The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
First defeat for Dark Blues under McCann
Inverness CT keep slim hopes alive as Dundee disappoint at Dens
Neil McCann tasted defeat for the first time as interim Dundee manager on a desperately disappointing night for the home side at Dens.
Ahead of the game, all the pressure was off Dundee with their Premiership survival confirmed on Tuesday after Hamilton were beaten at Ross County.
In contrast, Inverness were drinking at the last-chance saloon knowing that defeat would consign them to automatic relegation.
However, it was the basement battlers who stormed into an early lead through goals by Billy Mckay and Alex Fisher.
McCann’s men tried to get back into the game but it was Caley who held on to keep alive hopes of a great escape.
The Dundee boss made just one change from the side that drew with Ross County at Dens on Saturday with Nick Ross coming in for Tom Hateley, who failed to recover from a dead leg and dropped out of the squad.
Dundee had a let-off after one minute when keeper Scott Bain hammered an attempted clearance off Mckay only to see the ball flying back past his post.
However, just a minute later, Mckay was teed up inside the Dundee box by Liam Polworth and fired a low shot into the left-hand corner of Bain’s net.
The shock doubled in the 10th minute when Fisher was played in 14 yards out from Bain’s goal and superbly controlled the ball before volleying past the keeper.
Dundee had a great chance in the 20th minute when Kevin Holt swung a corner in from the right and skipper Darren O’Dea found room but headed wide.
Mark O’Hara had a pop from 30 yards but his fizzing strike flew straight into the arms of Caley keeper Ryan Esson.
Shortly after, O’Dea had another opportunity from a Holt corner but could not direct his header on target.
The Dark Blues continued to press and, just before the half-hour, O’Hara played in the overlapping Cammy Kerr down the right in a promising position but the full-back’s shot flew wide.
However, it was the home side who had another big scare when Brad McKay played a tempting cross from the right, with Fisher heading just inches past Bain’s left-hand post.
The Dark Blues were next to threaten in the 41st minute when Faissal El Bakhtaoui played a pass to Ross, who superbly flicked the ball into the path of Marcus Haber, but Esson raced from his line to snuff out the danger.
McCann made a change at half-time, Daniel Higgins coming on for centrehalf Kevin Gomis.
Dundee had a half chance in the 52nd minute when El Bakhtaoui played a long ball through to Haber but he headed well over.
The big Canadian was subbed shortly after.
As the hour mark approached, Caley looked comfortable with the Dark Blues struggling to make an impact.
They did fashion a chance when El Bakhtaoui played a cross in from the left towards O’Hara in a dangerous position, but his glancing header was easily gathered by Esson.
In the 78th minute Inverness had an opportunity of their own when McKay latched on to a corner from the right, but his powerful header flew straight to Bain.
To the obvious frustration of the vast majority of the crowd inside Dens, Dundee’s efforts to pry open the Caley defence became ever more desperate as the clock ticked down.
A brief period of pressure with four minutes to go ended with Kerr sending an attempted cross well wide of his intended targets, which summed up the disappointing nature of the Dundee display.
Inverness sub Henri Anier then had a half chance to make it three but could not make a firm contact.
However, his side’s two early goals were what ultimately counted, with Inverness hanging on to take all three points. Attendance – 5,574. Dundee – Bain, Holt, Vincent, O’Dea, O’Hara, Ross, McGowan, El Bakhtaoui (Wighton, 72), Haber (Ojamaa, 55), Kerr, Gomis (Higgins, 45).
Subs not used – Ferrie, Dryden, Williams, Smith.
Inverness – Esson, Raven, Warren, Polworth, Draper, Vigurs (McCart, 89), Mckay (Anier, 66), Tansey, Fisher (McNaughton, 85), Laing, McKay.
Subs not used – Hoban, Mulraney, Ebbe, Cole.
Referee – Kevin Clancy.