Dundee 0
Aberdeen 1
League (Premier Division)

Match Report

Youngsters Colin Hendry and Rab Shannon come into the Dundee side. Bobby Glennie and Lex Richardson are back after injury.

Neale Cooper and Billy Stark replace Alex McLeish and Dougie Bell in the Aberdeen line up.

Shannon is at right-back with McInally at left-midfield. Straight from the kick-off Leighton just beats McCall to a through ball and comes out of the encounter with a painful right hand.

The Dons keeper is a hero a minute later when McInally kicks a 30-yard right-foot thunderbolt which he dives to push round the post.

McInally is back to clear up a sticky situation after a Hewitt cross causes confusion.

There's more trouble in Geddes' goal area when a Miller cross arrives from the left. The keeper dives and pushes the ball. Glennie sends it narrowly past his own goal.

When Strachan's corner comes over Glennie heads it on to his own bar and over.

Smith heads away another Strachan corner.

A McGhee near post header from a Hewitt corner is touched by Geddes and flies past the post.

Richardson is in an offside position when an Aberdeen player pushes the ball toward his own goal. The linesman's flag goes up and though the referee does not heed it Richardson seems put off.

A great ball from Strachan releases Hewitt whose danger cross is cleared by Glennie.

Simpson steps in to knock the ball back to Leighton as McGeachie steadies to shoot.

When Aberdeen sweep downfield Black heads a Simp- son cross wide.

Aberdeen are within a whisker of scoring when Hewitt hits an overhead kick and McKinlay knocks the ball over.

Leighton makes an acrobatic dive and clutch but fails to stop a Strachan header going for a corner.

A McCall header hits Cooper and goes wide, but Dundee's attacking moves are few as they deploy to meet waves of Aberdeen attacks.

Hendry tries to lob Leighton from the edge of the box and is a couple of feet too high. McCall also has a go and the result is exactly the same.

In 33 minutes Simpson limps off for treatment and while Aberdeen are reduced to ten men Dundee mount more attacks.

After a couple of minutes Bell goes on.

Richardson is brought down just outside the penalty area by Hewitt and McCall's free goes past.

Strachan is fouled on the edge of the Dundee penalty area and Hewitt's lob is head- ed past by Glennie.

Half-time-Dundee 0, Aberdeen 0.

Reflections: An all-action half with most of the action coming from the Dons.

Second half

Aberdeen nearly restart with a sensational goal. Strachan wins the ball and from 20 yards hammers in a shot which crashes against the bar and goes over. A McGeachie cross is deflected for a corner by Rougvie and when Richardson's cross is half-cleared a Shannon shot goes over.

Glennie is hurt in a tackle by McKimmie, but carries on after treatment.

McKinlay hits a left-foot shot which is wide.

A Smith header from a McKinlay corner goes straight to Leighton. Another header by Hendry from a Richardson free lacks power. Leighton makes a good saye from McInally at the feet of Ferguson.

At the other end Black heads a Strachan cross over from six yards. Leighton cannot reach a 20- yard shot from Ferguson and is happy to see the ball go past

The Dons break the deadlock in 67 minutes and it is a gift.

McKinlay mishits a pass- back and as he tries to retrieve the situation Geddes is slow to leave his line. BLACK nips in to knock the ball into the net.

Hendry tries to back-heel Dundee back on to level terms and is unlucky that the ball goes straight to Leighton.

With 16 minutes left Dundee send on Harris and Kidd for Richardson and Hendry. A minute later Ferguson is hurt in a aerial contest with Cooper.

Dundee pressure sets up a shooting chance for McGeachie to send the ball over.

In the last minute Ferguson sends a 25 yard free kick wide.

Final-Dundee 0, Aberdeen 1.

Summing up-Unlucky Dundee. They fought a grim rearguard action and when success was in sight a basic mistake robbed them of a precious point.

Match report written by The Sporting Post