Queen of the South 0
Dundee 0
League (First Division)

Match Report

Dundee recorded a second consecutive goal- less draw when they visited Palmerston Park on Tuesday evening, and there was little to warm the crowd on a freezing night. There were good chances for either side though, with the most glaring falling to Queen of the South substitute Gary Wood who dragged his effort wide of the target as Scott Murray closed him down a minute before half time. Dundee's best effort came late on from Bryan Deasley, the striker spinning and crashing in a shot that Colin Scott did well to keep out.

Queen's started brightly with a corner being met by Jim Thomson who bulleted his header toward the top corner but a slight deflection saw it fly by the wrong side of the post. Queens kept up the pressure and a few minutes later had the ball in the net but Graham Weir was adjudged to have impeded the goalkeeper.

The first of Dundee's chances fell in the seventeenth minute when Andrew Ferguson was clear on keeper Colin Scott, but his effort was rushed as the Queens defence closed and the ball ended up well over the crossbar. Dundee then pressed for an opener for a few minutes as the home defence looked less than solid and the ball ricochet off a number of legs before being cleared.

Andy Thomson had what would be his first and last chance of the match as he stooped behind a defender to head goalward a deep cross from Willie Gibson, youngster Scott Murray in the Dundee goal did well to get a hand on it to push it away but it wouldn't have counted anyway as Thomson was in an offside position. Thomson appeared to injure his knee in the process and only lasted a couple of more minutes before being replaced by Gary Wood.

Woods didn't have to wait too long for a chance and it was to be the best of the match as another deep looping ball over the defence fell for the versatile player, it took one bounce and as it fell again with only the keeper to beat and the whole goal to aim at Gary mishit the ball and it trundled wide of the far post much to his dismay. The half finished shortly afterwards with Queens pressing Dundee deep inside their own half.

Dundee started the second half in a much more determined mood and penned Queens back for the first fifteen minutes, substitute Scott Gates in particular having a couple of good efforts on goal in that period although neither troubled Colin Scott and he made routine saves. Queens gradually regained the upper hand and on sixty five minutes a corner ended up with Stuart Lovell striking goalward, the ball being deflected upwards and crashing off the face of the bar before being cleared from the danger zone.

Queens were almost caught out in defence again as Gibson tried his hand at defending and lost possession allowing the ball to be laid across the face of the goal but fortunately there were no takers.

With Queens pressing for a winner they were almost caught out at the back when substitute Bryan Deasley turned and shot on the right of the box only to see Colin Scott make a superb one-handed save to keep the scoresheet blank.

There was disappointment for Lee Wilkie, the big defender had hoped to get part of the match but although on the bench he wasn't risked on a pitch that hardened as the match went on.

Match report written by Dundee Matchday Programme