Dark Blues suffer Dingwall despair

ROSS COUNTY 2 DUNDEE 1: Fifth straight league defeat after late penalty winner

Dundee were plunged deeper into relegation trouble last night after final-minute heartache in Dingwall.

Liam Boyce’s late penalty condemned the Dark Blues to a 2-1 defeat at Global Energy Stadium – their fifth successive Ladbrokes Premiership loss.

Paul Hartley’s side now sit only three points ahead of second-bottom Hamilton Academicals, who visit Motherwell tonight.

The agonising defeat in the Highlands came only four days after the shattering 7-0 home loss at the hands of Aberdeen.

Dundee boss Paul Hartley failed to show for post-match interviews but assistant manager Gerry McCabe felt for his players.

McCabe said: “It’s always a sickener to lose a goal so late.”

McCabe added: “With the situation the teams are in, it was vital to get something out of the game tonight.

“I don’t think we can fault the effort of the players tonight. It was a positive response from Friday night’s game against Aberdeen. “It is always difficult coming here. “I think both teams would have settled for a point.

“Unfortunately, to concede a penalty in the dying minutes of the game so late, it has not given us a chance to come back.

“It’s a disappointing dressing room in there.

“We are on a bad run just now but we have seven games to go, seven cup finals. I don’t think you are going to see pretty football in any of the games.

“We are all vying for the same points. It’s not about the performances now it’s just about gathering as many points as we can.

“Unfortunately we have come away from here with nothing tonight, that’s the disappointing thing.”

Staggies boss Jim McIntyre hailed his players’ survival spirit.

He said: “Even in adversity at the end, down to 10 men, we ground it out.

“There is still a long way to go. It’s a great result for us but we’re not there yet.

“We have Hamilton next and we need two or three more wins.

“We’ve got a group of players here who care and they showed it tonight.

“It was obviously a nervous affair and it was very difficult in the conditions because of the wind.

“I thought we deserved it, we were marginally the better side and we got there in the end.”

Picture: SNS. Dundee striker Craig Wighton cuts a dejected figure at full-time as County players celebrate their last-gasp victory.