Dundee went down to a desperately disappointing 4-3 defeat at home to Rangers tonight. Simon Murray and Joe Shaughnessy put the Dee 2-0 up in the first 20 minutes. An unfortunate Shaughnessy own goal brought Rangers back into contention late in the first half. Scott Tiffoney made it 3-1 midway through the second half but two spectacular long range goals in five minutes by James Tavernier and Tom Lawrence brought Rangers level. In added time Simon Murray hit the inside of the post, but Cyriel Dessers scored a late winner to deny Dundee a point that would have been the least they deserved.
There was only one change to the team that started the derby win down the street 13 days ago. Fin Robertson came in for the injured Lyall Cameron in midfield. The subs bench also had just the one change. Billy Koumetio returned after being injured for two months and he replaced Fin.
The Dark Blues got off to a fast start that caught Rangers napping. In the first minute Simon Murray sent Seun Adewumi down the right. The Rangers defence was happy to scramble the cross away for a corner, but that provided only the briefest of respites. Fin Robertson’s delivery from the corner allowed MURRAY to score with a fine volley into the far corner from 12 yards.
Rangers created a decent chance for Cyriel Dessers a few minutes later. The striker held off Joe Shaughnessy to take a long ball and shot narrowly wide.
In their usual style when the team is on song Dundee’s attacks were fast and dangerous, whether raiding down either wing. Scott Tiffoney and Ziyad Larkeche combined effectively on the left, and Seun Adewumi was always a threat attacking with Josh Mulligan on the right.
Dessers had another chance when the ball broke to him on the edge of the penalty area, but Trevor Carson saved with his feet.
The second goal, in the 19th minute, again resulted from Rangers failure to deal with a set piece. A long throw was only partially cleared. Larkeche played it back into the danger area. Joe Shaughnessy’s header was fumbled by Jack Butland. Murray’s follow up was blocked, but finally SHAUGHNESSY forced the ball over the line. After a painfully long delay the goal was confirmed.
Rangers had responded fairly well to the first goal. After the second they dropped out of the match for 20 minutes. They continually misplaced passes and offered little threat. That changed in the last five minutes of the half. Hamza Igamane’s rising shot from 20 yards brought a good save by Carson, who turned the ball round the post. From the corner Dessers’ header was cleared off the line by Murray.
In the 41st minute Rangers got the goal they desperately needed before half time. James Tavernier swung a fine cross into the goalmouth. Shaughnessy was backtracking, lunged at the ball and inadvertently turned it past Carson into the Dee net.
Rangers were straight back on the attack after the restart and Dessers ran clear onto Igamane’s pass but Carson saved again with his feet.
After struggling against Dundee’s forwards Rangers switched to four at the back at half time and made two substitutions, sending on Ianis Hagi and Bailey Rice for Connor Barron and Leon Balagun.
Dundee should have extended their lead four minutes after the restart. Mulligan’s cross to the far post set up a golden chance for Tiffoney but he shot wide from six yards. That looked like being a costly miss. Within a minute Rangers had the ball in the Dee net from Dessers, but the goal was ruled out by VAR.
The Dark Blues were holding up well to Rangers’ attacks and Adewumi went close twice within a minute on the hour mark. He flashed a shot a fraction of an inch wide of the post from a Murray cutback. He then chased after a long pass and lobbed Butland but the ball drifted over the bar before he got clattered by the keeper.
A minute later, however, it was 3-1. Scott TIFFONEY made full amends for his earlier miss. He picked up a loose ball 40 yards out and, with Murray and Adewumi distracting defenders to make space, he ran on to score with a glorious shot across Butland from 16 yards.
Cesar Garza came on for Fin Robertson as the Dee tried to manage the game and contain Rangers. The game was too frantic for that, and further goals always looked likely, from both teams.
Rangers were dragged back on level terms by two superb strikes from distance after 76 and 81 minutes. First TAVERNIER scored with an unstoppable low drive from 20 yards. Next substitute Tom LAWRENCE did exactly the same from 25 yards.
The Dundee team had given everything and despite their exhaustion came agonisingly close to a winner a minute into added time. A lovely spin and pass by Mulligan sent Murray away and he smashed a shot off the inside of the post with the ball cannoning clear. That was Murray’s final contribution and he was replaced by Charlie Reilly for the last few minutes.
After 93 minutes Aaron Donnelly couldn’t get enough on a header as he tried to intercept a long ball. DESSERS nipped in behind him and slipped a low shot past Carson to give Rangers all three points.
The Dark Blues threw themselves forward in the last couple of minutes, and Rangers hardly looked comfortable keeping them out. Charlie Reilly had an angled shot but Butland saved.
Dundee came so close to a wonderful win tonight. Rangers had enough decent chances to be in a more confortable position going into the final stages, but it took two excellent strikes from distance to save them. Perhaps the scorers could have been closed down more quickly, and tiredness might have contributed to that.
The result is certainly disappointing, but the Dark Blues’ performance offers encouragement for the remainder of the season. Throughout the whole match when Dundee launched attacks the Rangers defence struggled to cope. Dundee’s use of the wings and high speed passing and movement were a joy to watch, The regular set pieces that these attacks won always allowed them to create further danger. Dundee could have had more than three goals, but in the end they were let down by the same old failing, an inability to keep the opposition out.
Dundee FC 4-3-3
Carson
McGhee, Shaughnessy (c), Donnelly, Larkeche
Mulligan, Sylla, Fin Robertson (Garza 64)
Tiffoney, Murray (Reilly 90+2), Adewumi
Unused subs: McCracken (gk), Sharp (gk), Ingram, Astley, Samuels, Koumetio, Lopez.
Goals: Murray (2), Shaughnessy (19), Tiffoney (62).
Booked: Sylla.
Rangers 3-4-1-2
Butland
Sterling, Souttar, Balogun (Hagi at half time)
Tavernier (c), Barron (Rice at half time), Raskin, Yilmaz (Jefte 60)
Diomonde (Lawrence 74)
Igamane (Danilo), Dessers
Unused subs: Kelly (gk), Propper, Cortes, Bajrami.
Goals: Shaughnessy og (43), Tavernier (76), Lawrence (81), Dessers (90+3).
Booked: Raskin, Lawrence.
Referee: David Dickinson. Assistants: Frank Connor, Alastair Mather. VAR: Andrew Dallas. Assistant VAR: David Dunne.
Attendance: 8,710.
Report: James Christie.
