Dundee opened up a six-point gap over St Mirren with nine to play for this afternoon thanks to a Joe Westley goal on the 12thminute that kept all three points in the City of Discovery and sent the Buddies to 11th in the table.
Stephen Pressley made four changes from the side that were beaten in last weekends Dundee Derby. Simon Murray returned to the starting line up along with Drey Wright, Brad Halliday and winger Tony Yogane. They replaced Imari Samuaels, Billy Koumetio and Ashley Hay who all dropped to the bench while Scott Wright isn’t in the matchday squad through injury.
St Mirren themselves made changes for this game. Declan John, Alex Gogic and Jonah Ayunga all missed out with Jaydeb Richardson, Roland Idowu and Scott Tanser taking their place.
The first five minutes saw the ball go back and forward between both ends of the pitch with nothing given away but Dundee look to be putting pressure on the St Mirren defence and goalkeeper by chasing down their opponents at any opportunity they could get.
St Mirren had threatened a few times but it’s been easily dealt with from Dundee but on the 10th minute, it’s the home side that has the first real opportunity of the match.
Yan Dhanda picked up a loose ball in the middle of the park and runs with it unaccompanied by any visiting player but his shot is straight down the barrel of Ross Sinclair in goal.
Not long after that, Dundee open the scoring on the 12th minute.
Simon Murray latches onto a slack pass from the St Mirren defence who then feeds it to Cameron Congreve. The Welshman takes it down the wing and eventually finds the space to make a cross. It take a little nick off a St Mirren defender but still makes it’s way to JOE WESTLEY in the box who slots it home into the back of the net in off the post.
St Mirren straight away force their way into Dundee half and win a corner but the home side easily deal with it.
Dhanda again finds himself in acres of space as he gets the ball in his half, nutmegs a St Mirren player and finds himself making strides towards their half but he’s chopped down and Jacob Devaney received the first yellow card after 15 minutes.
Dundee forced a corner just before the twenty minute mark when Drey Wright made a bursting run down the wing and was fed in Yogane before the St Mirren defence blocked his cross.
From that set-piece, Dundee continue to threaten and with St Mirren unable to fully clear their lines, Dhanda puts another cross into the box which met with the head of Mandron but he breathed a sigh of relief as his header went behind him and hot off the bar.
The away side continue to try and find a way into this tie with their main source so far coming from Ronald Idowu who was their most threatening player so far.
Dundee had another chance. Dhanda yet again intercepts another ball in the middle to start an attack and the ball eventually switches play to Congreve who’s cross is met by Westley but his shot is wide of the target.
Another booking for St Mirren. Mikael Mandron who loses out to a 50/50 to Luke Graham with the Young Player Of The Year nominee coming off worse after winning the ball.
Brad Halliday becomes the first Dark Blue player to be booked for a challenge on the 34th minute.
With five minutes before half-time, there is a brief stramash which ends with two St Mirren players and one Dundee player on the ground. After a VAR check for a potential penalty, the referee waves it away for a Dundee throw-in.
The half time whistles goes after two minutes of injury-time with Dundee in the lead thanks to a Westley goal.
There isn’t too much between these two sides as the players head up the tunnel with it very much all to play for but Dundee are the ones that have took the chance to take the lead.
Less than a minute into the second half and Dundee come close to adding a second. Yogane does well to toy with the St Mirren defender and he plays a ball into the onrushing Ethan Hamilton who drives the ball low and hard into the box. Unfortunately, the ball just evades Westley  just outside the six-yard box and the away side are let off the hook.
On the stroke of the 50th minute, Jon McCracken is called into action for the first time in this match as he pulls off a great save from a strike from ?? from outside the box.
The Buddies continue to try and get themselves back on level terms and nearly when Madron heads narrowly wide of the post and a few minutes later, Jayden Richardson’s shot is parried away for a corner by McCracken.
Tony Yogane then had a great chance for Dundee but he blazed over the bar but the referee then blew his whistle for a foul.
Dundee invite pressure needlessly on themselves. McCracken lets a back pass from Dhanda slip under his foot. He manages to stop it going out for a corner but his clearance is poor and the ball eventually goes out for a corner for the away side.
During his attempt to stop the ball from going out, McCracken injured his ankle and was replaced by Kieran O’Hara for his Dundee debut.
His first touch is from the resulting corner and he doesn’t get a clean punch and it goes out for another corner which doesn’t come to anything for St Mirren.
St Mirren come close yet again. Halliday looks to have done enough to shield the ball out for a goal-kick after getting in front of Idowu but the dangerman fails to give up the chase and nicks the ball off the defender but his shot is from a tight angle and against the side netting.
Dundee then pass up a glorious chance to add a second with twenty minutes left. Yogane does well to beat his marker and his cross reaches Congreve. He takes a touch before getting his shot off but it lacks the power and placing and comes off an opposition defender who are then able to clear.
Yogane goes down injured after his cross but play doesn’t stop for a while until after St Mirren have had their attack cleared and Dundee gain possession of the ball.
While Yogane is down receiving treatment for that passage of play, The Dee make a double substitution with Murray and Westley making way for Finlay Robertson and Ashley Hay.
St Mirren are next to try and change it around with Mark O’Hara making way for Conor McMenamin with just over ten to go as they look for an equaliser.
Both sides keep going with Dundee looking to kill off the game and St Mirren salvaging something but both keep cancelling out themselves.
Double substitution for St Mirren with the Marcus Fraser for Scott Tanser and Jake Young for Ronald Idowu.
With St Mirren pushing forward, Dundee counter through Congreve but as they are pushed back and still in control of the game, the referee stops play for a fallen away player, much to the annoyance of the players and fans considering the officials let the play continue for much longer when Yogane went down earlier with an injury.
Tony Yogane then makes way for Billy Koumetio and Imari Samuels for Drey Wright to shore up the defence with less than five to go.
St Mirre are pushing forward and a dangerous cross falls right in the middle of the six yard box but Samuels is on hand to blast it out for a corner to keep Dundee’s lead intact.
Seven minutes of injury time is announced much to the groans of the home support.
It’s so close for a second for Dundee. Robertson’s cross is inch perfect and it meets the head of Hay but Sinclair pulls of a top save to keep it out and away side clear it for a corner that Dundee fail to convert.
This time is the away side who come close in the 94th minute. Samuels is beaten at the back post but Richardson headed chance goes right into the chest and hands of O’Hara.
With a minute to go, Hay wins a foul in the middle of the park much to the delight of the home fans. Ryan Astley takes the free-kick and Hay is again on hand to help win a corner which proves to be the last kick of the ball as Dundee finish the match with a priceless three-points.
It was a much needed victory as last weeks sore defeat.
Dundee were good for the lead in the first half. The whole team played well and looked lively going forward and remained a threat throughout. Westley took his goal very well and that seemed to give Dundee the confidence in what could have very well been nervy game if it remained 0-0.
The second half had St Mirren pushing forward and inflicting pressure as the team would have expected it but the defence and players around them dealt with everything that the away side had to offer. Other than an diving save from McCracken, the Buddies end product was tame and bread and butter for McCracken and O’Hara to collect.
Dundee showed great grit and desire in their performance this afternoon. There’s something to be said about character that has been shown about this team when question marks arose after a bad defeat and run of form. The players duly answered them today.
With three matches remaining, our destiny remains in our own hands.
Dundee
Jon McCracken (Kieran O’Hara 66)Luke Graham, Ryan Astley, Drey Wright (Billy Koumetio 88), Brad Halliday, Joe Westley (Finlay Robertson 75), Ethan Hamilton, Yan Dhanda, Simon Murray (Ashley Hay 76)Tony Yogane (Imari Samuels 88), Cameron Congreve
Substitutes Not Used:
Charlie Reilly, Joe Bevan, Joel Cotterill, Callum Jones
Goal: Joe Wetley (12)
Bookings: Brad Halliday (35)
St Mirren
Ross Sinclair, Miguel Freckleton, Richard King, Scott Tanser, (Marcus Fraser 84)Jayden Richardson, Mikael Mandron, Jacob Devaney, Killian Phillips, Allan Campbell, Mark O’Hara (Conor McMenamin 80), Roland Idowu (Jake Young 84)
Substitutes Not Used:
Luke Douglas, Thomas Falconer, Ruari Duff, Jalmaro Calvin, Caiden Mcmillan, Grant Tamosevicius
Goals: None
Bookings: Jacob Devaney (15), Mikael Mandron (35)
Referee: Steven McLean
Assistant Referees: Chris Rae, Gordon McCabe
Fourth Official: Lloyd Wilson
Video Assistant Referee: Nick Walsh
Assistant VAR Official: Graeme Leslie
Attendance, 5379
Match Report: Daniel Smith
