It was injury time despair for Dundee this evening as a dubious, late penalty stopped The Dee from securing their place in next season’s Scottish Premiership.
Dundee took the lead through a second half goal by substitute Scott Tiffoney, but Ronan Hale snatched a point for the Highland side when he scored from the spot in the 96th minute. This now means that everything is still to play for this Sunday between Dundee and Ross County as each looks to finish above the play-off spot in the league table.
Dundee made two changes to the side that tasted defeat in Ayrshire. Clark Robertson replaced Aaron Donnely and Seun Adewumi for Scott Tiffoney.
Before the start of this match, both teams partook in a minute’s applause for former Dundee fitness coach Harry Hay who sadly passed away last week.
The early minutes were a nervy affair for Dundee, a feeling that seemed to emit from the host for the majority of this first half, with County getting the ball into the home sides box on a few occasions but each time it was dealt with by the defence.
Dundee then started to look to find their feet. Tony Portales collected the ball after a period of the Dee passing it about and he tried a neat pass into the County box but it went out of play after a County defender missed the ball along with Seb Palmer-Houlden who was standing behind the opposition player.
On the 13th minute, all four stands took part in a minute’s applause for young Dundee fan Riley Welsh who sadly passed away a few weeks ago at only the age of 13.
County continued to look the brighter of the teams but Dundee created their first chance of the first half. Adewumi collected the ball from a Dundee throw-in and he nipped inside, but his shot didn’t have enough power to it and it went out for a goal kick.
Murray then won the ball which was picked up by Mulligan who played it to Cameron but his pass was overhit with Dundee players running into the box.
Clark Robertson then caused problems in the Dundee defence. The defender failed to control the ball and clear it and Samuels nipped in and ran down the wing, moving inwards to the Dundee goal, but Robertson made amends to put the tackle in for a corner.
Dundee threatened when Murray nipped onto a slack backpass but his flighted shot was cleared and when it’s was back in by Portales, Palmer-Houlden’s header landed on the top of the net.
County nearly took the league. Larkeche was turned by Ronan Hale who made yet another run down the wing. He skipped past a few challenges before shooting, his shot taking took a slight deflection and Trevor Carson got his fingertips to the ball and it hit the top of the crossbar.
The resulting corner saw Akil Wright narrowly head over the goal.
Samuel’s then had another chance and was proving to be a nuisance to the defence.
County were now piling on the pressure with Dundee looking nervy and unable to gain any real momentum in this game so far. County were having plenty of luck down Dundee’s flanks, most notably the left-hand side.
Dundee then started to find their feet eventually with some neat passing across the pitch. It resulted in Mulligan crossing to the back post that Seun Adewumi tried to keep the ball in play but the movement of the ball was too much for him and it went out for a goal kick.
Adewumi then played a great ball across field to Palmer-Houlden who collected and ran towards goal getting a shot on target but the County goalkeeper made a fantastic save to palm it out for a corner with minutes of the first half left.
The referee blew for the end of the first half with Ross County edging it as the better team but as the half went on, Dundee started to find their feet, giving the fans optimism for the second half.
Both sides made changes at half time with Jonathan Tomkinson replacing Kacper Lopata for County and Seun Adewimi coming off for Scott Tiffoney after taking a knock.
Seconds after taking the field, Tiffoney found himself in the referee’s book when he was shown a yellow card for a high boot on Michee Efete which seemed unfair on the winger as he had yet to even touch the ball.
Dundee were looking more settled in this second half compared to the first 45 minutes and eventually made the breakthrough.
Lyall Cameron gathered the ball and spotted Tiffoney running beside his marker. Cameron made a sublime pass through the County defence and bullied himself in past Wright, controlled the ball and slotted the ball behind the County keeper, to send the Dundee faithful into a sea of celebration around the stadium.
It was a well-deserved opener for the Dee who, after a tough first half, had come out with a spring in their step.
Dundee then nearly added a second. With Dundee piling forward, a loose ball is picked up by Palmer-Houlden but the keeper is equal to his shot as he palms it over the bar.
Cameron’s corner was then headed out and picked up by Robertson on the edge of the box. He punted it back into the middle and it was met by the head of Joe Shaughnessy but it was right at the county keeper who saved it and it went behind for yet another corner.
This would be Shaughnessy’s last involvement in this tie after a clash of heads while carving out this opportunity saw the Dundee captain running up the tunnel. He would not come back out and Billy Koumetio would replace him with just over 25 minutes to play.
Just prior to this substitution, Robertson saw his header from the resulting corner tipped around the post by Amissah.
The play between both of these clubs was pretty even with no real cut chances but each side wasn’t showing any sign of slowing down with so much at stake for both of these sides.
Josh Mulligan then burst down the wing as Dundee looked to add to their goal tally and he beat a host of players but with Cameron and Tiffoney running into his box, his low cross was cut out quite easily.
Dundee would continue to threaten yet again with another corner that’s headed about and it falls to Sylla who ties his luck with a shot from a tight angle but it went out for the corner. From the resulting corner, the ball fell to Koumetio, but he was unable to get any connection onto the ball to trouble the keeper.
With nine minutes left, County broke on the counter after a Lyall Cameron shot on the edge of the County box, but it was blocked and the defence dealt with it comfortably.
The game was becoming even more open and was end to end. Portales played a great pass behind the County defence and Simon Murray chased it down. Dundee’s top goal scorer managed to get his shot away and on target but yet again, the Ross County goalkeeper produced yet another fine save to keep the away side in this game.
As players start to tire over the pitch, Lyall Cameron was given a standing ovation for his last match as a Dundee player at Dens Park with Cesar Garza coming on to add a bit of freshness to the middle of the park.
County then broke away with Sylla caught a few yards off the pace but Portales was equal to the run of the opposition and saw the ball out safely.
After a good spell of Dundee pressure, County then started to threaten more and appeal for a penalty but it resulted in nothing. Hale was beaten to the ball by Portales but despite the appeals of the team in red, the referee was having none of it.
As Dundee tried to wind down the clock, Trevor Carson was shown a yellow card with just a few minutes to go for timewasting and in the same minute, Connor Randall was also flashed a yellow card.
The fourth official then showed that there will be 6 minutes of injury time to play for.
County started piling forward, looking desperately for a goal to save their season but Dundee were equal to anything they put into the Dundee half.
That was until the 94th minute when the man in the middle Nick Walsh, pointed to the spot to award County a penalty and a lifeline.
Confusion ensued amongst the Dundee support, players and management and after a few moments, the spot kick was given with RONAN HALE blasting the ball into the back of the net as the clock ticked over to the 96th minute.
Dundee tried to instantly go onto the attack to score a winner but the referee blew the whistle to signal the end of a disappointing result for Dundee who were so close to securing their Premiership place for next season.
The whole team will rightly feel aggrieved that County’s penalty stood. Astley headed the ball which was adjudged to have hit the hand of Portales who was inches away from the ball when it was played.
At the final whistle, the players made a beeline to the officials to voice their anger at the decision, which resulted in Clark Robertson being shown a yellow card.
The Dark Blues did have plenty of chances to seal the win before this, but the heroics of the Ross County goalkeeper and some questionable refereeing means that Dundee still have it all to do in the last away game of the season, away to relegated St Johnstone who will now play Championship football thanks to Ronan Hales late, late penalty.
Dundee 4-3-3
Carson
Astley, Shaughnessy ( Koumetio 64), C. Robertson, Larkeche,
Mulligan, Portales, Cameron (Garza 86),
Palmer-Houlden (Sylla 73), Murray, Adewumi (Tiffoney 46)
Unused subs: McCracken, Fraser, F. Robertson, Samuels, Reilly
Booked: Tiffoney 46, Carson 89, C. Robertson 99,
Ross County 4-4-2
Amissah
Wright, Lopata (Tomkinson 46), Nightingale, Efete (Phillips 77),
Randall, Kenneh, Campbell (Robesten 87), Nisbet (White 66),
Samuel, Hale,
Referee: Nick Walsh Assistants: Daniel McFarlane, Calum Spence Fourth Official: Colin Steven
Attendance: 5905
Match Report: Daniel Smith
