Ross County 2
Dundee 1
League (Premiership)

Match Report

Dundee headed to the Highlands to face Ross County looking to bounce back from double derby disappointment but instead suffered their first league defeat on the road.

With Thomas Konrad suspended after his sending off last Sunday, there was a reshuffle in the Dundee defence with Gary Irvine moving to centre-half and Jim McAlister dropping back to left-back.

Dundee started the match positively and their first chance came when Simon Ferry won the the ball from Filip Kiss in the centre circle and sent a superb long ball for Martin Boyle to chase. Boyle did well to win the corner and when it was swung into the box, it found Tankulic at the back post but his cut back was deared.

County then sprung into life and created three good chances in almost as many minutes. Firstly Joe Cardle shot well wide after finding himself with space at the edge of Dundee's box before Micheal Gardyne shat wide from six yards. Yoann Arquin then ran into the Dundee box and when he crossed into the six yard box, Gardyne fired it over the bar.

County continued to press and only a terrific tackle from Paul McGinn stopped Arquin having a dear shot at goal from the penalty spot and then a great save from Kyle Letheren prevented The Staggies from taking the lead when he rushed off his line to dose down and block a shot from Filip Kiss.

Ross County did however take the lead on 27 minutes and got the goal their pressure deserved. Kiss broke into the Dundee box on the left hand side and when he squared the ball across goal, an loan Dundee United striker Micheal GARDYNE hit the ball high into the net from just three yards.

County put Letheren under pressure from the restart as they chased down a pass back from Irvine and continued to push on in search of an immediate second.

Dundee however did break away and Luka Tankulic had a shot from the edge of the box saved low by Mark Brown but a deflection from Jackson Irvine had taken some of the sting out of the shot.

Ross County continued to pepper the Dundee box with crosses, which was clearly a tactic and on the half hour Kyle Letheren had to dive low to his left to palm away a Gardyne header from 12 yards.

Rocco Quinn then tried his luck from distance but Jim McAlister took it at full pelt on the side of his head. He went down and the referee stopped the game to allow him to have treatment and although McAlister played on for another couple of minutes, he went down again and had to be replaced by youngster Cammy Kerr. It was a blow for Dundee's already makeshift defence especially as McAlister had acquited himself well in an unfamiliar position.

Kerr got involved immediately and set Boyle away down the left but the ball ran out for a goal kick. Boyle got the ball out wide again moments later, this time after Ferry had won the ball in the middle of the park and when the former Montrose man drove inside to shoot, his effort was deflected for a corner.

From the comer the ball broke to Paul McGowan who tried to cut the ball back to Gary Irvine, Instead Jackson Irvine got a boot in but it landed at Harkins at the edge of the box and when he made space to shoot, his curled effort went just wide of Brown's right hand post.

Dundee made a substitution at half time when Craig Wighton replaced Tankulic as Dundee looked to maintain the momentum they built up just before the break.

It was Ross County however who had the first good chance of the second half when Kyle Letheren dived low to his right to save a Kiss shat from 30 yards which he gathered at the second attempt. Gardyne then had a good chance to make it two when he rose highest to meet Joe Cardle's cross but he headed high over the bar into the 488 Dundee supporters behind the goal.

Paul McGowan then tried to bring Dundee level but his effort from the edge of the box was straight at Brown.

County looked dangerous every time they went forward and there was some luck for Dundee when Irvine got a foot onto Cardle's cross which deflected onto substitute Maatsen but it bounced off him and out for a goal kick.

In an effort to change things manager Paul Hartley brought on David Clarkson for his debut in place of Siman Ferry and the ex-Motherwell forward made an immediate impact by drawing Dundee level With his first touch for the club. Martin Boyle broke down the right and whipped a low cross into the County six yard box and CLARKSON raced in at the near post to shoot into the bottom corner of the net against the run of play.

County looked to get back in front and after a succession of corners, Richard Brittain hit a 25 yard free kick over the bar.

Clarkson was making a difference up front and he knocked the ball on for Craig Wighton to run into the box but he was adjudged to have fouled Frempah.

James McPake was close to heading a corner home from dose range and the game was now for mors open and Dundee created a number of chances late on. Paul McGowan tried to chip the keeper from the corner of the box which just sailed over before Greg Stewart forced a good save from Brown when he shot from just inside the box.

Clarkson then tried to feed Wighton inside the bax but was stopped by Jackson Irvine while County continued to pump balls into the Dundee box which were dealt with adequately by the The Dee's defence.

Just as Wednesday however, Dundee were cought at the death when County grabbed a winner one minute into injury time. Cardile fired the ball low across the Dundee box from the left and when it fell to Darren MAATSEN, he fired home into the roof of the net for the winner.

It was another sore one for Dundee to take at the end of a disappointing week but in truth Ross County probably just about deserved their victory as it was only really the last quarter of an hour that Dundee came into the game.

Match report written by Official Dundee website