The Dark Blues fell to a 3-1 defeat at home to Aberdeen this afternoon. The Dons were much the better side in a first half and Adil Aouchiche scored twice to give them a 2-0 lead at half time. The Dee improved greatly in a second half that they dominated and Ryan Astley pulled a goal back. However, Dundee couldn’t convert the chances that would have saved the game. With the Dark Blues pushing forward for an equaliser Aberdeen broke away for Kevin Nisbet to complete the scoring in the final minute of added time.
The Dee starting line-up had three changes from the team that lost narrowly at Celtic Park. Steven Pressley reverted to the formation used in last Saturday’s win over St Mirren and the only change from that game was Billy Koumetio, who replaced the injured Clark Robertson. Tony Yogane and Ryan Astley, who dropped onto the bench against Celtic, came back in for Fin Robertson and Imari Samuels.
The first 12 minutes was open and entertaining. Both teams attacked, looked dangerous, and won free kicks close to the penalty area that led to nothing.
The match then swung decisively against the Dark Blues. First, Joe Westley went down on the left touchline while battling for the ball with Dylan Lobban. He didn’t get up and needed lengthy treatment before he eventually limped out of the game and was replaced by Callum Jones.
Almost immediately the Dark Blues conceded an entirely avoidable goal. Ethan Hamilton’s slack pass in midfield was picked up by Jesper Karlsson who sent Marko Lazetic racing clear to shoot. Jon McCracken might have done better than parry the shot straight back out to Adil AOUCHICHE who scored from 18 yards.
The Dark Blues responded with a series of attacks that lacked real threat. The Aberdeen defence handled these for the most part and the Dons were faster, more incisive and more dangerous when they had the ball.
The Dee were fortunate not to lose a second goal when Stuart Armstrong curled a 22 yard free kick against the post.
The Dark Blues’ luck ran out on the half hour. Dundee dithered and failed to clear an Aberdeen attack. Karlsson’s shot was half blocked and fell perfectly for AOUCHICHE in space in front of goal to make it 2-0. There might have been an element of luck about the way the ball found its way to the scorer, but it was a maddeningly avoidable goal from a defensive point of view.
The scorelline could have got worse when a Dons corner was allowed to travel all the way to Lobban at the far post but McCracken saved well.
Despite Aberdeen’s first half superiority there was an element of casualness about their play that Dundee were never able to exploit. That changed in a second half in which the Dark Blues were the better side.
From the restart the Dark Blues moved the ball more quickly and accurately, and used the wide players more effectively. Both Cameron Congreve and Tony Yogane gave the Aberdeen defence a hard time and each put in a series of dangerous crosses.
Armstrong wasn’t far off target in an early Aberdeen attack, but from then on it was largely one-way traffic towards the away goal.
After an hour Dundee pulled a goal back when Congreve flighted a corner with a low trajectory to the near post and Ryan ASTLEY headed home without having to jump off the ground.
The Dark Blues then put Aberdeen under fierce pressure. Yogane skinned his man and crossed for Hamilton, whose shot was blocked. A Congreve cross caused chaos and only a desperate block stopped Simon Murray scoring. Yan Dhanda had a low 20 yarder turned round the post by keeper Mitov.
Dundee threw on Ash Hay and Fin Robertson for Drey Wright and Callum Jones as they went all out for an equaliser.
The last chance fell to Murray at the end of a fast attack down the right. The striker took the cross in front of goal but lost control as he tried to turn.
Astonishingly there were only three minutes of added time despite all the substitutions, injury stoppages and a VAR review for Dundee’s goal.
In the final minute Dundee tried to get the ball forward too quickly and lost possession. With ample space for Aberdeen to attack, Armstrong’s pass gave Kevin NISBET the chance to score in impressive style, stroking the ball into the corner of the net with the outside of his foot.
Dundee played well for long periods of this game, but it was only in the second half that they really started to worry Aberdeen. The Dons were always vulnerable down the wings and the Dark Blues should have scored at least one goal from open play.
If the Dark Blues had defended as well as they did for the last hour against St Mirren, and the last 80 minutes against Celtic they would have won today. The first half mistakes meant Dundee were chasing the game throughout in the second half, and were vulnerable to losing a third goal as they pushed forward.
The scoreline flattered Aberdeen, but Dundee have only themselves to blame for the disappointing outcome. There were too many errors – at either end of the park.
Dundee 4-1-4-1
Jon McCracken
Ryan Astley, Billy Koumetio, Luke Graham, Drey Wright (Ash Hay 83)
Ethan Hamilton
Cameron Congreve, Yan Dhanda, Joe Westley (Callum Jones 15 (Fin Robertson 83)), Tony Yogane
Simon Murray (c)
Unused substitutes: Kieran O’Hara (gk), Ethan Ingram, Aaron Donnelly, Paul Digby, Emile Acquah, Imari Samuels.
Goal: Astley (60).
Booked: Wright (foul on Lobban), Fin Robertson (foul on Polvara).
Aberdeen 3-4-2-1
Mitov
Devlin (c), Milne, Knoester
Lobban (Shinnie 70), Aouchiche, Polvara, Jensen
Karlsson (Keskinen 70), Armstrong
Lazetic (Nisbet 64)
Unused subs: Suman (gk), Nilsen, Clarkson, Bilalovic, Dorrington, Kjartansson.
Goals: Aouchiche (17,30), Nisbet (90+2).
Booked: Lobban (foul on Yogane).
Attendance: 7,402.
Referee: Grant Irvine. Assistants: Douglas Ross, Gordon McCabe. VAR: John Beaton. Assistant VAR: Duncan Williams.
Report: James Christie.
