Dundee 0
Ross County 2
League (Premier League)

Match Report

The glimmer of hope following Sunday's fine display against Morton was extinguished at Dens Park tonight as Ross County won 2-0. Dundee made too many mistakes and County took advantage to head home with the points. The opening goal after 80 minutes was highly controversial. Paul Lawson's shot came down off the cross bar and was judged by the officials to be over the line. Gary Glen sealed the win with a breakaway goal in the last minute of injury time.

As expected, Gary Harkins came in to play his first game at Dens since his return from Kilmarnock. He moved into the slot between the midfield and the strikers and Nicky Riley dropped onto the bench.

County's more direct game came closer to bringing a goal in the first half than Dundee's more patient build up. The home defence had a minor alarm in the first minute when Toshney's short pass back forced Douglas to move sharply out of his goal to clear.

Dundee had a couple of neat passing moves that foundered with poor final balls. County had a penalty claim when Kovacevic caught out Dundee by kicking the ball ahead and charging after it. Douglas rushed out, Kovacevic overhit the ball and went down as the keeper dived at his feet. The County fans shouted for a penalty, but the referee, Mr McKendrick was unimpressed.

Rocco Quinn nearly managed to get clear when Toshney slipped, only for Brian Easton to snuff out the danger with a great interception.

County put Douglas under pressure with two fierce long range shots. Munro's volley was well parried and Irvine cleared. However, Douglas fumbled the second, from Kovacevic, but redeemed himself with a marvellous block to deny Morrow.

Harkins was combining well with Baird, who was playing deeper than Nish, but Dundee couldn't find good enough final balls to seriously trouble the County defence. The closest Dundee came in the first half was a 20 yard Harkins shot that flew a foot over the bar after good work by McAlister.

Dundee had their own penalty claim when Baird flicked the ball onto Munro's arm, but again the referee gave the defence the benefit of the doubt.

Both sides made changes at half time. County sent on German striker Steffen Wohlfarth in place of midfielder Alex Cooper. Dundee pushed Harkins further forward as both sides tried to force a goal. There was now more space in midfield and the game started to open up.

County had two early chances in the second half. Toshney seemed to stumble as Morrow ran at him, but the County striker's attempted lob over Douglas was poorly executed. Next, Gallagher's misplaced pass was intercepted by Vigurs who sent Wohlfarth clear. He tried to chip Douglas, but his touch was far too heavy and the ball drifted well over the bar.

Barry Smith made his first substitution after 57 minutes, replacing the ineffective Nish with Riley, who went to the right wing. Harkins moved up alongside Baird and McAlister went to the left as Dundee switched to a more orthodox 4-4-2.

However, it was County who looked more threatening. A dangerous Brittain low cross caused problems for Douglas, who couldn't take the ball cleanly and had to block Morrow's shot. Wohlfahrt's knockdown then found Morrow, whose angled shot came off the outside of the post.

Dundee were having just as much of the game, but they still couldn't make the passes and crosses in the final third that might have opened up the visitors' defence. Dundee's best chance of the match fell to Brian Easton, when Gallagher's knock down from a free kick found him. He had time to take aim from 15 yards, but shot a yard over the bar.

A match that had always been competitive turned rougher as both sides started to push for a victory. Brittain came close with a 25 yard free kick, then Gary Irvine threw himself at Vigur's shot to block, with the visiting players claiming the ball had struck his arm.

Baird had a chance for Dundee when he found himself in space 15 yards out. He didn't realise he had time to bring the ball down and tried unsuccessfully to head it over Brown.

Barry Smith sent on Mark Stewart for Kevin McBride for the last 13 minutes as Dundee threw caution to the winds. A neat move outside the penalty area involving Stewart and Harkins ended with a free kick to the Dee, when they would much rather have had the advantage. The frustration was compounded when Dundee wasted the free kick by going offside and County raced away to score the opener.

LAWSON made space well and hit a great rising shot. It came down off the bar, somewhere in the neighbourhood of the line and then spun out. Both sides played on, and then it gradually dawned on the players that the officials had between them decided the ball had landed over the line.

The confusion turned to anger, but the referee was adamant. That wasn't the final moment of controversy. Toshney headed a free kick into the goal mouth. Stewart seemed to have a shooting chance five yards out, but he ended up on the ground as the County defence flung themselves at him and the ball. There was a shout for a penalty, but the referee wasn't having it.

As the three minutes of injury time were coming to a close County rubbed salt in Dundee's wounds by breaking away for a second goal. The ball was hoofed hard and long out of defence over the halfway line. It fell between Douglas and GLEN, who managed to nick it past the keeper and score into the empty net.

This was a terribly disappointing result and performance after the promise shown on Sunday. There may have been an element of guesswork by the officials, but three things are inescapable. County had the better chances, Dundee failed to create enough danger from some good moves, and the controversial opening goal only occurred because Dundee made a mess of a free kick in a good position.

Gary Harkins showed plenty of skill on his return, but it was never in a position to really hurt County. Time and again Dundee would work the ball neatly around in midfield and then blow it with a poor final ball. County's hard working, hard running and highly streetwise approach may not have been particularly pretty, but it was certainly effective.

Match report written by James Christie - Official Dundee website