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

Match Report

Dundee moved off the bottom of the 1st division with a point in a dull match at Dumfries.

Barry Smith stuck with the same starting eleven that created so many chances in the defeat to Hamilton the week before and also the same formation. That meant Nicky Riley and Jamie McCluskey were deployed either side of Steven Milne up front.

On the bench Barry was able to include two strikers who missed out against Hamilton. Graham Bayne (injury) and Leighton McIntosh (international duty) were amongst the substitutes.

It was ten minutes in before either side really got forward and it was the home team who were first to find some space in the box. Tom Brighton, one of the players who appeared as a trialist for Dundee last season, knocked the ball down for Nicky Clark but he looked to pull the trigger Kyle Benedictus got across well to snuff out the danger.

Dundee's first effort on goal came soon after Craig McKeown found McCluskey up the right. The winger spotted Queens keeper Lee Robinson off his line but his attempt to lift the ball over him was weak and Robinson held.

The match was played out mainly in the centre of the park with both teams struggling to find the killer pass. Dundee did find some space wide but nobody was on hand in the middle when the ball was played in.

Robinson's only real task of the match came when Riley cut in from the right and the space did seem to open up for him. A low right footed shot was tipped round the post by Robinson.

Stephen O'Donnell picked up a booking for a foul on Danny Carmichael, the Queens winger was held back as he attacked down the right.

The home side had one last chance before the break Clark found his way in behind after a quick free kick but despite beating an outrushing Douglas to the ball he could only turn it over the bar.

After the break the action was pretty much the same. Riley fired wide before Stephen Simmons hammered a shot high and wide for Queens.

The action was slow in coming and apart from Lockwood picking up a booking little happened for a long period before Dundee changed things. Ross Chisholm and McCluskey were replaced by Graham Bayne and Ryan Conroy as Barry Smith changed to a flat 4-4-2 formation.

Dundee were trying to push on at that point but other than a shot deflected into the arms of Robinson from Riley they couldn't trouble the keeper.

Up the other end, Carmichael saw a show from a tight angle held by Douglas before Mark Campbell headed wide from a corner and Chris Higgins tried his luck from the edge of the box but again Douglas held.

Dundee's last change saw McIntosh replaced Milne but it was another sub, Conroy, who had the last chance of the match. A ball to the back post fell to the wide man and his volley across the face of goal ended up flying wide of the post.

A dull draw in the end which lifted Dundee off the bottom but wasn't one that will stick long in the memory of the 1,649 in attendance.

Match report written by James Christie - Official Dundee website