Dithering Dundee cling on for win
DUNDEE 4
Devine (15 og) Hemmings (25,) McGowan (34) Johnson (46) DUNFERMLINE 3
Dow (16), Nisbet (69), Martin (72)
Relieved Dundee boss James McPake saw his stuttering side end their four-game winless streak against 10-man Dunfermline – then insisted he still wasn’t satisfied.
McPake refused to mince his words after seeing his dithering Dark Blues almost squander the three points, having raced into a 4-1 lead at Dens Park.
The hosts had the advantage of playing against depleted visitors who had Greg Kiltie sent-off in 62 minutes for his second bookable offence against Cammy Kerr.
But goals within the space of just a few minutes from Kevin Nisbet and Lewis Martin threatened a comeback following Danny Johnson’s early second-half strike.
But McPake pulled no punches after another display that led to his promotion hopefuls being booed off by their fans at the end.
McPake said: “It’s about the performance and for about 65 minutes of that game it was OK. Then we made it hard for ourselves.
“We should have cruised to victory but then Dunfermline got back into the game.
“It’s a big three points we badly needed. But defensively we were really poor.”
Dundee raced into a 15th-minute lead. Paul McGowan started the breakaway and fed the ball wide to Declan McDaid who went on to dart down the left.
McDaid then squared for striker Johnson but Devine had the misfortune of putting the ball in his own net.
However, their lead was shortlived as Dow levelled 60 seconds later with a clinical finish.
Hemmings restored the hosts’ advantage midway through the first half with a guided header right across visiting keeper Ryan Scully from Kerr’s weighted cross.
Then, in 34 minutes, McGowan increased their lead. McDaid worked his magic out wide, and skipper McGowan slotted home from close range.
The second-half started with Johnson making it 4-1. Hemmings’ shot was blocked but the ex-Motherwell striker reacted quickest to slot home the rebound from just inside the box.
Kiltie then received his marching orders for hauling down Kerr but the visitors refused to give up, with Nisbet pulling one back with a low finish across the body of Hamilton from an acute angle.
Then, in 72 minutes, Martin made it 4-3 when he thrashed a 20-yard drive past Hamilton and in off the woodwork.
Pars boss Stevie Crawford said:
“To score three goals at Dens and go back down the road with nothing is really disappointing.
“I thought it was harsh to be trailing 3-1 at half-time but the goals we lost were poor. We probably got what we deserved given the goals we gave away.”