Dundee 1
Partick Thistle 2
League (Premier Division)

Match Report

Dundee lost a vitally important relegation battle at Dens Park last night. Instead of extending their four-point lead to six points, the Dens Parkers found their lead over the Fir Park club reduced to only two points and Thistle have a game in hand.

Dundee can have no complaints about the final result.

For the first 10 minutes they played really well but, after Donald Park had put Thistle in front the home side lost their rhythm and were very fortunate when Eric Sinclair gave them the kiss of life with the equaliser just on half-time.

Dundee were expected to improve on their first-half showing with the wind behind hem after the interval but, although they had plenty of the ball, they seldom looked like going ahead.

Thistle played well, at times much better than the home side, and got their winning goal with 15 minutes to go through Ian Jardine.

It came from a free kick which Bobby Geddes appeared to have in his hands but allowed to squirm into the net, and from then on, although Dundee battled right to the end, there was too much desperation about their play.

Gerry Davidson, however, almost gave them a face-saving point with a shot from 12 yards just on the final whistle, which was only inches wide.

A disappointing night for Dundee, but full marks to Thistle who, in my opinion, were slightly the better side on the night.

Dundee lost the toss and had to face a stiff breeze, and the slope, as they kicked off. But they started promisingly, and Smith almost put them ahead with a header from a Fraser free kick.

In ten minutes, however, with ominous signs that Partick Thistle were beginning to settle, Park put the visitors into the lead.

Doyle started it with a pass out to the overlapping Lapsley, whose low cross was first-timed by Park into the corner of the net from 22 yards.

Dundee's reply was to launch themselves upfield for Kidd to hit a powerful drive narrowly wide of the target. But that man Park almost scored for Thistle again two minutes later, when his snap shot from 20 yards forced Geddes to make a full length save to keep the ball out of the net.

With 13 minutes gone and both sides playing some good stuff, Thistle defender Dunlop was booked for his third foul on Sinclair.

Just after this, Rough had to come to Thistle's rescue with a fine save from McKimmie.

Despite the wind and the importance of the occasion, there was some good football on display but, unfortunately from Dundee's point of view, most of it was now coming from Thistle. The goal had given them confidence and caused Dundee to lose their rhythm.

O'Hara almost had another goal for Thistle in 34 minutes when he got his foot to a Johnston header, and the ball squirmed narrowly past.

Park, a constant tormentor of the Dundee defence, wasn't all that far away with a snap shot, and in 39 minutes Cammie Fraser became the second player to be booked for a bit of jersey-pulling on that elusive player.

Just on half-time, Sinclair came to Dundee's rescue with a goal which boosted their confidence for the second half.

Ferguson started it with a powerful run down the right, before crossing beyond the far post. Stephens headed the ball back into the goalmouth for Sinclair to prod the ball over the line.

It was all action on the resumption with Jardine hitting a free-kick too close for comfort.

Smith headed a Ferguson corner over the top, giving Thistle a fright, and Rough had to make a good save from a raking 35-yarder from McKimmie-all in the first five minutes.

But the tempo soon lagged and play became scrappy as both sides allowed touches of desperation to come into the play.

Johnston had a bad miss for Thistle when he shot over the bar from almost underneath it.

In 65 minutes Thistle brought on Clark for the injured O'Hara. Five minutes later, Whittaker was happy to concede a corner when a long ball through the middle from Smith had the visiting defence in a fankle.

Park had a shot deflected over the bar for the Jags, and Doyle hit the side net just before Dundee sent on Davidson for Scrimgeour.

He was scarcely on the park before Jardine put Thistle in front for the second time. Smith handled the ball 25 yards out and Jardine's low free-kick eluded Geddes at the near post, although the keeper appeared to have the ball in his hands first of all.

With 13 minutes to go, Smith became the third player to be booked for a foul on Whittaker, and with time running out Dundee sent on Mackie for Ferguson.

Dundee then had claims for a penalty turned down when Kidd's shot hit a defender.

With seven minutes to go Doyle became the fourth player to be booked for tripping Kidd, and two minutes later Clark joined him in the referee's book for a foul on McKimmie.

It was helter-skelter stuff now from both sides. Just on the final whistle Davidson had a chance to salvage at least a point for Dundee when he took a pass from Stephens 10 yards out, but his shot finished inches on the wrong side of the post.

Match report written by The Courier