The Dundee derby, you just can't beat it: unnecessary fan message, missed chances and kamikaze defending

Shame on the authorities who relayed messages on the eve of the game requesting that fans from each team approach the stadium from different ends. It seems to have passed some people by that arriving from whatever end they wish has proved a sound arrangement for Dundee and Dundee United supporters for 100 years and more. The Dundee derby is unusual in that many attending families include fans from both sides of the street. They can live perfectly well together so why can’t they walk to the same game together?

One fiercely pro-United family were the Kirkcaldy branch of the Thomsons. Miller Thomson was less than a month old when Dundee last won at Tannadice. The 20-year-old ensured the task of rectifying this record got a lot steeper for Dundee when he put United 2-1 up after 23 minutes with his first goal for the club. 

He was a constant source of danger in the opening 45 minutes as he sought to take advantage of fellow 20-year-old Luke Graham’s rawness at left centre-half. It was a young Dundee team – five of their starting XI were aged 21 and under. So it was credit to them that they regrouped after half time to do enough to secure a point. In fact, the longer the game went on it looked as though there would only be one winner, with substitute Curtis Main missing a glorious chance for Dundee at the death. However, home manager Jim Goodwin rightly lamented Kristijan Trapanovski's own failure to convert and put the hosts 3-1 up just before the hour mark.

It was a extraordinary mini-spell of football. One moment Dundee had the ball in the United goalmouth, the next the home side's No 7 was straight through on the Dundee goal after the ball was cleared into his path. There was no Dundee player near him. There was no Dundee player in their own half. So kudos to Lyall Cameron for embarking on a lung-busting run back and salvaging the situation although Goodwin was angry with Trapanovski for trying a dink over Dundee ‘keeper Jon McCracken rather than go round him. The ball did have sufficient pace to cross the line but not before Cameron whipped it clear just in time.

Dundee manager Tony Docherty shook his head afterwards. He, too, was annoyed. Cameron had been positioned far too far forward in his role as last man at a set-piece. “I don’t know why he was in that position so there is a double-edge to that,” he said, when the subject of Cameron's heroics was brought up. “He shouldn’t be in that position but, my god,  what a reaction! He’s just a young boy desperate to make up for an error. What a brilliant effort – it was as good as a goal.”

It certainly preserved Dundee’s chances of taking something from the game after being nearly blown away in the opening half. The visitors continued standing on ceremony having applauded their rivals onto the park. It was a controversial gesture. Many Dundee fans found the idea of showing such respect to their biggest rivals unpalatable, but then Motherwell had extended the same courtesy to Dundee this time last year.

It was the right thing to do. What wasn't so laudable was Dundee's defending in the first half. A defence that hadn’t played together before duly performed like it. 

The backline included two league debutants on the left side, where Graham was joined by Ziyad Larkeche at wing-back. It was little surprise that United’s joy came mostly down that flank although their opening goal after 13 minutes was sourced through the middle after a brilliant ball from David Babunski split the defence. 

Jort van der Sande turned the ball into the path of Trapanovski, whose finish past McCracken was immaculate. It was a dream start for United although they should really already have been ahead after Thomson left Graham for dead and cut back for Babunski, who blazed over. Dundee were level again five minutes later after one of their few fluid moves of the opening period left Simon Murray with the chance to shoot. His effort was palmed out by Jack Walton and Sebastian Palmer-Houlden swept home.   

Dundee’s greatest defensive calamity was still to come, however. Will Ferry took advantage of a huge gap that had developed on Dundee’s left to play in Vicko Sevelj, whose cross across the goalmouth was laced with danger. Thomson tapped home his first goal for the club with right sided Dundee centre-half Antonio Portales posted missing.

United missed further chances to make it 3-1 prior to Trapanovski’s failure to capitalise on being put straight through. With time running out Dundee had to do something and they did. 

The introduction of Josh Mulligan and Scott Tiffoney helped change the game. Dundee were nevertheless reliant on a penalty awarded after VAR intervened to rule on an offside flag that looked set to ensure there was no decision to make after Ross Graham clipped Murray’s ankle when the defender found himself on the wrong side of the Dundee attacker.

Once the offside flag was deemed erroneous, a penalty was inevitable. McCowan dinked the award down the middle of Walton’s goal at the same end where two balls had earlier flown over the roof in the direction of Dens Park. The Dundee derby, you just cannot beat it.