It’s Dorrans to the rescue for Dundee
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THE DUNDEE derby may have finished with honours even. And the Dark Blues might even claim their draw at Tannadice as a moral victory, given the agonies they have suffered in this fixture of late.
But the big prize that everyone wants at the end of this season, the Championship title, continues to move ever closer for a United side now 14 points clear at the top of the table.
The fact that they could not record a tenth consecutive victory, despite taking the lead, will matter little when the final totals are tallied up.
In an entertaining match played in front of 14,000 passionate fans, Robbie Neilson’s men just about got the job done.
They made the perfect start, Nicky Clark netting before five minutes had elapsed — but were pegged back by Graham Dorrans, scoring his first goal for
Dundee, at the start of the second half.
Both sides had opportunities to clinch a winner. James McPake’s men will feel that they could hardly have done much more.
Ultimately, though, they had to settle for a draw. An honourable result, given everything that had gone before.
Scudded 6-2 here back in August and then turned over 2-0 at Dens by their great rivals just last month, the Dark Blues made the shortest road trip in British senior football knowing that many of their fans feared the worst — but also demanded a vast improvement.
They could not be as meek, as lacking in threat, as they had been on those two most recent meetings with the noisy neighbours.
And United? Well, having claimed bragging rights in such ostentatious fashion, they had a reputation to uphold.
‘This city is ours’ declared one of the banners held aloft by home supporters before kick-off. Hard to argue with that.
When Clark opened the scoring with just four minutes and 30 seconds on the clock, well, it merely confirmed the pre-match mood on both sides of the city.
The striker, who had bagged the opener from the penalty spot the last time these teams met, netted his seventh goal in ten games with an absolute beauty.
Louis Appere deserves credit for the weight on his pass that sent left-back Jamie Robson scampering towards the byeline.
And the academy graduate’s cross into the near post area was so venomous that Clark merely had to make contact with the outside of his right boot to send the ball fizzing over the head of Dundee keeper Jack Hamilton.
The visitors worked hard to find a response, Paul McGowan seeing a shot deflected wide.
He should have equalised four minutes later, latching on to a magnificent through ball from Finlay Robertson that put him in behind the defence — but he was unable to find a way past Benjamin Siegrist in the home goal.
All to often, Dundee found it difficult just to play through the tangerine ranks. When they did get into the final third, there was a distinct lack of conviction — and accuracy — about their play.
The one thing United will always bring to any game, by contrast, is a goal threat. Lawrence Shankland put himself in position for a couple of half-chances, including a header just off target, to underline that point.
And Ian Harkes forced a good leg save from Hamilton in first-half injury time.
Dundee needed to make a bright start to the second half. Perhaps emulating their opponents by scoring after, oh, let’s just say four minutes and 30 seconds? Exactly? You couldn’t make it up.
The Dark Blues’ spookily timed equaliser was every bit as impressive as United’s opener, too.
Kane Hemmings delivered a teasing cross from the right. When Liam Smith’s headed clearance fell to Dorrans, the former Scotland international — a veteran of the English Premier League — showed genuine quality to control the ball with his right foot and finish from 16 yards with his left. Danny Johnson somehow contrived to miss a much better chance with 55 minutes gone, failing to connect with a fine Sean Mackie cross from the left.
Dundee’s blood was up now. They had fought their way back to parity and were carrying genuine momentum every time they attacked.
United still enjoyed their share of the ball and territory, play raging from end to end as each side sought that single moment that might prove decisive.
Paul McMullan stuck a cross on the forehead of Shankland at the back post, with the striker just unable to steer it inside the sticks from a tight angle.
McMullan dawdled on the ball when in position to shoot inside the closing ten minutes, allowing dark-blue-clad defenders to crowd him out.
And Shankland scuffed a weak effort straight into the arms of Hamilton with only moments remaining.