Dundee 1
Aberdeen 2
League (Premier League)

Match Report

Incredibly, the Dons hoodoo rolls on after the Dark Blues pressed the self-destruct button at Dens Park to end the game with only nine minutes.

Jonay Hernandez was sent off for violent conduct in a torrid final minute, but it was the dismissal of Lee Wilkie on the stroke of half-time that was to prove crucial in supplying Aberdeen boss Steve Paterson with his first win.

With Dave Mackay failing to recover from a trapped nerve in his shoulder, Garry Brady came into the starting line-up.

The early pressure came from Dundee and a 20-yard drive from Hernandez was beaten away by goalkeeper David Preece.

But it was Aberdeen who should have opened the scoring after 12 minutes following some scrappy defending. A blocked shot fell to McGuire, who was just eight yards from goal, but despite being unchallenged, the Dons' defender skied the ball over.

That was countered nine minutes later when The 'Dee missed equally as good a chance when Steve Lovell found himself through one-on-one with Preece only to over-hit his attempt to knock the ball beyond the goalkeeper.

At the other end, Julian Speroni did well to tip over a Laurent D'Jaffo header. Five minutes from the break, Lee Wilkie was booked for a cynical challenge on Chris Clark and, seconds later; the Scotland international was red-carded for his part in an ugly clash with Scott Michie.

Shuffling his pack, manager Jim Dutty dropped Barry Smith back into central defence, but the change didn't prevent Aberdeen going in front five minutes into the second half.

Deloumeaux's corner found McGuire, who raced in front of his marker and stooped low to head home.

That deficit was doubled in the 64th minute, when Barry Smith put through his own net after his attempted clearance of Darren Mackie's low cross along the face of goal and only succeeded in knocking it past Speroni and into the net.

There was consolation for the Dark Blues when substitute Stevie Milne found himself all alone in the Aberdeen box to stroke the ball past Preece three minutes from time.

In the end though, the defeat could easily have been greater because McGuire should have secured a third for the visitors because Julian Speroni saved his spot-kick that was awarded in the wake of Hemandez's dismissal.

Match report written by Dundee Matchday Programme