Dark Blues denied by wonder save

McGinn goal proves winner as Marciano thwarts O’Hara

Dundee had their hearts broken by Hibs goalie Ofir Marciano at Dens Park last night.

The Israeli keeper produced a wonder save to keep out a Mark O’Hara header and that allowed John McGinn’s 52nd-minute shot to secure all three points for the visitors.

As well as being denied by Marciano, the hosts also had themselves to blame for the 1-0 defeat.

Paul McGowan missed two glorious chances – one a header and one a shot he pulled wide when clean through on goal.

There were also other opportunities for both teams but it was the Edinburgh men who were smiling at full-time.

The good news for Dundee was that neither Ross County nor Hamilton Accies – their bottom six rivals who were also in action – took advantage of this loss.

So that leaves Neil McCann’s men third from bottom in the Premiership, just one spot and two points above the play-off place.

A scrappy goal from Hibs captain John McGinn was enough to edge out Dundee at Dens Park.

The Dark Blues, as has often been the case, had their chances and were left cursing a terrific display from opposition goalkeeper Ofir Marciano, whose second-half stop from Mark O’Hara’s header was out of this world.

The good news was that neither Ross County nor Hamilton Accies – their bottom six rivals who were also in action – took advantage. So that leaves Neil McCann’s men third from bottom in the Premiership, just one spot and two points above the play-off place.

The home team, who were without suspended striker Sofien Moussa, brought Jack Hendry back in after his bout of flu. Faissal El Bakhtaoui and Jesse Curran were also in the side, while Scott Allan and Darren O’Dea were listed as substitutes.

Despite the Edinburgh derby disappointment on Sunday, Hibs gaffer Neil Lennon restricted himself to two changes.

Winger Brandon Barker replaced injured midfielder Marvin Bartley, while former Dundee United striker Simon Murray started up front in place of Oli Shaw, who dropped to the bench.

After an uneventful opening spell, Dundee’s Jon Aurtenetxe did well to block a shot from McGinn as the visitors pressed the home team back.

With 12 minutes on the clock, Murray was given time and space inside the box in which to turn and shoot at goal. Luckily for the Dens men, his strike was deflected past for a corner that came to nothing.

The Easter Road side had taken up residence in the home half and McGinn just failed to slide the ball home at the back post after good work by Vikintas Slivka.

However, Dundee finally broke out on 18 minutes when El Bakhtaoui took the ball off a daydreaming Efe Ambrose. He raced into the Hibs box, bobbing and weaving on the way, but his shot was deflected wide by Dylan McGeouch.

An Ambrose ball to the back post had to be turned around his own post by Cammy Kerr then, on 28 minutes, the hosts should have taken the lead when Paul McGowan headed an excellent Aurtenetxe cross past keeper Marciano’s left-hand post.

There was a harsh booking for Dundee’s Hendry on 32 minutes for a challenge on McGinn before El Bakhtaoui tried his luck from outside the area. Aurtenetxe again showed he was an attacking threat by cutting in from the left then shooting just over the bar.

The Spaniard then got himself booked by fouling Martin Boyle to round off an eventful first half for him, if not for the spectators.

The hope was the second half would be better than the first and Dark Blues midfielder Mark O’Hara seemed keen to make it so when he drove forward and sent a well-struck low shot wide of the post just a minute after the restart.

Glen Kamara picked up a booking before, on 52 minutes, the home team fell behind to a poor goal.

Slivka crossed the ball into the box from the right to Murray, who held the ball up before falling to the floor. The loose ball found its way back to McGinn, who had far too much time to shoot low into the net from eight yards.

Just two minutes later, the Dens men had a fabulous chance to level when A-Jay Leitch-Smith sent McGowan clear but the shot was dragged wide by the midfielder when he should have done much better.

The home side then made a change, with Allan coming on for Curran just before the hour. It could have been 2-0 to the visitors on 64 minutes, however, when Brandon Barker raced down the left then straight at goal, firing into the side-netting when he looked odds-on to find the back of the net.

Up at the other end, only a magnificent save from Marciano kept out O’Hara’s header then, just seconds later, Dundee goalie Elliot Parish got in on the act by bravely blocking Barker’s strike as the Hibs man again left the Dundee defence standing.

The game had really warmed up now and Cammy Kerr brought another great save from Marciano with a shot from the edge of the box on 71 minutes.

There was then an incredible miss by Hibs as both Murray and Boyle let a ball from sub Danny Swanson go right across the face of the Dundee goal when a toe from either would have sufficed.

Parish denied Murray with a double save then, with just a couple of minutes to go, Dundee sub Matty Henvey headed an O’Hara cross past when in a glorious position close to goal.

Attendance: 5,323.

Dundee: Parish, Kerr, Kamara, Curran (Allan 58), O’Hara, Aurtenetxe (Holt 78), McGowan, El Bakhtaoui (Henvey 82), Leitch-Smith, Hendry, Meekings. Subs not used: Malherbe, O’Dea, Etxabeguren, Wolters.

Hibs: Marciano, Hanlon, McGinn, Slivka, McGeouch, S Murray (Shaw 89), Stevenson, Boyle (Maclaren 82), Barker (Swanson 78), McGregor, Ambrose. Subs not used: Dabrowski, Rherras, F Murray, Porteous.

ian roache aT dens park