Dundee and Ayr Utd shared the spoils in this Reserve League fixture played at Dens Park on Tuesday night.
Despite the attraction of a Scotland game on TV there was a hardy bunch of diehards in attendance eager to see if Gavin Rae’s men could maintain their unbeaten start to the season.
The home side were first to threaten and when Steven Doris flicked the ball on to Jamie Reid, Ayr keeper William Muir had to be alert to block Martin Boyle as he bore down on Reid’s pass.
Doris was prominent again, this time chesting the ball into the path of Lee Cameron who fired over the bar.
A Cammy Kerr corner kick just missed the head of the inrushing James Thomson as the Dark Blues continued to dominate, but it was the visitors who shocked the home side by opening the scoring in the 25th minute.
Alan Forrest fed a great ball through for Ryan Nisbet who raced into the box and gave Dan Twardzik in the home goal no chance.
The Honest Men had a chance to double their advantage but, fortunately for Dundee, Kyle Benedictus made a last ditch challenge on the edge of his own area to deny Forrest.
Kyle picked up an injury making the tackle but was able to resume after treatment.
A minute from half time Dundee drew level. Boyle did the spadework and cut the ball back for Reid who slammed it home from seven yards.
HT: Dundee 1 Ayr Utd 1
Leighton McIntosh came on for Cameron at the start of the second half.
The visitors were first to threaten and Mark Shankland worked space for himself but shot wide of Twardzik’s goal.
A Kerr free kick from the right was flicked on by Ian Davidson but neither McIntosh or Doris could guide it into the net.
Dundee should have scored after 13 minutes of the second half. Boyle raced into the penalty area and his shot came down off the underside of the visitors’ bar. The ball came out to McIntosh who could only direct the rebound back onto the bar.
The Dark Blues did, though, take the lead on 64 minutes and again it was Boyle the provider, squaring the ball across the face of goal for Reid to bundle home his second of the evening.
Then Reid turned provider for McIntosh who could only head the ball wide.
Dundee’s lead lasted only three minutes. From Michael Wardrope’s cross Ayr’s Peter McGill crashed in a spectacular equaliser.
The home side pressed again and, from another Kerr corner, Benedictus headed over.
Dundee sent on Thomas Carberry for the hard working Doris and, a few minutes later, Calvin Colquhoun for the trialist midfielder.
In the dying seconds Dundee almost won it. Boyle flew up the right wing and sent in a fierce drive across the face of goal. Young full back Scott Mollison raced in but a defender managed to get back in time to clear the danger.
FT: Dundee 2 Ayr Utd 2
Dundee: Twardzik, Kerr, Mollison, Davidson, Thomson, Benedictus, Reid, Trialist (Colquhoun 80), Boyle, Doris (Carberry 73), Cameron (McIntosh 46). Subs not used: Allan, Sivewright.
Ayr Utd: W Muir, A Muir, Campbell (McCreadie 51), McArthur, McCracken, Wyllie, Forrest, Wardrope, Nisbet (D McGill 50), Shankland, P McGill (Finlay 68).
Report: Jim Davie
