NOT DOWN YET
But victory lifeline may be too little too late for Dundee
DuNDEE may be going down but they are doing so with a fight after soundly beating Hibs at Dens. Anything over than a win for the Dark Blues would have sealed their relegation to the Championship but this victory ensured they still have an outside chance of climbing above St Johnstone to the play-off spot.
The home side took an early lead through Niall McGinn but Hibs drew level before the break thanks to a James Scott goal, his first for the club.
Dundee nosed in front again in the second half as Josh Mulligan netted with substitute Charlie Adam sealing the three points with a stunning third. However, the victory is surely only a temporary stay of execution as Mark McGhee’s side must hope that St Johnstone lose to Aberdeen tonight and then again Hibs on Sunday, and Dundee beat Livingston while also matching Saints’ goal difference.
Dundee’s was the first of McGhee’s tenure as manager at the 13th time of asking but it is likely to prove far too little too late.
McGhee made four changes from the team that lost to St Mirren in Paisley on Saturday, with Shaun Byrne, Josh Mulligan, Paul McMullan and Max Anderson coming in for Luke McCowan, Danny Mullen, Paul McGowan and skipper Adam, who was at fault for the first goal conceded against the Buddies.
Hibs caretaker manager David Gray made three alterations following the weekend draw with
Aberdeen at Easter Road with Lewis Stevenson, Scott and Rocky Bushiri replacing Paul Hanlon, Jake Doyle-Hayes and Elias Melkerson.
However, the visitors were left stunned in just the third minute as Dundee stormed into the lead. Jordan Marshall found Zak Rudden on the right and although Hibs keeper Matt Macey made a decent save from the striker’s shot, McGinn was on hand to rifle home the rebound.
The Edinburgh side bounced back strongly from that early setback and came close to scoring a quickfire equaliser when Ewan Henderson played in Scott, but home goalie Harry Sharp made a vital stop.
Shortly after, Hibs came close again when Harry Clarke headed just wide of Sharp’s right-hand post. After those two opportunities for the away side, Dundee steadied the ship with both teams struggling to carve out further clear-cut chances as the half progressed. In the 24th minute, a barnstorming run from Bushiri was brought to an abrupt halt 22 yards from the Dundee goal by Mulligan, who was booked by referee Craig Napier.
Henderson stepped up to take the free-kick but he shot straight at Sharp who easily gathered. However, Hibs did finally equalise in the 29th minute. Scott got the better of Jordan McGhee on the left before advancing on goal, with his shot squirming through Sharp at his near post.
Dundee had an immediate chance to take the lead once more but McGinn’s long-range free-kick was straight at Macey.
The Dark Blues then came close to scoring again in bizarre circumstances as a deep Cammy Kerr cross took a deflection and narrowly flew past Macey’s post.
From the corner, McGhee found space at the back post but his header flew straight into the Hibs keeper’s arms. Dundee did have the ball in the back of the net shortly after when Mulligan bulleted a header in off the underside of the bar but his effort was ruled out for offside.
However, as the teams headed down the tunnel at half-time, the home players knew they were staring relegation firmly in the face unless they could find a winner after the break.
Worryingly for Dundee, it was Hibs who took control early in the second half, with Scott trying his luck from 25 yards but Sharp was equal to his effort.
The Dark Blues huffed and puffed as the hour mark approached but Macey had little to do. However, the Hibs goalkeeper was picking the ball out of the back of his net in the 67th minute.
Marshall’s teasing cross saw substitute Luke McCowan heading back across goal for Mulligan to nod home from close range — and this time there was no offside flag. Dundee then had three chances in quick succession with a Mulligan header cleared off the line, a corner from sub Adam clawed from under his bar by Macey and then Rudden dragged a shot wide with the goal at his mercy.
However, Adam applied the icing to the cake in the 86th minute when he hit a 25-yard thunderbolt past Macey. The final whistle was greeted by a standing ovation from the long-suffering home fans who finally had something to cheer about.
DUNDEE (4-3-3): Sharp 6; Kerr 7, Sweeney 6, McGhee 6, Marshall 6; Byrne 6 (McCowan 62); Anderson 6, Mulligan 8, McMullan 6 (Adam 62), Rudden 7 (Fontaine 90), McGinn 7. Subs not used: Welsh, McGowan, Chapman, Robertson, Daley-Campbell. Booked: Mulligan, McGhee. HIBERNIAN (3-5-2): Macey 6; McGinn 6, Porteous 6 (Melkersen 74), Stevenson 7, Clarke 7 Newell 6, Scott 8, Bushiri 6, Doig 6, Henderson 6 (Jasper 62), Campbell 6 (DoyleHayes 74). Subs not used: Dabrowski, McGregor, Hauge, Deleferriere, Laidlaw, Aiken. Booked: Stevenson, Bushiri, Newell. Man of the match: Josh Mulligan. Referee: Craig Napier. Attendance: 5,452.