The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Mcmullan stunner as Dee grind out points
Paul Mcmullan’s first-half screamer kept Dundee’s title push rolling with a vital three points in Inverness.
It was far from the Dark Blues’ finest victory of their eight-match unbeaten run in the league, but Gary Bowyer’s resurgent side ground it out superbly against a host side desperate for a win.
Mcmullan, recently named Championship player of the month, was in fine form as he tested the hosts with a series of attacking forays, but his 25-yard strike for the winner lit up a game short on memorable moments.
The win, carved out with patience and resolve from the visiting team, kept Dundee one point behind leaders Ayr, but stretched Caley Jags’ deficit on the top spot to nine points.
It was a crucial encounter for both sides, but particularly for the recently-ailing hosts who were trying to stay in touch with promotion-chasing outfits amid a relentless injury crisis.
Billy Dodds was again without nine potential first-team starters.
Both sides made two changes, but there the similarity ended in terms of pre-match form and fortunes.
Caley Thistle were trying to break a run of six league
games without a win, while Dundee were defending that seven-game unbeaten run.
The Dens Park side, with only one defeat since Caley Thistle beat them in September, brought in goalkeeper Adam Legzdins for Ian Lawlor and Tyler French for Max Anderson.
The hosts brought back Dan Mackay and George Oakley, with Billy Mckay failing a late fitness test on a calf issue and Steven Boyd dropping to the bench.
There was a high-tempo start from the hosts who created the first chance inside two minutes.
After great work from Nathan Shaw on the right, the winger’s cross was half-cleared before David Carson drove wide.
Aaron Doran also fired wide from distance as the home side took the game to the Dark Blues.
Dundee showed spells of decent possession and movement, but the opening goal came completely out of the blue in the 26th minute.
It looked a harmless situation wide left of the home penalty area as Paul Mcmullan cut inside, but the strike he unleashed was sensational – soaring high into the far top corner of Cammy Mackay’s net.
Home manager Dodds was furious at how easy his players made it for the visitors.
Close to half-time, Cammy Kerr’s angled strike from the far left was palmed away by keeper Mackay before, at the other end, French pulled off a saving header as Oakley closed in on a Doran cross.
The second half was crying out for a spark of inspiration, but neither side could muster it.
A well-worked move from Caley Thistle ended with a Doran screamer of a strike dipping just over the crossbar.
Substitute Luke Mccowan’s first contribution was an angled strike that home keeper Mackay did well to parry to safety, with the visitors making a habit of hitting fast on the counter-attack, mainly through speedy Championship player of the month Mcmullan.
Even in stoppage time at the end, the home side were still scrapping for a way back, with Hibs loanee Dan Mackay’s run and low strike spinning just beyond the far post.