Dundee

Hearts woes continue as Murray Dundee poach crucial win for Dundee

Having missed missed out on the top six and a Cup final, Hearts’ misery prolonged itself with the Edinburgh club now just five points above the relegation play-off place as Dundee executed a perfect smash and grab at Tynecastle. Opening the scoring was none other than Dundee’s own prodigal son Simon Murray, whose brilliant season continued as a cleared ball landed at the striker’s feet, making no mistake in slotting home his 22nd goal in all competitions late in the first-half. As Hearts struggled to mount a convincing attack, Dundee were all too happy to sit back and counter with a lack of creativity keenly felt. Dundee were guilty of wasting a golden opportunity presented to them as Seb Palmer-Houlden was guilty of stuffing a golden opportunity with a header sent wide of Craig Gordon’s goal. This was a Hearts side that had put eleven past Dundee in their last three meetings and yet they looked a side transformed for all the wrong reasons, unable to muster a goal in a dispiriting opening half for the home fans. Struggling under the weight of the Dundee defenders bearing down on him, Elton Kabangu having two chances. The first a nicely weighted through ball which the striker could only send wide and the second fired directly into Trevor Carson after James Penrice had drilled a low ball into his feet. Frankie Kent would come agonisingly near to levelling the score, heading a whipped in corner just over the bar as the fans’ frustration continue to grow. Kenneth Vargas came closest to an equaliser in added time but was denied by a good Carson block from a short distance. With the sounding of the final whistle, Dundee could relish putting themselves two clear of Ross County and out of the play-off place. Dundee find solidity off the back of a gritty win and a clean sheet to boot, you would hardly believe that this was the same Dundee side that had shipped an astonishing seventy-one goals this season. The 4-0 defeat to Hibernian was perhaps straw that broke the camel’s back, or perhaps thanks to the realities of the relegation battle settling in, Tony Docherty and his players have been forced to adapt, closing ranks as soon as Murray had done was Murray does. Of course the striker will make the back pages, but immense credit should go to Joe Shaughnessy and company for their tactical discipline and ability to hold concentration to see out the victory. Now two points clear of eleventh, Dundee’s tactical shift may pay dividends yet. Critchley feels the heat If the fans’ displeasure wasn’t clear to Neil Critchley during the game, he certainly couldn’t avoid it as a shower of abuse rained down as the side made their way down the tunnel. On the scale of lethal to languid in possession, Hearts veered completely towards the latter. Looking to pick holes in an unrelenting Dundee defence was never going to be an easy task as the visitors demonstrated a newfound defensive resolve. But it was made even more difficult by an inability to take the chances that came their way. Kabangu was certainly guilty, but he was not alone. Fourteen shots and only four on target might not paint the clearest picture of how those chances unfolded but Carson was allowed to stay on his feet far more often than he should have. Four games to go and all of sudden last season’s third best side risk proving that there is no such thing as ‘too big to fail’ in the Scottish top flight. What the manager’s said Dundee boss Tony Docherty: “Hugely, I think you use that sometimes, proud of your players, really delighted with the level of performance I got from the players there. It’s been a hard two weeks.” “I said to the boys when I came into the dressing room, some of them went to go on their phone, I don’t want them to go on their phones. I don’t know the results now, I just want to focus on my own team.” “They’re such an honest, hard-working group to leave everything on the pitch and to make sure they go over and above for their teammates, and I think you’ve seen a team that did that today. So to come here and to get that performance and to get that result, as I say, I’m hugely proud of them.” Hearts boss Neil Critchley: “Yeah, it’s a tough day, no doubt about that. And probably the way the game transpired is probably how it’s going for us a little bit at the moment.” “We’re in a fight. There’s four games to go and there’s 12 points to play for, and you’ve seen Dundee today, the fight that they showed.” “I’m used to it. That’s football, that’s supporters nowadays. Everyone’s entitled to opinion, there’s emotion, there’s passion, it’s an emotive game, particularly here at Tynecastle and it means a lot to people, and I’m comfortable with that.” Line-ups: Heart of Midlothian: Gordon (c), Penrice, McCart (Kingsley 46), Kent, Forrester, Devlin, Baningime (Drammeh 46), Spittal (Dhanda 77), Grant, Kartum (Vargas 63), Kabangu (Forrest 90) Unused subs: Fulton, Halkett, Nieuwenhof, Steinwender Booked: Kabangu Dundee: Carson, Larkeche (Samuels 80), Robertson, Shaughnessy (c), Astley (Ingram 91), Portales (Fraser 91), Tiffoney, Cameron, Mulligan, Palmer-Houlden (Robertson 63), Murray Unused subs: Koumetio, Donnelly, McCracken, Reilly, Sylla Goals: Murray (38) Booked: Palmer-Houlden, Carson, Cameron, Robertson

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Celtic One Result Away from Title as Post-Split Premiership Fixtures Confirmed

Celtic could secure the Scottish Premiership crown on 26 April when they visit Dundee United, needing just a draw to mathematically confirm their dominance. The reigning champions hold a commanding 15-point advantage over Rangers with only five games left, putting them on the verge of a 13th league title in 14 seasons. In a post-split schedule that raises some familiar concerns about fixture balance, the SPFL has now confirmed the remaining fixtures for both the top and bottom halves of the table. The final Old Firm clash of the campaign is set for Sunday 4 May at Ibrox – a potentially fiery occasion even if the title is already wrapped up. Aberdeen kick off their top-six run with a home tie against Hibernian, while Rangers will travel to face St Mirren in their opener. The top-six fixtures will all conclude on Saturday 17 May with simultaneous 12:30 BST kick-offs. However, the post-split format has once again led to some uneven home-and-away tallies. Hibernian must travel to St Mirren for a third time this season, granting the Buddies 20 home matches and only 18 away. Motherwell, meanwhile, will end their campaign having played 20 away fixtures. It’s the first season since 2017-18 where fixture balance couldn’t be maintained across the league. At the other end of the table, St Johnstone begin their survival bid away to Motherwell. They sit bottom, five points behind the rest with time running out. Just six points separate seventh-placed Hearts from 11th-placed Dundee, with only the side finishing 12th relegated automatically. The team in 11th will enter the play-offs. Bottom-half clubs will conclude their campaigns a day later than the top six, with all games on Sunday 18 May at 15:00 BST. 🔝 Top Six Fixtures Saturday 26 April Dundee United v Celtic (12:30) Aberdeen v Hibernian (15:00) St Mirren v Rangers (15:00) Saturday 3 May Hibernian v Dundee United (15:00) St Mirren v Aberdeen (15:00) Sunday 4 May Rangers v Celtic (12:00) Saturday 10 May Celtic v Hibernian (15:00) Dundee United v St Mirren (15:00) Sunday 11 May Rangers v Aberdeen (12:00) Wednesday 14 May Aberdeen v Celtic (19:45) Rangers v Dundee United (19:45) St Mirren v Hibernian (19:45) Saturday 17 May (All 12:30) Celtic v St Mirren Dundee United v Aberdeen Hibernian v Rangers 🔻 Bottom Six Fixtures Saturday 26 April Hearts v Dundee (15:00) Kilmarnock v Ross County (15:00) Motherwell v St Johnstone (15:00) Saturday 3 May Dundee v Motherwell (15:00) Ross County v Hearts (15:00) St Johnstone v Kilmarnock (15:00) Saturday 10 May Hearts v Motherwell (15:00) Kilmarnock v Dundee (15:00) St Johnstone v Ross County (15:00) Wednesday 14 May Dundee v Ross County (19:45) Hearts v St Johnstone (19:45) Motherwell v Kilmarnock (19:45) Sunday 18 May (All 15:00) Kilmarnock v Hearts Ross County v Motherwell St Johnstone v Dundee  

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Late United Winner Sinks Dundee as The Terrors Claim Derby Bragging Rights

Sam Dalby scored his 10th league goal of the season as Dundee United move up to 3rd in the table Dundee started the derby with 2 changes from their 2-1 win against St Mirren, with United making a solitary change from their victory over Aberdeen. The Dark Blues were searching for their first win in the derby since 2017 in front of a sold-out Dens Park. United started the brighter of the two sides and had a chance in the first minute of the game but Dalby’s header was easily saved by Carson. Dundee then had a golden opportunity to take the lead shortly after when the ball was cut back to Fin Robertson inside the box but his effort was cleared off the line by Strain. Adewunmi’s follow up narrowly went past the post. The momentum of the game began to shift in Dundee’s favour as their constant pressure was penning United back as the first half wore on. 2 more good chances fell their way with Fin Robertson again missed the target from range and Palmer – Houlden also failed to convert from inside the box. Against the run of play, United had a dangerous opening right before the end of the half. A great run from Ryan Strain through the heart of the Dundee midfield, allowed him to lay the ball on a plate for Trapanovski but his attempt went well clear of the Dundee goal.   Half Time – Dundee 0-0 Dundee United   Following a scrappy start to the second half, the first blow at Dens Park was struck in the 60th minute when the home side were awarded a penalty following a lengthy VAR check. A dangerous ball in from the left saw Simon Murray challenging Graham and Holt in the air, with the ball hitting Holt’s hand in the mix up. Murray made no mistake from the spot sending Walton the wrong way and giving the Dark Blues the lead in the 61st minute. The tangerines responded immediately, however, and equalised through Vicko Sevelj. Dundee failed to clear a long throw into the box from Ross Graham and the Croatian was there to head the ball home inside the 6-yard box. Both teams had chances to score the 3rd goal of the match. A nice ball in behind the tangerine defence sent Palmer-Houlden through but he hit his shot straight at the United keeper. United had a good chance at the other end up both of former Dundee man, Kevin Holt’s shots were blocked by the Dundee defence. Just as it looked as though the game was heading for the 5th draw in 6 Dundee derby’s, Jim Goodwin’s late goal specialist’s won the game in the closing stages. A fantastic ball from Will Ferry set Holt up for a first time cross on the left wing, and it was United’s talisman, Sam Dalby, in the right place at the right time yet again. Dalby’s 88th minute winner sent the away fans delirious as the home fans headed for the exits. Tony Docherty’s men will be bitterly disappointed with the result as they will feel they deserved at least a point out of the game. The result leaves Dundee in 9th, 12 points behind their city rivals. As for United, the win see’s them leapfrog Goodwin’s former side, Aberdeen, into 3rd and will be looking for their 4th victory in a row on Sunday as they host Hearts at Tannadice. Dundee Lineup – Carson (GK) (C), Astley, Graham, C. Robertson, Mulligan, Sylla, Cameron, F. Robertson (Main 90), Adewumi, Palmer-Houlden (Tiffoney 90), Murray Dundee United Lineup- Walton, Strain, Adeboyaga, Holt, Ferry, Stephenson, Docherty (Odada 84) (C), Sevelj, Middleton (Van Der Sande 63), Trapanovski (Graham 46), Dalby Attendance – 11,585  

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Dundee 3-3 Celtic: Player ratings from Dens Park

Oluwaseun Adewumi’s shines against another Old Firm side whilst Auston Trusty can have no complaints. Dundee 3-4-2-1 Trevor Carson (capt) Continues to put his body on the line but should have done better collecting Kyogo’s low cross for second. 6 Clark Robertson Dealing with such a potent Celtic attack is no easy job but confusion with Carson leads to Celtic regaining lead. 6 Ryan Astley Kept Idah quiet all night and did little wrong despite the scoreline. 7 Aaron Donnelly Did not come off too badly in duel with Kyogo and got the better of Trusty to score an all important goal. 8 Josh Mulligan Lovely feet and worked absolutely tirelessly down the right hand side. His deflected cross for an own goal saw him end the night with an assist. 8 Ethan Ingram His biggest impact comes in attack and has shown he can mix it with the best taking on full backs. However should have tracked McCowan for opener and was beaten by Kyogo’s ball for second. 5 Mo Sylla Strong on the ball and continues to be a good outlet to build attacks. Unfortunate however to give away penalty with handball in dying moments. 6 Cesar Garza Built on a solid first outing for more of the same. A nicely balanced skillset and his tackle helped set Simon Murray off for the counter. 7 Finlay Robertson No Cameron no problem as the midfielder bagged not one, but fine assists on the night. A physical presence giving Celtic’s defenders no rest. 8 Oluwaseun Adewumi Almost followed McGregor to the bathroom at half time such was his proficiency in man marking. Attacked with verve and scored a terrific goal after a tidy bit of footwork to get space from Johnston. What a job Dundee have done to extend his loan. 8 Simon Murray Continues to be every defender’s most irritating opponent. Looking for contact and earning his side free kicks up the park. As mentioned, burst of pace helped create second. Yellow for abusing the referee put a dampener on the striker’s evening. 7 SUBSTITUTES: Seb Palmer-Houlden (for Murray 82′) n/a; Lyall Cameron (for Robertson 87′) Bedbound with illness this week but part of bench that had too little time to make a positive impact and were not at fault for equaliser n/a; Scott Tiffoney (for Garza 87′) n/a.   Celtic (4-1-4-1) Kasper Schmeichel Little he could do about first and third but arguably could have covered himself with a little more glory as Adewumi’s effort slipped past him. 6 Alistair Johnston A player who has become almost irreplaceable for Rodgers, filling in at right back, winger, centre mid, you name it. However as he will no doubt know, little errors cost games and he did not cover openside of goal well enough for second. 7 Auston Trusty Performance tonight will give Kilmarnock and Young Boys a little boost. Almost gave away a penalty before being beaten in the air by Donnelly. 4 Cameron Carter-Vickers A strong presence in the first half but look unrecognisable after the break as he began to fade. Unlucky but conceded an own goal all the same. 5 Greg Taylor Lacks the same impact Johnston has down the right and wasn’t helped by a lack of chemistry with Yang. Was launching himself into tackles by the way, giving the impression of desperation. 5 Callum McGregor (capt) Barely got a sniff due to Adewumi’s marking but looked threatening with rare opportunities when he managed to get away. 6 Yang Hyun-Jun God loves a trier and the winger continues to give everything but often without meaningful end product. However he grabbed a much needed goal for his efforts after getting his positioning spot on the score a header. 6 Paulo Bernardo Game was his for the taking if he was looking to play himself into a more permanent starting berth but failed to grab it. Agonisingly close with a header that hit the crossbar but being taken off after an hour tells you about the belief Rodgers had in his ability to create a winner. Booked before coming off. 6 Luke McCowan An early goal gave Celtic a much needed head start. Found himself filling in a right back with Johnston went forward as his impact lessened before being subbed off to applause from both sets of fans. 6 Kyogo Furuhashi Even on his quieter days Kyogo is a different class. Couple of crosses not met by anyone before Yang finally made one count. Electric movement kept Dundee on their toes. Impact lessened when moved up front. 7 Adam Idah Another difficult evening for the striker whose last league goal dates back to November. Needs to show more of the player who won the Scottish Cup Final last year. 5 SUBSTITUTES: Arne Engels (for Bernardo 61′) Not a brilliant first half hour but delivered when it mattered to rescue a point with penalty 7; Nicolas Kuhn (for Idah 61′) Immediate impact before shot gave Celtic the penalty 7; Reo Hatate (for McCowan 61′) Did not quite match output of previous two but ammended sloppy passing in midfield 6; Luis Palma (for Taylor 71′) A couple of spurts down the left but not much more 6; Alex Valle (for Yang 71′) Game at that stage did not seem to require his contributions 6.    

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Dundee 1-1 Rangers: Player ratings from Dens Park

Aaron Donnelly made a big impression on his second debut whilst Ridvan Yilmaz endured a night to forget. Dundee (3-4-2-1) Trevor Carson Probably surprised not to have more work. Nothing he could do to stop goal and good saves to deny Igamane and Cerny. 7 Ryan Astley Part of strong back three that kept attack quiet. 7 Clark Robertson Like Astley, acted like a brickwall when Cerny approached. 7 Aaron Donnelly Return to the club showed what  shrewd eye for loans the club has. Attacking threat and had the beating of opposite number all night. Love of duels evident with celebration after stopping Cortes. 8 Josh Mulligan Assist led to opener and worked tirelessly to cover right hand side. Easily dealt with Matondo after Welshman’s introduction. 8 Mo Sylla Taught Diomande and Barron a lesson in controlling the midfield. Strong on the ball if slightly lacking going forward. 7 Cesar Garza Filling in for injured talisman Lyall Cameron no easy task but recent arrival from Mexico did not put a foot wrong. Docherty full of praise during press conference. 7 Ethan Ingram Enterprise led to goal. Asked to play in unfamiliar position and did so without noticeable difficulty. Task made easier by facing an out of sorts Yilmaz. 7 Scott Tiffoney Not his most scintellating evening but showed his value as he directed his teammates around the park. 6 Oluwaseun Adewumi Continues to go from strength to strength during his loan spell. Composed finish for goal and was denied a second by the offside flag. Will have attracted a few eyeballs from around with performance. 8 Simon Murray Could not add to hot goalscoring form but continued in his role of terrier/ master of the dark arts. Experienced showed against Nsiala but sometimes too keen to look for foul. 6 SUBSTITUTES: Julian Vetro (for Tiffoney 70′) Added dynamism down right 7; Seb Palmer-Houlden (for Murray 70′) brought on to see out draw and did just that 7; Simon Braybrook (for Garza 78′) Same as P-H 7. Tony Docherty A side with only four outfield players on the bench compared to Rangers’ eight should not look the more energised by the end but such is the great work Docherty has done. Continues to get the best out of players. Return of Donnelly looks a masterstroke. 8 Rangers (4-2-3-1) Liam Kelly Nervy start. Early punched clearance was a player lacking control of his area. Little to be done about goal and wasn’t particularly troubled after that. 5 Ridvan Yilmaz One of his worst in a Rangers shit. Cut in on the left far too often when space was on the right. Leting the ball bumble out of feet near touchline summed up his evening. 3 Robin Propper Part of makeshift pairing. Seemed to put early goal behind him but his diagonal passes were done far too often and lacked accuracy. More needed from evening’s captain. 5 Clinton Nsiala Couple of shanked clearances seemed right for a player making first senior appearance but grew into the game. Murray as tough as they come for a debut opponent but did well. Looked more assured of partnership by the end. 6 Jefte Almost identical evening to Yilmaz. Clement was not pleased with performance. Booked for a needless challenge on Tiffoney. 3 Connor Barron Stepping in for Raskin. Not a great night for the midfielder whose difficult first season continues. Easily bypassed in middle of park far too often. Brought off for more effective Danilo. 4 Mohamed Diomande Lacked the physicality to impose himself. Too sloppy in possession as side struggled to string passes together. 4 Vaclav Cerny Found himself running into filled corridors. Got the all important goal and was denied by Carson for second. Despite difficult evening was one of side’s better performers. 6 Nedim Bajrami Not a n10. Struggled to link play together and was almost invisible in first half. Began to drop deeper to create something but to little avail. 4 Ianis Hagi Wonder strike against Celtic feels years ago. Made no impact and was hooked at half time for Matondo. Will be glad to see the back of Dens Park for as long as possible. 3 Hamza Igamane Frustrating evening for the striker. Clement annoyed he tried to create chances rather than finish them. Managed an assist but otherwise kept quiet by defenders. 5 SUBSTITUTES: Rabbi Matondo (for Hagi 46′) Still not back to full force and came off second best to Tiffoney 5; Danilo (for Barron 66′) Livelier than his teammates but could not create anything 5; Ross McCausland (for Yilmaz 81′) Asked to play right back for short time on pitch and did fine 6; Oscar Cortes (for Cerny 87′) n/a. Philippe Clement Stuck to formation and continues to employ almost identical/ exhausted line up despite congested fixture list. If no signings arrive soon it could be a sign of an imminent change in manager. 3

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Difficulties away from home continue as Dundee hold Rangers to draw

Venue: Dens Park                                                                 Date: 09/01/25                                                         Time: 20:00pm Rangers’ woeful away record continued as Dundee battled to well earned draw, leaving the visitors with just 13 points from a possible 33 on the road. It was a nightmare start for Clement’s side as Josh Mulligan made the most of a blocked Scott Tiffoney effort to square the ball to Oluwaseun Adewumi who fired Dundee ahead just five minutes in. Having struggled to break down a well organised defence, Rangers found joy just nearly half an hour later as Hamza Igamane’s pass into the feet of Vaclav Cerny finished a rapid counter attack. Rangers were however fortunate to go into the break one apiece with returning loan signing Aaron Donnelly making his presence known from the off, denied only by flying bodies in front of goal. Struggling to find the target, Ridvan Yilmaz endured a torrid evening, firing a distant effort well over the bar as Dundee looked resolute in defence. Cerny came close to adding a second, denied by the outstretched arm of one Trevor Carson before skewing the rebound. Dundee never looked like settling for a point and they were close to getting all three but Adewumi’s double was denied by the offside flag. As the second half wore on Rangers seemed to lose confidence in their ability to find a winner, Igamane a rare brightspark saw his effort parried to safety by Carson. Meanwhile the home side continued to punish sloppy passing, Julien Vetro racing down the right hand sand and feeding the ball to a well placed Adewumi whose effort lacked the requisite accuracy to trouble Liam Kelly. Almost reproducing the goal from nothing, Mohamed Diomande rattled the crossbar from 30 yards with a well beaten Trevor Carson’s feet planted beneath before Jefte put his headed effort just above the woodwork. Donnelly face of dogged Dundee With a squad about as threadbare as they come, Tony Docherty found himself flipping through his roladex to fill out a side needed to put two keepers on the bench. But off the back of tonight it looks as though he’s plucked the perfect name in Aaron Donnelly, who made his second debut for the club after his loan spell last season from high flying Nottingham Forest. The Northern Ireland international epitomised everything the manager wanted from his players, brave in attack and solid in defence. Attempts on goals were denied by some last ditch defending whilst he continued to get the better of his opposite man at the back, making his satisfaction known after denying Oscar Cortes in a duel. Docherty will pray Donnelly can stay fit as the side edges ever closer to the top half. Out of ideas, out of steam Despite having four more outfield players on the bench, not to mention the exorbitant financial gap between the sides, it was Rangers who looked to be on their last legs this evening. Whilst they have experienced injury problems themselves, giving first starts to centre backs Nsiala tonight and Leon King last week, the problems look far greater around them. Jefte and Yilmaz both let the ball slip out of their feet in almost Sunday League levels of ball control and Hamza Igamane was often too desperate in his attempts to create chances for his side as Ianis Hagi had a night to forget before being hooked at half-time. There are still plenty of games to be played this season, including six this month but Rangers are already turning to Europe for salvation as they hope to banish their away day hoodoo. If they can’t find a cure, Clement will find himself answering more and more questions about his future at the club. What the Managers had to say   Attendance: 8,606 Line ups: Dundee (3-4-2-1): T. Carson (c), A. Donnelly, C. Robertson, R. Astley, E. Ingram, C. Garza (S. Braybrooke 78′), M. Sylla, J. Mulligan, O. Adewumi, S. Tiffoney (S. Palmer-Houlden), S. Murray (J. Vetro) Substitutes: S. Braybrooke, L. Graham, C. Main, J. McCracken, S. Palmer-Houlden, H. Sharp, J. Vetro Rangers (4-2-3-1): L. Kelly, Jefte, C. Nsiala, R. Propper, R. Yilmaz (R. McCausland 81′), M. Diomande, C. Barron (Danilo 66′), I. Hagi (R. Matondo 46′), N. Bajrami, V. Cerny (O. Cortes 87′), H. Igamane Substitutes: O. Cortes, C. Dessers, K. Dowell, M. Munn, L. King, R. Matondo, R. McCausland, Danilo, B. Rice Referee: Calum Scott

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First half collapse sees St Johnstone fall to Dundee

Venue: McDiarmid Park                                                     Date: 05/01/25                                                          Time: 15:00pm   St Johnstone’s early collapse saw Dundee come out comfortable winners and leave the Perth side eight points adrift at the bottom of the table. Just three minutes into play Josh Rae flailed as he jumped to catch a lofted free kick ball, leaving Simon Murray to put the visitors on the front foot. In the tenth minute disaster struck again when St Johnstone were guilty of not clearing from a set piece allowing the ball to fall into Seb Palmer-Houlden’s feet, the 21 year old making no mistake to double his side’s lead. Folding like a deck of cards on a windy day, Simo Valakari’s men found themselves three down just twelve minutes later, Lyall Cameron finishing Mulligan’s pass into the box which could have been finished by Oluwaseun Adewumi had he not missed the ball entirely. Making two substitutions before the half hour mark, the manager look to turn things around but would earn no more than a consolation goal courtesy of Josh McPake’s long range effort. Nicky Clark came close to getting the first for the home side but could not get enough purchase on Aaron Essel’s cross as the ball skimmed over his head. Continuing in their struggles to find the target, Benjamin Kimpioka could not add a finish to his tricky footwork, ending the game goalless for the fifth time in a row before Adama Sidibeh failed to do better with his own effort. Much improved in the second half, Clark at least forced a save from Trevor Carson who endured one of his more comfortable evenings in a Dundee shirt. Palmer-Houlden probed for a second but was denied by a strong hand from Rae. Attendance: 5,246 Line-Ups: St Johnstone (4-2-3-1): J. Rae, A. Raymond (A. Essel 28’), B. Mikulic, J. Sanders, D. Wright, M. Smith (M. Kucheriavyi 28’), S. Sprangler, B. Kimpioka (J. McPake 58’), N. Clark (c), G. Carey, A. Sidibeh Substitutes: A. Brookfield, B. Dair, A. Essel, F. Franczak, C. Helpburn, D. Keltjens, M. Kucheriavyi, C. MacPherson, J. McPake Dundee (3-4-2-1): T. Carson (c), L. Graham, C. Roberston, R. Astley, S. Tiffoney, M. Sylla, L. Cameron, J. Mulligan, O. Adewumi (C. Garza 76’), S. Palmer-Houlden (C. Main 84’), S. Murray (E. Ingram 68’) Substitutes: S. Braybrooke, C. Garza, E. Ingram, C. Main, J. McCracken, H. Sharp, J. Vetro Referee: David Dickinson

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County down Dundee for first away win in 15 months

Venue: Dens Park                                                                 Date: 26/12/24                                                          Time: 15:00   An inspired Noah Chilvers put Dundee to the sword to ensure a first away win for Ross County since September 2023.  Chilvers made his first goal for the club count with a pinpoint finish from outside the box.  Dundee’s sloppiness in possession made their attempts at a comeback all the more difficult as Mo Sylla was caught out by Chilvers to put Josh Nisbet in on goal and stretch their advantage.  With the game already lost, the home side could not keep their discipline, Josh Mulligan’s foul on Nisbet giving County a penalty with Jordan White making no mistake from the spot.  Chilvers had attempted the miraculous in trying to catch Trevor Carson off his line from halfway but it could only land on the roof of the net.  Mulligan was the first to make Ross Laidlaw work with as the County keeper parried the effort to keep the visitors at bay. Ronan Hale had come close to adding a second but Carson did well to deny the striker.  An afternoon of attempted wonder goals continued with Sylla, whose volley from outside the box dragged just wide.  Unfortunately for Tony Docherty his side spent most of the game defending for their lives, Ryan Astley put his body on the line to keep Ryan Leak out. The result means 10th place County sit just a point behind Dundee.   Attendance: 5, 207 Line-Ups:  Dundee: T. Carson, B. Koumetio, A. Portales (S. Kelly 46′), R. Astley, J. McGhee (F. Roberston 46′), J. Mulligan, L. Cameron, M. Sylla, S. Tiffoney (E. Ingram 68′), O. Adewumi (S. Palmer-Houlden 68′), S. Murray (C. Main 68′) Substitutes: S. Braybrooke, E. Ingram, S. Kelly, C. Main, J. McCracken, S. Palmer-Houlden, F. Robertson, H. Sharp, J. Vetro Ross County: J. Amissah, R. Leak, K. Lopata, A. Wright, G. Harmon, C. Randall (c), J. Grieves (J. White 60′), A. Denholm (J. Nisbet 34′), M. Efete, N. Chilvers (C. Telfer 79′), R. Hale (E. Brophy 78′) Substitutes: S. Allardice, E. Brophy, J. Brown, J. Hamilton, V. Loturi, J. Nisbet, J. Reid, C. Telfer, J. White Referee: Don Robertson  

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Cerny finish rescues wasteful Rangers against Dundee

Venue: Ibrox                                                                        Date: 21/12/24                                                             Time: 15:00   Vlaclav Cerny’s second half finish saw Rangers defeat Dundee to leapfrog Aberdeen into second.  Despite a dominant performance which saw the home side hit the crossbar four times, it was only Danilo’s pass to unleash Cerny on an impressive run and dribble past Trevor Carson that proved the difference.  Ianis Hagi was the first to strike the woodwork, his thundering effort bouncing off the top of the bar. Captain James Tavernier was next, his free kick from distance agonisingly close to give Philippe Clement an opener as Dundee clung on for life.  Cerny came close before the break, Hamilton able to keep the midfielder out.    Rangers should have come away from this fixture comfortable winners but for Hamza Igamane being kept out by Jordan McGhee on the line and hitting the crossbar with a point blank effort later on.  They were almost punished for their profligacy in front of goal but Finlay Robertson could not convert.  Attendance: 47,208 Line-ups: L. Kelly, Jefté, R. Pröpper, D. Sterling, J. Tavernier (c), I. Hagi (R. Yilmaz 84’), N. Raskin, M. Diomande, H. Igamane (C. Dessers 84’), Danilo (N. Bajrami 62’), V. Černý (R. McCausland 75’) Substitutes: N. Bajrami, L. Balogun, C. Barron, J. Butland, Ó. Cortés, C. Dessers, K. Dowell, R. McCausland, R. Yilmaz  Line-ups: T. Carson (c), B. Koumetio, A. Portales, R. Astley, J. McGhee, F. Roberston, S. Tiffoney (J. Vetro 65’), L. Cameron, M. Sylla, J. Mulligan, S. Palmer-Houlden (S. Murray 65’) Substitutes: J. McCracken, S. Braybrooke, E. Ingram, S. Kelly, C. Main, S. Murray, H. Sharp, J. Vetro Referee: Matthew McDermid

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Shankland’s Dundee double lifts Hearts off bottom of the table

Hearts 2 – 0 Dundee Lawrence Shankland ended his goalless drought to help his side to strong win over Dundee. Two and half months after his last goal, the Hearts captain’s header arced over a static Jon McCracken and doubled his tally just ten minutes later. Musa Drammeh had a chance of his own by he could only send Blair Spittal’s cross wide in the first half. Dundee’s Oluwaseun Adewumi could not build on his impressive midweek outing against Motherwell, sending one of his side’s few opportunities sky high. Antonio Portales also unable to find the target with his header. McCracken was granted a get out of jail free card when his mishit clearance fell into the path of Drammeh, but was ruled marginally offside. Attendance: 18,737 Line-ups: Hearts: C. Gordon, J. Penrice, K. Rowles, C. Halkett, D. Oyegoke, M. Boateng, C. Devlin, B. Spittal (K. Vargas 76′), L. Shankland, M. Drammeh (J. Grant 76′), J. Wilson (A. Forrest 67′) Substitutes: Z. Clark, Y. Dhanda, A. Forrest, A. Forrester, J. Grant, Y. Oda, A. Salazar, M. Tait, K. Vargas Dundee: J. McCracken, B. Koumetio, A. Portales, R. Astley, F. Robertson (E. Ingram 46′), M. Sylla, J. McGhee, J. Mulligan (J. Vetro 84′), O. Adewumi (S. Murray  46′), L. Cameron, S. Palmer-Houlden (S. Tiffoney 61′) Substitutes: S. Braybrooke, T. Carson, E. Ingram, S. Kelly, C. Main, S. Murray, H. Sharp, S. Tiffoney, J. Vetro

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