Moussa at the double as Dundee win derby
This Tayside grudge match was primed to explode.
And Sofien Moussa’s last-gasp winner blew the roof off Dens as Dundee sealed a vital victory.
The build-up had been incendiary, with Dundee gaffer Neil McCann declaring Saints boss Tommy Wright “not welcome” in his office.
True to his word, McCann did not talk to his opposite number all afternoon. He also refused to discuss his ongoing fallout with Wright after the match.
Instead, the Dundee chief hailed the manner of his team’s win – one that maintained their five-point cushion over 11th placed Partick Thistle.
Indeed, the way the Dark Blues stood tall after conceding an 86th minute equaliser was to be commended.
But for Moussa’s winner – as for his first-minute opener – the Saints defence were architects of their own destruction.
For the Perth men, the result didn’t matter much in terms of the Premiership. But in terms of pride, it was a bruising defeat.
The tension was palpable before kick-off. No shrinking violet, Tommy Wright emerged from the tunnel determined to ramp it up even further.
The way the Saints gaffer applauded the travelling support was to be expected.
The way he followed it up by applauding the jeering home fans was not.
It was pure pantomime – and the punters lapped it up.
The Dundee contingent were on their feet again inside the first minute when their team snatched a quick lead.
It came when Kevin Holt launched a free kick into the box, which Mark O’Hara curled his foot around.
The midfielder’s effort struck the inside of the post before rolling along the line for the lurking Sofien Moussa to poke home.
It could have been the trigger for a crazy contest.
Curiously, the goal took the sting out of the atmosphere, and the game settled into a sedate rhythm.
Dundee enjoyed the lion’s share of early possession without creating much of note bar a blocked Wighton effort .
Then the Perth side came close to grabbing an equaliser when Steven Anderson’s header was cleared off the line, then again when Matty Willock fired through a ruck of players on the turn, only for Elliot Parish to make a solid save.
But the half ended with the home side once again in the ascendency.
Dundee’s Wighton – making his first start of the season after knee surgery – threatened again five minutes before the break, dancing inside from the left before firing a deflected effort wide of the target.
Then Simon Murray placed an effort centimetres past the far post.
It had been a far calmer contest than expected, and the lack of needle continued into the second half.
It took 10 minutes for either side to threaten, and when the first shot on goal came, Murray forced Zander Clark into a smart reaction save.
St Johnstone kept plugging away and came within a whisker of levelling the scores when Joe Shaughnessy cracked the bar with an acrobatic volley.
Then the game finally burst into life.
With just four minutes to go MacLean drew Saints level, firing home from inside the box after the Dundee defence dithered.
The Perth players celebrated wildly in front of the Dundee fans – and it came back to haunt them.
Two minutes later Cammy Kerr launched a free kick into the box, where Moussa rose highest to send the home fans – and Neil McCann – home happy.