Dundee saw off St Mirren at Links Park with more than a helping hand from unfortunate Buddies’ defender Andy McDonald, who had a hand in all three of the Dark Blues’ goals.

The Dens Parkers started well and John Black and Josh Skelly worked a clever free kick and Black’s dangerous ball into the box was cleared away for a corner.

Kyle Gourlay in the Dundee goal got his first taste of the action with a save from Ross Cameron in the ninth minute.
Black was creating lots of problems for the Paisley defence with his strong running in behind and was unlucky not to reach a superb Dylan Carreiro pass over the top.

Skelly then passed up a good chance when he shot wide after being played in by Jesse Curran.
On 25 minutes Black again got in behind the visitors’ back line from a Kostadin Gadzhalov through ball but he couldn’t direct his shot on target.

However, he got his reward just a minute later when keeper Reece Wilson played the goal kick out to McDonald. The left back’s return pass was weak and Black was on to it in a flash to steer it past the keeper.

Six minutes from half time keeper Gourlay came to Dundee’s rescue with a good save from Lewis Morgan and two minutes later the Dens men extended their lead.

McDonald brought down Skelly in the box and Calvin Colquhoun coolly stuck away the penalty. However, the referee ordered a re-take and this time Wilson saved the spot kick as well as Skelly’s follow-up. However, he couldn’t prevent Colquhoun netting at the third attempt.

If the first half belonged to Dundee, the second period saw St Mirren fight back. Gourlay was forced to bring off a fine save from Morgan, but he was beaten on 75 minutes when the Buddies pulled a goal back.

A free kick from 25 yards was driven into the Dundee box and Jordan Stewart was on hand to divert the ball into the goal.

However, their efforts to find an equaliser were hampered by the sending-off of right back John Beattie for a foul on Colquhoun. There was a bit of argy bargy following that foul and both Dundee’s Skelly and St Mirren’s Morgan were booked.

In the dying seconds Dundee wrapped up the points when Carreiro made tracks down the left and into the box and his ball across the face of the goal was turned past his own keeper by the unfortunate McDonald.

FT: Dundee 3 St Mirren 1

Dundee: Gourlay, Gallacher, Priest, Gadzhalov, Warwick, Dryden, Curran, Colquhoun, Carreiro, Black, Skelly. Subs not used: Beattie, Waddell, Gibb, Berry, Clark, Gemmell, Smith.