Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
Can Dee end their
Dar kBl ues aiming for first win in 20 years
PITTODRIE has not been a happy hunting ground for Dundee for a long time – two decades in fact.
It’s now 15 matches without victory since the Dark Blues last left Aberdeen with all three points.
A run that stretches back to May 2004.
However, break that run and a top-six finish is all theirs.
Everyone connected with the Dee have had a tough week – pick up a long-awaited win today and frowns can be turned upside down.
To kickstart that, the Tele has taken a look back at some of the most memorable moments for Dundee at Aberdeen since a certain Argentine turned up.
Leigh Griffiths – December 26 2021
Dundee were furious this match even went ahead after their squad was ravaged by Covid call-offs.
Despite those protests, the game was played – James McPake named assistant manager Dave Mackay on the bench alongside two goalkeepers and academy kid Callum Lamb.
Corey Panter made his one and only league appearance.
Despite all that, Dundee took the lead through Leigh Griffiths. And what a goal it was.
Lining up a free-kick 30 yards out, the former Scotland star smashed an unstoppable thunderbolt in off the crossbar.
It would be his final league goal for the club.
Greg Stewart – January 17 2015
Dundee were heading for the top six and Aberdeen would finish second in 2015 – on the way they played out a remarkable 3-3 draw.
After going behind to a David Goodwillie goal, Paul Hartley’s
Dark Blues shocked Pittodrie with three goals in 10 minutes.
Gary Irvine rattled in an equaliser before a glorious onetwo between Greg Stewart and Luka Tankulic ripped open the Dons defence for the former to finish.
Gary Harkins would add a third and it looked like the long wait for a win at Aberdeen was over. However, a Jonny Hayes penalty on 87 minutes set up a tense finish and Ryan Jack made it 3-3 in stoppage time.
Steve Lovell – May 15 2004 Dundee’s last win at Pittodrie came almost two decades ago thanks to a dramatic late comeback of their own.
Richie Foster tapped in early on to open the scoring but the final match of the season finished in perfect fashion for Jim Duffy’s side.
Steven Milne levelled the scores from close range on 73 minutes before Steve Lovell juggled in the area and volleyed into the top corner to earn all three points.
Dundee finished seventh that season, Aberdeen 11th.
Georgi Nemsadze and Fabian Caballero – April 7 2001
If any omen is needed for Dundee today, they can look at this game from 2001 – heading to Pittodrie in search of a top-six finish.
Ivano Bonetti’s side needed a win and Dunfermline’s result to go their way.
Up stepped the big names with a couple of big goals.
Georgian star Georgi Nemsadze showed his class with a fine opening goal, drifting past defenders before finding the bottom corner from the edge of the area.
And Fabian Caballero made it two from the same area.
Dunfermline lost at Kilmarnock and the first-ever split in the Scottish top flight saw Dundee finish top six.
With that, they grabbed a place in Europe for the following campaign.
Claudio Caniggia – October 14 2000
That same season, Dundee’s most famous No 33 burst on to the scene.
A World Cup star, Claudio Caniggia immediately showed what all the fuss was about when he came off the bench to make his Dundee debut at Aberdeen.
Player-manager Ivano Bonetti had opened the scoring on 28 minutes before Caniggia emerged from the dugout to replace Steven Milne at half-time.
And he wasted little time in endearing himself to the travelling support in sealing all three points for his new team with a classy finish.