Dundee 2
Dunfermline Athletic 1
League (Premier League)

Match Report

A vital win for the Dark Blues came only after they had fallen behind to fellow relegation strugglers Dunfermline.

When Dundee got going after the interval they did so with a style and flair that's been missing all too often this term. The result was a massive won, hoisting them nine points clear of the drop zone However, it came at a terrible price, the loss. of Lee Wilkie because of injury cast a shadow over what should have been an otherwise joyous day.

Dundee fell behind in only nine minutes when a cross wasn't cleared properly and the ball fell to Andy Tod who laid it beautifully into the path of Darren Young to fire home powerfully from the edge of the penalty area.

Nine minutes later Dundee came close to levelling when a clever chip from Bobby Mann beat Stillie, but lan Campbell was on the scene and made the first of his two goal-line clearances in this match.

Just a minute later the Dark Blues were forced into a change as Mark Fotheringham replaced Neil Barrett who'd failed to run off a knock.

Dundee might have been awarded a penalty as Scott Wilson appeared to climb all over Lee Wilkie as the two challenged for a header, but Mr Richmond waved away the appeal to the disgust of the home support.

There was despair for Dundee seven minutes before the break as Lee Wilkie went down as he tried to usher the ball out for a goal-kick, it looked worryingly similar to the injury which had seen him miss most of 2004 and Dens was hushed as he received treatment.

When he got up from the ground it was via the help of a stretcher and he was carried off to well wishing applause not just from the home fans but also from most of the large visiting support.

Eleven minutes after the interval Dundee were level, and for the second week running their first goal of the match came via the penalty spot.

Mann's ball into the danger area appeared to be handled by Wilson and the referee had no hesitation in pointing to the spot. Steve Lovell stepped up and just as last week fired high into the net.

Now Dundee began to turn on the style in a fashion not seem too often in recent weeks and swarmed forward with McManus particularly busy down the right and Fotheringham involved in midfield.

The reward for their adventure came on 62 minutes and it came from an unlikely source.

Brent Sancho was only on the pitch by virtue of having replaced the luckless Wilkie and he shouldn't really have been anywhere neat the Pars' penalty area.

Especially as he'd been involved further back in the move, but adrenaline had made him follow the ball forward and his arrival in the visitors area caused panic and when Steve Lovell picked him out, he poked the ball past Stillie expertly before running off to be engulfed by his delighted team mates.

Still Dundee pressed and the introduction of Fabian Caballero gave them an outlet which often promised to bring more goals, the Argentinean was in tantalising form as he danced past challenges, but the nearest Dundee came to making sure of the win was when Campbell headed off the line again, this time keeping out a curler from the excellent Garry Brady.

Dunfermline pushed for an equaliser towards the end and Gary Mason's shot appeared net-bound until goal hero Sancho lunged in to get the slightest touch and deflect it onto the upright.

At the other end Dundee broke and an audacious shot from Caballero brought the best from Stillie.

Wide right and thirty yards out, the striker had no business attempting to score, but his effort was hit with almost unbelievably venom and Stillie did well to, not just keep it out but also to, hold the ball in his, surely, stinging hands.

A free kick awarded deep into the four minutes of added time at the end of the ninety brought an
anxious few moments, especially as Mr.
Richmond had some trouble sorting out the
defensive wall, infiltrated as it was by a posse of
Dunfermline players. When Thomson eventually
took it, it flew over the bar to the relief of the majority of the crowd and Dundee had won
back-to-back matches for the first time this
season, and at the most opportune time.

Match report written by Dundee Matchday Programme