a straightforward defensive mistake. A long ball down the middle should have been harmless, dropping between Ryan Sweeney and Sharp who was advancing to clear. Sweeney tried to hook the ball clear, but his miscued clearance went straight to Steven LAWLESS who scored from 25 yards with Sharp out of position.
The injured Ben Williamson had to be replaced by Paul McMullan with Josh Mulligan moving into a more central role behind Alex Jakubiak.
Mulligan’s pace, strength and skill driving through the middle always gave hope that the Dee could dig out a goal. A fine run by Mulligan ended with a blocked shot when a pass to McGinn might have been the better option. Next time, at the end of a promising run, Mulligan did pass to McGinn who could do nothing with the opportunity.
On the stroke of half time Thistle broke away and almost put the game out of the Dee’s reach. Fitzpatrick’s deep cross was allowed to reach Graham who prodded his angled shot against the face of the bar from a difficult angle.
Zak Rudden came on for Niall McGinn at half time and the Dee came out desperate to attack and pull a goal back. The Dark Blues were certainly lively, but relentlessly wasteful, giving the ball away in the final third before they could hurt the Jags.
Five minutes into the half the Dee forgot about the need to keep the defence tight, lost concentration, and conceded another bad goal. From a throw in, Brian Graham was allowed to cross for the unmarked Cole McKINNON to run in and score with a simple header. It was ridiculously slipshod defending.
Up till this point Dundee had been playing reasonably well when coming forward and if the Dee had pulled the deficit back to a single goal the momentum of the match would have swung firmly in their favour.
Thistle’s third goal shook the Dark Blues and they were ineffective for an agonisingly long spell, offering little threat against Thistle’s deep defence.
Midway through the half Dundee finally started to create real danger. Max Anderson’s low drive was parried by Mitchell with the ball evading Rudden in front of the gaping goal.
After 64 minutes Dundee pulled a goal back when Cammy KERR scored with a neat header at the near post from a McMullan corner.
Jakubiak then had a tricky chance when Rudden nodded the ball on, but couldn’t get enough power in his header to beat Mitchell.
Mulligan was consistently Dundee’s most dangerous player and another fine, skillful run ended with his shot blocked. The youngster had more space to shoot from a McMullan cutback, but he scooped his effort over the bar. Mulligan is capable of terrorising defences, but he needs to get his final ball or shot right.
After 75 minutes Zach Robinson and Fin Robertson came on for Shaun Byrne and Max Anderson.
The Dark Blues kept pushing for a second goal, but the attacking was more a matter of improvised desperation than controlled pressure.
Sweeney almost grabbed the second goal when headed against the post with the rebound bouncing over the head of Robertson who was following up.
Tyler FRENCH gave the Dee hope when he headed home at the far post from another McMullan corner after 85 minutes.
There were nine minutes of play left in normal time and injury time, but Thistle were able to hold on under sustained pressure.
Rudden reached the byline but his low cross struck a defender and went the wrong side of the post. Both Sweeney and Mulligan had shots blocked by frantic defending in injury time.
With greater composure Dundee might easily have won this game, but can hardly claim they deserved it, or even a single point. They made too many mistakes, all over the pitch and not only in defence. The defensive howlers speak for themselves, but the Dee did not use the ball well enough, made repeated mistakes and took poor decisions in midfield and attack where they repeatedly failed to capitalise on great openings.
Thistle were tight and solid rather than brilliant. They took advantage of the Dee’s mistakes and deserved to win simply because they made far fewer blunders. Mistakes mean defeat. That was the simple lesson from today.
Dundee FC 4-2-3-1
Sharp
Kerr, Sweeney (c), French, Marshall
Byrne (Robertson 75), Anderson (Robinson 75)
Mulligan, Williamson (McMullan 26), McGinn (Rudden at half time)
Jakubiak
Unused subs: Lawlor (gk), Ashcroft, McCowan, Cameron, Fisher.
Goals. Kerr (64), French (85).
Booked: Mulligan (foul on Mitchell).
Partick Thistle 4-2-3-1
Mitchell
Turner, McMillan, Holt, Milne
Docherty (c), Bannigan (Weston 75)
Lawless, McKinnon, Fitzpatrick (Tiffoney 64)
Graham (Dowds 75)
Unused subs: Sneddon (gk), Mullen, Stanway, Lyon, MacKenzie.
Booked: Bannigan (foul on Byrne).
Goals: Fitzpatrick (16), Lawless (24), McKinnon (50).
Booked: Bannigan (foul on Byrne). Docherty (foul on Anderson).
Attendance: 5,513.
Referee: Alan Muir. Assistants: Daniel McFarlane, Colin McAlpine.
Report: James Christie.
