Dunfermline Athletic 3
Dundee 1
League (Premier League)

Match Report

Simple crosses, simple headers, that's what cost Dundee dear at Kilmarnock on Monday and it was the same old story at East End Park where Dundee started the New Year with a three one defeat which dumped them to the foot of the table on goal difference.

In a carbon copy of the defeat at Rugby Park Dundee were two down before they seriously challenged the home defence. When they pulled a goal back before half time, Neil Barrett heading home well from McNally's excellent cross, it should have been the trigger

for a real go at the home sides defence. The second half though brought fow opportunities at either end, Fotheringham's shot off the post was as close as Dundee came, while another. simple headed opportunity allowed Tod to complete the scoring

The only real plus factor was the return of Lee Wilkie to the starting eleven, The Pars created problems for the Dee defence almost from the first whistle.

Gary Mason and Darren Young both had attempts that swished narrowly over the bar Mason on 70 seconds from 30 yards and then Young two minutes later, taking advantage of a Neil Barrett slip on the top of his won penalty area.

Headers from Skerla and Tod came to nothing and then a Mehmet pass to his co-striker looked promising but Tod's strike was not enough to beat the red shirted Soutar.

In the next minute: however, the 12th, at good Barry Nicholson ball from the right dropped into the far side of the opposition six yard box where Mehmet turned it in for Tod to head the Pars ahead.

Dundee's second corner in the 16th minute of the match gave Derek Stillie all sorts of problems as he failed to clear the delivery in after two attempts that Fabian Caballero did his best to intervene. Play was back in front of the visiting support in the East Stand with Darren Young working his way in from the left and releasing a shot from 22 yards that spun out of Soutar's hands before he could kill it.

Dundee had a great chance from a 25th minute free kick that Mark Fotheringham floated over to the far right of the Pars six yard box and the in- rushing Lee Wilkie's header landed on the top of the net. A second goal was on the cards and it was the Pars who registered it just three minutes later.

A stylist run down the right by Labonte got him deep into the right side of the Dee box. His cross was blocked and there were appeals for hand ball from the Dundee support as he got possession back and teed it for Greg Ross to deliver an inviting cross for Andy Tod..however, it was defender Stephen McNally who got the final touch and was credited with heading the ball into his own net.

Tod came extremely close to notching a first half hat-trick when Barry Nicholson's 36th minute corner from the left was headed for him to direct another header narrowly wide of the right goalpost.

Five minutes from the interval, Dundee reminded the Pars that nothing could be taken for granted.

Caballero held the ball up well to set up a McNally cross in from the right that Neil Barrett headed in at the far post from six yards. The rain continued to pour down at the start of the second half and Dunfermline continued attacking from the restart.

Useful balls in from Tod and Hunt should have served as a warning and there was only 55 minutes on the clock when Andy Tod rose to head home Noel's cross from the right.

Amazingly given the threat that Tod had been in the opening 45 minutes, neither Bobby Mann nor Lee Wilkie were there to prevent a third goal from inside the six-yard box.

In the 61st minute Andrius Skerla hooked over the bar at a corner, but Hunt was soon showing off his tricks on both flanks of the attack.

Tod was denied his hat-trick when he met a Ross delivery from the right that followed good play by Hunt. The Pars goalscorer headed down but the ball bounced wildly up and over the bar. Dundee fought back, but failed to penetrate the Pars defence with more headers bobbling about in front of Stillie.

The visitors came as close as you get in the 77th minute when Mark Fotheringham hit Stillie's left hand post from twelve yards. Steven Robb rattled the rebound into the side-netting as he followed up.

Dunfermline looked slightly nervous at the prospect of just their third home win of this SPL season and Dundee had their chances.

Fotheringham had a shot that cleared the crossbar, but Dundee could do nothing to prevent a defeat that coupled with Dundee United's 1-1 draw with Rangers saw the Dark Blues slump to the foot of the SPL table on goal difference.

Match report written by Dundee Matchday Programme